Tag: LSU vs Central Michigan

LSU edge defender Andre Anthony done for the season

Per Ed Orgeron, Andre Anthony is done for the season.

During the game against Central Michigan, the LSU Tigers lost one of their top defenders in Andre Anthony. During his weekly press conference, coach Ed Orgeron stated that Anthony is done for the season. It is a devastating blow to the defensive front.

The Tigers will use a three-man rotation of Ali Gaye, BJ Ojulari, and Maason Smith that moved outside due to need. The sixth-year senior will be severely missed upfront. Ojulari will continue to be relied on playing opposite of Gaye for the most part with Smith getting worked in.

Ojulari was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week on Monday.

Ojulari is tied with two other defenders for the most sacks in the nation. The move for Maason Smith will be an interesting one, he primarily played on the interior but moved outside and did well against Central Michigan.Ā Orgeron stated that Smith has a chance to be dominant playing on the outside.

This group will be challenged to get to Will Rogers on Saturday when the team travels to Starkville.

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Tiger Up, Tiger Down: Which LSU players stood out on Saturday

Who were the studs and duds from Saturday night? We have you covered with Tiger Up, Tiger Down for LSU.

It was a good night in Death Valley as the LSU Tigers defended their home turf at Tiger Stadium. The team improved to 35-0 in their last 35 games where they wore purple jerseys with gold pants and helmets.

Head coach Ed Orgeron had to be pleased with the performance of his team in the final tune-up game ahead of SEC play next week.

ā€œWe made some improvements tonight,” Orgeron said in his opening statement after the win. “I was very pleased with the up-tempo of our offense. I was really pleased with the play of the young receivers. I thought our quarterback, for the most part, played really well. Max had five touchdowns. You got to see what weā€™ve been seeing in practice with Deion Smith and those young receivers and a young running back. Some really good plays.”

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Which LSU players stood out in the game? We break it down in our ‘Tiger Up, Tiger Down’ segment this week.

Virtual Report Card: Handing out grades in the LSU victory

Handing out grades in our virtual report card after Saturday’s win.

After coming out very sluggish against McNeese last week, the LSU Tigers came out swinging in week three. The Tigers opened up a 35-7 lead at the half and that was all she wrote for this game.

The offense scored on four first-half possessions, and the defense added one of their own. That would be all they would need in this game as the defense was swarming to the ball and making life difficult on Central Michigan.

A look at the top offensive and defensive grades from Pro Football Focus:

Top Offensive Grades

Player Game Grade Season Grade
Deion Smith 89.7 87.9
Jack Bech 88.8 79.6
Max Johnson 82.4 68.4
Devonta Lee 77.5 70.6
Corey Kiner 72.3 73.5

Top Defensive Grades

Player Game Grade Season Grade
Neil Farrell Jr 84.0 77.3
Andre Anthony 81.9 76.8
Jacobian Guillory 80.1 79.4
Bugg Strong 77.6 69.1
Derek Stingley Jr 77.5 66.6

Now to hand out the virtual grades for the game, here is how we break down the grades for each position group after the win.

Instant Analysis: Takeaways from the LSU Tigers 49-21 victory over Central Michigan

Five instant takeaways from the LSU Tigers victory over Central Michigan on Saturday night in Death Valley.

The LSU Tigers came out guns blazing against the Central Michigan Chippewas on Saturday night. The team was looking for a better start than they have seen over the last two games, it was much more like what we expected from the Bayou Bengals offense.

Max Johnson and the offense were ready to roll in the first half as they built a four-touchdown lead into halftime. One of the bright spots of the game, Jack Bech was extending drives that allowed Johnson to find Deion Smith for the first two offensive touchdowns.

The defense built on their game against McNeese, after giving up just one touchdown to the Cowboys on a long play it happened again. They had the offense shut down except for the one long touchdown on what appeared to be a miscommunication in the secondary.

Overall it was a good showing for the home team as they won big over Central Michigan. We break down the five instant takeaways from this game.

WATCH: Freshman WR Jack Bech hauls in the one-handed touchdown

Check out this one-handed snag by Jack Bech for the touchdown.

The offensive explosion for the LSU Tigers continued into the final moments of the first half. The home team already set a season-high with 35 first-half points against the Central Michigan Chippewas. The Tigers were up 28-7 as the team looked to add to their lead.

Sophomore quarterback Max Johnson looked to find the freshman wide receiver Jack Bech who converted to tight end. He accounted for several first down conversions throughout the first half. On his final reception of the half, Bech showed up big for his quarterback.

Prior to that score, the Tigers found a way to get the ball in the hands of Kayshon Boutte. His scored his sixth touchdown of the season setting a new career-high for him. Boutte had five touchdown catches as a freshman.

LSU is up big on Central Michigan 35-7 at the half.

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WATCH: Deion Smith scores his second touchdown of the first quarter

Deion Smith scores again for the LSU Tigers on a 40-yard pass from Max Johnson.

The LSU Tigers started out fast in this game as they went up 14-0 on Central Michigan very quickly. Plenty of energy is being shown by the Bayou Bengals for the first time this season. They started out the last two games scoring on two of their first eight drives in the first quarter.

Max Johnson already threw for one touchdown as Deion Smith went over the top of the CMU defender to score the opening touchdown. The Tigers went back to the passing game as Johnson once again looked for No. 6, but this time down the right sideline.

The Tigers would go up 21-0 after this catch from Smith.

Central Michigan would find a way to slow the momentum on the side of LSU as a blown coverage allowed JaCorey Sullivan to score on a 78-yard pass. Currently, the Tigers are up 21-7 on Central Michigan, you can check out the game on the SEC Network.

WATCH: Deion Smith goes full Randy Moss for the touchdown

LSU strikes quickly in this game, but check out this catch from Deion Smith for the opening touchdown.

After coming out slow the last couple of games, the LSU Tigers offense came out swinging on the opening drive. Quarterback Max Johnson led the team right down the field after his opening deep pass of the game falls incomplete. Johnson was five for five with 56 yards passing. The team was looking to get Kayshon Boutte going early on.

However, it was wide receiver Deion Smith that made the play for the touchdown. He did his best Randy Moss impression as he went over the top of the cornerback to score the touchdown. The Tigers converted two third downs to extend the drive when Johnson went to Jack Bech.

Check out this play to Smith:

The Tigers weren’t done as Derek Stingley Jr was ready to make his mark on the game. The junior forced a fumble that was scooped up by Andre Anthony for the second touchdown in a matter of moments.

LSU up 14-0 very quickly.

LSU to honor Kevione Faulk with a decal on their helmets

The LSU Tigers will take the field with heavy hearts and a special decal to honor Kevione Faulk.

While the LSU Tigers prepare to take the field on Saturday night in Death Valley, they do so with heavy hearts. Earlier this week it was announced through the LSU football Twitter account that daughter of running backs coach Kevin Faulk, Kevione passed away suddenly.

Friday would have been her 20th birthday. The Tigers are hoping to win this game for both Kevione and the Faulk family. She was a student at LSU and worked on the football staff. At this time Kevin has stepped away from football to be with his family after suffering such a tradgedy.

When the Tigers take the field they will do so with a special decal on their helmets honoring Kevione Faulk.

“Tonight we honor Kevione Faulk a day after what would have been her 20th birthday.

We continue to mourn the loss of a daughter, a sister, a friend, a classmate and a colleague”

The kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CDT at Tiger Stadium. All the action can be seen on the SEC Network.

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One key stat for each team in the LSU-Central Michigan game

One key stat for LSU, one key stat for Central Michigan to watch in the game.

With the LSU Tigers kickoff against the Central Michigan Chippewas drawing closer, we have one key stat for each team in this game.

Central Michigan in the backfield

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

When LSU has the ball, the item to watch is how the Chippewas defense does against the Tigers front. CMU has made a living in the backfield in two games with nine TFLs per game so far this year. Can the offensive line keep the defenders off the LSU running backs and wide receivers in the quick screen game?

Central Michigan Stat: 18 TFLs

LSU Stat: 9 TFL allowed

Can the LSU Tigers find the run game?

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Can the Tigers find a time machine and get back to the 2019 run game? Last season LSU was only able to muster up 3.3 yards per carry. In 2019, they averaged 4.9 per attempt. Since that time they have lost a yard per attempt in each season. Missouri was able to run all over the CMU defense, can LSU use that gameplan and look somewhat competent on the ground?

LSU Stat: 2.8 yards per attempt

CMU Stat: 4.7 yards per attempt allowed

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Social media buzz ahead of LSU-Central Michigan on Saturday night

A look at the social media buzz ahead of LSU-Central Michigan in Death Valley.

It is finally here, gameday in Baton Rouge. The LSU Tigers are ready to defend Death Valley against an unfamiliar foe in the Central Michigan Chippewas.

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron is 1-1 in head-to-head action against Jim McElwain, during his time with the Florida Gators. McElwain’s record against LSU is 1-2 and 1-1 in Death Valley. Tigers look to spoil his return to Baton Rouge by knocking off his new team in nonconference action on Saturday night.

The defense is looking to build off their dominating performance against McNeese. They will face an offense that gave up nine sacks against Missouri. CMU quarterback Jacob Sirmon will need to keep his head on a swivel with BJ Ojulari, Andre Anthony, and Maason Smith roaming in the backfield.

The offense needs a better performance than they showed a week ago against the Cowboys in Baton Rouge. The offense looks to go up-tempo to build some momentum before heading to Starkville next Saturday. Can Max Johnson finally build some rhythm in this game? We will get some answers at 6:30 p.m. CDT at Tiger Stadium.

Looking at the social media buzz ahead of the game:

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