NEW ORLEANS — A look at the stat sheet from LSU’s season opener might suggest that Les Miles didn’t go anywhere.

The 13th-ranked Tigers used outstanding defense, mostly solid special teams and a pounding run game to methodically wear down BYU 27-0 Saturday night in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

It’s a formula that worked exceedingly well for Miles for nearly all of his 12-year tenure that ended with him as the second-winningest coach in Tigers history.

But a stubborn loyalty to an old-fashioned offense gradually became Miles’ undoing. Periodic offensive flops such as early-season ones in losses to Wisconsin and Auburn eventually cost Miles is job after a 2-2 start last season.

Interim coach Ed Orgeron recognized the problem and immediately fired Miles’ offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron, and replaced him with tight ends coach Steve Ensminger. The Tigers opened up the offense and their scoring average went from 21 points to 32.

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After being named full-time head coach after the season, Orgeron looked to further upgrade the offense by hiring Matt Canada away from Pitt to be his offensive coordinator.

So as this season opener approached, most of the interest surrounding LSU centered on just what the offense would look like under Canada.

When the offense broke the huddle to run its first play, you could sense Tiger fans excitedly inching forward in their seats.

The entire offensive line shifted, which didn’t faze the BYU defense at all but brought loud oohs an ahs from the Tigers crowd as if they were witnessing artistry they hadn’t seen before.

Maybe they were. After all, Canada’s predecessors set the bar fairly low in terms of creativity.

But window dressing aside, Canada certainly was no less committed to the run than Miles had been.

LSU ran the ball 57 times and threw it 18. After one quarter, Derrius Guice was on pace to carry the ball 676 times this season. Though that pace slowed — he finished with 27 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns — he still could wind up running it more often than some MAC teams.

But the difference between the offense LSU unveiled Saturday and the one it re-ran for 12 years was that the dependence on the run didn’t appear to be based on a devotion to the run game. Besides that, the use of jet sweeps, increased formation shifts, a greater willingness to probe the outer reaches of the defense and a judicious use of tempo made the Tigers less predictable.

And that’s what it’s all about.

First of all, Guice is the Tigers’ best player, the reigning SEC rushing champion and someone who should carry the ball more than anyone else on the team.

Secondly, BYU wasn’t slowing down Guice much in the early going, so there was little incentive for Canada to choose to slow him down by going away from him.

Thirdly, if teams aren’t slowing down Guice, it elevates Danny Etling from an average playmaker to an above-average playmaker at quarterback.

In fact, Etling looked more confident, poised and efficient Saturday night than he did last season. Perhaps it was Canada’s system and tutelage or a healthier back after offseason surgery, or some combination.

But Etling’s numbers were exceptional — 14-of-17 for 173 yards — before he turned things over to freshman Myles Brennan for the final possession.

Canada’s philosophy doesn’t appear to be transformational, but it does upgrade the offense enough to make the Tigers harder to defend. And that’s what LSU has lacked most in recent years as pedestrian offenses have held back generally exceptional defenses.

And this game suggests the defense could be exceptional again.

As for the offense this is just one performance and BYU certainly doesn’t represent the biggest challenge to Canada’s offense. The real test will be when the basic stuff doesn’t work as well as it did Saturday night and Canada has to create ways for his quarterback to consistently make plays without the benefit of a consistently strong run game.

The Tigers’ inability to do that in the past is the main reason Orgeron and Canada are where they are — and Miles and Cameron aren’t.