Members of The Reveille sports staff share their thoughts and score predictions ahead of No. 6 LSU’s season opening matchup with Georgia Southern.
Showcasing the new offense | Kennedi Landry
While most everybody is looking forward to LSU’s Week 2 matchup with the Texas Longhorns in Austin, LSU and Coach Ed Orgeron are doing anything but that. Orgeron said at his weekly press conference that the offense is going to come out “gun blazing” against Georgia Southern to open the season.
Nothing is off the table for an LSU offense that went through some major changes this offseason with the hire of passing game coordinator Joe Brady. Senior quarterback Joe Burrow even said at SEC Media Days that LSU would put up 40, 50 and 60 points a game and that offense is a full go to open the season.
Burrow said 100% of the playoff can be used on Saturday, and I don’t expect Orgeron and offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger to hold anything back, especially because the Tigers are returning the majority of its offensive production including Burrow, junior receiver Justin Jefferson and junior running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. While I wouldn’t expect as many as 60 points on Saturday, the Tigers are likely going to hand the Eagles a pretty good beating.
Score prediction: LSU 35, Georgia Southern 10
Should be no problem | Myles Kuss
Football is finally back in Death Valley and, this time, against a non-conference opponent in Georgia Southern. While the name does not pop off the page, the Eagles use a triple option that could be tricky for some teams if they are not careful.
LSU will not be one of those teams that will be easily tricked. With speed all over the defense from the big name Grant Delpit to the sophomore nose tackle Tyler Shelvin. If Georgia Southern does decide to throw the pigskin, Kristian Fulton and Derek Stingley will be more than ready to take it to the house.
The offense should have few troubles as the Tigers will be more than eager to show off their new spread offense. Even if the starters get pulled early, reserves, like John Emery Jr., will show off their five-star talent to an objectively weaker team.
If you are looking for something to watch, the guard battle between Adrian Magee and Chasen Hines should be an interesting one. The offensive line as a whole needs a strong start, and this should be a perfect opportunity to gain confidence going into the real test against Texas in week two.
Score prediction: LSU 40, Georgia Southern 7
Saving it for next week | Brandon Adam
Most of the buzz coming out of the season for LSU has been about a new, high-flying offense and an aggressive, four-man front on defense. When fans expect something new in the opening game of the season and the team they root for doesn’t meet expectations, the usual retort is “they’re saving for next week” or in a game against a more capable opponent.
In LSU’s case it can be said that they are, indeed, saving it for next week. Not because they’re trying to hide something or surprise Texas with a new wrinkle but solely because of who the Tigers play this week.
Georgia Southern is a triple-option team. It’s like a slow-tempo team in basketball — the goal is to take the air out of the ball and control the clock. By nature, LSU’s game against Georgia Southern will be condensed, so don’t freak out if LSU only scores 30-something points. The only team to score 40-plus on Georgia Southern last season was Auburn with 41, and almighty Clemson only scored 38.
As for an aggressive-style defense, that’s the last thing anyone defending a triple-option offense wants to be. Defending the triple option requires patience, staying in position and maintaining gap control along the defensive line.
Sorry to say this, but LSU is likely going to be saving it for next week.
Score prediction: LSU 38, Georgia Southern 14
Texas warm up | Jacob Beck
What could amount to a slog of a game, LSU will open its season against the Georgia Southern Eagles, a team that still employs the triple-option offense, which the Tigers haven’t faced within the last decade.
The Eagles main tactic for this game will be to use as much clock as possible, using every second of the play clock to keep the LSU offense off the field for as long as possible. The only problem with this tactic is that the Tigers have far superior athletes on the defensive side of the ball, and have been preparing for the option offense for weeks now, giving them plenty of time to be up for the task.
It will be interesting to see how much of the offense LSU coach Ed Orgeron decides to show off in a game that he realistically knows will end in a Tiger victory. Considering this will be the first real game in which LSU trots out their new spread offense, it’s possible Orgeron will not hold anything back so that any kinks can be worked out in a game that won’t be in question after the second quarter.
Another key storyline will be the performance of true freshman kicker Cade York, who will be kicking in front of 102,321 people for the first time in his career. York has proven that he has the leg strength and accuracy in practices and scrimmages, but doing it in Tiger Stadium is a whole different ball game (pun intended).
While it may not be a blowout at the half, LSU will pull away in the end, get their starters out of the game, and begin to look ahead to week two in Austin.
Score Prediction: LSU 38 Georgia Southern 7
