LSU played its best defensive half of the season when it shut out visiting UCLA in the second half of a 34-17 victory last Saturday.
It was the most positive sign for a unit that had struggled in its first three games of the season.
The No. 14 Tigers (3-1) will get a better idea of whether last week’s showing was a turning point or an aberration when they play explosive South Alabama (2-2) in a non-conference game Saturday night in Baton Rouge, La.
“We’re on the right path,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said of his defense. “Now let’s eliminate some of the mental mistakes. We eliminated the big runs from the South Carolina game (in a 36-33 win on Sept. 14) against UCLA.”
South Alabama is averaging 504.5 yards and 48.3 points per game. It rushed for 320 yards in a 48-14 victory over host Appalachian State on Sept. 19, a week after it routed FCS opponent Northwestern State 87-10.
The Tigers’ victory against the Bruins was tainted by the loss of star linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. to a season-ending torn ACL.
“Harold was gifted enough to play a receiver both as a linebacker and a nickel,” Kelly said. “We don’t have many of those guys hanging around.”
LSU’s passing game has thrived even in the absence of Chris Hilton Jr., who was projected to be the team’s top receiver this season but has yet to play because of an ankle injury.
Garrett Nussmeier is tied for second in the country with 13 touchdowns, is seventh in average passing yards per game (311.75), and connected with nine different receivers against UCLA.
“It’s the nature of our offensive structure. The ball can go anywhere,” Kelly said. “It’s very difficult to defend us. We need Chris Hilton back. This seems to be the week we get him back healthy.”
South Alabama’s 135 points in the last two games are the most ever by a Sun Belt Conference team in a two-game span.
“The last two weeks we’ve had a lot of output on offense, and a lot of it has been on the ground,” Jaguars first-year coach Major Applewhite said. “I’m no different than any other coach. I’m a firm believer that everything begins with those guys up front.”
Freshman Fluff Bothwell is averaging 9.7 yards per carry and has 359 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
Jaguars quarterback Gio Lopez, who rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown and passed for 154 yards and two scores against Appalachian State, missed the second game of the season against Ohio because of a toe injury. In the three games in which he has played, the team has averaged 57.8 points and 558.7 yards.
Applewhite, a native of Baton Rouge who was a standout quarterback at Catholic High School, knows the opposition will be stronger Saturday.
“Obviously from a fan’s standpoint, it’s about SEC and a Group-of-5 school and all that kind of stuff,” Applewhite said, “but for us it’s just another opportunity on Saturday to see ourselves improve.
“We’re going to have to play really well. We’ve made marked improvement in the last four weeks. It doesn’t need to slow down now.”
