Preview and Predictions: No. 13 LSU Tigers vs. No. 23 USC Trojans

Brian Kelly and the Tigers will hop on a flight to Las Vegas, prepare for challenging Week 1 battle.

No. 13 LSU will take on the No. 23 ranked USC Trojans in Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas) on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 6:30 p.m. CT.

It'll be a new-look group this season with redshirt-junior Garrett Nussmeier under center, but there's an experience level on offense that has this program comfortable.

Now, it's about putting it all together and allowing the veterans make a difference in Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.

Here's the latest injury report, keys to victory for the Tigers and a score prediction for Week 1 in Las Vegas:

The LSU Injury Report:

Chris Hilton: Bone Bruise (Questionable)

LSU WR Chris Hilton is questionable heading into Sunday's showdown against the Trojans with a bone bruise in his ankle. After suffering the injury during Fall Camp, Hilton has been sidelined for the last week or so.

Kelly reiterated Hilton's status on Wednesday during his weekly appearance on the SEC Teleconference with the staff hoping Hilton can be good to go on Sunday.

“We had (about an hour practice on Monday) and he was working on getting in and out of routes, precision work,” Kelly said on Wednesday. “We’ll accelerate that (Wednesday) to the next phase, and we’ll see where he is. “I know he wants to play. I know he’s working towards playing on Sunday. We’ll see how the week goes.”

Hilton put the pads on for Wednesday's practice where he tested out his mobility and progression.

When asked who would step in his place with the first-team wide receivers, Kelly highlighted redshirt-freshman Kyle Parker as the go-to guy.

“It’s really about this consistent performance level … play in and play out that gives us the trust and confidence that we’re going to get when it’s time to perform," Kelly said. :That’s what Kyle has showed us. [He's been a} much more consistent ball catcher, much more consistent on the perimeter in blocking, route running.

“[Parker is] a guy you can trust now. I don’t think we have to live with mistakes with a guy like Kyle Parker. He can operate at a high level for us.”

Kelly provided his final update on Thursday regarding Hilton's status: “Chris is still in progression and we’re hopeful we get him ready to play, but he’s making good progress."

Will the Tigers get their speedster on the field or will it be Parker to step in with the starters?

Keys to Victory: LSU Edition

No. 1: Limit Zachariah Branch's Touches, Miller Moss' Explosive Plays

USC will work with a new-look offense in 2024 led by signal-caller Miller Moss, but he'll have an embarrassment of riches to work with out the outside. It starts with the dynamic play of wideout Zachariah Branch.

He's lethal in open space as a receiving threat, but also as a return man. The goal for LSU: Do not kick him the football.

It's clear the Tigers do not want to provide a chance for Branch to break open a big-time play and Kelly was clear about that on Monday.

“From a tactical standpoint, limiting his ability to field the football. We certainly want to stress not kicking it straight down the middle of the field," Kelly said on Monday. "We’ve got two talented kickers that both have the ability to impact the game.

"From our standpoint, we have some things we can do that will allow both to impact the game. It has a lot to do with trying to keep the ball from being kicked down the middle and giving him the opportunity to return kicks."

For Moss, he's in a similar boat as LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. He's following in the footsteps of a Heisman Trophy winner in Caleb Williams with an opportunity to leave his mark with the Trojans.

“[Moss] was the MVP of their bowl game and he played extremely well. You’re taking a lot of what they did in the bowl game because they had some time to really settle in on what they felt his comfort level was," Kelly said on Monday.

"He’s grown since then, so there will be more to the offense, but you’re going to take what coach Riley has been successful with and you’re going to look at their offensive structure and begin to build your defensive plan accordingly.”

No. 2: Utilize Experience on Offense, Establish Rushing Attack

LSU feels comfortable in the talent they have offensively. It'll be a new-look unit led by redshirt-junior Garrett Nussmeier under center, but the arsenal of weapons he'll have to work with is significant.

Nussmeier will have Kyren Lacy and CJ Daniels to fall back on at wide receiver, a veteran running back in Josh Williams and an experienced offensive line that returns four starters from a season ago.

If the Tigers can fall back on their experienced players and effectively utilize the creative playbook in place, it'll put them in position to be successful come Sept. 1.

“Winning and losing is such a fine line, and a lot of times it can just be what the mindset of your team is with accountability and leadership. I think we have that," Kelly said on Monday. "If we don’t have the kind of playmakers we had last year, we have great leadership.

"We have guys that have experience, we have guys that are going to hold each other accountable and we’re going to play until the very end. That’s what this group is about. They have experience, they know what it’s like to win games. This is a team that knows what to do and how to do it.”

No. 3: Production from the Defensive Line

The talk of the offseason was the lack of depth within LSU's interior defensive line room. Jacobian Guillory emerged as the go-to guy for the Tigers during spring ball with a lack of bodies, but from there it was time to his the Transfer Portal.

The Tigers went out and added Gio Paez (Wisconsin) and Jay'viar Suggs (Grand Valley State) during the offseason. Now, the pair of transfers will look to take on a key role in 2024.

Paez will be the starter at defensive tackle alongside Guillory in Week 1 with the Bayou Bengals also hoping to get production from Suggs and others. It's an opportunity for position coach Bo Davis to see his guys in an in-game situation and develop rotations accordingly.

But there is much to like about the defensive line room as a whole. The edge rushers have proven to be an elite piece to the defense headlined by Bradyn Swinson and Sai'vion Jones.

Jones has emerged as a breakout candidiate heading into the 2024 season. Another key component will be the usage of former five-star recruit, and current sophomore, Da'Shawn Womack. He'll be looking to make an impact this fall.

If all goes right, this group can take the pressure off of the interior defensive line and give the Tigers a boost in the trenches.

“I know that our football team feels really good about where we’re at, but you have to go out there and test yourself to answer those questions, then we’ll be back here in a week to answer more questions about where we’re at," Kelly said on Monday.

"I know going in that we’re prepared defensively, our guys are excited to play for Blake [Baker], there’s not a lot of confusion or busts. Guys know what it takes to play LSU football. I’m excited to watch them play.”

Preview and Predictions: LSU Tigers vs. USC Trojans

Prediction: LSU 34, USC 27

Garrett Nussmeier and Co. have an opportunity to head into Week 1 and capture the program's first Week 1 victory since 2019. He enters his first season as the starter, but with an embarrassment of riches on the outside, he'll be put in a solid position in the season opener.

Look for the Tigers to handle business and walk out of Las Vegas with a victory in order to break the trend of LSU dropping season openers over the last handful of years.

More LSU News:

LSU vs. USC: The Early Betting Lines for Week 1

LSU Inching Towards No. 1 Recruiting Class in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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