Auburn’s defensive keys to beating LSU

Here’s how Auburn can best the SEC’s other Tigers team on Saturday:

It’s about that time of the week again.

After far too close of a shave with Missouri last week, the Tigers play yet another home game against the SEC’s third Tigers team in LSU. LSU had a rough start to the year when it failed to defeat Florida State, but it’s been rolling since then — the Bayou Bengals have won their last three matchups and scored at least 30 points in all of them, so it may be a tough ask to slow them down.

Fear not, though. Should Auburn follow these four defensive keys, it’ll walk out of Jordan-Hare on Saturday with a home victory:

Ranking LSU’s five most valuable players

Through four games, these have been LSU’s most important players.

It’s easy to forget how short a college football season is. We’re already 25% of the way through the regular season. With a sizeable chunk of the year in the rearview mirror, we can start to make some more declarative assessments.

In this case, we’re going to look at LSU’s five most valuable players through four games. This is strictly based on performance and things that have happened. This list would look different if it were about who LSU needs to be valuable going forward.

With conference play ramping up, LSU will need these five players to continue their years as well as needing other guys to step up.

Instant Analysis: Tigers shut out New Mexico for third-straight win

The Tigers outgained the Lobos 633-88 in a 38-0 blanking.

LSU delivered another impressive performance in its last tuneup before it enters the meat of its SEC schedule in Week 4. The Tigers blanked the New Mexico Lobos in a 38-0 win as they move to 3-1 on the season.

Coach Brian Kelly’s team has now won three-straight games since dropping its season opener against FSU in New Orleans.

It was about as dominant a performance as you’ll see at this level of football. Though the final tally on the scoreboard wasn’t anything spectacular, LSU outgained the Lobos by a stunning 633-88 margin, entirely controlling the game on both sides of the ball.

The offense looked sharp once again, and it was another efficient performance from quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], who completed 24 of 29 passes for 278 yards. He didn’t find the end zone through the air or on the ground, but he is still yet to throw an interception this season.

Early in the third quarter, Daniels exited the game and entered the medical tent with an apparent injury. He left the tent and grabbed a helmet, seemingly being cleared to return, but the game was already out of hand and the coaches would hold him out as a precaution.

In his place, Garrett Nussmeier looked much better than he did in his previous action against Southern in Week 2. He completed 9 of 10 passes for 135 yards and a 57-yard touchdown pass to [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], who finished with three catches for 76 yards.

With [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] out, [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] unsurprisingly also played a big role in the passing game, leading the team with 65 yards on six catches. Kelly also said the team wanted to work on getting the ball in Jack Bech’s hands, and the result was a seven-target, six-catch night in which he totaled 43 yards.

Jaray Jenkins (five catches, 57 yards), Kyren Lacy (four catches, 41 yards) and freshman tight end Mason Taylor (four catches, 34 yards) all made impacts, as well.

The ground game was dominant once again. In total, the Tigers managed 219 yards headlined by [autotag]Noah Cain[/autotag], who led the team in both yards and carries with 94 on 11 attempts. He found the end zone twice, including a 49-yard touchdown. Daniels contributed as well with nine attempts for 37 yards.

[autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag] saw an increased role in his second game back from suspension, leading the running back room in carries with nine for 45 yards. [autotag]Armoni Goodwin[/autotag] got the start and had just 24 yards on eight carries, though he also scored twice.

I could be even more effusive in my praise of LSU’s offense, but the defense deserves just as much credit for holding New Mexico to double-digit yardage. True freshman linebacker Harold Perkins continues to demonstrate his versatility, leading the team in tackles with eight.

[autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]West Weeks[/autotag], [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag] and [autotag]Saivion Jones[/autotag] all notched a sack, as well.

This wasn’t a very good New Mexico team, but it’s never easy to shut out an opponent in college football. That should give the Tigers a ton of confidence as they prepare for their first true road game of the year against an Auburn team that survived a wild overtime game against Missouri on Saturday.

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LSU will be without Kayshon Boutte vs. New Mexico due to birth of his first child

Boutte has been excused from Saturday’s game to be with his girlfriend.

The Tigers will be down their best offensive player for Saturday’s game against New Mexico.

On Thursday, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] announced that [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] has been excused from the game to be with his girlfriend for the birth of their first child. With Boutte unavailable, the Tigers will look to leading receiver [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], as well as players like [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag]

Boutte was a preseason First Team All-SEC selection, but he’s had a slow start to the 2022 season. In three games, he has just 10 catches for 93 yards and is yet to find the end zone. He had nine touchdowns in six appearances last fall.

On Thursday night, Boutte’s girlfriend gave birth to their son, Kylan.

He’s considered one of the top receiver prospects in the 2023 NFL draft, and though LSU will miss his presence on the field, it shouldn’t be an issue against a New Mexico team that will likely be heavily overmatched.

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Brian Kelly says LSU will get Jack Bech more involved

Bech has had a quiet start to his sophomore year after a great true freshman campaign.

Coming into the year, we knew wide receiver was a strength for LSU. The Tigers could have the best group in the SEC. When you have a pass-catching group that deep, it’s tough to spread the ball around to everyone.

One guy that is waiting on a breakout game in 2022 is sophomore [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag]. When asked about Bech’s involvement in the offense, Kelly said they want to get him the ball more.

Bech caught 43 passes as a freshman last fall. LSU had a handful of talented freshman at wide receiver in 2021, and Bech was the most consistent. He was a reliable presence in the slot who ran well with the ball after the catch.

Through three games in 2022, Bech has caught just two passes on three targets. Every snap he’s played has come in the slot. Against Mississippi State, Bech was on the field for just three pass snaps.

[autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] has been drawing a ton of attention from defenses. This has allowed chances for some of LSU’s other receivers.

[autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] has really taken a step forward since last year. The sophomore was listed as a starter in the depth chart prior to the Florida State game and has caught nine passes on 10 targets.

[autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] has continued to emerge as a dynamic threat, and late in the game against Mississippi State became [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]’ go-to on third down. [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag], the veteran of the group, has three touchdowns on the year.

It’ll be interesting to see where Bech fits into this equation and how LSU gets him the ball more. LSU could use a guy that moves the chains over the middle of the field, and Bech could emerge to fill that role.

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Instant Analysis: Huge fourth quarter lifts LSU past Mississippi State in Brian Kelly’s SEC debut

The Tigers got back on the right track with a 15-point win over the Bulldogs on Saturday night.

The Tigers entered their SEC opener as a slight home underdog against the previously undefeated Mississippi State Bulldogs, and though it required a second-half comeback and a 21-point fourth quarter, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] moved to 1-0 in league play in his first season in Baton Rouge.

LSU earned a 31-16 win on Saturday night in Week 3, and it looks to be playing much better football than it did in the first half of its Week 1 loss to Florida State.

The offense continued to build on its strong performance in last week’s win over Southern, putting up 416 total yards. [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] was impressive overall in this game, as well. Though he completed just 22 of 37 passes, he totaled 303 yards of offense and two touchdowns. He’s also still yet to throw an interception this season.

[autotag]Armoni Goodwin[/autotag] had a very good game on the ground getting the start, taking his nine carries for 75 yards and a touchdown. [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] was far and away the most productive player in the passing game, totaling six catches for 76 yards. It was a relatively quiet night for [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], who had three catches for 31 yards.

The Tigers had an even more impressive performance defensively against Mississippi State’s air-raid offense, which has been one of the most productive in the SEC to begin the season. The defense looked vastly improved and held quarterback Will Rogers in check. Rogers completed just 57% of his passes for 214 yards, one touchdown and a pick, which went to [autotag]Jay Ward[/autotag] all but sealed the loss in the fourth quarter..

He was also sacked four times, including 1.5 from true freshman linebacker [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag].

It wasn’t a perfect performance from the Tigers, who totaled just seven points in the first half, but they got a big divisional win and should be able to enter the Oct. 1 contest against Auburn at 3-1 with New Mexico coming to town next week.

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Instant Analysis: LSU dominates Southern for first win of 2022 season

The Tigers showed out in Brian Kelly’s home debut.

Well, that’s more like it!

After a disappointing Week 1 loss against Florida State, the Tigers got their first victory in 2022 in Brian Kelly’s home debut. LSU dominated Southern in the first-ever matchup between the two Baton Rouge programs, earning a commanding 65-17 victory ahead of the beginning of SEC play next weekend.

The Jaguars fumbled the opening kickoff, giving LSU the ball just outside the red zone. The Tigers punched it in on a run from [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], and that set the tone for the rest of the game. LSU scored touchdowns on each of its first five possessions and netted a safety, all in the first quarter. The 37 resulting points were a program record for the most scored in a single quarter.

For Daniels’ part, it’s hard to find a single flaw with his outing. He completed 10 of his 11 passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns in addition to the score on the ground. LSU rectified Kayshon Boutte’s lack of touches in Week 1, as he caught five balls for 42 yards in addition to a 41-yard run. [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] had a nice bounce-back after muffing two punts in Week 1, taking three catches for 81 yards and a score.

[autotag]Armoni Goodwin[/autotag] (12 carries, 85 yards, two touchdowns) and Noah Cain (10 carries, 51 yards, one touchdown) both found success on the ground, as well.

We even got to see backup quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], who entered the game early, but it wasn’t the best outing. He went just 13 of 23 for 183 yards and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

Though we have to take the defensive performance with a grain of salt given the opponent, it was a significant improvement. Southern totaled just 262 yards of offense, and true freshman linebacker [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] made a big impact off the bench, leading the team in tackles with seven.

LSU forced three fumbles, and linebacker [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag] had an interception returned for a touchdown.

It’s far from the toughest game on the Tigers’ schedule this fall, but they were able to improve in a lot of the areas that cost them against FSU, and they will look to push their winning streak to two when SEC play opens against Mississippi State next Saturday.

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Malik Nabers will remain LSU’s punt returner moving forward, Brian Kelly said

Kelly said LSU isn’t making personnel changes at returner.

LSU had a multitude of mistakes on Sunday night in the loss to Florida State, and a number of those came on special teams. In addition to the blocked extra-point that cost the Tigers the win, receiver and punt return [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] muffed two kicks, the latter of which nearly ended the game with more than two minutes left.

Nabers is expected to be one of the best receivers in the SEC, so his hands shouldn’t be a problem. But after his performance on Sunday, there were questions about whether he would maintain that role moving forward.

We can put those ideas to bed, as coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] confirmed that Nabers will remain the team’s punt returner.

“Malik is going to stay back there and work some,” Kelly said on the SEC coaches teleconference on Wednesday. “We’re not going to, obviously, fire him from his duties. He’s got to continue to work there.”

LSU has a lot to figure out on special teams as it tries to move forward, but it’s clear that the process won’t include personnel changes, at least for now.

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Where LSU stands in On3’s latest SEC power rankings

The Tigers sit near the bottom after their disappointing Week 1 loss to Florida State.

LSU’s debut of the [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] era came a day later than most teams began the 2022 season, and it was not exactly worth the wait.

The Tigers found themselves in a hole against Florida State after an exceedingly sloppy start, and though they played better in the second half and nearly took the game to overtime, they fell at the end thanks to a missed assignment that led to a blocked extra point on the final play.

It was one of several special teams mistakes, joined by another blocked field goal and two muffed punts from [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], and it proved emblematic of a rough game for LSU in a 24-23 loss.

Following Week 1, On3 updated its SEC power rankings, and the Tigers unsurprisingly sit near the bottom at No. 12 as the lone team from the league to fall in Week 1.

LSU had a difficult first matchup, taking on Florida State in the Superdome. Still, the Tigers looked like the inferior team from start to finish and it’s clear Brian Kelly has several significant issues to fix. First and foremost, shoring up the offensive line so whoever ends up playing quarterback survives is a top priority. Next: improving a defense that was porous and just lost one of its top players in defensive tackle Maason Smith.

The Tigers opened with a tougher opponent than most other league teams did, and there’s plenty of time to make progress this season. But the team that took the field on Sunday night didn’t look poised to compete in the SEC West, and there will be a lot to work on in this weekend’s game against Southern before SEC play begins on Sept. 17 when Mississippi State comes to town.

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Instant Analysis: Blocked extra point leads to heartbreak against Florida State in Brian Kelly’s LSU debut

The Tigers are 0-1 after a gut-wrenching loss to spoil Kelly’s debut.

The Florida State Seminoles spoiled the first game of the [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] era in front of a Tigers-leaning crowd at the Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday night. LSU couldn’t overcome a laundry list of mistakes in a 24-23 loss that soured Kelly’s debut and gave Seminoles coach Mike Norvell a much-needed win.

The Tigers struggled in all aspects of the game, but they managed to stay in it until the end. After a pair of second-half touchdowns and a providential forced fumble at the goal line with 1:20 to play, it looked like they were going to overtime. Quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] found [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag] in the end zone for a touchdown pass as time expired.

But the game-tying extra-point was blocked, and the Seminoles escaped with a win to stun LSU and Kelly.

This defense entered the year with high expectations, but it’s clear the unit still has a long way to go. It was dominated by FSU as quarterback Jordan Travis had one of the best games of his career. Travis completed 20 of 32 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns through the air — both to top receiver Ontaria Wilson. The Seminoles also gashed the Tigers for 132 yards on the ground.

LSU lost two of the best players in its front seven as defensive tackle Maason Taylor left and didn’t return with a knee injury while edge rusher Ali Gaye was ejected on a targeting call and will miss the first half next week, as well. The new-look secondary disappointed as Travis, who is mostly known for his legs, did a lot of damage through the air.

Offensively, things weren’t much better. Daniels won the quarterback job, and though he made some plays on the ground, totaling 114 yards on 16 carries, he was less effective through the air.

He picked things up in the second half and finished with 209 yards and two touchdowns on 26 of 35 passing, but he was clearly limited in that regard and only found star receiver [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] twice for 20 yards.

Of course, shoddy offensive line play didn’t give him much of a chance. He was sacked four times, giving a young unit a lot to work on as the Tigers try to move forward. There’s plenty to clean up outside of that, starting with special teams after two blocked kicks and two muffed punts from [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag].

It was about as disappointing a start as Kelly could have had, but LSU will hope to bounce back when it welcomes the Southern Jaguars to Tiger Stadium for the home opener next Saturday.

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