It’s already Week 4. We await college football’s return for months just for the season to pass in a blur.
The first three weeks of 2024 were far from boring. In LSU’s case, they were more interesting than fans probably would have liked. LSU’s already played in two contests coming down to the final seconds. It was a split with LSU losing to USC but beating South Carolina.
In between, LSU beat FCS Nicholls State, but that score was too close for comfort at some points.
This week, LSU will hope for a boring game. Fans have had enough fireworks for the month of September. The Tigers are a 24-point favorite against UCLA. If this one gets interesting, it’s a red flag for an LSU team still expecting to be in the playoff race.
LSU showed progress in the South Carolina win. Nussmeier made big throws and the defense made a handful of havoc plays. We’ll be looking for more of that when LSU hits the field again tomorrow.
Here are the top storylines to monitor when LSU takes on UCLA.
Caden Durham’s impact
Freshman RB [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] was a revelation for LSU in week two. He ran it 11 times for 98 yards and scored twice. Durham delivered a consistent play-making ability to an LSU backfield that lacked the explosiveness element in 2024.
[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] was hesitant to call Durham LSU’s top back earlier this week. Not surprising given Durham is just a freshman and has 11 career carries.
But what coaches do matters a lot more than what they say, and we’ll see what LSU does with Durham on Saturday. An increased role is expected, but we don’t know just how big that role will be.
If Durham leads LSU’s backs in touches, it could be a sign of things to come.
Does Harold Perkins Jr. take another step?
[autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag] played strongside linebacker for LSU against South Carolina. That was different from where he began the year — at the weakside linebacker spot.
Despite moving to SAM, it’s different than the role Perkins played at SAM last year. Kelly said LSU is asking Perkins to fit more in the box as opposed to playing the edge like he did in 2023.
LSU’s linebackers struggled to plug the run against South Carolina and the Gamecocks ran it 41 times for 243 yards. That can’t happen on Saturday and it certainly can’t happen when LSU gets back into SEC play.
Kelly said LSU saw progress from Perkins last week. Another step this week would be big for the LSU defense.
What does Chris Hilton Jr. bring in his first game back?
Kelly said LSU receiver [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag] is probable for Saturday after missing the first three games. LSU’s missed Hilton’s speed on the outside when it has struggled to be explosive and Hilton’s return offers a complete look at this offense.
“It’s easy to talk about speed, and he certainly has it,” Kelly said, “I think what he brought and what emerged late in the season and into the bowl game was tracking the ball extremely well down the field. That’s an element that we’re hopeful we start to see a little bit more of.”
Kelly acknowledged that LSU did a better job pushing it down the field against South Carolina, but Hilton could take that to another level.
Don’t expect a game-breaking impact in Game 1, but Hilton has two games to get it rolling before conference play resumes.
How does LSU manage its safety rotation?
In the secondary, keep an eye on how LSU manages the safeties. The cornerback rotation is set with Ashton Stamps, Zy Alexander and PJ Woodland getting most of the reps. The safety group is less set in stone.
We saw LSU show something different last week with freshman DaShawn Spears getting 44 snaps at free safety. Major Burns didn’t miss much action and saw plenty of time in his hybrid role. Jardin Gilbert and Sage Ryan played about 25 snaps each.
Saturday will be a group effort again, but there’s a chance for Spears to grab a spot and not look back.
Can LSU play a complete game?
We’ve yet to see LSU play a complete football game. Against USC, the offense looked good but struggled in the red zone. LSU managed to stop the run but gave up big plays in the passing game.
Against Nicholls, LSU started slow and didn’t put an FCS team away until the third quarter.
Last week, LSU’s defense made some big plays and shut down the passing game, but South Carolina gashed LSU on the ground.
This LSU team can be one of the best teams in the SEC, but it has to come together. LSU doesn’t have one elite element that can carry the team if a unit takes the day off. For this group to compete at the highest level, they need consistency.
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