The LSU Tigers (6-4, 3-4 SEC) will play host to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8-2, 6-1 C-USA) on Senior Day for the home team.
LSU broke their losing streak a week ago with a 22-21 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks.
The Hilltoppers have had a good season, and they are in the midst of the Conference USA title race. This game is out of conference for them, so next week’s contest will decide if they make the Championship game.
Kickoff between LSU and Western Kentucky from Tiger Stadium is scheduled for 6:45 PM on Saturday, November 22nd.
VAN BUREN SHOW
Michael Van Buren got the start last week due to the Garrett Nussmeier injury. It is an important stretch of games for Van Buren, as he is auditioning as a quarterback potentially for LSU or in the transfer portal.
He made some plays and helped the Tigers get a hard-fought win over Arkansas. On Saturday, he likely gets another shot to showcase his skillset for the future.
KIFFIN MANIA
While the LSU football team has been trying to focus on Western Kentucky, the rumor mill has been swirling out of control throughout the rest of Baton Rouge.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has supposedly had his family tour Baton Rouge and Gainesville as he considers offers to take new jobs. He also has an offer to sign an extension with Ole Miss, and it appears the Rebels are looking for an answer soon.
To cap things off, Friday was a day of flight tracking, as people tried to identify if Kiffin’s flights were going back to Oxford or heading to Gainesville again.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
This is an interesting situation for Western Kentucky to be in. While they would love to score an upset in Tiger Stadium, this game will not affect their chances of winning the Conference USA Championship.
That will all be on the line next week when they face Jacksonville State. The Hilltoppers could even rest players in this game if they wanted to, although there has not been an indication that they will.
If LSU gets off to a hot start, WKU could choose to be very careful with some of their better players in this game.
SERIES RECORD: LSU leads 2-0
Previous Meetings
2015: LSU 48 – Western Kentucky 20
2011: LSU 42 – Western Kentucky 9
STAT LEADERS:
LSU
Garrett Nussmeier: 194-288, 1,927 Yards, 12 TD, 5 INT
Caden Durham: 94 Carries, 447 Yards, 3 TD
Barion Brown: 44 Catches, 449 Yards, 1 TD
Harold Perkins Jr: 4 Sacks
A.J. Haulcy: 73 Tackles (41 Solo)
5 Players Tied: 2 INT
Damian Ramos: 20-of-24 Field Goals, Long of 52, 22-of-23 PAT
Western Kentucky
Maverick McIvor: 171-254, 1,863 Yards, 12 TD, 5 INT
Marvis Parrish: 80 Carries, 427 Yards, 6 TD
Matthew Henry: 42 Catches, 703 Yards, 6 TD
Dominic Oliver: 3 Sacks
Jaylen Wester: 64 Tackles (28 Solo)
Jaylen Lewis: 2 INT
John Cannon: 11-of-15 Field Goals, Long of 49, 38-of-38 PAT