LSU Football: Three Observations From LSU's Win Over Grambling
Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers handled business on Saturday night after toppling Grambling 72-10 in Death Valley.
There was an improved rushing attack for this program led by Notre Dame transfer Logan Diggs, and after making his LSU debut, the first-year Tiger could be the answer in the backfield.
Aside from an impressive, balanced offensive attack, there remain several questions defensively. The secondary is in a vulnerable spot and will need answers come SEC play with Mississippi State coming up first in Week 3.
Here are three observations from LSU's Week 2 victory:
Reignited Run-Game, Balanced Offensive Attack
Jayden Daniels may have stolen the show in the first half, but the overall performance of this offense was a positive sign for this program.
It’s easy to talk about the competition level on Saturday, but there was growth in a few areas from a schematic standpoint that needed to improve, and they did.
LSU returned Notre Dame transfer running back Logan Diggs and his presence was felt immediately on the field. The Tigers’ run-game was a struggle on Sunday against Florida State, lacking that athletic, twitchy back in Diggs. Against Grambling, Diggs’ impact made a major difference. Diggs ended the night with 106 yards on 13 attempts.
The Tigers ended the night with over 300 yards on the ground with Diggs looking to be the answer in the backfield as SEC play nears.
LSU went with a four-receiver attack on Saturday night headlined by Brian Thomas, Malik Nabers, Kyren Lacy and Chris Hilton. All four wideouts reeled in a touchdown with Jayden Daniels spreading the ball evenly all night.
The Tigers will head up to Starkville next week in an SEC battle against Mississippi State. It’ll be another true test for the Tigers, who handled business in their final tune-up game against Grambling on Saturday night in Death Valley.
Offensive Line Rotations, Zalance Heard Gets Run
The Tigers went with a couple of different rotations at offensive line on Saturday.
First-Team: (LT) Will Campbell, (LG) Garrett Dellinger, (C) Charles Turner, (RG) Miles Frazier and (RT) Emery Jones.
But Kelly and Co. switched things up on the second drive, taking Frazier out of first-team duties and inserting freshman phenom Zalance Heard. When Heard slid in, Emery Jones moved to right guard and Heard went in at right tackle.
When Heard was in, the Tigers put him to the test, running the ball to the right side of the field on most reps. It was a positive sight to see this program give Heard significant snaps, and with SEC play beginning next week, this could be the direction LSU goes in when the lights are brightest.
Defense is a Work in Progress
LSU remains in a vulnerable spot at the cornerback position and it was proven once again on Saturday night against Grambling. Despite only giving up 157 yards through the air, this unit was exploited on several occasions when the Tigers went with zone coverage.
Brian Kelly and his coaching staff went with Texas A&M transfer Denver Harris alongside Zy Alexander as the starting cornerbacks. For Harris, it was a struggle early on with Grambling targeting him in the red zone and connecting on a touchdown reception over the first-year Tiger. On the first target, Harris gave up a touchdown.
Along with early struggles from Harris, it was another mediocre performance from Alexander, but this unit remains in a developmental state. As the second quarter approached and beyond, there was growth, specifically by Alexander.
The Tigers also gave true freshman Ashton Stamps some run with the first-team on Saturday night. The youngster impressed during Fall Camp and it’s clear this program will need him to make an impact sooner rather than later.
Up front, star defensive lineman Maason Smith made his long-awaited debut and took significant snaps into the third quarter. For the defensive line unit as a whole, Saturday night could be a game to put behind them.
Grambling running back Chance Williams tore the Tigers up during the first half, rushing for 107 yards on just seven carries through the first two quarters. LSU struggled in the run game and Grambling made sure to exploit it.
The defense remains a work in progress, but it’s clear this unit has the weapons to be successful as SEC play nears. With a healthy roster and Smith back in the fold, defensive coordinator Matt House has to be pleased with the tools in his arsenal moving forward.
