LSU has started out on fire in each of its first four games. The offense is averaging almost 10 points in the first quarter this season, and the defense has allowed a total of three points in the first quarter all season.
The defense’s strong first quarter is no surprise considering the Tigers have only allowed a first quarter touchdown in six games and have shut opponents out in the opening quarter 16 times in the 29 games Dave Aranda has been LSU’s defensive coordinator. If you’re not good at math, those numbers translate to LSU holding the opposition scoreless in the first quarter 55 percent of the time since the start of 2016.
Coach Ed Orgeron has preached constantly about fast starts, and it is starting to show in the opening third of the 2018 season. LSU raced out to leads in all four games and has only trailed in the first half of games for 91 seconds of game time, which came on the road against Auburn.
Overall, LSU has outscored Miami, Southeastern, Auburn and Louisiana Tech in the first half 85-24 and outgained them by an average of 84 yards.
Junior quarterback Joe Burrow has looked his best in the first half of games as well. He’s completed 52 percent of his passes for 496 yards and two touchdowns. In the second half those numbers fall to 235 yards and one touchdown while completing 44 percent of his passes.
“I feel like [for] the last couple of weeks we took our foot off the gas,” Burrow said after the 38-21 win over Louisiana Tech. “I think we got a little complacent there in the second and third quarters. Started strong, finished strong, but we need to fix that there in the middle.”
The defense hasn’t been fantastic in the second half outside of a strong performance against Auburn after they had extended their lead to 21-10 halfway through the third quarter. Against Miami, LSU’s defense gave up three plays of 30-plus yards late in the game and two fourth quarter touchdowns.
The shutout against Southeastern looks great on paper, but the Lions were deep in LSU territory three times in the second half before shooting themselves in the foot with two turnovers and a failed fourth-down conversion.
What bothered Aranda the most, however, was the 330 yards passing and three touchdowns the defense gave up to Louisiana Tech’s J’Mar Smith, according to Orgeron.
During his luncheon with the media on Monday, Orgeron said he liked Aranda’s demeanor after they reviewed the film and the defensive coordinator “is going to work hard and do better.”
Aranda has a lot on his plate this week. He has to figure out how to stop the Southeastern Conference’s leading passer Jordan Ta’amu, who averages 340 yards passing a game, and Ole Miss’ elite wide receiver duo of AJ Brown and DK Metcalf, who Orgeron said will both be NFL receivers.
“We played a lot of man coverage against them and covered them pretty good, not great, but pretty good,” said Orgeron of last season’s matchup when LSU’s defense held Brown and Metcalf to a combined five catches for 54 yards. “We are going to have to mix things up because we have some new guys there this year. It all starts with pass rush, though, and we need to do a better job of that.”
The Rebels’ offense averages 42 points and 523 yards per game compared to the 14.8 points and 335 yards LSU’s defense allows per game, and history says the two teams will meet somewhere in the middle.
LSU has held Ole Miss under 20 only twice (2011, 2014) in the last 10 meetings, and during that same timespan, the Rebels offense has averaged 24.7 points.
“This is going to be a battle for 60 minutes,” Orgeron said. “There is no way that you can let up against this team. We are going have to have our hands up for the whole game. They are going to make plays as they are a good offense and we are going to have to keep battling forsixty minutes.”

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Christa Moran

LSU junior quarterback Joe Burrow (9) passes the ball during the Tigers' 38-21 victory against LA Tech on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, in Tiger Stadium.