The first game of the LSU football season against Mississippi State certainly didn’t end the way Tigers’ fans wanted it to, but the team has the chance to come back better than ever this week against Vanderbilt. After a championship-winning season last year, LSU’s ranking dropped to No. 20 because of its loss last weekend. This definitely came as a disappointment to its fans but with some hardwork and determination, the Tigers have a strong chance at winning another national championship.
Here are three ways LSU can defeat Vanderbilt this weekend.
Early Start
The Tigers did not score until the second quarter against Mississippi State, which came as a shock to all LSU fans. If LSU comes out this weekend wanting to redeem itself and get to an early start with some first quarter touchdowns, it will have this win in the books. The early lead will set the tone for the game, and this will show who Vanderbilt is messing with. It will also make it difficult for Vanderbilt to come back if the Tigers continue scoring points throughout the game on top of their early lead.
Defense
In last week’s game, LSU’s defense gave up 623 passing yards and five touchdowns. The only place you would see those stats is on Madden. If the Tigers’ defense applies more pressure to Vanderbilt quarterback Ken Seals, it will be harder for him to get passes off. It can also allow him to make inaccurate passes that can be intercepted. LSU was missing cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. last week with an illness, but he is expected to return Saturday to help tighten the coverage of the Tigers’ defense. If LSU makes these adjustments to its defense, expect to see a shutdown of the offense and even a couple scores or turnovers from the returning champs.
Offense
In the game against Mississippi State, quarterback Myles Brennan threw for 345 passing yards with three touchdowns. LSU’s offensive line looked solid and if it keeps it up, the Tigers will continue to score and give opportunities to Brennan to throw the ball downfield to Terrance Marshall Jr. and other wide receivers. Even though only three sacks were allowed by the Tigers, there is always space to improve on pocket protection. When it comes to converting third downs, the Tigers are under 50%, which is not very good considering all of the talent they have. Improving on these factors will help the Tigers have a better all around offense.
After taking each of these points into consideration, it is safe to say the LSU football has a pretty good chance at winning against Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Tigers have a strong team and as long as they work together and focus on their goal, they should have no problem at getting their first win of the season.
Hello! My name is Janelle and I’m a senior at The University of Central Florida studying Human Communications and Event Management. My two favorite teams are the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Penn State Nittany Lions.
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