It’s Brian Kelly’s first home game as LSU’s head coach.

“I’m super excited about that,” Kelly said.

It’s the first time Southern University has traveled 10.7 miles across Baton Rouge to play the Tigers in football.

“We understand the magnitude of the game,” Southern first-year head coach Eric Dooley said. “I know several guys on LSU’s (coaching) staff. Some guys (LSU players) I’ve recruited. It’s more like a family affair. It means a lot for the city of Baton Rouge."

It's LSU’s chance to even its 2022 record at 1-1 after a disappointing 24-23 season-opening mistake-filled loss to Florida State last Sunday in the Superdome.

It’s LSU vs. Southern, 6:30 tonight in Tiger Stadium where a sellout crowd of more than 102,000 fans will watch what is expected to be a lopsided affair.

The SEC is 15-0 against current SWAC members with seven SEC schools beating seven SWAC teams by an average of 45.4 points (51.9 to 6.5). The smallest defeat margin in an SEC vs. SWAC matchup is 33 points in Mississippi State's 49-16 win over Alcorn State in 2010.

Last season, SEC members Auburn and Arkansas beat SWAC opponents Alabama State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff 62-0 and 45-3 respectively.

This marks just Southern’s second game vs. an SEC foe. The Jaguars lost 48-6 at Georgia in 2015.

Kelly is eager for his first Tiger Stadium experience in which he’ll likely join a list of nine former LSU head coaches in the SEC era dating back to 1935 who won their home game debuts. The only three LSU head coaches to lose their first-ever home game were Les Miles (2005 vs. Tennessee), Jerry Stovall (1980 vs. Florida State) and Bernie Moore (1935 to Rice).

With LSU’s SEC opener a week away vs. Mississippi State in Tiger Stadium, it’s imperative the Tigers eliminate the mistakes that put them in a 17-3 deficit vs. FSU before LSU stormed back with three touchdown drives on its final three possessions.

LSU senior wide receiver Jaray Jenkins, who had five catches for 46 yards against the Seminoles including TD grabs of 22 and 2 yards in the game’s final 4:07, said having a positive mindset has been an emphasis the past week for the Tigers.

“Don’t be negative, don’t be down just because we lost a football game,” Jenkins said. “We still have a lot of football left to play. Everybody’s understanding it and we’re all buying into it.”

The Tigers had obvious problems in all three phases of the game in the opener.

It took 2½ quarters for new starting quarterback Jayden Daniels and a new starting offensive line to sync.

LSU’s first five drives of the game totaled 31 plays and produced three points. The Tigers’ last three possessions totaled 37 plays, accounted for 256 of LSU’s game-total 348 yards and produced three TDs in the game's final 15:08.

Daniels finished with 313 yards total offense (209 yards passing and two TDs completing 26 of 35, 114 yards rushing on 16 attempts) including 161 yards in the fourth quarter.

“We just had to really learn each other more,” LSU starting center Garrett Dellinger said of the Tigers’ offensive line. “Not stepping on each other’s toes is a big one.”

Defensively after LSU lost starting defensive tackle Maason Smith with a season-ending ACL tear on FSU’s series, the Tigers struggled until the fourth quarter trying to get the Seminoles off the field on third-down situations.

FSU converted 11 of 17 third-downs with slippery Seminoles’ starting QB Jordan Travis providing clutch play after clutch play. Travis personally forced the Tigers to miss 16 tackles.

“The game was so close, but it slipped away from us,” said Missouri sophomore transfer Mehki Wingo who replaced the injured Smith at defensive tackle. “We learned we need to get some schematic things in order and have to get off the field on third down. We get those cleaned up and we’ll be fine."

Finally, LSU’s kicking game fell apart with new punt returner Malik Nabers fumbling two punts and poor protection resulting in a blocked field goal and a blocked potential game-tying extra point kick that would have sent the Tigers to overtime.

Kelly said Nabers worked diligently in practice this week. Nabers will again try to return punts with the help of teammates Sage Ryan and Javen Nichols, both who were excellent returners in high school.

It didn’t seem as if Southern had much to correct after its 86-0 season-opening beatdown of Florida Memorial. Led by quarterback Sean McCoy, the Jags gained 611 yards including 396 rushing. Seven different players scored.

“McCray is very elusive and they have some talented wide receivers,” Kelly said. “Defensively, they took the ball away, and dominated their opponent in the way they should in that kind of ballgame.”

Can LSU do the same to Southern? Both coaches are eager to see what transpires.

“The biggest thing (about the game) is giving your team a measuring stick to see where your team is at,” Dooley said. “You wanna see how you line up against some of the best talent. That’s what it’s all about. Being very, very competitive.”