LSU Football: Instant reaction to the win over Grambling State

LSU Football returned to their winning ways tonight, demolishing Grambling State 72-10. For better or worse, we have some thoughts about the game that was.

It was the first Saturday night in Death Valley, and the LSU Tigers did what we expected them to do by crushing the Grambling State Tigers. Hue Jackson’s team made things interesting early, but the LSU Football talent proved too much for the HBCU program.

LSU won the game by a score of 72-10 and moved to 1-1 on the season. More importantly, the Tigers took some steps in the right direction after Week 1’s embarrassing loss to Florida State. Well, sort of.

Here’s our initial reaction to the game that was down in Death Valley.

The LSU Football defense has issues

The best way to judge LSU Football’s preparedness and execution against an inferior opponent is in the first quarter. That is when the opponent runs scripted plays and has yet to start physically wearing down. Thus, the LSU defense’s performance in the first half is worth the fan gripes.

Cornerbacks remain problematic for the Tigers as their early performance against Grambling mirrored Week 1 vs. Florida State. Such includes giving up chunk plays and getting Moss’d with ease. The other issue is the lack of pass rush.

LSU Football welcomed Mason Smith back to the field, but it didn’t matter. Grambling’s quarterback had too much time to set his feet and throw deep during their earlier drives. Moreover, we witnessed Harold Perkins lingering in coverage, including plays where he moved outside to cover slot receivers.

Jayden Daniels worked on his downfield passing game

We said before the game that LSU Football needed to work on their passing game by limiting Jayden Daniels from scrambling. They did just that, and the result was excellent.

The LSU quarterback could’ve rushed for over 100 yards against Grambling but settled for five carries and 29 yards. Instead of running, Daniels focused on downfield progressions and throws. As a result, he complied 269 yards and five touchdowns through the air on 18 completions.

Receiver drops remains an issue, but Daniels put the ball where it needed to be more than not against Grambling. As such, we hope the senior can win games against SEC opposition with more than his legs.

Logan Diggs is the best running back on the LSU Football roster

We were begging for a running back to emerge as the best on the LSU Football roster, and Logan Diggs answered.

The transfer from Notre Dame started the game at running and did not disappoint. Diggs showcased excellent awareness and acceleration to the tune of 115 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

Diggs also caught a pass for an 18-yard gain. The junior didn’t factor much into the passing attack with the Irish, but we think he can be a valued target in Baton Rouge.

It was telling that Diggs received the lion’s share of reps at running back in the first half against Grambling State. We think that it shows Brian Kelly believes the Boutte (La.) native is the best rusher on the LSU Football roster.

An injury forced Diggs out of action in Week 1, but he made up for it on Saturday night. As such, we expect him to continue to build off his performance as the top running back on the LSU depth chart.

LSU Football will head to Starkville and play their first conference game against Mississippi State next Saturday. The Bulldogs are 2-0 after being Arizona in overtime this evening.