Even with a lopsided box score in LSU’s win over New Mexico State, the first quarter had all the makings of a cupcake game gone horribly wrong.  Sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings, coming off a rough outing against Mississippi State, turned the ball over on three of his first four possessions. The overmatched Aggies even had a chance to take an early lead, if not for a missed field goal.
After seven straight scoring drives led by freshman quarterback Brandon Harris, the Tigers finished with a comfortable 63-7 victory. There’s now a sense of optimism going into a critical road test at Auburn, but here are few things the Tigers should like, dislike and absolutely hate from this weekend’s performance. 
The Good:
Freshmen prove their worth
The leaders in the three major offensive categories Saturday night looked something like this:
Passing: Brandon Harris (true freshman) – 11/14, 178 yards, 3 touchdowns (5 rushes, 36 yards, 2 touchdowns)
Rushing: Leonard Fournette (true freshman) – 18 carries, 122 yards, 2 touchdowns
Receiving: Malachi Dupre (true freshman) – 3 receptions, 54 yards, 1 touchdown
Coach Les Miles preaches the idea of true freshmen producing early, and it was obvious from the home opener that Harris, Fournette, and Dupre would be future stars for the Tigers.  It was only a matter of time before the trio would dominate the statistical categories.  If LSU intends to make their season into a memorable one, the bulk of the offensive production might have to come from the young, three-headed monster. 
Swarming defense
Had the LSU defense not given up 79-yard touchdown run to New Mexico State backup quarterback Andrew Allen, who primarily comes in as a running threat, the defense would receive an A+ grade.  The Tigers came up with two interceptions, forced two fumbles and held the Aggies’ spread offense to 274 total yards.  Kendall Beckwith returned one of the interceptions for a touchdown to increase LSU’s lead to two scores late in the first quarter. Linebacker Kwon Alexander and safety Ronald Martin were consistently around the football and prevented the Aggies from forming any kind of rhythm.  This is the kind of performance the defense will need against the similar, fast-paced offenses of Auburn and Florida in the next two weeks.
The Bad:
Dwayne Thomas’ injury
The defensive back, who is one of the key pass rushers from the nickelback position in Defense Coordinator John Chavis’ Mustang package, will most likely be out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.  Fortunately, the Tigers are deep in talent in the secondary, but it might mean playing younger players who have yet to experience an SEC road challenge. 
The Ugly:
Fan support
Obviously, the play of Anthony Jennings was not good.  Brandon Harris has been the better quarterback the past two weeks, and that is why Miles chose him as the starter against Auburn.  Yet, it certainly didn’t help Jennings’ confidence to hear jeers and chants from what is supposed be one of the most loyal fan bases in college football.  Let the coaching decisions be made by the coaches, who have it in their best interest to start and substitute the appropriate player.  Even if there is a competition for a starting job at stake, players usually don’t like hearing one of their own get crushed by the home crowd. 

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Zoe Geauthreaux

LSU freshman safety Jamal Adams (33) forces a fumble Saturday, September 27, 2014 during the Tigers' 63-7 win against NMSU in Tiger Stadium.