Game day has officially arrived, and Tiger Stadium is set to host one of the top matchups of the entire purple and gold season: LSU football vs. Ole Miss. With just hours remaining until kick off, here are three keys to a victory for the home team, as coach Brian Kelly searches for his team’s fifth win of 2024.
Game day: Three keys to victory for LSU football vs. Ole Miss
1. Lean on the homefield advantage
Since 2000, LSU football is 108-15 in night games played at Tiger Stadium. Since Brian Kelly first arrived in Baton Rouge, LA, in 2022, LSU football is 12-0 in night games played at Tiger Stadium.
In short, there is no home atmosphere in the sport of college football quite like a night game played in Tiger Stadium.
Then, when you add in the fact that the purple and gold are celebrating their 100th year of football in this venue, there’s little doubt that their fanbase will be on their feet and loud right from the start of tonight’s matchup of LSU football vs. Ole Miss.
Now, it’s just a matter of the team using that atmosphere to their advantage. One of the very best parts of college football is the traditions and fan bases, and possibly most importantly, the way they can impact the momentum of any one football game.
If Brian Kelly and his coaching staff game script things correctly, LSU could make things very difficult on Ole Miss early on in the game. From there, the biggest thing will be to keep the momentum going all the way through to the end of tonight’s 60 minutes of play.
2. Utilize your rapidly improving running back room
After losing over 1,000 yards rushing over the offseason, there were some concerns about who would shine from a running standpoint for the LSU football offense in 2024. Then, less than one week into the season, the purple and gold lost John Emery Jr – a 6th-year senior, and former five-star recruit – to a season-ending ACL injury.
In short, things weren’t looking too hot for the Tiger backfield, and depth was a major concern.
With all that said, not all was lost, and the rapid turnaround we’ve seen from the LSU running back room since has been impressive, to say the very least.
Headlined by 6th-year veteran Josh Williams and beyond-athletic sophomore Kaleb Jackson, talent was never an issue for the group. If anything, they were just missing that home run speed that could break down opposing defenses in a matter of moments.
Lucky for coach Brian Kelly and his offense, they just so happened to already have that player on roster, and his rise to stardom was just around the corner.
First getting a major opportunity in week three vs. South Carolina, freshman running back Caden Durham has logged 244 yards and three touchdowns on just 29 carries (8.4 yards per carry), and the purple and gold has been much better for it.
Don’t get it confused, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and his arm will more than likely be the star of the show today. Even so, if they can keep their hot streak going in the ground game this evening, the Tigers will have everything they need to leave week seven with their fifth win of 2024.
3. Don’t try to do too much on defense – play your assignments
Defense took the day off for LSU football vs. Ole Miss in 2023, and the outcome was about as high scoring a game as you could imagine. Finishing as a 55-49 victory for the Rebels, the two offenses combined for 1,343 yards, and it was ultimately a day that both defenses would soon hope to forget.
Enter 2024, and while both sides have improved on that side of the ball, they’ve also shown some weaknesses that have allowed for big plays from opposing offenses.
As far as LSU specifically is concerned, the big thing that continues to be an emphasis for this group is narrowing their focus. Last season, from the defensive line to the deep secondary, a common theme for the group was an inability to stay within their assignments, but instead looking to make plays outside of their range.
With new defensive coordinator Blake Baker in charge, those issues have lessened significantly in 2024, but in facing off against a truly dangerous Ole Miss offense, we’re going to learn plenty about whether they’re truly heading in the right direction or not.
LSU football vs. Ole Miss is officially just hours away, as the Tigers will host the Rebels in Tiger Stadium this evening at 6:30 p.m. CST. For anyone watching at home, the game will be available to watch live on ABC or ESPN+.
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