Ali Gaye – Page 8 – Syndication Server

Looking into LSU’s two most pressing areas of concern against Missouri

LSU has two primary areas of concern as the Tigers face off against Missouri on Saturday.

With game day quickly approaching, the No. 17 LSU Tigers head to Columbia, Missouri for the first time ever to face their SEC East foe Missouri Tigers.

Hurricane Delta is impacting the game, which was originally slated to be played inside Tiger Stadium, and will now be moved to Faurot Field to be played on the turf of the “other Tigers.”

LSU has many familiar faces back for this game. Defensive lineman Glen Logan is expected to return, for one.

Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. returned last week and running back Chris Curry should be back after missing last week with an illness.

Here’s a look at the most pressing areas of concern for LSU against Missouri.

Defensive line

Last week, LSU started freshman Jaquelin Roy on the defensive line and failed to get the result they had hoped for. Roy finished with just one tackle, but still has a great amount of upside that will carry his career.

Glen Logan is expected back this week, and that provides the Tigers with a boost up front. But overall, the defensive line needs to get back on track.

Ali Gaye had trouble last week after having 11 tackles in the season opener, but has obviously shown he has the ability to make a strong impact in a single game.

Missouri isn’t a great rushing team on offense, but LSU has to get in the backfield more this week. Defensive coordinator Bo Pelini could even dial up more blitz packages given the lack of stats for Missouri quarterback Connor Bazelak.

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Studs and duds in LSU’s 41-7 win over Vanderbilt

LSU earned an impressive win against Vanderbilt on Saturday while putting up solid numbers from a few key players.

LSU defeated Vanderbilt in a dominant fashion on Saturday to move to 1-1 on the season. The No. 20 Tigers took a big step on both sides of the ball in their first win of the season, showing reason for optimism within the fan base after a disappointing 44-34 loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the opener.

Redshirt junior quarterback Myles Brennan looked more poised in the pocket this week and took less time on his throws.

Here’s a look at who came up big, and who could have done better in the Tigers’ 41-7 victory on Saturday night in Nashville.

Stud: Myles Brennan

Brennan completed 23-of-37 passes for 337 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. But it isn’t the numbers that place him on the studs list. His composure and calmness in the pocket gave him the ability to make better throws than last week.

The junior quarterback was dishing the ball everywhere to any receiver that was open. Two of his touchdowns went to Jontre Kirklin and the other two went to Terrace Marshall Jr.

If Brennan can continue what he started on Saturday, he could finish between 1,500 and 2,500 passing yards for the season.

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Studs and duds from LSU’s 44-34 loss to Mississippi State

LSU gave up 623 passing yards in the 44-34 loss to Mississippi State on Saturday. Which Tigers players made an impression?

LSU proved no match for Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense as the Tigers fell, 44-34 on Saturday to the Bulldogs.

The defending national champions lost 14 players from the 2019 team, and star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. was out for the opener due to an illness, and it was plenty noticeable based on the overall performance.

The Tigers gave up 623 passing yards to Bulldogs quarterback K.J. Costello, and started slow on offense in comparison.

Here’s a look at who performed especially well, and who could afford to do much better next week.

Stud: DL Ali Gaye

Defensive lineman Ali Gaye was a force to be reckoned with on Saturday, getting pressure on Costello and making his presence known every snap. He nearly had a few interceptions, and helped cause a fumble in the fourth quarter that resulted in a Tigers touchdown.

Gaye finished out the game with three tackles, one sack and three pass breakups.

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LSU football’s two main areas of concern against Mississippi State

As LSU opens their season against Mississippi State on Saturday, the offensive and defensive lines draw concern.

The 2020 college football season for the defending national champion LSU Tigers kicks off in two days.

On Saturday, the Tigers welcome the Mississippi State Bulldogs to Baton Rouge for the first game of the conference-only season.

LSU lost 14 players from last year’s team to the 2020 NFL draft, which leaves a few questions in the air when it comes to production at each position.

Let’s take a look at two main areas of concern heading into Saturday’s season-opening game for the Tigers.

Offensive Line

As much of a lingering question that the quarterback position could be with Myles Brennan leading the way replacing Joe Burrow, the Tigers’ offensive line lost three starters from last season.

With the official depth chart for the first game being released last week, the Tigers will start three players that have experience on the line in Dare Rosenthal at offensive tackle, Chasen Hines at right guard and Austin Deculus at right tackle.

Offensive guard Ed Ingram also has starting experience and will be a key factor in protecting Brennan and opening holes in the running game.

The Tigers’ starting center will be Harvard transfer Liam Shanahan, who is a player that the coaching staff has been giving high praise for.

The main reason for the concern is due to the fact that the team lost nearly all of their starters from last season on the line. Protecting Brennan is focal point number one for this unit.

If they can transition into a solid unit early in the season, things will look good for them from a protection and production standpoint for the season.

However, the front seven has to give Brennan enough time in the pocket to complete passes and escape pressure. We will find out on Saturday how well the unit is clicking during the game.

Going up against a team with a new head coach, coupled with a new quarterback in Brennan, could give the offensive line a struggle during the game.

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