LSU coach Ed Orgeron said Monday that this week is all about the Tigers.
Yeah Alabama is defending national champion. Undefeated. Ranked No. 1. Won all eight of its games handily.
But, Orgeron said, LSU has to focus on being the best version of the team that is 7-1 and ranked No. 4.
“We’ve got to be us,” he said.
He alluded to the fact that the Tigers have played well enough to beat three teams that were in the top 10 when they beat them, most recently beating then No. 2 Georgia 36-16 a couple of weeks ago.
But he also alluded to a 29-22 loss to Florida in which “I feel like we were the better team” and uninspired wins against outmanned Southeastern Louisiana and Louisiana Tech.
“We know this as a football team: We have to be hungry, we have to play our best to play with anybody, and when we do play our best we can play with anybody,” Orgeron said. “We have gone out and played a complete game against some teams, and we have seen the results.
“I think this team is mature enough to understand that all they got to do is play their best to beat Alabama. If we play our best, we’re capable of doing that. We feel that already. Now we have to go out and do it.”
With that in mind here are 10 things the Tigers need to do in order to beat Bama:
1. Hold their own up front
As usual Alabama is strong and deep on both lines of scrimmage. The Crimson Tide can beat up on most teams, but the Tigers should be able to compete up front.
“It’s a big man’s game,” Orgeron said. “This game is always won in the trenches.”
2. Be patient and efficient with the running game
LSU isn’t likely to rush for a whole bunch of yards against Alabama. It couldn’t do it with Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice, so it’s doesn’t figure to do it with Nick Brossette and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
But if the line holds its own and Joe Burrow is astute in handling the read-option, the Tigers might be able to move the chains enough to keep the defense reasonably fresh and win the field-position battle.
“We have to eliminate negative plays,” Orgeron said. “We had too many negative plays against a very good Mississippi State line defense.
“We’re going to have to be able to run the football like we did against Georgia (275 yards).”
3. Avoid costly penalties
LSU was penalized 9 times against Auburn and nearly lost and was penalized 8 times in the loss against Florida. But it was penalized just twice against Georgia.
It needs to be closer to the Georgia performance against the Crimson Tide, who don’t commit too many penalties.
4. Win the turnover battle
Turnovers are the great equalizer and the Tigers lead the country with 14 interceptions. However Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t thrown an interception.
If Tagovailoa is as stingy as he has been, maybe LSU can go the fumble route. Alabama has lost 4 fumbles. LSU has recovered 5.
5. Hit some plays in the passing game
The most yards anyone has thrown for against Alabama this season is 263 (Texas A&M) even though everyone has had to play from behind most of the time. So LSU probably isn’t going to pile up a bunch of yards.
But if Burrow can mix in two or three big-gainers along the way, he can create much-needed scoring opportunities.
6. Win the kicking game
One area where LSU has an advantage is at place-kicker with Cole Tracy. The trick is to take advantage of his dependability when necessary without getting too cautious in the red zone. The Tigers are going to need more touchdowns than field goals to win this thing.
7. Keep the Devin White suspension in perspective
What’s done is done, whether you think the targeting call against Mississippi State was warranted or ridiculous. Either way, the call will keep White out of the first half of this game.
Patrick Queen and Micah Baskerville can’t try and be White even while they’re filling his shoes in the first half. Their teammates have to trust one another and stay disciplined enough not to try and exceed their responsibilities to try and make up for White’s absence.
And finally White himself has to channel his pent-up energy and emotion in an effective manner when he does enter the game.
8. Get an early lead
Yeah, this is certainly easier said than done, but it’s still important. In coach Ed Orgeron’s first game against the Tide, the Tigers had them shut out for three quarters but never scored in a 10-0 loss.
Last season Alabama scored the first 14 points and cruised in a 24-10 win that was less stressful than the score might indicate.
Getting an early lead will make these last two easier to accomplish.
9. Make Alabama sweat in the fourth quarter
OK, Alabama doesn’t seem to sweat a whole lot, but nonetheless any team is going to be less effective outside its comfort zone than it is in it. The Tide hasn’t really faced adversity this season.
If LSU can press them for the entire game, maybe even have a fourth-quarter lead, the Tide will have to prevail in a manner that it hasn’t had to previously this season.
“Play our defense, you’re going to be under some stress,” Orgeron said. “We expect this to be an exciting game, matchup. We expect this to be a battle for 60 minutes. There’s going to be stress on both sides.”
10. Put Tiger Stadium to good use
It worked against Georgia and that was in the day time. This night game is what Tiger Stadium is all about.
The home-field advantage will be in play at kickoff. It will be up to the Tigers not to allow Alabama to deflate the crowd.
“I know the energy in the stadium is going to be something that we haven’t seen for a long time in Louisiana,” Orgeron said.
“There’s going to be an excitement in the air that’s going to be different for this game. This just happens this way. That’s how it is LSU versus Alabama.”
Les East is a New Orleans-based football writer who covers LSU for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow him on Twitter @Les_East.
