We asked the team at 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge what they’re looking for in the game on Saturday night. Plus, what areas of the game are they focused on? Here is what they had to say.
Jacob Hester, Co-Host Off the Bench: 52-3 LSU. Which RB will emerge and become RB1 (with Emery out) as you get ready for SEC play at South Carolina next week.
T-Bob Hebert, Co-Host, Off the Bench: 45-7 LSU. There’s nothing in this game that will make the LSU fanvase as a whole happy. BUT, if you care to get granular, there are multiple areas to keep an eye on. I want to watch this team continue to work on running the ball, especially in the light of the John Emery news. I want to see the running back hierarchy take shape. Plus, I need to see improvement out of LSU’s secondary, and this is an excellent place to start.
Taylor Sharp, Video Producer, Off the Bench: I am unable to give my score prediction because if I do, there’s a chance I’ll be disappointed with the outcome, and I can’t do that two weeks in a row.
As far as what I am watching, two things.
The DB rotation. Will PJ Woodland start opposite Ashton Stamps? If he does, will Sage Ryan start at safety in place of Jardin Gilbert? It’ll be interesting to watch.
WR outside of Lacy: Who will step up besides Kyren Lacy? No Chris Hilton or Kyle Parker. Zavion Thomas, Aaron Anderson and Shelton Sampson should all see a bigger target share.
Charles Hanagriff, Co-Host, Live at Lunch: 54-6 LSU. Injuries and suspensions mean we’ll see new faces at safety, running back, and wide receiver.
Hunt Palmer, Host, The Hunt Palmer Show: 60-7 LSU. I want to see Kaleb Jackson in some space. He had six carries last week, and his long was four yards. Some think he looked heavy and slow. Brian Kelly said he’s in excellent condition. His long carry in this game isn’t going to be four yards. Let’s see what that speed looks like. After that, I want to see Caden Durham in some space. Prediction: He scores a 50+ yard touchdown. Dude can absolutely fly.
Jacob Beck, Audio Producer, The Hunt Palmer Show: 59-17 LSU. Nicholls is probably the best FCS team the Tigers have played since 2016 when No. 5 (FCS) Jacksonville St. came to Baton Rouge. Very different LSU teams, but I think expecting more than 60 points is a bit much. As for what to watch in the game, I’d like to see the offense take some deep shots and be more creative in the run game. Execute the offense efficiently.
Matt Moscona, Host, After Further Review: 52-10 LSU. Mostly, I’m looking forward to LSU never playing games like this again. Hopefully, in the new age of college football, we see a uniform scheduling model among power conference schools that excludes these garbage games that nobody wants to see. However, since they are going to play it, I want LSU to get out of there healthy (remember, Alexander tore his ACL last year against Army), and I’d like to see Rickie Collins get extensive action in the second half.
Matthew Musso, Audio Producer, After Further Review: 52-17 LSU. I am eager to see the running game again. Yes, LSU should be able to overpower Nicholls, but the reps in the run game are important for the offensive line, the tight ends and the running backs. Also, can Caden Durham take advantage of an expanded opportunity? How much do we see Ju’Juan Johnson? On defense I’ll be watching communication in the secondary with a lot of young guys expected to see playing time.
