Tiger defense preparing for elite test

By Hunt Palmer

Brian Kelly arrived at LSU determined to win championships. All three of his predecessors did it, and Kelly’s resume suggests he could be next.

Last season LSU fielded a championship level offense. The Tigers led the nation in both scoring and total offense. That effort was largely wasted due to a defense that ranked 13^th of 14 SEC teams in points allowed and directly contributed to all three losses by surrendering 142 points in those three contests.

The second of those three losses was a shootout in Oxford against Ole Miss. In front of a sold-out Vaught Hemingway Stadium crowd, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels accounted for 513 yards of total offense and five touchdowns. Wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. both topped 100 yards through the air. Running back Logan Diggs ran for 101 yards and two scores.

LSU lost, 55-49.

“Last year, clearly, we were tilted one side,” Kelly said about his offense outperforming the defense. “And we had to play, unfortunately, the game that way. I didn’t like it, but that’s what we had. We were in a situation last year where we were trying to outscore, and that’s not the right way to play. It was the only way to play.”

LSU returned home from the Realiquest Bowl win over Wisconsin, a high scoring 35-31 game, on January 2. Kelly let go of nearly his entire defensive staff less than 24 hours later.

Defensive coordinator Matt House was fired. As were cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples, safeties coach Kerry Cooks and defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey.

A search for the next defensive staff began immediately, and the headliner of the haul was former Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker.

“I felt like he was the right fit for LSU, familiar with LSU…in the SEC,” Kelly said. “That process of negotiating and getting him here was really about bringing LSU back to the level that it should play defense at and that challenge, so it was really about him wanting to accept that challenge.”

It was a return to LSU for Baker. Prior to his time at Missouri, Baker served a quick stint as the Tigers’ linebackers coach under Ed Orgeron. Also returning to LSU was secondary coach Corey Raymond who spent a decade shepherding DBU under Orgeron and Les Miles.

Kevin Peoples was brought in to help with pass rush. Bo Davis left Texas to become defensive line coach, and Jake Olson now handles the safeties.

Ernest work began in January to fix the broken defense. Only then could LSU compete at the top of the SEC and college football.

The newly assembled defensive staff is enjoying success on the recruiting trail while the development of the current roster continues.

Early results are better, but some issues remain.

“I want to be able to play complimentary football where our offense complements our defense and visa versa,” Kelly said.

The season opener against USC presented the first test, and though the LSU defense held USC to just 13 points with under seven minutes to play in the game, the Trojans scored on touchdown drives of 64 and 75 yards on their last two possessions to beat LSU.

Since then, LSU has played rather pedestrian offensive teams in Nicholls State, South Carolina, UCLA and South Alabama. Now perhaps the toughest test of the season presents itself Saturday in the same Ole Miss team that gave LSU fits a season ago.

The Rebels average 44 points per game, lead the SEC in passing and rank third in the league in rushing.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart is completing 73 percent of his throws for 350 yards per game and 13 touchdowns against only two interceptions.

Wide receiver Tre Harris, a Lafayette native, leads the country in receiving yards by a staggering 173 yards over second place Nick Nash from San Jose State.

Running back Henry Parish averages better than six yards per carry.

After a month of tinkering and evaluating, LSU’s defense will be tested thoroughly by one of the top offenses in the country.

“Lane (Kiffin) and Charlie (Weis Jr.) do a great job, and they work together on that,” Kelly said of the Rebels offense. “It’s a really difficult offense. They have really good schemes. They’re really sound and fundamental, and they take advantage of what you’re doing.”

Kelly’s plans aren’t to ask his defense to completely muzzle the Ole Miss attack. The complementary football he desires will need to be on display. LSU’s offense will have to do its part to control the ball and create points.

“Clearly if you can win that game of possession time, you are at clear advantage,” Kelly said. “But you’ve got to score points, too. It can’t always just be possession, possession. You have to eventualize yourself in terms of putting points on the board.”

LSU cannot win a championship Saturday night, but any distant thoughts about competing for one in 2024 can be all but dashed with a loss.

A win Saturday night would legitimize progress for the LSU program. At 34-10 over the last four seasons, Ole Miss has risen a level under Kiffin. The Rebels have won 10 games twice over the last three seasons, enter Tiger Stadium ranked No. 9 in the country and are favored by the oddsmakers.

“This is a very talented football team and deserving of their national ranking,” Kelly said. “It’s great challenge for us. We’re excited about it…looking forward to a Saturday Night in Tiger Stadium on national television. That’s why you come to LSU.”