The then-No. 9 LSU football team’s performance wasn’t perfect, but it remained undefeated and added another game to sophomore running back Leonard Fournette’s 200-yard rushing streak in Saturday’s 44-22 win against Eastern Michigan University.
After committing 14 penalties and giving up 24 points to Syracuse University last weekend, Saturday’s home game should have shown efficiency and strengths instead of weaknesses.
There was no noise to blame for the two false starts and three offside penalties LSU committed against the Eagles, only a lack of focus, said junior defensive end Lewis Neal.
Lack of focus was the passing and receiving game’s story. After sophomore quarterback Brandon Harris went 3-of-4 on his first four passes, he went 1-of-11 and stopped throwing the ball at the end of the third quarter.
“There’s nothing you can do to correct when you hit a guy dead in the hands and he doesn’t bring it in,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “He did exactly what we needed him to do. I’d like for him to take care of that ball and have a pocket presence that allows him to take a sack and not take a turnover.”
It became clear luck wasn’t on Harris side when he threw an interception straight into the arms of an Eastern Michigan defender, which marked LSU’s first turnover of the season and brought Eastern Michigan within four points at the end of the first half.
“We definitely didn’t want to give up any more points,” said sophomore safety Jamal Adams. “Twenty-two points is way too many. We have a high standard at LSU, and it’s no knock to Eastern Michigan, but we feel we shouldn’t have given up that many points.”
With kickoffs going out of bounds and punt returns being muffed, the LSU special teams unit’s struggles shone through in all aspects.
Junior cornerback Tre’Davious White gained two yards on the one punt return he attempted, while Donte Jackson averaged 24 yards on his two kick returns.
“It’s about doing your assignment and being in the right place,” Neal said. “In special teams, if one person messes up, it messes up the whole team. That’s all we got to work on. If everybody does their job, we’ll fine.”
Defensive efforts in the second half is an issue this season, but LSU limited Eastern Michigan’s short passing game to a touchdown and a two-point conversion in the third quarter.
“We just got to finish,” Neal said. “When we finish, it’s going to be scary. It starts at practice and game-time is going to show. We’re not tired. It’s not about fatigue. It’s about focus. We got to be there mentally.”
Despite constant miscues on all sides of the ball LSU’s defense lived up to expectations with three interceptions, where among others, freshman cornerback Kevin Toliver II earned the first of his career after catching the ball two yards from LSU’s end zone.
Although Miles liked the way the team responded, Adams said the Tigers are not happy with their performance at this point.
“We’re not even close to where we want to be,” Adams said. “As a team, all three phases, we can definitely get better. Each week we’re going to do that, keep staying in the film room and keep keeping the young guys up, because you never know when they have to get in and play their role.”