LSU could not have built up any more momentum heading into SEC play following its loss to Florida State. After they picked up a big in-conference win over Mississippi State, the Tigers’ matchup with New Mexico allowed them to experiment, find out what works and give players their confidence back as they head into conference play.
Great strides were made in the passing game for LSU from Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier. Daniels passed for 279 yards and completed 24 out of his 29 attempts. He clearly felt more comfortable throwing the ball and sent the ball to several different receivers.
“[He’s] more familiar with the offensive structure, concepts, and we were really firm on fast feet, and then slowing down the thought process,” Coach Kelly said of Jayden Daniels. “We got into a really good coaching point with fast feet, slow decision making, and it really helped him a lot.”
Nussmeier entered the game when Daniels came out due to a minor lower back injury.
“Jayden strained his lower back, he could’ve gone back in, but there was no need at that time of the game,” Coach Kelly said. “He was cleared by the doctors, so he’s good.”
But Nussmeier didn’t allow the flame to burn out, as he passed for 135 yards and a touchdown, and completed nine of his 10 attempts.
Brian Kelly and his staff felt comfortable experimenting with players in different spots and roles against New Mexico, and an experiment that stood out was that Jack Bech was back returning punts for the Tigers. The staff could’ve found something with Bech, as he returned a punt for a 76-yard touchdown, but the play was called back due to a blind-side block penalty. With his experience in high school returning punts, Bech was ready for the challenge.
“They asked me if I want to catch punts, and I said, ‘you know I want to catch punts,’” Bech said. “I love being back there, so they let me go catch a couple at practice, I guess coach got to a point where he was confident in me being back there.”
Bech wasn’t the only receiver who shined on the field in Saturday’s matchup with New Mexico, in fact, several other receivers made their marks in the game. Malik Nabers led the receiving corps with 65 receiving yards on six receptions, and Bech wasn’t far behind with 43 receiving yards on six receptions. Jaray Jenkins, Kyren Lacy, Mason Taylor, Brian Thomas Jr., Josh Williams, Chris Hilton Jr., Kole Taylor and Armoni Goodwin all caught passes yesterday. Thomas Jr. caught a touchdown pass on a 57-yard play.
The run game was just as spread out for the Tigers, but Noah Cain seemed to find his stride the most out of everyone. The Penn State transfer ran for 94 yards on 11 carries and scored two touchdowns. Seeing how Cain was able to perform against New Mexico, it may be apparent that LSU could run with several backs throughout the season, but Cain is one that could use more reps in SEC play.
“I still have a lot more I want to prove to myself, I still want to help this team in the best way possible,” Cain said. “So I’m just blessed to be here, just getting better every week.”
Along with Cain, Goodwin shined as well. The sophomore back scored twice on eight carries for 24 yards. John Emery Jr. also made an impact, as he ran for 45 yards on nine carries.
The Tigers seemed to have found their rhythm, and the timing could not be better. But the team seems to also have found its identity heading into SEC play. This is a team that uses its depth to its advantage and rolls with a “next man up” mentality. For example, Kayshon Boutte was out for the New Mexico game, but Bech rediscovered his spot in the receiving lineup, and he showed out when needed.
“If a guy goes down, we have no problem bringing the next guy in and giving him that opportunity,” Kelly said. “They feel the trust from us and that gives them the confidence to go in and play at a high level.”
The depth the Tigers have will be very important heading into conference play; in the games against the nation’s best teams, LSU will need to be able to bring in fresh players that could make an impact just as well as the starters.
The first season under Kelly was going to be a learning experience and also a long-term approach. These last three games for the Tigers have been a testament to that, and they only show that things are headed in the right direction.
