When it comes to turnovers, LSU is making a statement.
Eight games into the season, LSU is tied for 11th in the nation for turnover margin with seven. They’re fourth in turnover margin in the Southeastern Conference behind Kentucky, Ole Miss and the national leader Georgia, who has a turnover margin of 13.
The Tigers have pulled down eight interceptions and recovered eight fumbles while giving up a combined nine interceptions and fumbles.
“These turnovers give us a better chance to win,” said sophomore cornerback Tre’Davious White. “I feel like pretty much every game we’ve had this year that we won, we won the turnover margin. I feel like if we continue to do that, we’ll come out and keep winning.”
White is tied with sophomore safety Rickey Jefferson for the interception lead with two. Jefferson, the younger brother of former LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson, is stepping out of his brother’s shadow and is making a name for himself.
“It’s just good execution,” Jefferson said. “We’re in the right place at the right time. We’re there more often than not. We just listen to Chief [LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis] and use our athletic ability and that helps us with making those plays.”
The defense is averaging exactly one interception per game and one fumble recovery per game.
As a unit, LSU’s defense is more productive when playing in Baton Rouge. In Tiger Stadium, LSU has picked off four passes and picked up six fumbles. When playing elsewhere, the Tigers have intercepted the same number of balls but have only recovered two fumbles.
“It’s easier to make those plays in Tiger Stadium,” Jefferson said. “Death Valley is an amazing place to play in, those fans scream loud and confuse the [opposing] offense on their calls and techniques. It’s exciting, it is definitely an advantage for us for us to make those plays.”
The Tigers are controlling turnovers not only on the defensive side of the ball, but on the offensive side as well.
Through eight games, the two quarterbacks have combined for five interceptions on 173 pass attempts, good for 89 completions and 1,500 yards. The Tigers have a pass attempt-to-interception ratio of 34.6 to one and throw 1 interception for every 300 yards of passing offense for LSU.
“We pride ourselves on not turning the ball over in the backfield,” said senior running back Terrence Magee. “We work on our ball security every day. Before we get into the core practice, it’s just something we work on on a team-wide basis and we realize that if we don’t turn the ball over and win the turnover margin, our chances to win are much better.”
After giving up four fumbles in the first five games of the season, the running backs have not let the ball leave their arms since. LSU has not fumbled in an SEC matchup to date on 173 carries in these contests.
The offensive line is one of the keys in controlling offensive turnovers. After a shaky start to the season, the group has fixed many of the early season woes that weakened the unit. As SEC play continues, the line will keep playing a crucial role in preventing offensive turnovers.
“What we do is pass protection,” said junior offensive tackle Vadal Alexander. “We keep the pocket clean so he doesn’t have hands in his way drawing at the ball, and [in the] running game we open holes so the running back doesn’t have to make a cut at the second level so he can have that ball tight and secured on the hand off, things like that. That’s our job, to keep things as clean as possible.”
You can reach Michael Haarala on Twitter @haarala_TDR.