Tag: Andre Sam

Brian Kelly praises Andre Sam’s performance against Army

The Marshall transfer had two interceptions in the win Saturday night.

[autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag] is a player who has seemingly gotten better every week.

On Saturday night against Army, the Marshall transfer finished the game with three tackles and two interceptions as the Tigers’ defense got its first shutout of the season.

It was a welcome sight to see the secondary playing so well, even though it was against Army. The LSU secondary has been the subject of a lot of criticism this year as they have struggled for the first few weeks of the season. That is due to how many new guys [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] has played at cornerback and at safety.

Kelly was asked after the game what he thought about Sam’s performance.

“Yeah, it’s fun to watch,” Kelly said. “His patience is really what’s starting to show. I thought he took himself out of some plays early in the year, being maybe just a little too aggressive or out of control. If you remember early on, maybe some missed tackles. He’s really settled in and is playing confident and patrolling the middle of the field. We had a couple maybe he’d like to have back or he’d have four interceptions, but playing at a high level. We need him to continue to do that. If he does, he presents a solid piece for us back there.”

Sam has been a bright spot in the past few games. Hopefully, he can keep that great stretch going.

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Five stats that defined LSU’s win over Army

Here are five numbers that defined LSU’s 62-0 win over Army.

It was another blowout win for LSU on Saturday night.

After beating Army 62-0, the Tigers have now outscored their last two opponents by a combined score of 110-18. It’s a breath of fresh air after this team got caught up in three straight shootouts.

The offense continues to roll and the defense is looking better, providing LSU with optimism before the trip to Tuscaloosa in a couple of weeks.

Anytime you have a game as lopsided as Saturday night, it can be difficult to find meaningful takeaways, but there are bits and pieces we can read into.

Here are five numbers that defined LSU’s 62-0 win over Army.

Stock Up, Stock Down: LSU takes care of business on homecoming

It was a happy homecoming for the LSU Tigers as they welcomed Army into Baton Rouge.

It was a happy homecoming for the LSU Tigers as they welcomed Army into Baton Rouge. LSU shut down the Army offense while putting up 62 points of their own.

It was a great tune-up game for the Tigers as they get ready to travel to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama in two weeks. First, they will get a bye week and have a chance to get some guys healthy.

A few standouts from the game include [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag] and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag]. On the other side of the spectrum, LSU could not run the ball on Army until late in the fourth quarter.

Here’s our full stock report after the Week 8 win over the Black Knights.

Instant Analysis: Damian Ramos drills late field goal as LSU avoids scare against Arkansas

The Tigers overcame a slow start to survive a tight game against the Razorbacks on Saturday night.

With the game against Arkansas tied at 31 in the final minutes and LSU sitting just at the edge of field goal range at the Razorbacks’ 28-yard line, the Tigers needed a big gain.

Running back [autotag]Logan Diggs[/autotag] answered that call, breaking off a 21-yard run on a shotgun draw that took LSU down to the 6. With Arkansas having exhausted its timeouts, the Tigers could run down the clock as [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] drilled a game-winning chip shot field goal with just five seconds left to lift the Tigers to a 34-31 win.

It was a sluggish start to the game for LSU offensively as Arkansas jumped out to a 13-3 lead, which it held late into the second quarter. The offense woke up, however, scoring touchdowns to end the first half and begin the second as coach Brian Kelly’s team retook the lead.

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] overcame an ugly early interception to have another fantastic game, completing 20 of 29 passes for 320 yards and four passing touchdowns. Two of those went to [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], who led the team in receiving with 133 yards on five catches.

The other two went to [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], who wasn’t far behind him with 130 yards on eight catches. LSU didn’t rely heavily on the run game, especially in the second half, but Diggs finished with 97 yards on 14 carries.

Defensively, it wasn’t exactly a banner night for the Tigers. They allowed 426 yards to the Razorbacks and gave up several costly big plays through the air that kept Arkansas in it right until the end.

LSU did have some timely big plays defensively, however, headlined by a first-half interception for [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag] and four total sacks as a team.

It was a tighter game than LSU expected, but the Tigers will certainly be thankful for a win as they prepare to hit the road to take on an Ole Miss team reeling from a disappointing loss to Alabama.

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Greg Brooks Jr. out for Arkansas game, Brian Kelly says

Greg Brooks Jr. was unavailable against Mississippi State with what Brian Kelly called a “medical emergency” after the game.

LSU will be without starting nickel [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] when it hosts Arkansas in Week 4 on Saturday, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said Monday.

Brooks was not with the team during Saturday’s 41-14 win over Mississippi State as he is dealing with what Kelly referred to after the game as a “medical emergency.”

Speaking to the media Monday, Kelly couldn’t provide many details about Brooks’ condition other than to say he will not be available when the Tigers take on the Razorbacks.

“I don’t have a lot that I can report on Greg, it is a family matter so I am not going to speak on the family’s behalf,” Kelly said. “If there’s anything I can get to you further after I speak with the family, we’ll certainly give you the information. But Greg is dealing with a medical emergency, and he will not be available.”

Without Brooks, LSU started transfer [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag] at safety with [autotag]Sage Ryan[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Ryan Yaites[/autotag] seeing reps at nickel. That dynamic will likely continue into the near future with Brooks’ status unclear.

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Instant Analysis: Florida State pulls away in second half to spoil LSU’s opener

LSU’s season began with a sour taste in Orlando on Sunday night.

On the very first play of LSU’s 2023 campaign, quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] found running back [autotag]Tre Bradford[/autotag] on a brilliantly designed wheel route for a 55-yard gain.

One play later, Daniels connected with tight end [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] on a 15-yard gain to bring the Tigers to Florida State’s 5-yard line, and coach Brian Kelly’s team was in business.

But the drive stalled from there, and a failed fourth-down conversion squandered the opportunity for LSU to start the game with a scoring drive. Those missed opportunities ultimately cost the No. 5 Tigers against the No. 8 Seminoles on Sunday night in Orlando.

Despite taking a 17-14 lead to the locker room, Florida State dominated the final two quarters, keeping LSU off the scoreboard until the final two minutes en route to a statement 45-24 win.

LSU’s defensive front mostly lived up to the hype, holding a talented Seminoles rushing attack in check for much of the game. But the Tigers’ new-look secondary didn’t have the best day.

The team struggled to contain Florida State receivers Keon Coleman (9 catches, 122 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Johnny Wilson (7 catches, 104 yards), and quarterback Jordan Travis delivered a gem.

He wasn’t prolific with his legs, though he did finish with 38 yards and a rushing touchdown. But he was very efficient with his arm, completing 23 of 31 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns, though he did toss one interception to [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag].

LSU struggled to get the Seminoles off the field, and they were an impressive 9 of 14 on third downs.

It wasn’t exactly a bad night for Daniels and the offense, but it wasn’t a particularly efficient one, either. He totaled 411 yards (347 passing, 64 rushing), but he also threw a pretty bad interception when the margin was still at seven in the fourth quarter, which led to a touchdown.

Outside of Daniels’ contributions and a 35-yard run from [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag], the trio of Williams, Noah Cain and Bradford totaled 14 yards on just 11 carries. [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] and Taylor had moderate production in the passing game, but there were some drop issues from the receiver group, as well.

Thomas was the only one of the three to find the end zone, scoring in garbage time.

It was a disappointing way to start a season that began with high expectations, and after a three-score loss, the team will hit the drawing board once again as it prepares to host Grambling for its home opener in Week 2.

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One highlight from every member of LSU’s transfer class

LSU’s transfer class was among the nation’s best. Here’s one highlight from every transfer.

LSU landed the second-best transfer class on the 2023 cycle according to 247Sports.

It’s a class that addresses key needs while also adding some star power.

Last year, we saw Brian Kelly’s first transfer class pay dividends as players like [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] came up with big plays in big moments.

Here, we’ll be taking a look at one or two highlights from each member of the class. Each play sheds some light on what LSU’s getting from this class and what fans can expect to see on the field this fall.

We’ll start with the most recent addition, a safety who should fit right into Matt House’s scheme.

Transfer Breakdown: 5 things to know about LSU transfer pickup Andre Sam

Here’s what LSU’s getting in the safety transfer.

LSU turned to the portal again this week.

The Tigers continued to build their secondary with the addition of safety [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag].

Sam brings over 2,000 snaps of experience to a safety room in need of depth. [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Major Burns[/autotag] form a solid pair at the top, but after that, there was uncertainty.

He’s a Louisiana native who spent four years at McNeese, giving him a prior relationship with LSU running backs coach [autotag]Frank Wilson[/autotag], who was head coach for a time there.

After playing at Marshall last year, Sam followed DC Lance Guidry to Tulane. Guidry then took the same position at Miami, leading Sam to hit the portal again.

Here are five things to know about LSU’s newest addition.

LSU lands experienced defensive back transfer from Marshall

Andre Sam returns to the state of Louisiana for his seventh and final season of eligibility.

The Tigers had an impressive transfer portal haul in the winter, but coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is still looking to solidify a few positions.

He did so in the secondary on Thursday, landing a commitment from former Marshall defensive back [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag], who announced his decision on Twitter. Sam entered the portal in the winter and committed to Tulane, but he opted to transfer once again after the spring.

Sam will be entering as a remarkable seventh-year player. The Iowa, Louisiana, native spent the first five seasons of his career with now-LSU running backs coach [autotag]Frank Wilson[/autotag] at McNeese. He appeared in 33 games, earning two First Team All-Southland Conference selections, and started all seven during his final season in 2021.

He spent 2022 with the Thundering Herd, totaling 53 tackles, eight pass breakups, a pick and a fumble recovery. He’ll have one remaining year of eligibility as he bolsters an already-loaded Tigers secondary.

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