LSU football got its first win of the 2024 campaign as the Tigers returned home to host Nicholls State on Saturday night. Brian Kelly’s group took some time to find their footing, but LSU pulled away in the second half for a final score of 44-21.
It was the opening night for Tiger Stadium’s 100th anniversary season and Tiger fans were treated to a brand new video board, new LED lights, and an improved sound system.
On the field, LSU QB [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] led the way with six touchdowns. Three of those went to WR [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], who paired the scores with five catches for 65 yards.
LSU is still waiting for its run game to wake up, with [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaleb Jackson[/autotag] pacing the team with just 19 yards apiece.
It was a thrilling day around the sport, but luckily for Tiger fans, LSU avoided the chaos.
The win should help stabilize LSU as it opens conference play against South Carolina next week. Here are five takeaways from LSU’s win over Nicholls State.
Sloppy start for the Tigers
LSU expects to have its way with an FCS opponent. That’s not what happened in the first half and it was another sloppy start for the Tigers.
LSU picked up a first down but failed to score on the first drive. The offense eventually picked it up, but it wasn’t smooth sailing the first two quarters.
The bigger concern was on the defensive side of the ball. Nicholls was more physical than LSU up front, methodically moving down the field and controlling the football.
Nicholls didn’t throw a single incompletion in the first half and LSU didn’t do much to make the Colonels uncomfortable.
The first half was capped with a special teams error as [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] pushed a field goal right.
A few injury scares
You want to exit these buy games healthy, but LSU had a few scares on Saturday night.
Nussmeier and Lacy both left the game to receive attention from the trainers. Both players returned, but seeing two key pieces on the sideline wasn’t a welcome sight for LSU fans.
The bigger concern is defensive tackle [autotag]Jacobian Guillory[/autotag], who left the game and was later seen in a cast and wheelchair.
LSU is already thin at defensive tackle and Guillory is the only proven DT on the roster. If LSU is without Guillory for an extended period of time, it changes the outlook for LSU up front.
Ju’Juan Johnson makes his RB debut
[autotag]Ju’Juan Johnson[/autotag] has played running back for just a few days, but you wouldn’t know that if you saw him on the field Saturday.
Johnson was a QB in high school and recruited as a DB, but with LSU’s RB growing thin, the Tigers are giving Johnson a shot. He was involved early on Saturday night, getting his first touch on LSU’s second drive.
Later in the half, Johnson caught a pass and made a few defenders miss. Not long after that, Nussmeier found Johnson for a score.
Johnson is no stranger to having the ball in his hands. He was a star quarterback at the high school level, after all.
We’ll get a better idea of LSU’s plans for Johnson next week. Were the Tigers just using an FCS opponent to get him some reps or does he factor into LSU’s rotation in conference play?
Aaron Anderson continues to emerge
We knew Lacy, [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] would factor into this offense, but there was suspense surrounding LSU’s fourth receiver.
[autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag] was the obvious candidate, but he’s missed the first two games with an injury. In Hilton’s absence, [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] has stepped up,
[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said the redshirt sophomore had a breakout game last week and Anderson produced again on Saturday night. The numbers weren’t gaudy, but Anderson caught five passes for 63 yards.
LSU doesn’t need Anderson to be a gamebreaker, but he’s on pace for a 762 yard season after two games. That’ll do.
Questions remain entering conference play
LSU got it together in the second half, but there will be anxiety entering conference play. LSU’s SEC schedule gets underway with a road trip to South Carolina next week. The Gamecocks impressed on Saturday with an emphatic win over Kentucky.
If South Carolina repeats that performance and LSU comes out flat again, LSU won’t like the result next week.
LSU should feel good about its passing game, but health at receiver is a minor concern. The run game is the biggest question on LSU’s offense. The depth at RB is worth monitoring and LSU’s offensive line will be tested again next week after it struggled against USC.
On defense, LSU is still working out its rotation in the secondary. LSU likes what it has with [autotag]Ashton Stamps[/autotag] and [autotag]PJ Woodland[/autotag] at corner, but both are young and mistakes are inevitable.
Up front, the Guillory injury complicates things even further.
LSU’s ceiling is still the College Football Playoff, but its impossible not to ask a few questions after LSU’s 1-1 start.
Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.