LSU hoped to be 2-0 entering SEC play.

It knew it would be no worse than 1-1.

The Tigers in the last second lost to Florida State, then routed Southern and enter SEC play against Mississippi State on Saturday in Tiger Stadium.

So far, so good.

But it’s not as good as new head coach Brian Kelly would have preferred.

Nonetheless, LSU is 0-0 in the SEC, and there are reasons to believe the Tigers have momentum as they enter conference play.

In fact, here are 6 reasons LSU has momentum entering SEC play:

1. The reshaped offensive line

The offensive line performed poorly in the season-opening 24-23 loss to Florida State.

Kelly knew it. Offensive line coach Brad Davis knew it. Every person watching the game inside the Caesars Superdome and on TV knew it. The folks listening on radio sensed it.

So Kelly and Davis tried to fix it.

They inserted Charles Turner into the starting lineup at center. They moved neophyte center Garrett Dellinger back to a more familiar spot at left guard. They moved Miles Frazier from left guard to right tackle and slid Cameron Wire from right guard to a reserve role.

Freshman Will Campbell stayed at left tackle and Anthony Bradford stayed at right guard.

Kelly said he was “pleased” with that starting 5, which everyone “should expect to see going forward.”

He praised freshman Emery Jones for “playing well most of the time” in an expanded opportunity against Southern and suggested he, Wire and Tre’Mond Shorts will continue to play as part of the rotation.

2. The arrival of John Emery II

The Tigers need a consistent running game involving more than just Daniels as a ball carrier.

They need a running back they can count on. Emery is their best running back.

Emery has not played since the second-to-last game of the 2020 season, but he’s talented, fresh and really eager.

Kelly said Emery has worked hard to get back and was involved in practice while ineligible, but cautioned not to “put a lot of expectations” on Emery right away.

Still, the running game should be trending upward with Emery’s arrival.

3. Jayden Daniels’ efficiency

Daniels has had the biggest impact of any Tiger in the first 2 games.

That’s not just because he plays quarterback, it’s primarily because he has played quarterback very well.

He has run and thrown effectively. He has made good decisions and seems to be getting better as time passes.

He has taken care of the football and made big plays.

After 3 seasons in the Pac-12, he seems SEC-ready.

4. All hands on deck in the secondary

Kelly and his staff also tweaked the defensive backfield.

They moved Greg Brooks Jr. from the nickel position to safety to improve the communications. Jay Ward moved from safety to nickel.

Kelly said the safety played was better against Southern and the changes will remain in effect.

The coach added that Ohio State transfer Sevyn Banks is expected to be available Saturday after the Tigers were cautious in bringing him back from injury.

“It’s all hands on deck for this game,” Kelly said, “especially at that position.”

Kelly feels better about the positioning of the pieces in the secondary and now there’s an additional piece.

5. The stabilization of the front 7 on defense

The loss of standout defensive tackle Maason Smith to a season-ending knee injury against Florida State was significant.

The absence of end BJ Ojulari against Southern didn’t help, nor did the first-half suspension of Ali Gaye.

But Mekhi Wingo has stepped into Smith’s spot and even though he’s not as good as Smith, he was an SEC all-freshman performer at Missouri last season, so he’s a capable fill-in.

Ojulari and Gaye are back, and linebacker Micah Baskerville appears poised to have a big season.

You can’t succeed in the SEC unless your front 7 on defense can compete.

LSU’s depth might not be great, but its starters seem capable of competing after a couple of bumps in the road.

6. The last 5 quarters

LSU played badly for 3 quarters against Florida State. Then it played much better in the 4th quarter and very nearly forced overtime.

It dominated Southern from the opening second, racing to a 37-0 lead at the end of the 1st quarter.

Sure the drop-off in quality of competition from the FBS Seminoles to the FCS Jaguars was significant, but the surge began against the Seminoles and the dominance against the Jaguars was impressive.

The Tigers have momentum and confidence. That’s a good starting point entering SEC play.