Welcome to the latest edition of #4Downs! In this edition, we break down LSU’s win over Jacksonville State.
1st Down: Les Feeling the Heat
After what happened last week in Lambeau, the proverbial hot seat for Les Miles got turned up to scalding hot. What we saw against Wisconsin was the same old song and dance after being promised a new offensive style and that things were going to change. Well, apparently the Mad Hatter has heard the noise both on and off the field and made a necessary change. Danny Etling looked good in his performance on Saturday after Brandon Harris was pulled after the first quarter and the offense showed some differences even having a rare three wide receiver set. Perhaps he was the spark the offense needed.
2nd Down: Life Without LF7
One of the big storylines heading into this game against Jacksonville State was if Leonard Fournette was going to play after reportedly re-injuring his ankle that he hurt during fall camp. He did not play and might not even play for the conference opener against Mississippi State, but Derrius Guice showed what he is capable of if given more carries and that once Fournette is no longer wearing the purple and gold for the Bayou Bengals, they are in good shape. The sophomore back had the lion’s share of the carries and racked up 155 yards and a score. This is a good sign for the Tigers if they won’t have Fournette readily available for an extended period of time.
3rd Down: Defense Still Impressive
The LSU Tigers defense performed very well last Saturday against Wisconsin and was the sole bright spot of the game, but obviously wasn’t part of the postgame discussion due to poor performance from Harris. The performance from the defense was still fairly good, especially looking at the front seven getting pressure on the quarterback and forcing a big turnover.
4th Down: Should Etling Start?
One of the bigger storylines headed into next week is should the Purdue transfer Etling start for the conference opener against Danny Etling? Honestly, why not trot him out? If Harris hasn’t been performing to the level that you want him to, then go to the next man up. The Bulldogs aren’t the team they were the last time these two faced off, so it would be a smart move to put Etling out there.
-Clint Domingue