Tigers Rag: Eastern Michigan will take on Les Miles, and his Louisiana State Tigers this weekend. Miles enters his 11th season as the coach at LSU and is off to a 3-0 start to the season, ranking ninth in the nation.
LSU is coming off a 34-24 win against Syracuse last week, and wins over two strong SEC opponents in Mississippi State and Auburn in previous weeks.
Returning Starters: LSU returns a good core of talent from a year ago. Sophomore quarterback Brandon Harris will be under center after being name the starting QB as a freshman last year. Running back Leonard Fournette returns as one the nations best running backs. Other returning starters include wide receivers Travin Dural and John Diarse, as well as linebackers Kemdall Beckwith and Lamar Lewis.
Fortunate to have Fournette: LSU has one of the best running backs in the country in Leonard Fournette. He averages close to 9-yards per carry and is one of the toughest running backs to bring down in college football. Fournette has already run for eight touchdowns through just three games this season and he is making a case for being named the next Heisman trophy winner. Fournette should have a field day on Saturday as Eastern Michigan currently ranks last in stopping the run.
Young but Experienced Up Front: After coming off one of the worst seasons in recent LSU history (8-5), the inexperienced offensive line is no longer inexperienced. LSU returns many juniors and a couple of seniors on the offensive line, which has proven to be one of the better offensive lines in the SEC this season. With such a strong running back, it is needed to have the offensive line going on all cylinders for the Tigers. Vadal Alexander, Jerald Hawkins, and Ethan Pocic are just a few of the returning players that lead the front-line.
Exposed Defense: Last week against Syracuse, the LSU defense was exposed in the passing game. Syracuse found open receivers and was able to move the ball methodically down the field for a few drives. LSU did graduate many players on the defensive side of the ball from a year ago, but quickly filled those holes with plenty of star power. One of the strongest groups on the team is the linebackers and defensive line. LSU ranks 26t in the country in stopping the run.
