Oct 15, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Danny Etling (16) celebrates with wide receiver Malachi Dupre (15) during the fourth quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Southern Mississippi 45-10. Photo Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
After an inspired rout of Missouri in Ed Orgeron’s first game as interim head coach and an unexpected and complicated postponement of its game against Florida, LSU was sluggish in the first half of its game against Southern Mississippi last Saturday.
Orgeron and the 25th-ranked Tigers (4-2, 2-1 in the SEC) were tied at 10 after the first half, but responded positively with a 28-point third quarter and their way to a 45-10 non-conference victory in Tiger Stadium.
Now it’s back to the SEC for a bruising stretch of five league games in six weeks beginning when No. 22 Ole Miss (3-3, 1-2) visits Tiger Stadium on Saturday. Then after an open date come more conference games against Alabama, Arkansas, Florida and Texas A&M.
LSU refers to the “Season of Orgeron”, which began with a 42-7 victory against Missouri, six days after Les Miles was dismissed after 11-plus seasons as head coach and Orgeron was promoted from defensive line coach.
The Tigers are 2-0 under Orgeron despite playing without All-America running back Leonard Fournette, who has been recovering from a sprained ankle. Orgeron said Monday that he expects Fournette to play Saturday and he might use Fournette and Derrius Guice, who has excelled in Fournette’s absence, in the backfield at the same time.
“We want to rotate our guys, we want them to keep fresh,” Orgeron said. “It might be a possibility of putting them both in the backfield at the same time. We have to watch them in practice.
“We’re going to let (Fournette) do all he can, and he’s going to tell me, “hey, Coach I’m 100 percent, 80 percent, 90 percent. These are the things I can do.” We’ll run the plays he’s able to run. The plays he’s not able to run we won’t run them. But we’ll play both. I think they’re both outstanding backs.”
The SEC, LSU and Florida finally came to an agreement that called for the Tigers-Gators game, postponed from Oct. 8 because of the threat of Hurricane Matthew to Gainesville, to be made up Nov. 19 in Tiger Stadium. Next year’s meeting will be in Gainesville rather than Baton Rouge.
Orgeron was Ole Miss’ head coach from 2005-07, but he said his ties to the program and Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze, who was an assistant under Orgeron, won’t be a factor this week.
“It’s all about them,” Orgeron said of his players. “I won’t mention it. That’s the furthest from my mind. This is about the LSU Tigers. This is about this football team. This is about a very good opponent coming into Tiger Stadium.
“It is a rivalry. I’m going to find out what our guys consider it this week. But it’s all about our football team. That was a long time ago. That’s far from my memory, I promise you.”
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
–Senior OL Ethan Pocic, one of the top centers in the country, started at right tackle against Southern Miss because of injuries along the front. The Tigers have started four different combinations on the line in six games and it’s uncertain which combination will be used against Ole Miss on Saturday. LSU will like to return to Pocic to his natural position at center, but if the line is short-handed, Pocic’s experience and versatility might mandate that he be used elsewhere.
–Junior QB Danny Etling has settled into the position after four consecutive starts. He has been efficient and the Tigers don’t need him to be spectacular, but LSU is a beginning gauntlet of five straight games against SEC teams that will be determined to contain the run game. So Etling will have to establish the passing game’s big-play capability in order for the Tigers to keep defenses honest.
–Sophomore OLB Arden Key leads the SEC in sacks, but was held without one for the first time this season against Southern Mississippi. The Tigers will need to pressure the Rebels’ Chad Kelly if they’re going to slow down the Ole Miss passing game. That likely means Key will have to not only provide pressure but get one or more sacks.
–Junior S John Battle made his first career start against Southern Mississippi after senior Rickey Jefferson suffered a broken leg during practice. Jefferson’s ability to defend the run and the pass was a key to the defense and Ole Miss undoubtedly will test his replacement’s abilities in both areas.
