LSU Looks to Punish Nicholls State in Home Opener

LSU — © Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Nicholls State Colonels (0-1) will visit the No. 18 LSU Tigers (0-1) at 7:30 pm on Sept. 7 in Baton Rouge, La. Coach Brian Kelly and the Tigers look to rebound after losing their season opener to the No. 13 USC Trojans (1-0). Unfortunately for the Colonels, LSU will enter this game angry and look to make a statement against a mismatched opponent.

After losing its fifth season opener in a row, LSU looks to bounce back and assure its fans that the season is far from over. The Tigers need a statement win to build confidence before the start of Southeastern Conference play against South Carolina (1-0) next week.

LSU — © Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

What's at Stake?

LSU looks to avoid an 0-2 start and remain undefeated against FCS opponents. This is a tune-up game for the Tigers who need to improve their play from a week ago. The Tigers need to take advantage of this opportunity against an inferior opponent to improve team chemistry and gain valuable experience.

Nicholls State also looks to avoid starting the season 0-2. While a win here is unlikely, it would be the biggest win in program history for the Colonels.

Key Players: LSU

Garrett Nussmeier, Quarterback

Nussmeier had an impressive start to the season completing 76.9 percent of his passes for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns in a losing effort. The Tigers lost last week despite Nussmeier's performance, not because of it. If he continues to play like he did a week ago, his day should end early amid a blowout.

Kylin Jackson, Safety

Jackson will need to step into the starting role to replace Jardin Gilbert who will have to sit the first half due to a targeting call in the second half of last week's game. The Tigers secondary didn't look particularly good in the loss against USC. Jackson needs to play well and avoid being a liability in an already suspect secondary.

Key Players: Nicholls State

Pat McQuaide, Quarterback

While the strength of Nicholls State's offense is the rushing attack, McQuaide will have to attack LSU's secondary with success, to give the Colonels a chance to win. McQuaide will have to perform better than he did last week against Lousiana Tech (1-0). McQuaide completed only 38 percent of his passes for 138 yards and 1 touchdown. He'll have to be much more efficient this week to avoid getting blown out by the Tigers.

Tyler Morton, Safety

Morton only had 1 tackle last week against Louisiana Tech but accounted for 63 total tackles and 4 interceptions last season. Morton needs to utilize his ball-hawking ability to disrupt LSU's passing attack and force the Tigers to be one-dimensional.

Trends to Watch

LSU's Struggles in the Secondary

After fielding one of the worst defenses in program history last season, LSU's defensive woes continue especially in the secondary. The Tigers gave up 378 yards through the air against USC quarterback Miller Moss in his second start. The Tiger's secondary will need to improve drastically if LSU wants to compete for the SEC title and a playoff spot. If the secondary looks vulnerable against Nicholls State, it could spell bad news for the Tigers moving forward.

Can LSU Continue Dominance of In-State Opponents?

This will be the first meeting between LSU and fellow Louisiana school Nicholls State but the Tigers have played a Louisiana school every year since 2018. Over that span, the Tigers are undefeated against in-state competition and look to keep it that way Saturday.