LSU-Jacksonville State preview
Last week, LSU faced a game manager at quarterback in Wisconsin’s Bart Houston.
Houston did just enough to rally the Badgers for a fourth-quarter field goal and subsequent 16-14 victory. Houston was no running threat, but he did pass for slightly more than 200 yards.
The Tigers defense will be matched against a totally different type of talent at quarterback Saturday when Jacksonville State comes to Tiger Stadium (6:30 p.m. Central/ESPNU).
Senior Eli Jenkins is the No. 1 quarterback in the FCS. In his career, Jenkins has accounted for almost 8,700 yards in offense. Jenkins has thrown for more than 5,700 yards and 36 touchdowns and has run for more than 2,900 yards and 30 touchdowns.
One look at Jacksonville State game tape has convinced the LSU defensive players that Jenkins can cause many problems with his arm and his legs.
“I am really impressed by (Jenkins’) feet,” Tigers safety Jamal Adams said. “He has the power to run a lot of zone (read plays). Then, he can throw the ball. He is a great quarterback for those guys. We have to be ready to honor his run and be ready for the pass.”
Jenkins got off to a good start last week by throwing for 230 yards and running for 101 yards in the Gamecocks’ 31-12 victory against Division II North Alabama. Jenkins, who averaged nearly eight yards per carry, completed 59 percent of his pass attempts.
But, don’t get the idea that Jenkins only compiles his numbers against lower-division competition. Jacksonville State took Auburn into overtime before losing last season. In that game, Jenkins completed 26 of 43 passes for 277 yards
“Their quarterback is quick and he throws well off the run,” outside linebacker Arden Key said. “We have to really get after him.”
Jenkins leads a team which is used to being successful. The Gamecocks have won 22 of their last 24 regular-season games. The only defeats came at the hands of Power Five conference teams – Michigan State in 2014 and Auburn in 2015.
“Jenkins reminds me of (former Texas A&M quarterback) Kyler Murray,” safety Rickey Jefferson said. “Jacksonville State is a very quality team. They have a lot of guys who felt overlooked by big schools. Their skill people are very good.”
SEVEN QUICK NOTES ABOUT LSU
This is Les Miles’ 16th season as a college head coach. Never has one of his teams lost its first two games. At Oklahoma State, Miles lost the season-opener three times. However, he responded with victories the following game on all three occasions.
For the seventh consecutive season, the Tigers have a game scheduled against a FCS opponent. LSU’s contest against McNeese State last year was cancelled due to weather. Since Miles became coach, the Tigers are 7-0 against FCS teams. The smallest margin of victory was 16 points against Towson (38-22) in 2012. Two of those victories came against Appalachian State, now a FBS school.
LSU has won ten straight home-openers dating back to its 45-3 victory against Louisiana-Lafayette in 2006. The Tigers lost to Tennessee 30-27 in Miles’ first home-opener the preceding year. LSU hasn’t lost a Saturday night home opener since 1994 when it was beaten by Texas A&M 18-13.
The Tigers have won 45 consecutive non-conference games at Tiger Stadium. The last visiting non-Southeastern Conferemce team to beat LSU was UAB – 13-10 in 2000. Under Miles, the Tigers are 33-0 against non-conference opponents at home.
Tre’Davious White scored LSU’s first touchdown of the season on a 21-yard pass interception return. White was the first defensive player to register the Tigers’ first points of the season going back to at least the 1962 season.
Leonard Fournette is one of four LSU players with 3,000-career rushing yards and 15 career 100-yard rushing games. Fournette, who has 3,125 rushing yards and 16 career 100-yard rushing games, trails three players on both lists – Kevin Faulk, Dalton Hilliard and Charles Alexander.
Two Tigers offensive linemen recorded five knockdown blocks against Wisconsin. Center Ethan Pocic had nine, while guard Josh Boutte had five. Boutte is suspended for Saturday’s game against Jacksonville State. Boutte will be replaced at right guard by Maea Teuhema, who played 14 snaps against the Badgers.
SEVEN QUICK NOTES ABOUT JACKSONVILLE STATE
The Gamecocks have played six other SEC teams – Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Jacksonville State has one victory against a SEC team – a 49-48 double-overtime decision against Ole Miss in 2010. Mississippi State is the one SEC team with two victories against the Gamecocks.
Jacksonville State has a tradition of winning football. The Gamecocks have made 16 NCAA playoff appearances – Division II and FCS. Six of those postseason playoff trips have occurred since 2003. Jacksonville State is 5-6 in FCS playoff games. The Gamecocks won three postseason games before losing to South Dakota State in last season’s FCS championship game.
Jacksonville State will play a game with the most tickets sold in its history Saturday in Tiger Stadium. The paid attendance for the Gamecocks’ game at Auburn last year was 87,451 – their current high.
Redshirting is a common policy at Jacksonville State. Of the 22 projected starters for the LSU game, all but six have been redshirted.
Former Auburn running back Roc Thomas accounted for 125 yards in his first game at Jacksonville State against North Alabama. Thomas had 20 carries for 72 yards and three touchdowns and caught four passes for 53 yards. Former LSU wide receiver Kevin Spears caught one pass in the Gamecocks’ opener.
Josh Barge, who sat out the opener with an injury, is the school’s career-leader in receptions with 206 and receiving yards with 2,949. Barge is expected to play against LSU.
Quarterback Eli Jenkins accounted for his 66th career touchdown against North Alabama to become the school leader in that category. Jenkins had been tied with Ed Lett.
PREDICTION
It has been 25 years since LSU began a season with two losses. The Tigers will get the opportunity at rebounding from the defeat to Wisconsin against their yearly FCS opponent. However, Jacksonville State is more talented than many mid-major FBS teams. The Gamecocks have a potent offense, which is led by dual-threat quarterback Eli Jenkins. As long as it doesn’t suffer a letdown, the LSU defense should be up to the challenge of controlling Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks defense is mediocre, so that’s good news for a Tigers offense which needs to get untracked. Coach Les Miles will not say how much Leonard Fournette has practiced, if at all, this week. The guess here is that Fournette will play very little Saturday. This game will be a chance for Derrius Guice and Malachi Dupre, two players who underperformed against the Badgers, to make a statement. LSU will pull away in the second half for its first victory of the season.
LSU 30, JACKSONVILLE STATE 13
TEAM STATS COMPARISON
LSU points per game: 14.0
Jacksonville State opponents’ points per game: 12.0
LSU rushing yards per game: 126.0
Jacksonville State opponents’ rushing yards per game: 52.0
LSU passing yards per game: 131.0
Jacksonville State opponents’ passing yards per game: 170.0
LSU total yards per game: 257.0
Jacksonville State opponents’ total yards per game: 222.0
LSU passing completion percentage: 57.1
Jacksonville State opponents’ pass completion percentage: 58.3
LSU sacks allowed: 2
Jacksonville State sacks: 5
Jacksonville State points per game: 31.0
LSU opponents’ points per game: 16.0
Jacksonville State rushing yards per game: 272.0
LSU opponents’ rushing yards per game: 134.0
Jacksonville State passing yards per game: 230.0
LSU opponents’ passing yards per game: 205.0
Jacksonville State total yards per game: 502.0
LSU opponents’ total yards per game: 339.0
Jacksonville State passing completion percentage: 58.8
LSU opponents’ pass completion percentage: 61.3
Jacksonville State sacks allowed: 0
LSU sacks: 2
LSU turnover margin: 0
Jacksonville State turnover margin: -1
INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS
Rushing
LSU: Leonard Fournette – 23 carries, 138 yards
Jacksonville State: Eli Jenkins – 13 carries, 101 yards, 1 touchdown
Passing
LSU: Brandon Harris – 21 attempts, 12 completions, 57 percent, 131 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
Jacksonville State: Eli Jenkins – 34 attempts, 20 completions, 59 percent, 230 yards
Receiving
LSU: Travin Dural – 5 catches, 50 yards, 1 touchdown
Jacksonville State: Roc Thomas – 4 catches, 53 yards; Anthony Johnson – 4 catches, 29 yards
Tackles
LSU: Davon Godchaux – 9
Jacksonville State: Marlon Bridges (S), Joel McCandless (LB), Quan Stoudemire (LB), Delwyn Tolbert (S) – 7
Tackles-for-loss
LSU: Arden Key – 2
Jacksonville State: Joel McCandless (LB) – 2
Sacks
LSU: Arden Key – 2
Jacksonville State: Joel McCandless (LB), Regie Meant (DT), Randy Robinson (DT) – 1
Quarterback-hurries
LSU: None
Jacksonville State: Quan Stoudemire (LB), Justin Thomas-Thornton (DE) – 1
Interceptions
LSU: Rickey Jefferson, Tre’Davious White – 1
Jacksonville State: None
Pass breakups
LSU: Donte Jackson, Tre’Davious White – 1
Jacksonville State: Al Harris (CB), Jaylen Hill (CB) – 2
Punting
LSU: Josh Growden – 7 punts, 32.4-yard average
Jacksonville State: Dean Kelly – 5 punts, 33.4-yard average
Kicking
LSU: Colby Delahoussaye – 2-of-2 XPs
Jacksonville State: Cade Stinnett – 1-of-1, FGs; 4-of-4 XPs
Kickoff returns
LSU: Derrius Guice – 1 return, 17 yards
Jacksonville State: Lawon DeBardelaben – 3 returns, 77 yards
Punt returns
LSU: Tre’Davious White: 1 return, 3 yards
Jacksonville State: Lawon DeBardelaben – 3 returns, 29 yards