ORLANDO — LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda hadn’t slept in two weeks.
In that fortnight, Aranda’s 14 days were filled with figuring out a plan, somehow or someway, to smother and subdue Louisville’s Heisman trophy-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Cardinal offense that led the Atlantic Coast Conference with an average of 45.3 points per game prior to Saturday’s Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl.
And Aranda, a noted insomniac, composed a gem as LSU (8-4) whipped Louisville, 29-9, and didn’t allow a single touchdown in its final game of the 2016 season on the final day of the year.
“He just was hype because we were playing Lamar,” sophomore defensive end Arden Key said of Aranda.

“They didn’t show us anything that we hadn’t seen on film, so we were really prepared for it,” senior defensive back Tre’Davious White added after his final game as a Tiger while donning a white, black and citrus-colored hat with “Champs” written across the front.
Aranda’s plan wasn’t complex: make Jackson beat LSU’s defense with his arm.
Jackson, clearly rattled because of LSU’s consistent defensive pressure in Louisville’s backfield, was sacked eight times Saturday and completed 10 passes for 153 yards.
Aranda knew what was coming, which is how LSU bottled up Louisville to 220 total yards on 62 plays.
“If you give coach Aranda more than a week, then it’s going to be hard for you,” Key said. “If you don’t change your offense, and you run the same thing you’ve been running all year, then Aranda’s going to make something happen.”
Even LSU’s offense, known for its power running game, found a way to excel through the air against Louisville’s 12th-ranked defense.
Of the surprises on Saturday, the sunny, 60-degree calm weather for the Citrus Bowl in downtown Orlando wasn’t one of them. Junior wide receiver Malachi Dupre and senior tight end Colin Jeter, though, were.
The draft-eligible junior, Dupre, fell into a ball-dropping slump earlier this season, but soared to a career-high 139 yards on seven catches in LSU’s near-mistake-free bowl win against the Cardinals (9-4, 7-2 Atlantic Coast Conference).
“He’s always been able to do that,” said Jeter, who caught a 1-yard touchdown, his first this season. “He really showed it today. He had a phenomenal game. All of our wide receivers did, they were going off.”
Of LSU junior quarterback Danny Etling’s two touchdown passes on 16 of 29 completions for 217 yards, Dupre reeled in a handful of possession-retaining grabs to extend LSU’s offensive drives.
One of which was a one-handed beauty tossed a bit too far ahead of Dupre from Etling.
It didn’t matter. Dupre caught it. It was that kind of day: everything was working for LSU.
“Danny [Etling] did a great job with the pass game to open up the running lanes, and everything just executed the way we planned,” sophomore tailback and the Citrus Bowl’s Most Valuable Player Derrius Guice said. “We came out victorious.”
Behind Etling, Guice added 138 rushing yards on 26 attempts and two touchdowns — one rushing and one receiving.
“Steve Ensminger, being on offensive staff, did a tremendous job and thought he did an outstanding job again today,” said LSU coach Ed Orgeron. “He’s a great Tiger. He’s a great offensive play caller.”
Orgeron was formally introduced as the school’s 33rd head coach a month ago after leading LSU to a 5-2 stretch as interim since late September. Saturday, in LSU’s 20-point win against No. 13 Louisville in the bowl, Orgeron’s Tigers — in his opening game as LSU’s official head coach — produced a gem.
LSU plunged for nearly 400 yards on offense, 394, and subdued the ACC’s most prolific offense to three made field goals.
Jackson, simply, didn’t have time. LSU’s defensive lineman seemed too powerful and skilled, blowing past Louisville offensive lineman before wrapping up Jackson, a noted speedster.
LSU combined for six sacks before the 10-minute mark in the third quarter, including two solo from Key. Key’s two sacks Saturday bumped the 6-foot-6 pass-rusher to 12 total on the year, a new school record for one season.
Senior defensive end Tashawn Bower, who one-upped Key with three individual sacks Saturday, has played opposite Key all season on the defensive line.
Was he surprised at the broken record?
““No. Not at all,” he said. “He’s ridiculously fast. He’s a freak of nature. He’s long. He’s quick. He has some much potential. He has some much more room to grow. It’s going to be scary to watch him next year.”
Like Key and Bower and LSU’s defense, the Tigers dominated, Orgeron said.
“They played tremendously today against a great Louisville football team, a great job by our staff of coming on the road, preparing our guys to play like we did today,” he said. “It was a dominating performance.”