In Saturday’s matchup with Western Kentucky University, the then-No. 5 LSU football team knew stopping WKU quarterback and graduate student Brandon Doughty would be key in earning a win against the Hilltoppers (6-2, 4-0 Conference USA).
However, the Tigers’ defense started the game at a disadvantage as junior defensive tackle Christian LaCouture and junior cornerback Tre’Davious White didn’t dress out, and senior safety Jalen Mills was pulled in the second quarter.
But LSU didn’t feel the ill effects early, shutting out WKU in the first quarter and recording the only LSU sack of the game on WKU’s second offensive drive.
However, Doughty came out in the second quarter a new man, driving 62 yards for the Hilltoppers’ first touchdown of the night.
The Tigers surrendered two more touchdowns, one late in the third quarter and the other early in the fourth. But sophomore safety Jamal Adams and junior linebacker Kendell Beckwith each recorded a forced fumble, and Adams also had an interception, Doughty’s fifth of the year.
“Early on, the defense played really well,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “We made some mistakes in coverage in the back end that cost us some big plays. Our front against the rush and pass, defensively, is solid. I like our linebackers. I think when we get the secondary back, we’ll be a very good defense.”
Beckwith said although the Hilltoppers had a good offensive scheme, LSU defended them well for the most part.
He said Doughty’s 325 yards and three touchdowns were the result of busted coverage and the lack of communication within the defense.
“We hold ourselves to a higher standard,” Beckwith said. “We gave up too many yards. Coverage probably could’ve been a little tighter in some areas. We have to eliminate those communication errors, and we’ll be fine.”
The Tigers’ blitzing schemes helped contain the WKU offense to less than half its season average, though LSU recorded one sack on the night.
“Me and [senior linebacker] Deion [Jones] compete,” Beckwith said. “He got a sack tonight. We compete, we try to get to the ball when we have a blitz. We take pride in our blitzes. We tried to get there as fast as we could, really try to make them work. The blitz is a benefit.”
Freshman defensive back Donte Jackson was sent on a corner blitz in the third quarter, strip-sacking Doughty and picking up the fumble for a 47-yard touchdown. However, the play was called back for a holding penalty on sophomore cornerback Ed Paris in the secondary.
“It was holding, one of our corners held,” Miles said. “What happens is if you blitz and there’s no place to go with the ball, if the corner is holding a receiver, that’s a really good call.”
The LSU defense held WKU to 103 rushing yards, allowed 5-of-15 third down conversions and forced three turnovers on downs.
Junior defensive end Lewis Neal said he thinks the Tigers did a decent job containing Doughty, whose 325-yard effort was his second-lowest passing total of the season.
“I feel like we affected him a little bit, made him make bad decisions,” Neal said. “We can always do better, we can’t be satisfied. But we affected him enough to make those bad decisions. He’s a great quarterback.”