The first 32 minutes and 36 seconds of the LSU football team’s season were less than stellar.
The Tigers found themselves in a 17-point hole early in the second half of their season opener against Wisconsin after giving up 248 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries.
LSU also struggled on offense, gaining a mere 16 yards on 15 rushes and — aside from an 80-yard touchdown pass — earning 56 yards of total offense.
“We didn’t focus on the little things as well as we should have against Wisconsin,” said senior offensive guard Evan Washington. “We really focused on the little things because the little things make us great.”
Whatever little things the Tigers adjusted turned into big results, as they held the Badgers to 37 yards of total offense while storming back with 21 unanswered points to pull off the come-from-behind victory.
“In the second half, it kind of clicked,” said junior linebacker Deion Jones. “We needed to step it up. We could have been playing a lot better, and that’s what we did.”
And that was just the beginning.
In the 147 minutes and 24 seconds since falling behind against the Badgers, LSU’s defense has not surrendered a point, earning back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1941 and holding its opponents to an average of 1.4 yards per rush attempt in the process.
In more than four times the amount of time and twice the carries it took for the Tigers to give up 248 rushing yards against Wisconsin, LSU has held its opponents to 86 yards on 63 rush attempts.
“We’re playing dominant football at times in all three phases,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “For example, the defense allowed just six first downs and 93 total yards on the day [against Louisiana-Monroe]. In the last 30 possessions, they have not allowed a point.”
The Tigers’ offense also found its rhythm in the second half against Wisconsin, posting 229 yards of total offense in the victory and another combined 956 yards against Sam Houston State and ULM.
“Offensively, since falling behind to Wisconsin, 24-7, we’ve outscored opponents 108-0,” Miles said. “There are some very positive directions there, and I think our team is improving.”
A large portion of LSU’s success has come on the ground, where the Tigers have carried the ball for 663 yards on 142 rushes since halftime of the Advocare Texas Kickoff.
LSU sophomore defensive tackle Christian LaCouture said LSU’s defense can attribute at least some of its success to being faced with stopping the Tigers’ deep stable running backs.
“It definitely gets us ready week in and week out,” LaCouture said.
It’s one thing to have this success against nonconference opponents, but the real test for the Tigers will come in a tumultuous Southeastern
Conference schedule. Five of seven teams in the SEC West currently sit in the national top 10.
LSU will get its first taste of conference play this weekend against a Mississippi State squad with a high-powered offense and a defense that has held opponents to 80 rushing yards per game.
“We’re playing dominant football right now,” LaCouture said. “We want to make sure we continue that into our first week against a big time
SEC opponent.”
You can reach Tyler Nunez on Twitter @Nunez_TDR.