4 x 4 Preview: LSU
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By Matt Smith
SouthernPigskin.com
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After playing in the Chick-fil-A Bowl last season, LSU is hoping for a return to postseason BCS competition this fall.
4 Household Names
1. QB Zach Mettenberger (Sr.) – Despite starting 13 games and winning 10 of them, the 2012 Tigers were never truly Mettenberger’s team. With potentially as many as 11 new starters this season, the 2013 Tigers will go only as far as Mettenbeger takes them. He’ll have a new coordinator in Cam Cameron, who helped groom Philip Rivers and Joe Flacco in the NFL. Expect a big final season from Mettenberger.
2. WR Odell Beckham (Jr.) – Whether it be on offense or special teams, Beckham is capable of making something big happen every time he touches the ball. He averaged almost 17 yards per catch as a sophomore last season. The Tigers were in danger of losing to 19-point underdog Ole Miss last season before Beckham returned a punt 89 yards for the tying touchdown.
3. WR Jarvis Landry (Jr.) – While Beckham is the big-play threat, Landry led the Tigers in both receptions (56) and touchdowns (5) last season. He caught what appeared to be the game-winning touchdown against Alabama before the Tigers lost in the final seconds, and plays bigger than his 6’1”, 195-pound frame would suggest.
4. S Craig Loston (Sr.) – There aren’t many familiar faces in the LSU defense, but Loston is one of them. A second-team All-SEC performer in 2012, Loston will now have to anchor a secondary that lost both All-American safety Eric Reid and cornerback Tharold Simon. A physical presence at 6’2” and 205 pounds, Loston will have to not only assist the young secondary but aid in run defense as well.
4 Relative Unknowns Who Will Become Household Names
1. RB Alfred Blue (Sr.) – The uncertainty surrounding Jeremy Hill’s legal situation (more on that later) opens the door for Blue, who missed the final 10 games with an injury. He’s averaged over 6.5 yards per carry in limited action up to this point, and should have a huge senior season if he can stay healthy. With or without Hill, Blue and Kenny Hilliard should maintain the Tigers’ potent rushing attack.
2. TE Travis Dickson (Jr.) – Cameron made frequent use of tight ends Todd Heap and Dennis Pitta while with the Ravens. Dickson will be a beneficiary of the new offense, as he takes over the starting role for the departed Chase Clement. The younger brother of Richard Dickson, a Tigers tight end from 2006-2009, he’ll be a key red zone target for Mettenberger.
3. DE Tashawn Bower (Fr.) – A National Signing Day steal out of New Jersey, Bower steps into a great situation in Baton Rouge with Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery both departing. He won’t be handed a starting role, but should be part of a four-man rotation at end. Expect 30 tackles and a couple of sacks and for Bower to enter 2014 with high expectations.
4. CB Jalen Mills (So.) – Mills was thrust into the spotlight at this time a year ago when 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist Tyrann Mathieu was booted from the team for repeated failed drug tests. As a redshirt freshman, he helped LSU hold opponents to just 206 yards per game through the air. With Simon gone, Mills will now be matched up against the best receivers in the conference. He’s not Patrick Peterson or Morris Claiborne, but he’ll win his share of those battles.
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4 Must-See Games
1. Aug. 31 vs. TCU (Arlington, Tex.) – AT&T Stadium will be filled with purple on the first Saturday of the season when the Tigers and Horned Frogs meet in the fifth annual Cowboys Classic. LSU played in this game in 2011, rolling past favored Oregon. The Tigers will play the role of favorites this time around and should proceed with caution. The Frogs have won three of their past four games against top-10 teams.
2. Sept. 28 at Georgia – The roll of the SEC scheduling dice did not go LSU’s way, as the Tigers drew Georgia from the SEC East in addition to their annual game with Florida. LSU has won the past two meetings, both coming in the Peach State – one in Athens and one in Atlanta. The teams combine to return just seven starters on defense, so expect a fair amount of points between the hedges of Sanford Stadium on September’s final Saturday.
3. Nov. 9 at Alabama – Les Miles is 3-1 in Bryant-Denny Stadium and is one of the few coaches to have recorded consecutive wins over Nick Saban (2010 and 2011). Alabama’s last-minute drive to win in Baton Rouge last season may have cost the Tigers a national title, so LSU will have revenge on its mind when they arrive in Tuscaloosa. As was the case before their 2011 “Game of the Century”, both teams have two weeks to prepare.
4. Nov. 23 vs. Texas A&M – LSU is the most recent team to knock off the Aggies – a 24-19 come-from-behind victory in College Station last October. This year’s meeting comes in Death Valley, where “opponents’ dreams go to die”, as only Miles can, declared last year after defeating No. 3 South Carolina. Johnny Manziel would be wise to keep his cell phone off during the week of the game.
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4 Bold Predictions
1. Mettenberger will break Rohan Davey’s single-season passing record. It’ll take over 700 more yards than he had in 2012, but under the tutelage of Cameron, Mettenberger will give the Tigers an offensive identity for the first time in five years. The receiving corps is both deep and experienced, providing Mettenberger with plenty of targets.
2. Jeremy Hill will return at some point. Aug. 16 appears to be the big day for the sophomore running back, as Miles has said any punishment for his battery charge will not be known until after his next court appearance. A full dismissal appears unlikely, but anything less than a half-season suspension would seem to not fit the crime. The Oct. 12 showdown with Florida is a reasonable guess for Hill’s season debut.
3. The Tigers will play Alabama closer than Texas A&M. Aside from the forgettable 2011 BCS Championship Game, the other six meetings between Miles and Saban have been decided by an average of 5.3 points per game. This year’s primetime showdown at Bryant-Denny Stadium will be just as competitive as the prior six. When ESPN airs its top five games of 2013 next July, as they did for 2012 last month, you’ll be seeing another LSU-Alabama game.
4. LSU will play Nebraska in the Outback Bowl. The Tigers will split their four major SEC games (Florida and the three listed above), but a loss at Ole Miss will keep LSU out of a BCS bowl. Having already played at Cowboys Stadium, the Cotton Bowl will invite an SEC East team for the first time since 2004, sending LSU to Tampa. Cornhuskers coach Bo Pelini was the defensive coordinator at LSU from 2005-2007, winning the national title in his final game before departing for Lincoln.
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