The LSU Tigers welcome in Central Michigan Chippewas for their first taste of playing at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. It will be an atmosphere that CMU is very much not used to. Chippewas head coach Jim McElwain is familiar with the electricity in Death Valley, but not something that his team is.
“You don’t see these places in the Mid-American Conference like this,” McElwain said on Wednesday. “Believe me when I tell you this, the difference between playing at Missouri and playing at LSU in Death Valley at night is quite a bit different. It starts with the fans, the fans are great. They are rabid about their home team. They make it something special and they don’t cut you any slack when you go in there, I’ll tell you that.”
How McElwain’s young quarterback handles the atmosphere and the crowd noise will be a key for the Chippewas to do the unthinkable. Can he outgun a fellow sophomore quarterback in Max Johnson when the lights come on?
Central Michigan vs LSU QB Tale of the Tape
How do the two quarterbacks measure up?
| Jacob Sirmon | vs | Max Johnson |
| 6-5 | Ht | 6-5 |
| 230 | Wt | 219 |
| RS-Sophomore | Class | Sophomore |
| 35 | Comp | 44 |
| 61 | Att | 73 |
| 57.4 | Comp % | 60.3 |
| 405 | Yards | 491 |
| 6.6 | Yards/Att | 6.7 |
| 4 | TDs | 6 |
| 2 | INTs | 1 |
The two quarterbacks are somewhat similar in size and stature. Looking at their stats, the slight edge goes to Max Johnson. He has a better completion percentage, more yards, more touchdowns, and one less interception. Johnson has the opportunity to build some real confidence heading into the SEC opener next week against Mississippi State.
Sirmon is in his third season of college football. However, this will be the seventh game that he has played in. In 2019, Sirmon appeared in three games for the Washington Huskies. Last season it was just one game. He transferred to Central Michigan ahead of the 2021 campaign. Prior to this year, he had thrown a total of four passes.
It is still relatively unknown what kind of quarterback he can be. Sirmon is still learning, as is Johnson. Johnson has the upper hand with game experience. The CMU quarterback got his first taste of SEC play in the season opener against Missouri. He completed 23 of 45 attempts for 295 yards, completing 51.1% of his passes. Sirmon had one touchdown but threw two interceptions. Derek Stingley Jr and Eli Ricks will prove to be another test for the young quarterback. How will he handle the raucous crowd in Death Valley?