LSU football’s first win of the season over Southern became a blowout in a hurry.
The Jaguars (1-1) fumbled the opening kickoff and surrendered 37 first-quarter points. The tally set an LSU (1-1) record for points scored in a first quarter.
The Tigers went on to win 65-17.
Starting quarterback, Jayden Daniels was replaced by Garrett Nussmeier after the first drive of the second quarter. But the redshirt freshman struggled, throwing two interceptions, including one that got returned for a touchdown.
LSU’s defense was dominant from start to finish and its special teams unit was mistake-free and made plays of their own. Besides forcing a fumble, they also blocked a punt into the back of the end zone for safety.
Here’s how we graded the Tigers:
Offense: A-
When Daniels was the quarterback, LSU never failed to score a touchdown. But Nussmeier’s two interceptions were a cause for concern, especially given how easily the offense moved up and down the field against Southern with Daniels at the helm.
Defense: A
LSU’s defense forced three fumbles and got its first interception of the season, as Micah Baskerville picked off the pass and took it to the end zone. They didn’t allow the Jaguars’ offense to score until there was 8:15 left to play.
Special teams: A+
After the forced fumble on the opening kickoff, the Tigers blocked a punt into the back of the end zone for safety. But more importantly, the unit didn’t have any blunders like in the opener.
Coaching: A
It was a much cleaner performance than the opener, as LSU didn’t have any inexplicable hiccups on special teams or otherwise. The Tigers’ superior athleticism blunted out the need for any extra strategy.
Overall: A
A blowout was expected, but setting the record for points in a first quarter is impressive. Cleaning the special teams miscues from last week and Boutte’s bounce-back performance were also welcomed sights for LSU fans.
