Three must-win matchups for LSU Football against the USC Trojans

When LSU Football kicks off its season against the USC Trojans on Sunday Night, we'll see a ton of questions answered regarding both teams. The two sides both, face a ton of turnover and as they enter the season plenty is hard to predict. When LSU faces off against USC, they'll win the game if they're able to win these three key matchups.

DJ Chester vs Bear Alexander

The lone newcomer on LSU's offensive line is redshirt freshman DJ Chester who replaces the departing Charles Turner III. Given that Bear Alexander is USC's best defensive player and a defensive tackle, we'll likely see a ton of Alexander vs Chester. In 2023, Alexander totaled 1.5 sacks with 27 solo tackles.

When Alexander lines up directly over the center, he's powerful and creates a ton of pressure. Chester will need to handle Alexander in the passing game to keep pressure directly out of Garrett Nussmeier's face. He'll need to win in the run game too as Alexander can blow a play up in a heartbeat. We know what we're getting from the rest of LSU's offensive line except for Chester which is an answer we should get on Sunday night.

Ashton Stamps and Sage Ryan Vs Duce Robinson and Ja'Kobi Lane

The duo on the outside for the LSU Football team will be Ashton Stamps and Sage Ryan as Stamps has looked like a future star this summer. They'll be tasked with slowing down USC's duo on the outside Duce Robinson and Ja'Kobi Lane.

Robinson and Lane present a difficult matchup for any duo at cornerback especially LSU's duo as the pair stand at 6"6 and 6"4. Stamps stands at 6"0 and Ryan is only 5"11 which could provide a unique challenge for the pair in coverage.

Like LSU's cornerback duo, the pair of Sophomores for USC are relatively inexperienced recording their best performances in the Holiday Bowl. Stamps and Ryan will need to stay in a great position to keep the Trojans duo from dominating on 50/50 balls.

Kyren Lacy Vs USC's cornerbacks

Jayden Daniels had explosive weapons all over the field in his time at LSU in Kayshon Boutte, Malik Nabers, and Brian Thomas Jr who made his job much easier. As Garrett Nussmeier kicks off his season as a full-time starter, he'll need his top receiver to play like a top receiver. This Spring and Summer, Kyren Lacy has looked the part of a top receiving threat but, we'll want to see it in game action.

The Trojans don't have a clear-cut top cornerback that'll travel with Kyren Lacy and they'll likely throw a number of corners at him. If Lacy is lucky enough to draw a one-on-one matchup, he'll have to win and he'll have to win big. This USC team was plagued by the big play in 2023, and while they'll be improved they're still susceptible to giving up massive plays.

This game will be won in the trenches

While these two teams have killed teams with high-powered offenses at the end of the day it'll be the players on the front line that decide this game. If USC's offensive line is able to give Miller Moss all day to pass, he's talented enough to beat good coverage with his arm. If LSU's offensive line is able to dominate the point of attack, Garrett Nussmeier won't need to prove himself as LSU's running back group is talented enough to beat any team in the country. It'll be fascinating to see how each team's defensive line has progressed and how the coordinators scheme to hide the defensive line weaknesses.

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