Tag: Jontre Kirklin

LSU Morning Rush: Two players to return against Auburn

The top stories of the day including two LSU Tigers return on Saturday.

We start off this edition of the morning rush with some positive news. The LSU Tigers are getting help in two players who are now eligible. Wide receiver Jontre Kirklin and defensive end Soni Fonua.

Fonua comes back at a good time after losing Andre Anthony to a knee injury. Fonua appeared in four games last season with seven tackles and 0.5 TFL. Coach Ed Orgeron was ecstatic about the additions to his 2021 team.

“We’re very happy,” Orgeron said. “I’m very complimentary of both of those young men. They practiced hard the last four weeks, and they’re eligible. They’re ready to play. I’m excited about that.”

Kirklin joins a wide receiver group that has been very productive. In his Tigers career, the senior wideout has caught 16 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns. Both players have been practicing over the last four weeks in preparation for the 2021 season debuts. Both will be welcome additions on Saturday night when LSU hosts Auburn.

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The conference announces SEC-Big 12 Challenge TV Schedule

For this year’s challenge, the LSU Tigers men’s basketball team will head to Fort Worth, Texas, to take on TCU. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. CDT and will be aired on ESPN2. The challenge is set for Jan. 29, 2022.

Last year Will Wade’s team finished 19-10 overall and 11-2 at home. This will be his fifth season in Baton Rouge after coming to the Tigers from VCU where he served as head coach from 2015-17.

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LSU’s Spring Game: An Encouraging Start to the 2021 Football Season

LSU’s spring game gives fans hope for the 2021 football season.

LSU’s Spring Game wrapped up this afternoon in Tiger Stadium with the white team edging out the purple team, 23-14.

There were a few standout performances, in particular, receivers Kayshon Boutte and Jontre Kirklin.

Boutte hauled in a beautiful throw from Myles Brennan for a 39-yard touchdown. He ended the game with 11 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown.

“We showed out today,” Boutte said postgame. “We could improve in some areas, but altogether we did good as a unit.”

Jontre Kirklin had himself a day too, catching 16 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns.

Kirklins showing out today was significant since the LSU offense truthfully needs a few guys to step up at the receiver position this season.

Head Coach Ed Orgeron spoke after the game about the LSU wide receivers”

“We need a lot of (wide receivers) to show up”

The biggest storyline to take away from today’s spring game ­– LSU’s defense looks much improved. Defensive coordinator Daronte Jones had his guys running around the field competing on each and every snap. It was a refreshing scene to watch when you think back to what this defense lacked in 2020.

“I tell you what, this Daronte Jones is a talented, talented football coach.” Ed Orgeron said post-game.

Cornerback Dwight McGlothern blanked the wide receivers throughout today’s game. He was active on each route, jumping in, and had four pass breakups, three tackles with one of them for a loss.

“Dwight (McGlothern) had a great day today.” Ed Orgeron said after the fame.

Defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy led the team with three sacks. Roy looks as if he is picking up right where he left off from last season, but as he enters his second year, it’s becoming clearer that things are beginning to click together for him.

Derek Stingley Jr. was also his usual self in today’s game. Intercepting TJ Finley with a diving catch. Stingley Jr. and wide receiver Kayshon Boutte were battling and competing throughout the game.

“Derek Stingley, I think, is the best corner in America,” Orgeron said.

It’s only one spring game, and there’s still a lot to piece together prior to week one.

Still, an encouraging start to the football season.

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Jontre Kirklin passes the 200-yard mark in LSU’s spring game

Jontre Kirklin showed out in today’s scrimmage.

We’ve gotten over three quarters’ worth of a glimpse into what we can expect to see from LSU football in 2021, with several players making their presence felt in Saturday’s spring game.

One name that we’ve heard all day is Jontre Kirklin — and that’s hardly without reason.

Kirklin played offense for both teams in the scrimmage, but that doesn’t take away from how insane his stat line was today.

The wideout finished out the scrimmage with 16 receptions for 209 yards with two touchdowns.

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Here’s a look at one of those.

Kirklin has been a versatile player for LSU, and is expected to continue making an impact for the offense moving forward as the team looks to redeem itself after finishing last season at 5-5.

Kirklin has seen a large bit of his time on special teams at LSU, totaling 16 receptions 264 yards with three touchdowns over three seasons.

All three of those touchdowns, along with 184 of those yards came during the 2020 season.

It will be interesting to see how he expounds off of this momentum in the fall, but there’s no question LSU’s offense is in good hands under offensive coordinator Jake Peetz.

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Report Card: Grading LSU after lopsided loss to Alabama

The LSU defense was ripped to shreds by Alabama, and the Tigers struggled to keep up the pace on offense in a blowout loss on Saturday.

The grades are in, and they aren’t particularly flattering for a second week in a row for LSU football.

The Tigers suffered their second-straight loss in SEC West play with a 55-17 setback against Alabama on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. The most lopsided loss for the Tigers against the Crimson Tide in series history ensured there were some negative reactions to what unfolded in primetime on national television.

Here is the report card for LSU after the 55-17 loss to top-ranked Alabama.

Quarterbacks: C

TJ Finley remained the starting quarterback for LSU, but Max Johnson also saw some playing time against the Crimson Tide. Finley completed half of his 28 pass attempts for 144 yards and a touchdown, and he avoided throwing any costly interceptions.

Alabama did not make things easy for Finley at times by getting pressure in the backfield and forcing Finley to lose 12 yards on six official rushing attempts. He was sacked four times.

Johnson, who saw more playing time as the game was all but officially declared, was slightly more efficient with his passing, but probably not by enough to suggest head coach Ed Orgeron should consider starting him over Finley next week against the Florida Gators.

Instant reaction: LSU rolled by No. 1 Alabama

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Instant reaction: LSU rolled by No. 1 Alabama

LSU’s defense had no ways to solve Alabama’s offense, led by Mac Jones and wide receiver DeVonta Smith, Saturday night in Baton Rouge.

If Alabama was out for revenge, then they got it with authority. No. 1 Alabama (9-0, 9-0 SEC) was in complete control of LSU (3-5, 3-5 SEC) on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. A year after losing to LSU in Tuscaloosa, Alabama’s offense was ready to clobber LSU in Baton rouge. They did just that with a 55-17 victory to remain in the driver’s seat to the SEC championship and a possible national championship.

Alabama quarterback and Heisman Trophy hopeful Mac Jones was precise and efficient. Jones came out of the game early in the fourth quarter to end his night completing 20-of-28 for 385 yards and four touchdowns. Alabama receiver and Louisiana native DeVonta Smith had a monster game with eight receptions for 231 yards and three touchdowns, including a one-handed grab for a score late in the first half to push Alabama’s halftime lead to 45-14.

LSU’s defense showed some improvement in the last couple of games, but defensive coordinator Bo Pelini could not find any answers for the Alabama offense from the jump. Alabama scored touchdowns on each of their first five possessions and scored points on each of their first-half possessions with one field goal working its way into breaking up Alabama’s perfect touchdown streak.

If there was a turning point in the game, it came at the end of LSU’s first offensive series. After Alabama opened the game with a 75-yard touchdown drive, LSU worked its way into the red zone. On fourth down with one yard to go from the Alabama 15-yard line, Ed Orgeron opted to go for the first down rather than attempt to put some points on the scoreboard. But Alabama swallowed up Tyrion Davis-Price for a stop and five plays later the Crimson Tide took a 14-0 lead. The Alabama defense forced a three-and-out on LSU’s ensuing possession and the Alabama offense took a commanding 21-0 lead. The game was never in doubt.

Alabama’s 55 points scored is a new high for either team in the long-standing history of this rivalry. The previous record had been 46 points, scored by LSU a year ago. This was also the third-largest margin of victory for Alabama over LSU in the series. Alabama largest margins of victory over LSU are by 44 points (1922, 47-3) and 42 points (1925; 42-0). What a difference a year can make.

LSU quarterback TJ Finley completed 14-of-28 for 143 yards and a touchdown. The big play of the night for the LSU offense came on a pass from Finley to Kayshon Boutte, who dropped the football before crossing the goal line. Jontre Kirklin made what was ruled an immediate recovery for the score, letting Boutte off the hook this time.

Alabama’s win over LSU clinched the SEC West Division for Nick Saban and the Crismon Tide. Alabama will now face the Florida Gators, who clinched the SEC East Division title earlier in the day with a win over Tennessee.

LSU, on the other hand, fell to 3-5 on the season with just two games remaining on the regular-season schedule. Next week will see LSU face the Gators in a game that was rescheduled from a postponement earlier this season. A loss would clinch a losing record for LSU in 2020. LSU has not had a losing season since 1999, the final season under former head coach Gerry DiNardo. LSU made a coaching change after that 1999 season, hiring none other than Saban.

What does LSU football’s bowl game history look like over the past 20 years?

WATCH: LSU’s Kayshon Boutte gets away with dropping football before crossing goal line vs. Alabama

LSU wide receiver Kayson Boutte got his touchdown celebration started a little early. Fortunately for him, a teammate let him off the hook.

Perhaps the college football gods are taking it easy on LSU tonight in Tiger Stadium. How else can you explain the missed call by the officials on what turned out to be a Kayshon Boutte touchdown reception to open the second quarter against Alabama?

Down 21-0 after one quarter of play, LSU opened the second quarter of their home game against the top-ranked Crimson Tide with a bang. TJ Finley completed a 44-yard pass to Kayson Boutte, who caught the ball in stride and cruised his way down the left sideline for a touchdown to put the Tiger son the board.

That’s all well and good. But a replay of the touchdown shows Boutte got started with his celebration a tad prematurely, as he clearly dropped the football prior to crossing the goal line.

It feels as though this ridiculous touchdown celebration pops up at least once every college football season, and Boutte is just the latest to partake in the trend that must drive coaches absolutely crazy.

Fortunately for Boutte, the game continued, seemingly letting Boutte off the hook for this mishap. As the video replay continued, you can see why the officials decided the LSU touchdown should stand. That is because teammate Jontre Kirklin came to the rescue making a beeline for the deserted football as LSU teammates celebrated in the end zone. As it turned out, Kirklin was the one they should have been celebrating.

Had the play been correctly blown dead with nobody recovering the football, LSU would have had the football at the Alabama one-yard line. In the grand scheme of things, this may not have been a major sequence of events one way or the other. Regardless, LSU head coach Ed Orgeron and his staff will have to take some time to remind their players that actually scoring touchdowns will forever be cooler than pre-touchdown celebrations.

LSU-Missouri: everything Ed Orgeron had to say in his Monday press conference

Ed Orgeron met with the media ahead of Saturday’s matchup with the Missouri Tigers.

LSU football is coming off a strong 41-7 road victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores, and will look to establish a two-game winning streak as the Missouri Tigers head to Baton Rouge on Saturday.

When head coach Ed Orgeron met with the media on Monday, one of the first things he noted after recapping the Tigers’ performance against the Commodores was the Missouri offense that Bo Pelini’s defense will be up against this weekend.

“Missouri on offense is very, very complicated,” Orgeron said. “Coach has a lot of shifts and motions, will run the triple-option. First time I’ve seen a pitch in a while… a lot of different formations so we’re going to have to play assignment football.”

Orgeron also said he made a film cut up of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees for quarterback Myles Brennan to study, saying that he worked all week long on stepping up in the pocket and not scrambling to the right like he was so inclined to do against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

While Brennan did look much-improved, Orgeron also made clear that he wasn’t exactly under a significant amount of duress.

On the injury front, Orgeron said that LSU should have both running back Chris Curry and offensive tackle Dare Rosenthal back this week, though he’s not entirely sure when Rosenthal will start practicing.

Defensive end Glen Logan will be back, and left guard Ed Ingram is considered questionable for Saturday.

The Tigers were without star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. in the first week due to illness, but certainly enjoyed the advantage of having him back against Vanderbilt.

There was also some Mississippi State talk — where zone and man coverage was concerned, and Orgeron noted that the Tigers suffered fewer busts and fewer losses in one-on-one situations against the Commodores.

Orgeron addressed a question on kicker Cade York, who’s had a solid season two games in, and drilled an impressive 53-yard attempt on Saturday.

“To be honest with you, I’m glad he’s kicking well, because Preston (Stafford) was right on his tail… there was some competition in camp.”

Terrace Marshall has been among the most impressive of LSU’s passing targets so far, but several guys are going to get a chance.

And, of course, the 2020 football season continues to look a bit different than we’re used to as restrictions surrounding COVID-19 remain in place.

As far as empty stadiums or those at limited capacity are concerned, LSU is focused on creating its own sense of energy.

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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