As we will do throughout this football season, HawgBeat went behind enemy lines to gain insight on the No. 8 LSU Tigers with Death Valley Insider Publisher Jefferson Powell.
Led by third-year head coach Brian Kelly — the winningest active coach in college football — LSU is off to a 5-1 (2-0 SEC) start in 2024.
LSU opened its season with a 27-20 neutral-site loss to USC before picking up a 44-21 win vs. Nicholls in Week 2. The Tigers then ran off three straight victories against South Carolina, UCLA and South Alabama before picking up last week's home win versus then-No. 9 Ole Miss, 29-26 (OT).
Starting for head coach Brian Kelly's squad at quarterback is redshirt junior Garrett Nussmeier, who has completed 160-of-249 throws (64.3%) with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions in six games.
In four games against Power Five competition (USC, South Carolina, UCLA and Ole Miss), Nussmeier finished 107-of-173 on throws (61.8%) with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.
On the defensive side of the ball, LSU boasts the nation's No. 77 total defense (372.0 yards allowed per game) and it ranks No. 55 in scoring defense (22.3 points allowed per game) and No. 76 in defensive third down conversion percentage (39.0%).
Here is what Powell had to say about Saturday's matchup, which is set to kick off at 6 p.m. CT at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville...
- CB
- OLB
- DT
- ATH
- WR
- S
- C
- SDE
- ILB
- DT
