LSU Football: Tigers in definite letdown mode vs. Louisiana Tech
By Dana Becker
LSU football must guard against a letdown this week, as the “Bayou Bengals” welcome in-state foe Louisiana Tech to town.
You can make a strong case that at this time, the Tigers are the No. 1 team in the country thanks to wins over Top-10 teams Auburn and Miami. The win last week over Auburn, a rival in the SEC, came on the road and by a final score of 22-21.
It hasn’t been all that easy for the Tiger defense through the first three games, as they are allowing over 300 yards, but teams are scoring just under 13 points a night.
Joe Burrow, a transfer from Ohio State, has completed 36 of 78 passes for 540 yards with three touchdowns, Nick Brossette is the leading rusher with 331 yards, and Justin Jefferson tops the receivers with 11 catches for 183 yards.
Those numbers add up to almost 29 points and 334 yards per game, which don’t look all that great on paper until you factor in that – unlike many teams who open with “cupcakes” to start – LSU has faced both Auburn and Miami.
Louisiana Tech has been a strong contender in Conference USA under head coach Skip Holtz, winning 36 games since the start of the 2014 season. Surprisingly enough, they are 4-0 in bowl games under Holtz, capturing the Frisco Bowl over SMU last year.
J’Mar Smith leads an offense averaging 42 points per game with 589 yards passing and four touchdowns. Jaqwis Dancy has rushed for 211 yards on just 20 carries, scoring four times.
Of note, LSU has yet to turn the ball over in three games this season.
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s game between Louisiana Tech and LSU:
Date: Saturday, Sept. 22
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Venue: Tiger Stadium
TV: ESPNU
Live Stream: WatchESPN | Fubo TV
Keys to Victory
The first quarter will tell us a lot about which LSU team came to play. Will the Tigers go for the throat and try to put Louisiana Tech away early? Or will they allow the Bulldogs to hang around and make it a game for four quarters?
If it is the latter, look for Louisiana Tech to try and put pressure on the back-seven of the Tiger defense with its passing attack.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of OddsShark
Point Spread: LSU -20
Over/Under: 51.5
Next. NY6 and Playoff projections entering Week 4. dark
Prediction
The Bulldogs have some talent and have fared well against Power 5 teams in the past. LSU, though, is an entirely different beast at home. And while they have slipped up in the past in non-marquee matchups, there should be enough bite in the Tigers to pull this one out.
Final Score: LSU 35, Louisiana Tech 21