5 Things You Need to Know About the LSU Tigers

It is football time in the bluegrass, folks! The LSU Tigers have made the trip up from the bayou and are ready to take on the ‘Cats under the lights at Kroger Field. Last weekend’s 20-13 victory over Florida was one of the biggest in program history. However, pardon the coach speak, the only goal is to go 1-0 each week. That is what Kentucky must accomplish on Saturday night.

The national media seems to enjoy talking about how LSU has more talent than Kentucky. In terms of recruiting rankings that is factual. However, those rankings don’t mean much under the lights at Kroger Field. Kentucky’s “ugly” victories are no longer an argument now that they knocked off Florida. One team is 5-0 and one team is 3-2. The Wildcats need to validate their success by taking care of business as a home favorite against a team that they are actually, as weird as it may seem, supposed to beat.

As always, be sure to read Adam Luckett’s Scouting Report for a more in-depth look at the X’s and O’s behind LSU’s attack. Also, Freddie Maggard lays out his formula for what Kentucky will need to do to beat the Tigers.

Explosive Offensive Production

It may not be a Joe Burrow offense, but the LSU Tigers still are finding a lot of success producing big plays through the air. Max Johnson is the Tigers sophomore quarterback and has created the most 20, 30, and 40 yard passing plays in the Southeastern Conference. Johnson also leads the league with 16 touchdown passes. He has the arm talent to make all the necessary throws.

The Tigers rely heavily on those home run balls. On third down, they convert just 37.5% which is 11th in the SEC. Without chunk plays it can be hard for them to score. The strength of Kentucky’s defense for awhile has been limiting those chunk plays. Therefore, whichever sides wins out will likely win the football game.

Kayshon Boutte is a Dude

Speaking of explosive plays, when they happen it is more likely than not that the ball is being thrown in Kayshon Boutte’s direction. The sophomore wideout has been targeted a team-leading 45 times, reeled in 30 catches, and leads the nation in touchdowns with nine. Max Johnson is looking to his star receiver about a quarter of the time that he drops back to pass. The Kentucky secondary must be up to the task Saturday night to limit the explosive plays.

Struggling Rushing Attack

The LSU Tigers go to the air the sixth most of any team in the country, 62.2% of the time, and their inability to run the football is a big reason why. As a team, they rank just 126th nationally in yards per rush at 2.6. Their primary ball carrier, Tyrion Davis-Price, averages just 3.1 yards per attempt and has yet to hit pay dirt this season on 45 carries. Overall, the Tigers are second to last in the SEC with 70 ground yards per game.

The Tigers may be better served continuing to give more carries to true freshman Corey Kiner. The Cincinnati native has a much better looking 5.2 yards per rush average with a pair of touchdowns. Even with his relative success, LSU has relied heavily on finding explosive plays through the air to move down the field and produce points.

Missing Pieces in the Tigers Secondary

LSU has been solid on the defensive side of the ball this season, but they will be without two key starters on Saturday. Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and Safety Major Burns have both been ruled out. However, there is still talent at the backend of this defense.

Cornerback Cordale Flott recently forced two turnovers against Mississippi State and is a playmaker on the ball for the Tigers. Additionally, there are several former blue chip recruits to call upon in the secondary. However, the ‘Cats will still need to exploit a pair of missing starters. LSU allows 248 passing yards per game which is worst in the SEC. This is a huge spot for Will Levis.

Tigers Can’t Stop the Run

For as bad as the LSU Tigers are at running the ball, they are just as bad at defending the run. Opponents are racking up nearly 120 yards per game with just short of a 60% success rate on the ground. However, the Tigers are also creating a lot of havoc behind the line of scrimmage. The defensive unit is third nationally in tackles for loss, but that hasn’t kept the overall numbers from skewing to the ugly side.

On both sides of the ball, the running game will be strength vs. weakness. LSU is not good at running the football and the ‘Cats have been excellent at stopping the run. Likewise, Kentucky has found a lot of success behind Chris Rodriguez and the Tigers have struggled to keep opponents behind the chains. This will need to be an area of strength for Kentucky on Saturday night.