Good Night in Nashville

 

The Tigers bounced back from a disappointing loss in week one to beat Vanderbilt 41-7 Saturday night.  I know...it's Vandy, but you can only play the team in front of you.  The Tigers took care of business and looked good doing it.

Offense

* Myles Brennan took plenty of heat after week 1, some of it deserved, some of it unfair.  Brennan responded with a strong night going 23 of 37 for 337 yards, 4 TD's and 1 INT.  Brennan looked much more comfortable this week.  He stepped up in the pocket and was much more decisive in his throws and decision making.  The one INT was a bad miss, but the 4 TD's are tied for the second most by an LSU QB in an SEC game.  After two weeks, Brennan is ranked 4th in the SEC and 18th in the nation in QB efficiency.

* No Chris Curry?  No problem. John Emery carried the ball 12 times for 103 yards.  This is what was expected from the 5 start recruit when he enrolled at LSU.  He looked hungry and decisive.

* Terrance Marshall is a legit #1 receiver and probable first round NFL pick.  Brennan has completed passes to 11 players through two games.  It will be interesting if anyone emerges as a solid #2 option for the Tigers.

* LSU is 9 of 29 (31%) on 3rd down conversions. The Tigers must get better if they are to win these tougher matches later in the season.

Defense

* The defense was excellent this week after a historic collapse in week one. After giving up 623 passing yards last week, the Tigers held Vandy to only 113 yards Saturday.  The Commodores did rush for 153 yards on 43 carries.

* Eli Ricks is tied for second in the country with two INT's on the season.  He looks like another great corner for the Tigers going forward.

* Mississippi State's loss to Arkansas showed just how poor a job Pelini did in the opening game.  Arkansas dropped 8 in coverage many times and forced Costello to throw underneath.  He finished with one TD and three INT's.  I think the LSU defensive staff would really like a do over.  Let's hope Pelini learned something.

Special Teams

* Special teams looked great once again.  Stingley had three punt returns for 92 yards.

On Tap

LSU returns home to play 0-2 Missouri on October 10th.  LSU is favored by 20 points.  Missouri is giving up 418 yards a game, 171 of that on the ground.  Missouri has played two QB's in the first two games with mixed results.  My biggest question going into next Saturday is, can LSU get better on 3rd down on both sides of the ball? Look for LSU to continue to improve building up to the clash with Florida in the Swamp in week four.  

LSU 38 - Missouri 20