It wasn’t easy – especially not for a game with a 49-point spread.
But LSU did get the win – their first of the season.
The Tigers beat Nicholls 44-21 in Tiger Stadium in the home opener and also the first-ever game for Nicholls in Death Valley.
Here’s our 5 takes from the win.
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5 TAKES AS LSU EARNS FIRST WIN OVER COLONELS
1. Nicholls had one hell of a plan – A lot of this column is going to be pretty critical of things LSU did or didn’t do in the game. But I want to state out front that none of those things are intended to demean the effort that Nicholls put forth on Saturday. They played hard, they were physical, they were good at the line of scrimmage and they had an outstanding plan to possess the football, play keep-away and make the Tigers uncomfortable. Give Coach Tim Rebowe, his staff and his players credit. That second game for LSU after their annual first-game letdown loss has historically been a drumming. This was anything but.
2. Local boys shine for the Colonels – Of course, it’s cool anytime Nicholls has success. But when it’s a local player making plays, it’s even sweeter. How about Jackson Dufrene snagging 4 grabs for 41 yards? How about Ethan Lee making 9 tackles? How about Christian Arceneaux getting into the game late and making a couple nice throws. Man, that’s so much fun to see.
3. LSU cannot run the ball an inch – Brian Kelly either likes to blow smoke up the asses of LSU fans annually in the offseason or he’s a poor talent evaluator … or both. This offseason, Kelly said time and time again that LSU would be proficient running the football and the strength of his team would be the offensive line. I just don’t see it, big dawg. The Tigers rushed 21 times for 64 yards on Saturday and again couldn’t get a push in the running game. Some of it is that the team does not have an SEC-caliber running back on the roster – I said what I said. Those guys just run straight ahead into the backs of their offensive linemen without any vision or patience at all. But some of it also is just that there’s not much of a hole to run through to begin with.
4. Kyren bounces back – Kyren Lacy took a lot of grief on social media last week after his touchdown celebration and then his 0-catch second half. The Thibodaux native bounced back in a big way on Saturday, posting 5 catches for 65 yards with 3 touchdowns. It’s clear that he is the guy that Garrett Nussmeier trusts most. It’s clear he is who Nuss will be looking to when the going gets tough. Kid is poised for a big year.
5. LSU has no clue what it’s doing with Harold Perkins – You’d have to wake up awfully early in the morning to find a way to waste a player worse than LSU is doing with Harold Perkins. For another game, Perkins was stuck in traffic in the middle of the defense, lost in the wash with little-to-no impact. LSU needs to do something different. Let the guy be a damn edge rusher. You’re wasting what he’s best at. It becomes more and more frustrating each week.
6. Zavion Thomas and Aaron Anderson add flash to the offense – It sure is nice to see an LSU special teams unit be able to confidently catch and return kickoffs and even punts. We can thank Zavion Thomas for that. Likewise, it’s nice to see Aaron Anderson making plays in the Tigers’ offense. Both kids had nice games tonight. They both are a big piece to this team.
7. Punting situation a wreck – As nice as we just were about the special teams return game, LSU’s punting situation is a wreck. For the second-straight game, the Tigers struggled mightily in the punt game, having a 41.8-yard average. That’s not good enough. That needs to get up closer to 50 yards a kick before the meat of the schedule. Why does it matter? Hidden yards, baby. 4 50-yard punts or 4 40-yard punts is 40 yards of field position. That matters in the SEC.
8. Sept. 14 is a huge day for Brian Kelly – LSU is staring down the barrel of an SEC road game at South Carolina. Do I think this LSU team is ready for SEC play? Absolutely not. Is this a big game? Absolutely yes. A loss and a 1-2 start with some huge matchups looming will have some birds chirping. A win and a more impressive showing could quiet the noise – for now.
9. Nicholls will win the Southland – Short and sweet. That’s a playoff team. If you’re good up front in the FCS, you have a chance. They are excellent up front.
