The thing about these rent-a-wins is there’s basically no positive outcome to be had if you’re a team like LSU.
- If you blow that team out, like how Ohio State beat Grambling 70-0 or Bama beat ULM 73-0, no one gives a shit because you were supposed to. As Chris Rock would say “whatcha want, a cookie?”
- If you struggle against your rent-a-win team, like LSU did, everyone looks at you funny and maybe the “fraud” word gets thrown in your direction.
- God forbid you actually lose one of these games because then you’re Florida, and you end up losing at home to USF 18-16. Don’t ever, ever be Florida.
Maybe LSU had an emotional hangover after Week 1’s dramatic win over Clemson. Maybe they expected Tech rollover simply because they’re Louisiana Tech, and LSU’s LSU. Whatever the case, it was an unimpressive win but it was still a win. Ask Florida if they’d trade places with you.
87: Rushing Yards from Running Backs
For whatever reason, the guys that are on scholarship to run with the football
had a rough go of things last night. Caden Durham couldn’t get anything going, 13 carries for 29 yards, while the tandem of Ju’Juan Johnson Kaleb Jackson combined for two yards on four attempts. Harlem Berry’s 43-yard run late in the fourth quarter quite literally made up half of LSU’s running back production.
Obviously LSU’s rushing success doesn’t have to come solely from the running backs. If you take away Garrett Nussmeier’s sack yardage, the Tigers as a team ran for 155 yards with Zavion Thomas and Barion Brown combing for 69 (nice….)
That’s all well and good, but I’m not sure receivers accounting for 54 percent of your team’s rushing is sustainable. There’s going to be a point where the gimmicky, east-west running the ball with wide receivers thing won’t work and LSU is going to have to be able to run between the tackles. That’ll be a lot easier once Braelin Moore returns. Speaking of Moore…
11: Tech TFLs and Sacks
Maybe Braelin Moore should win the Heisman, because the LSU offensive line was completely unrecognizable without him.
8-94: Barion Brown’s receiving totals
Brown might be the vertical threat that we were expecting Chris Hilton to be. Had it not been for Garrett Nussmeier under throwing him in the first quarter, Brown would have added a 65-yard touchdown to his output.
4: Number of drives LSU began inside its own 20
Give credit to Louisiana Tech punter John Hoyet Chance, he did a good job of burying LSU deep in its own territory. Over the course of four straight possessions, LSU had drives start at its own 2, 9, 9 and 10 yard line last night.
154: Louisiana Tech yards of offense
Final line on Louisiana Tech’s offense: 3.7 yards per pass attempt, 2.1 yards per carry, 2.9 yards per play, and 3-13 on third down. Yep, that’ll play.
