LSU defense dominates New Mexico in the Tigers’ 38-0 rout

LSU took care of business on Saturday night as it trounced New Mexico, 38-0. The Tigers improved to 3-1 on the year after the non-conference victory over the Lobos. Brian Kelly’s team is just a point away from being 4-0 on the year—which only adds to the frustration at this moment in time—but it’s time to look forward now as the rest of the SEC awaits.

Before diving into the upcoming match-up with Auburn, it’s important to analyze the Bayou Bengals’ performance against New Mexico at the weekend. There were a lot of questions about how the team would do considering the adjustments being made. Suffice it to say, Kelly’s men took care of business and then some. It was the LSU defense that put on a show overall.

The LSU defense dominates New Mexico in the Tigers’ 38-0 rout

The Tigers’ defense stepping up to the plate is no surprise. However, as Kelly made note of in his postgame interview, Matt House’s unit was without four of its starters—most notably BJ Ojulari and Jay Ward. It’s not like you would have known from watching the game though.

LSU was flying to the ball with two makeshift safeties in coverage and heavy rotation in the front seven. The Tigers put on one of the most impressive defensive performances that Tiger Stadium has ever hosted. It was a flawless outing on defense that LSU fans have not seen since at least 2016 when Dave Aranda’s unit cemented its place in history.

The eye test is often more telling than numbers, but in this case, statistics tell the story perfectly. The Tigers held New Mexico’s offense to these figures:

• Zero points
• 88 yards of total offense
• Two first downs
• Nine punts
• Seven three-and-outs
• Nine punts on 10 drives

A 38-0 win seems relatively low when one factors in the defensive dominance of the home side. Make no mistake about it, Jayden Daniels and Co. had their way with a stubborn Lobos squad for a majority of the evening.

Players like Jack Bech, Chris Hilton Jr. and Malik Nabers stepped up in Kayshon Boutte’s absence and contributed to a passing game that stole the show throughout the night. Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier both led an aerial attack that looks significantly better than it did a couple of weeks ago against Florida State and Southern.

All of that being said, the running backs deserve their flowers.

Armoni Goodwin emerged as the Tigers’ lead back with another two-touchdown performance. A minor injury meant he was kept out for a lot of the game though, which led to Noah Cain marking his return with a pair of touchdowns. John Emery Jr. and Josh Williams got a fair share of touches too.

LSU’s backfield now has an embarrassment of riches. This bodes well for Mike Denbrock and his offensive staff moving forward, especially since they were able to establish a solid passing presence before heading into SEC play.

At the end of the day, dominant is the one word used to describe the Bayou Bengals’ outing on Saturday night. The Tigers dictated proceedings from the opening kickoff. LSU now takes a three-game win streak to Jordan-Hare Stadium, where it will face off against a struggling Auburn side. The Tigers have everything it takes to come back home 4-1 next weekend, will fans be treated to the excellence that the team has shown the last couple of games though?