Handing out grades after LSU’s 63-7 win over New Mexico State. 

OFFENSE: Jennings – F, Harris – A

This game is very clearly split, with the time Anthony Jennings spent running the offense, then Harris’ turn. Under Jennings, the numbers and results were ugly. The sophomore fumbled once and was intercepted twice in the first quarter, while Kenny Hilliard also put the rock on the ground. The Tigers still led 14-0 during Jennings’ shift, although one of those scores was a defensive touchdown.

Once Harris came into the game, the offense blossomed. Harris lined up in shotgun more often than not, and had plenty of designed and improvised roll outs. He was accurate on the move and made several plays after his blocking broke down. Harris picked up more first downs on his first drive than Jennings did in 20 minutes of game time. That stat says it all.

Without further review of the game, it sure looked like the offensive line was energized playing in front of Harris. As a result, the stable of running backs had much more room to operate, leading to some impressive runs.

DEFENSE: A

Aside from one long touchdown run, the defense did its job perfectly. The Tigers allowed a few underneath passes to go for longer gains than they should have, but they made the Aggies receivers disappear for most of the night. Safety Jamal Adams and cornerback Rashard both got plenty of playing time. If you take out the aforementioned 79-yard touchdown run by Andrew Allen, LSU held NMSU to 2.6 yards per carry. Kendell Beckwith was outstanding playing at middle linebacker, leading a marked improvement in tackling from a week ago. The sophomore also recorded that pick-6 in the first quarter.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

Jamie Keehn was needed for punting duties early on, booming three of them in total for an average of 47.7 yards per punt. The Tigers kickoff unit was excellent, recording touchbacks on all but one of their many kickoffs. Meanwhile, Colby Delahoussaye was 9-for-9 on extra points.

COACHING: B

This grade might seem high due to the way the Tigers started the game, but it feels like Les Miles had his reasons for the way things went down. If Miles had simply benched Jennings after one of his three turnovers, it’s reasonable to think that the sophomore’s confidence would be completely ship-wrecked going forward. Instead, Miles allowed Jennings to run a few more drives, getting a score on the board, before pulling him for Harris. It’s a long season, and the coach doesn’t know if and when he’ll need Jennings again.

Miles said in his post-game press conference that he didn’t shrink the playbook at all for the freshman, making it even more impressive that Harris performed the way he did. As frustrating as it was to watch the Tigers bang their heads against a wall for 20 minutes, Miles gets a pass. The same can’t be said if he runs Jennings out again next week.