Checking in on the early season temperatures in Baton Rouge. 

HOT

Travin Dural. Everything the sophomore receiver has touched this season has turned to gold. Well, not everything, but four out of six ain’t bad. Dural has been so good, with six catches, 291 yards and four TDs, that he’s been added to ESPN’s Heisman Trophy watch list, which is pretty crazy for a guy who came into the season with seven career catches. Dural’s presence on the outside has helped open up space for the running game, much needed as team’s gear up to stop that facet of LSU’s offense.

WARM

The defensive secondary. Last Saturday’s performance against Sam Houston was dominant, as they held a potent passing attack to 9-of-28 passing and 156, picking off two passes. Dwayne Thomas and Rickey Jefferson were both perfectly positioned for their respective timely interceptions, and the group is only going to get stronger as players like Jalen Mills and Rashard Robinson get acclimated after their suspensions.

COLD

Anthony Jennings’ completion percentage. Les Miles has said that Jennings has done a good job through two games, likely solidifying his starting spot for now, but added in his Monday press conference that the sophomore needs to be better. A good start would be connecting on a few more passes. After two games, Jennings has hit on just 47.8 percent of his attempts. Several long balls have made his numbers look more palatable, but those will get tougher to hit on as the Tigers move into their SEC games. A little more consistency would go a long way in improving LSU’s passing attack.

FROZEN

Leonard Fournette’s Heisman chances. It was unlikely that the true freshman would have a crack at the award anyway this season, but through two games Fournette hasn’t even established himself as LSU’s best running back. That honor goes to Kenny Hilliard, who carried the Tigers to an opening week win and seems ready to handle double-digit carries every week. Fellow freshman Darrel Williams has proven himself capable as well, splitting up the Tigers’ carries even more. On top of that, Fournette striking the iconic pose in the end zone after his first career touchdown probably won’t sit well with voters.