Fresh legs have fueled LSU’s early defensive success.
The Tigers have only played 108 defensive snaps in two games. When the Tigers squared off with Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr.’s offense in Oxford last season, they played 90 snaps in four quarters.
Compounding the small snap count has been the liberal rotation at defensive tackle.
Freshman Deuce Geralds has logged the most snaps at the position with 50, just 46% of the snaps. Stephiylan Green’s 37 snaps rank second. Richard Anderson has played 34, Dominick McKinley 32, Malik Blocton 31, Brandon Brown (11) and Shone Washington (8) got some looks in mop-up duty against Louisiana Tech.
That group has been exceptional. LSU held both Clemson and Louisiana Tech to negative rushing yards before halftime. Only Houston has allowed less rushing yards than the Tigers. The Cougars played Southern on Saturday, and the Jaguars rushed for minus-6 yards.
Saturday’s test at Ole Miss will be unlike either Clemson or Louisiana Tech. Rebels running back Kewan Lacy finished second nationally in rushing touchdowns last season.
Perhaps a closer contest will alter the snap counts for the LSU defensive tackle. Through two weeks, Kevin Peoples’s group has been fresh and fantastic.
