These FCS matchups are a tough watch.
LSU beat Grambling 72-10 in 2023. That came a year after Southern’s ‘Human Juke Box’ band took the field in a 51-0 blowout at halftime.
McNeese doesn’t have the horses to compete with LSU, and it’s only going to get worse next year when Northwestern State comes to town. The Demons lost to NAIA Louisiana Christian this year and fell 80-6 to Louisiana Tech the next week.
I’m simply not going to break down matchups between the Cowboy players and their Tiger counterparts.
That’s laughable.
LSU can use this week to rest and get better, and we’ll stick with that.
HARLEM BERRY VS. THE PASS RUSH
LSU head coach Lane Kiffin mentioned pass protection twice on Monday. He said Harlem Berry needs to get better at it, and Stacy Gage is great at it.
The Pro Football Focus grades show that. Gage grades an 81.5 for the season protecting the passer, and Berry is just an 18.2.
There’s no question that Berry is elusive in space and dynamic with the ball in his hands. He can help LSU in the passing game and the running game as a playmaker. He’s also got to do his part protecting the passer in this offense.
I don’t expect Dilin Jones to carry the ball 18 times in a game against an FCS opponent. That’s going to create opportunities for Berry, Gage and Caden Durham. What Berry does in pass protection will determine how many snaps he plays moving forward.
ZACH GRACE VS. THE END ZONE
Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. weren’t planning on using Zach Grace much this year.
Grace was brought in as an H-back from Oregon who didn’t record a statistic. He battled in camp with Malachi Thomas for the second tight end role behind Trey’Dez Green. Neither possesses a single trait that Green boasts. That’s probably harsh, but Green is among the most gifted players in America.
Neither Grace nor Thomas started last season.
Now Green is on the shelf, and Grace is playing significant snaps for LSU. In both the Ole Miss and A&M games, Grace has found himself wide open in the end zone.
Against the Rebels, quarterback Sam Leavitt misfired wide on third-and-goal with a chance to tie the game. Last week, he was streaking the end zone when Landen Clark rolled right and misfired, too. This week Grace will get that elusive first catch, not just of his LSU season, but of his college career.
PRINCEWILL UMANMIELEN VS. THE RECORD BOOK
Arden Key brought down Heisman winner Lamar Jackson of Louisville in the 2017 Citrus Bowl for his 12th sack of the season. That’s the LSU record which Umanmielen has it in his sights.
After four games, Umanmielen has seven sacks. That’s on pace for two a game, so it seems inevitable that he’ll pass Key’s mark, but this is one of his better chances to add one or two.
McNeese doesn’t figure to call a bevy of slow-developing passing plays, but Umanmielen is far more talented than anyone the Cowboys can line up at right tackle.
Another sack or two can pull Umanmielen closer to the record with two months of the season remaining. I don’t think he’ll play the entire game, so he’ll have to get up the field early.
