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LSU returned to Baton Rouge to celebrate 100 years of Tiger Stadium as they welcome Nicholls State to Death Valley for the first time.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
After an early punt from LSU, Nicholls went three and out as well. However, the snap on fourth down went over the head of punter Kylan Dupre and he had no choice but to kick it out the back of the end zone for a safety to put the Tigers ahead 2-0.
LSU found the endzone on its next possession after a big return on the safety punt. Garrett Nussmeier found freshman Trey’Dez Green for the score and made it a 9-0 lead halfway through the first quarter.
Nicholls answered with an 84-yard scoring drive that took over seven minutes off the clock and featured a heavy dose of Collin Guggenheim before he punched it in from two yards out to make it a 9-7 game.
On the ensuing LSU possession, Nussmeier connected with Kyren Lacy for a 32-yard touchdown, but Lacy was shaken up on the play. He was able to walk off the field under his own power.
On the next Colonels possession, they continued to have a strong rushing attack against the LSU defense, but a trick play lateral from Pat McQuaide to Quincy Brown who fired it to the endzone for Lee Negretto put Nicholls within a field goal late in the first half.
Former Lafayette Christian star Ju’Juan Johnson has made the most of his switch to the offensive side of the ball, catching 3 passes for 16 yard and a touchdown towards the end of the first half to make it a 23-14 lead. The Tigers had the opportunity to further extend the lead, but a missed field goal ended the first half.
Guggenheim started the third quarter with a massive 67-yard touchdown run in a wildcat play to make it 23-21 early in the second half. On the next Tigers possession, Nussmeier threw his fourth touchdown pass of the night and his second to Lacy to extend the lead to 30-21 at the 9:03 mark of the third quarter.
Two minutes later, the connection of Nussmeier and Lacy was once again good for a touchdown as the LSU quarterback had five touchdowns on the night to extend the lead to 37-21 in the third quarter.
LSU would add to their lead at the end of the quarter with a touch pass from Nussmeier to Zavion Thomas to make it 44-21 in favor of the Tigers.
LSU was able to hold on their three touchdown lead and run out the clock in what almost was a scary situation in Baton Rouge.
BIG NUMBER: 60
LSU was only able to get 60 rushing yards on the night as a team, a statistic that will certainly need to be cleaned up going forward.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Garrett Nussmeier
Nussmeier was on point throughout the game, going 27-37 for 302 yards and six touchdowns.
UP NEXT: LSU will travel to Columbia, South Carolina to play the Gamecocks. Kickoff from Williams Brice Stadium is set for 11 a.m. central and can be heard on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles.