LSU hits the gas in the second-half and cleans the Lobos' clock

For the thousands of fans who left Tiger Stadium Saturday night after the Tigers slogged their way to a mere 17-0 halftime lead over 31½-point underdog New Mexico, here’s what you missed in the second half of a 38-0 beatdown:

• LSU starting running back Armoni Goodwin walked gingerly off the field with a hamstring injury after the first offensive snap in the third quarter.

Reserve Noah Cain and John Emery Jr. stepped in to provide 94 and 45 rushing yards respectively including Penn State transfer/Baton Rouge native Cain's first two TDs as a Tiger including a 49-yard romp.

“It feels a blessing to be back home, being in Tiger Stadium and putting the colors on,” Cain said.

• Starting quarterback Jayden Daniels, after completing 24 of 29 passes (83 percent) for 270 yards, exited the game with a back strain just more than seven minutes left in the third quarter. He was injured on a 16-yard run on a fourth-down conversion when he was awkwardly (but legally) yanked down.

Enter backup QB Garrett Nussmeier, who threw two interceptions including a Pick 6 when he guided the Tigers the final three quarters of their 65-17 blowout of Southern two weeks ago. This time, he completed 9 of 10 passes for 135 yards and 1 TD and looked like the confident field general LSU coach Brian Kelly saw in preseason training camp.

“He was decisive and really made some high-level throws,” Kelly said.

• A Tigers’ defense missing four injured starters finished off a dominating performance allowing just two first downs and 88 yards total offense on just 33 snaps and forcing the Lobos to end all nine of their possessions with a punt. New Mexico had no first downs and gained just 12 yards in the second half.

Jarrick Bernard-Converse, who normally starts at cornerback, started at safety to replace Major Burns who is out three to six weeks with a neck injury according to Kelly.

“I feel like playing DB is all the same at the end of the day,” Bernard-Converse said.

• A receiving corps missing Kayshon Boutte (he had an excused absence because of the birth of his first child Thursday) concluded a night in which 10 players caught passes led by Malik Nabers and Jack Bech with six each and Brian Thomas scoring on a 57-yard TD early in the fourth quarter.

“You just know if you get subbed out, your boy is going in and he’s just as able and willing to go out there to make a play,” Bech said of the Tigers’ wide receivers’ depth.

Bech also made his debut as a punt returner, having a 76-yard TD return wiped out by a borderline blind side block penalty against teammate Kolbe Fields. Kelly venomously protested the call by the Mountain West Conference officiating crew.

“A blindside block means he (the player being blocked) could not defend himself,” Kelly said. “I felt like he clearly saw it coming. The official said he (the New Mexiico player) got his head across. I said (to the official `If you if you take that block out of football there won't be punt returns.' ”

LSU also had a 9-yard Daniels to tight end Kole Taylor TD pass in the second quarter wiped off the scoreboard because Nabers was flagged for offensive pass interference for screening Taylor’s defender. Three plays later, placekicker Damian Ramos missed a 38-yard field goal.

LSU closed the first half with an 88-yard TD drive capped by Goodwin’s 1-yard scoring plunge with 23 seconds left before halftime for a 17-0 lead at the break.

While the Tigers played dramatically better in the second half, Daniels’ injury was unsettling until it was determined it wasn’t serious.

For the third straight week after a season-opening loss to Florida State, LSU improved weaknesses from the previous game.

This time, it was Daniels staying in the pocket, going through his progressions of receiving options and firing darts. Not once did he prematurely bail out of the pocket.

"I think he's just more familiar with the offensive structure concepts,” Kelly said of Daniels. “We were really firm on (Daniels having) fast feet and then slowing down the thought process. We felt like when his feet are slow, it puts his mind moving too fast because he feels like the opposite has occurred. So, we got into a really good coaching point with fast feet and slow decision-making. It's really helped him a lot and it was nice to see.”