LSU football: Which players earned their stripes against New Mexico?
LSU football’s latest clash against New Mexico was a big moment for the program. While the result was never truly in question, this was the last tune-up the Tigers would receive before diving into the toughest part of their schedule. Furthermore, there were many questions about how the team would perform given all of the missing players.
The Bayou Bengals took care of business and then some on Saturday night. They managed to not only cover the spread (-31.5) but also blow out the Lobos, 38-0. It was a complete performance from LSU from start to finish. Of course, there are a couple of things that could improve going forward. There weren’t any major issues from Brian Kelly’s team overall though.
LSU football: Which players earned their stripes against New Mexico?
It was an all-around team victory by the Tigers as they played well in all three phases of the game. That being said, some individuals did stand out above the rest. There were a handful of players who put on eye-opening performances for one reason or another. These individuals helped guide LSU to a convincing shut-out win over the visitors from the Mountain West.
Here are four players who earned their stripes against New Mexico:
1. Jarrick Bernard-Converse
Jarrick Bernard-Converse is a player who generated a lot of buzz during the offseason. The senior defensive back came over from Oklahoma State after being a starter for the Cowboys at cornerback. He was touted to be one of the Tigers’ regular starters at the same position leading up to this season.
The Shreveport native has been a solid addition to LSU’s secondary thus far. He’s played a majority of the snaps for his home state’s flagship university up to this point, all of which came as a cornerback. However, with Major Burns and Jay Ward out against New Mexico, Kelly needed to turn to someone who could play safety.
This is where Bernard-Converse earned his stripes.
The veteran defensive back stepped up to the challenge and crushed it against the Lobos. He was one of the many Tigers defenders who was flying to the ball all night long. Bernard-Converse came up huge with three tackles (all solo) and some huge hits.
If not for the senior, New Mexico would’ve probably been able to tally a couple more first downs on the evening. But because Bernard-Converse played his heart out, LSU was able to contain the Lobos’ dual-threat offense all night long. Matt House’s unit held New Mexico to just two first downs, 88 total yards and zero points on the evening.
It’s obvious that Bernard-Converse’s contributions were appreciated by many following the contest. He was awarded the game ball by Coach Kelly in the locker room.