Last week, LSU had an impressive win over Florida, 45-35.
The win was spouted due to an outstanding performance by the offense led by Jayden Daniels who threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Daniels also added 14 carries, 44 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Many LSU fans questioned if Daniels was the player that LSU should be starting at quarterback due to his lack of throwing deep shots down the field and his run-first mentality. However, last week he showed what he can do by taking those chances downfield, giving his receivers opportunities and being patient in the pocket.
Kayshon Boutte himself had a big game as well, tallying six receptions for 115 yards and showing why he can still be a top receiver in the nation. Boutte hasn’t been having the season that many people expected from a talented receiver like him. Last week’s game was a step in the right direction, especially with the number of tough games they have coming up such as Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas A&M.
It also wasn’t just Boutte at the receiver position: other players like Brian Thomas Jr. showed his ability to make highly contested catches, hauling in a jump ball for a touchdown, and Jaray Jenkins showed his deep threat ability by catching a 54-yard touchdown pass.
Another favorable factor was LSU’s run game. Josh Williams ran for 106 yards on 14 carries and though that’s not a spectacular running performance, having that presence of a run game allows the offense to open up more.
This was a much-needed win and performance for the Tigers comes after a disappointing loss to Tennessee the previous week. People knew that the offense needed to play better along with better play calls. Fortunately, Brian Kelly and the offense stepped up by having their best performance of the year.
The defense played solidly and, for the most part, kept Anthony Richardson in check through the passing game. However, they did give up 35 points in total and allowed an 81-yard rushing touchdown by Richardson as well. The defense will still need to tighten up as they have allowed more than 30 points in back-to-back games.
Along with defense, the special teams also need to figure out its issues after another muffed punt by Jack Bech and poor kick coverage. If LSU wants to continue to build off this momentum, it needs to solve its special team’s problems as well.
A win is a win at the end of the day. This was indeed good for the Tigers, showing how they can bounce back and continue to compete in the SEC. LSU will need to continue to be consistent on both ends of the ball and improve on fundamentals as well, but the win over the Gators is a step in the right direction for the Tigers.
