It’s no secret that LSU had an abundance of mishaps everywhere against Florida State. All those mistakes aside, the Tigers didn’t look like themselves—or an SEC football team for that matter—during their game at the Caesars Superdome. Key areas where SEC teams usually beat their opponents, such as in the trenches or on the ground, were lost to the Seminoles. LSU looked overpowered, defeated, and hopeless for most of New Orleans games.
One of the critical areas that the Tigers needed to improve in was the running game. This wasn’t because the running back committee looked terrible or messed up against Florida State; they were underutilized by Denbrock and his offense. LSU needed to get its ground game going against the Jaguars or it’d risk making life harder for Daniels.
Luckily, everybody in Death Valley knew this.
A new-look offensive line got a lot more push against Southern. The FCS opponent had no answer for LSU’s offensive line as it had its way with the Jaguars’ defenders all night. The biggest beneficiary of this dominance in the trenches was Armoni Goodwin.
The Sophomore from Birmingham, Alabama, had a career day on Saturday as he took over as the lead back for the Tigers. That is at least until John Emery Jr. is back up to speed following a two-game suspension from last season. Goodwin carried the ball 12 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns (the first of his collegiate career) against the Jaguars. He put on an impressive show and possibly even jumped Noah Cain on the depth chart.
The Southern game acted as Goodwin’s coming-out party. He showed the Tiger Stadium crowd what a 5-foot-8 frame could do with the ball in his hands as he barreled through defenders left and right. There always seems to be a sleeper candidate that emerges from the rubble that is LSU’s backfield; Goodwin seems to be that individual in 2022.
Goodwin’s emergence also helped to prove that the Tigers actually can run the rock quite well. Despite some early concerns, the LSU offense looks to be putting together a pretty lethal attack both on the ground and through the air—opponents beware.
