LSU is off to a good start. The No. 3 LSU Tigers are 2-0 as they prepare to face the Florida Gators in their SEC opener Saturday night in Tiger Stadium, and they’re favored by more than a touchdown.
But there are things to be concerned about.
LSU is playing a team that pushed it around in a 27-16 loss in Gainesville last November, extending the Tigers’ losing streak to 3 games in the lowest point of Brian Kelly’s first 3 seasons as the Tigers’ head coach.
The offense has been erratic in the first 2 games and LSU generally didn’t live up to its ranking in a lackluster 23-7 home victory against outmanned Louisiana Tech last week.
It’s time for the Tigers to put together a complete performance and demonstrate in their conference opener that they’re a team others will be chasing.
Here are 3 things I want to see from LSU against Florida:
1. A productive running game for 60 minutes
Kelly has said that running the ball more effectively is an emphasis this season, but the Tigers rank 107th nationally in rushing.
LSU hopes to be more balanced on offense and take some pressure off of star quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. That didn’t happen against the Gators last season. LSU averaged 2.9 yards on 44 rushes and Nussmeier was sacked 6 times.
That was typical of 2024, when the Tigers ranked last in the SEC in rushing yards per game and had the third-fewest rushing touchdowns in the conference.
Florida is having problems of its own after a 1-1 start that included a victory against outmanned LIU and an eye-opening 18-16 home loss to South Florida last week. But stopping the run hasn’t been problematic. The Gators are allowing just 2.7 yards per rush on 61 attempts.
2. Takeaways
The LSU defense has played very well thus far, and has even been dominant much of the time. But it hasn’t taken the ball away enough.
The Tigers have just 1 takeaway, but with the Gators playing timidly on offense behind DJ Lagway, another strong, aggressive defensive effort should lead to more takeaways.
That could make things easier for the offense even if the running game doesn’t have a breakout game. Nussmeier completed 28 of 38 for 232 yards with a touchdown against Clemson and completed 26-of-41 for 237 yards with a touchdown and an interception against Louisiana Tech.
Takeaways should make it easier to hold down a Florida team that struggled on offense last week.
Any takeaway that produces a short field for the offense could be especially helpful, which brings us to …
3. Better red-zone efficiency
LSU reached the red zone against Tech 5 times and came away with 3 field goals and 2 touchdowns.
A 40% touchdown conversion rate in the red zone isn’t going to be sufficient in the SEC.
The Tigers had a higher percentage (67%) against Clemson, but only reached the red zone 3 times.
“We need to score more points,” Kelly said. “And I think really the issue for me more than anything else is converting in those tough territory areas and scoring touchdowns instead of field goals.
“That’s really where I’m focused right now: converting in the red zone and scoring touchdowns instead of field goals.”
The Tigers reached the red zone just once against the Gators last season and they turned that into a touchdown, but they tried 4 field goals, and Damian Ramos made 3 of them, before reaching the red zone.
“Last year, we didn’t convert,” Kelly said. “We didn’t cash in when we got into opportunities to put touchdowns on the board. We settled for field goals. So we have to score touchdowns. That was the case last weekend too.”
LSU’s wide receivers were 1 of the most praised position groups going into the season, but they have yet to justify that hype.
They could help enhance the red-zone productivity, but that will be more challenging if the team’s top red-zone target – tight end Trey’Dez Green, who’s questionable because of an MCL sprain – doesn’t play.
