Doing these three things will get the LSU Tigers' season started on the right track.
The LSU Tigers kick off their season against the Clemson Tigers in just a few hours, kicking off the Lane Kiffin era in Baton Rouge.
Expectations are high for this team, and patience is equally thin. Anything else but a complete showing in Week 1 will have the media jumping down their neck. It is a lot of pressure, but that's how this offseason has unfolded.
Here are three keys to this game and to getting this season off to a nice start, setting them up for success later:
Establish The Run
It’s the beginning of the year, so they can’t forget about basics. There are a lot of new pieces to the run game, so LSU needs to get that going quickly. As much as the hype has been about what Sam Leavitt can do with Kiffin, the run game was also elite for the Ole Miss Rebels.
The Tigers of Baton Rouge have four running backs who appear to be competing for snaps right now: Dilin Jones, Stacy Gage, Harlem Berry and Caden Durham. Many will say that's the order in which they'll appear for LSU in this upcoming game.
LSU's run game never got going last season, there are a lot of new pieces on top of that.
Be Opportunistic On Defense
Clemson has a new quarterback in Christopher Vizzina, and they have been noncommittal about him out there. Dabo Swinney said in a press conference earlier this week that they almost went with freshman Tait Reynolds. No matter what, LSU is going to be facing a quarterback who hasn't seen the field much.
The LSU defense is reloaded with playmakers who can take advantage of uncomfortable quarterbacks. Safety Ty Benefield has been the talk of the town since committing to the Tigers and is now ready to show why. Dashawn Spears is also now starting,
Get Sam Leavitt In Rhythm Early
Leavitt has been praised throughout camp, the consensus being that he’s ready to re-establish himself as a top quarterback in the country. As mentioned before, the first game of the season is about finding a groove. The Tigers need to figure this offense out quickly before the game against the Rebels in a couple of weeks.
Now, he must go out there and do it on the field. LSU should get him some easy completions early to settle him into the pressure of playing in Tiger Stadium and help him find a rhythm. If he can build his confidence right away, then this offense should have no issues.
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