Tag: JaCoby Stevens

Mississippi State stuns No. 6 LSU in Baton Rouge with 44-34 victory

Mike Leach’s much-awaited SEC debut could not have gone any better on Saturday.

Mike Leach’s much-awaited SEC debut could not have gone any better on Saturday as his Mississippi State Bulldogs upset No. 6 LSU, 44-34 in Baton Rouge.

Stanford graduate transfer quarterback K.J. Costello set an SEC record with 623 passing yards. The Stanford transfer completed 36-of-60 passes with five touchdowns and two interceptions.

Costello had quite the debut for the school, becoming the first SEC player to ever pass for over 600 yards in a game.

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Mississippi State held a 10-point lead with around 12 minutes to play when LSU freshman cornerback Eli Ricks picked off Costello at the Mississippi State 45-yard line. Three plays later, LSU quarterback Myles Brennan hit Terrace Marshall for a 33-yard touchdown to trim the lead to 34-31.

LSU forced another turnover on the Bulldogs’ next possession as safety JaCoby Stevens forced and recovered a Costello fumble.

LSU would end its next offensive drive with a field goal to tie the game, with Mississippi State scoring the final 10 points to pull off the upset.

Brennan completed 27-of-44 passes for 345 yards with three touchdowns and an interception in his starting debut for the Tigers. Wide receiver Terrace Marshall caught eight passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns.

LSU (0-1) will catch a bit of a break as it travels to Nashville to face Vanderbilt next week.

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Safety JaCoby Stevens deserving of wearing No. 7 jersey for LSU

Stevens fits the bill on what it means to wear the No. 7 jersey at LSU.

Senior safety JaCoby Stevens became the newest LSU Tiger to wear the No. 7 jersey this week, as the program recently announced.

There’s no doubt that Stevens deserves the honor, considering he was a three-time SEC Defensive Player of the Week a season ago, also named the All-SEC second-team.

Over the past two years, Stevens has been an important leadership figure within the program, and will be even more so in 2020.

In 2019, Stevens produced at a high level, recording 92 tackles, five sacks, three interceptions and nine passes defended.

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It’s not just his on-the-field efforts that are being recognized here — Stevens has also been a force outside of the sport.

Stevens played a role in organizing the team’s voter registration, put together a player-led march and helped fill sand bags before a storm last year.

“What this number means to me is to be complete – to be a complete person on and off the field,” Stevens said. “That’s how my parents raised me. To be a complete person in everything I do whether it’s in football or in life. I can go on and on about wearing this number and what it means to me. It’s a huge honor.”

Stevens is expected to make a significant impact out of the gate when the Tigers open the season against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 2:30 p.m. CST in Tiger Stadium.

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Pair of LSU Tigers make USA TODAY’s Preseason 2020 All-SEC team

Two LSU football players made the USA TODAY Preseason 2020 All-SEC team.

The LSU Tigers put together a product like no other on the football field last year, with practically unrivaled talent at nearly every position.

This year, the Tigers enter the season with some exciting players to watch, but they’re going to need to step up in a big way in order for the team to come anywhere close to the level of success it reached in 2019.

Two of LSU’s most highly-touted players still on the roster both made the cut when USA TODAY released its Preseason 2020 All-SEC team this week.

Sophomore cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. was a unanimous decision in the defensive back category, while senior safety JaCoby Stevens was voted in at defensive back as well.

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No members of the LSU offense received recognition, though two Mississippi State Bulldogs the team will be up against to open the season did make the cut.

Here’s a look at the complete list:

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Kyle Trask, Florida

Running back: Najee Harris, Alabama*

Running back: Kylin Hill, Mississippi State

Wide receiver: DeVonta Smith, Alabama*

Wide receiver: George Pickens, Georgia

Tight end: Kyle Pitts, Florida*

Offensive line : Alex Leatherwood, Alabama

Offensive line: Drake Jackson, Kentucky

Offensive line: Trey Smith, Tennessee*

Offensive line: Landon Dickerson, Alabama

Offensive line: Darian Kinnard, Kentucky

Placekicker: Brent Cimaglia, Tennessee

All-purpose: Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

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DEFENSE

Defensive line: Big Kat Bryant, Auburn

Defensive line: LaBryan Ray, Alabama

Defensive line: Bobby Brown III, Texas A&M

Defensive line: (tie) Aaron Sterling, South Carolina

Defensive line: (tie) Kobie Whiteside, Missouri

Linebacker: Dylan Moses, Alabama*

Linebacker: K.J. Britt, Auburn

Linebacker: Nick Bolton, Missouri

Defensive back: Derek Stingley Jr., LSU*

Defensive back: Patrick Surtain II, Alabama

Defensive back: Richard LeCounte, Georgia

Defensive back: JaCoby Stevens, LSU

Punter: Max Duffy, Kentucky

* Unanimous choice

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PRESEASON HONORS

Coach of the year: Dan Mullen, Florida

Player of the year: Najee Harris, Alabama

Newcomer of the year: K.J. Costello, Mississippi State

LSU opens the season against the Bulldogs on Saturday, Sept. 26 in Tiger Stadium at 2:30 p.m. CST.

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LSU safety JaCoby Stevens having to ‘adjust’ in Bo Pelini’s defense

Stevens faces an adjustment moving forward in a defense run by Bo Pelini.

The LSU Tigers lost a large amount of talent between the 2020 NFL Draft and the undrafted free agent signings that came after it, but they retain strong talent with players like safety JaCoby Stevens.

The team will obviously look a lot different, and it comes down to more than just the roster.

The defense will also operate a bit differently, with Bo Pelini taking over the defensive coordinator position after the departure of Dave Aranda to the Baylor Bears.

Stevens will be in a role that has him playing more of a traditional role in two-high safety look within 4-3 scheme.

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“The front is going to take care of a lot of that and the run game,” Stevens said. “I have to adjust but you have to be able to adjust. At the next level, you never know what’s going to happen. It’s good to get experience in different defenses. The difference for the safeties in the one-high defense and two-high defense is the front takes care a lot of the run. That’s the main responsibility.”

Last season, Stevens recorded 92 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, and 5.0 sacks.

The odds are stacked against LSU with the amount of players who needs to tap their potential in a big way in a season surrounded by unprecedented circumstances, and it will be interesting to see just how productive Stevens is in Pelini’s scheme.

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Two LSU football players named to Jim Thorpe Award watch list

LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and safety JaCoby Stevens were named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list on Monday.

LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and safety JaCoby Stevens were named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list on Monday.

The Jim Thorpe Award is presented annually to the best defensive back in college football.

Stingley was arguably the best cornerback in the country last season as a freshman. Stevens will likely take over and fill the void at safety in place of former Tigers star Grant Delpit.

Delpit won the Jim Thorpe Award last season after he accounted for 65 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions. He was a viable part of the Tigers’ success on defense that helped lead the way to the program’s fourth national championship in program history.

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Last season, Stingley had 38 tackles — 31 of which were solo tackles. He led the SEC and ranked fifth nationally in interceptions with six, and was a Consensus All-American and a First-Team All-American selection. Along with those awards, the rising sophomore was also a First and Second Team All-SEC selection and the 2019 SEC Freshman of the Year.

Stevens was a 2019 Second Team All-SEC selection and was named the SEC Defensive player of the week three times in 2019. He finished his junior season with 92 total tackles, which ranked second on the team behind Jacob Phillips. He had five sacks and three interceptions on the season last year.

Heading into the 2020 college football season, the Tigers are replacing a lot of talent, and are under new leadership with defensive coordinator Bo Pelini replacing Dave Aranda, who took the head coach position at Baylor.

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Both Stingley and Stevens will play crucial roles in holding down the secondary and keeping opposing receivers in check this season.

Though the Tigers’ schedule has yet to be realigned due to the coronavirus pandemic, the two Tigers defensive stars will be key players to keep an eye on once the season starts.

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Three LSU football players named to Bednarik Award Watch List

If one member of the trio takes home the honors, they’ll be the first from LSU to do it since Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson.

LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. exceeded expectations as just a true freshman last year, and is expected to only continue to build off of that momentum in the 2020 college football season.

He led the league with six interceptions, ranked fifth nationally, and ranked second in the country with 21 passes defensed.

On Monday, Stingley, along with safety JaCoby Stevens and linebacker Jabril Cox were named to the Bednarik Award watch list for college football’s best defensive player.

Here’s a complete look at the list.

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In 2019, Stevens recorded 85 tackles, ranked second on the team with five sacks, ranked third on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss and reeled in three interceptions.

Cox enters the team as a graduate transfer after being named a two-time All-American linebacker at North Dakota State, and recorded 258 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 14 sacks over his career with the Bison.

If any player from this trio takes home the honors, they’ll become the third member of the LSU football team to do so since Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson went back-to-back in 2010 and 2011.

Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young won the award last year. Other past recipients include Aaron Donald, Ndamunkong Suh, Charles Woodson, Julius Peppers and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

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Lindy’s Sports ranks LSU as college football’s top secondary in 2020

LSU lost a lot of talent to the 2020 NFL Draft, but returns with an elite secondary.

The LSU Tigers should have one of college football’s top secondaries again in 2020.

LSU did lose Kristian Fulton and Grant Delpit to the NFL, but sophomore Derek Stingley, Jr. is back and is the top cornerback in all of college football.

Another player joining Stingley in the defensive backfield is senior safety JaCoby Stevens.

Most preseason publications are out and think highly of LSU again in 2020. Lindy’s Sports ranked not only individual players by position, but also units.

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To no one’s surprise, Lindy’s ranked the defending national champions as having the No. 1 secondary.

For its individual rankings, Stingley was the No. 1 cornerback, while Stevens was the No. 5 safety.

Stingley had one of the best individual seasons by a freshman in LSU history in 2019. Not only was he a first-team All-SEC selection, but Stingley was also a consensus All-American.

Stevens, a second-team All-SEC pick one year ago, is a jack-of-all trades-type of defender.

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While he is listed as a safety, he can also play linebacker, too. New defensive coordinator Bo Pelini will likely move Stevens around to best maximize his athleticism and overall skill set.

LSU’s secondary isn’t just Stingley and Stevens.

The Tigers return veterans like Kary Vincent and Cordale Flott and welcome newcomers Elias Ricks and Dwight McGlothern.

Ricks has the talent be this season’s version of Stingley. All he needs is the opportunity.

The Tigers have many holes to fill on both sides of the ball, but there’s no doubt the secondary is full of elite playmakers.

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JaCoby Stevens’ monster hit on Amari Rodgers looked so painful in slow motion

OUCH.

Whenever a wide receiver goes down the middle, they’re taught to anticipate a hard hit. Well, it’s even worse when the quarterback misses the throw high, and JaCoby Stevens is the safety on the other end.

It’s not going to be a pleasant experience for the receiver.

During the first half of the CFP National Championship Game between LSU and Clemson, Trevor Lawrence launched a pass on the run down the middle of the field to wide receiver Amari Rodgers. The throw was well too high for Rodgers, but Stevens didn’t care.

The LSU safety unloaded with a huge hit right to the back of Rodgers.

In full speed, the hit looked painful enough. But wait until the hit got slowed down — and from other angles. I don’t know how Rodgers was OK after that.

His whole body basically buckled to the contact.

Stevens was not penalized for the hit.

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