The No. 8 LSU football team earned two easy wins against formidable opponents to begin the 2015 season, and the next three weeks seem even more promising for the Tigers.
LSU (2-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) sets sail on a stretch of games against three unranked teams before it plays against the University of Florida and hosts OneRepublic in Baton Rouge on Oct. 17. The upcoming schedule may seem “easy,” but the Tigers don’t care.
“LSU must play like LSU” no matter the competition, said sophomore safety Jamal Adams.
“Every week, [we must have] the same focus,” Adams said. “It doesn’t matter the competition. It doesn’t matter what conference they’re in. We are going to go out there and play like LSU.”
First, is Syracuse University at 11 a.m. on Saturday in the Carrier Dome. The Orange (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), which is tied for first in the ACC, suffers from quarterback troubles due to injury and inexperience. Freshman Eric Dungey suffered a concussion in Syracuse’s last game and is likely to be replaced by sophomore Zack Mahoney or sophomore Austin Wilson.
Regardless of Syracuse’s troubled quarterback situation causing problems in preparation for the Tigers, the Tigers know the Orange will give its best shot no matter who is under center.
“They are all just another opponent,” said junior tight end Colin Jeter. “We have to take everyone seriously. Every team is going to give us their best, so we have to give them our best.”
Senior linebacker Deion Jones will miss the first half of the Syracuse matchup; he was ejected for targeting in the second half against Auburn. Jones, the other starting linebacker beside junior Kendell Beckwith, must begin the series of nonconference games on the sideline, while learning from his mistakes.
“I’ve got to be smarter with my hat placement,” Jones said. “Coach [Les Miles] told me that I have to be careful. I just have to accept the consequences and learn from it.”
Next, the Tigers come home from New York to face to Eastern Michigan University at 6 p.m. on Oct. 3 at Tiger Stadium. LSU is the highest-ranked team on the Eagles’ (1-2, 0-1 Mid-American Conference) schedule, according to the Associated Press Poll released on Sept. 21.
The Eagles will be the first team to take the field at Tiger Stadium after the platform thrusted sophomore Leonard Fournette as the top contender for the Heisman trophy because of his performance against Auburn — 228 yards on 19 carries, three touchdowns and a barrage of highlight-tape runs, spamming the Internet last Saturday.
Junior left tackle Jerald Hawkins still can’t believe what occurred on Saturday, but he does know he loved blocking for Fournette against Auburn.
“That is one of the greatest feelings,” Hawkins said. “First, you’re blocking, then you look up because you feel the wind run by you, and he’s gone. I ask myself ‘How does he do that?’. It was his own show out there.”
Finally before Florida, the Tigers will head to Columbia, South Carolina, to face the Gamecocks on Oct. 10.
University of South Carolina (1-2, 0-2 SEC) is tied for last place in the SEC East standings beside Vanderbilt University. The Gamecocks recently lost to Georgia, 20-52, in Athens and 22-26 the previous week against the University of Kentucky. LSU will be the second of an all-SEC, six-team stretch of tough games for South Carolina.
After its journey to the Atlantic seaboard in South Carolina, the Tigers will host Florida (3-0, 1-0 SEC) on Oct. 17. Florida is the last in-conference matchup the Tigers will have to lean on before their game against Alabama on Nov. 7. Sandwiched between the two games is another home tune-up matchup against Western Kentucky on Oct. 24.