As we find ourselves just a few hours away from this weekendâs matchup of LSU football vs. Alabama, here are three keys to the seventh victory of 2024 for the Tigers of Baton Rouge, LA.
LSU football vs. Alabama: Three keys to a Tiger victory
Slow. Down. Jalen. Milroe.
In 2023, LSU football allowed Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe to run for 155 yards and four touchdowns. The Tigers lost the matchup by a score of 42-28 in Tuscaloosa, AL.
In 2024, Jalen Milroe is averaging 47.5 yards and 1.5 touchdowns on the ground per game. Alabama currently has an overall record of 6-2 â falling only to Vanderbilt and No. 7 Tennessee.
In Alabamaâs two losses during the 2024 season, Jalen Milroe has combined for a total of 21 carries for 21 yards and one touchdown. In short, the Crimson Tide offense goes as the star quarterbackâs legs go.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, figuring out the recipe for success against this offense is only the first step. Now, itâs a matter of whether coach Brian Kelly and his squad can find said success and slow down the Heisman Trophy candidate Saturday evening.
Important to note is that LSU hasnât exactly become known for their ability to slow down running quarterbacks. In week three, South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers ran for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Just last week, Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed ran for 62 yards and three touchdowns.
Nothing about this matchup is going to be easy for the purple and gold, but if they can find a way to slow down the Alabama rushing game, things very easily could start swinging towards the purple and gold. Now, itâs just a matter of speaking it into existence.
Feed off of the home Tiger Stadium crowd
At this point, LSU footballâs Tiger Stadium needs no introduction. The venue which is called many names has come to be best known as âDeath Valley, where opponentsâ dreams come to die,â and if the purple and gold have any hopes of making the 2024 College Football Playoff, the phrase will likely need to ring true this weekend.
As far as those goals are concerned, the good news is that this yearâs version of the Crimson Tide isnât exactly a group that travels all that well. Each of their losses so far have come on the road, and itâs important to note that this is only their fourth trip outside the comforts of their home in Alabama.
Additionally, something that needs to be kept in mind is that LSU football has a defense that most definitely feeds off the environment around it. From getting after the quarterback, to showing another level of physicality in the secondary, this team always seems to shine brightest alongside a rowdy crowd in Tiger Stadium.
Getting the home crowd going early is key, and when it comes to stopping a relatively predictable Alabama offense in week 11, that very well could be the difference.
Get the running game going early
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier took a lot of the blame coming away from the Tigersâ 38-23 loss against Texas A&M two weeks ago, and it was fairly understandable why. At the end of the day, throwing three second half interceptions isnât exactly a recipe for success.
With that said, the thing that many glanced over was the fact that he really didnât have much help from the rest of his offense. As a matter of fact, after logging 23 carries, the team managed just 24 total yards and a touchdown on the ground. For the sake of comparison, Nussmeier threw the ball 50 times for 405 yards.
Fortunately for the veteran signal caller and his team, as we now find ourselves heading into week 11, we now live in a very different world. For starters, coming out of their second BYE of 2024, coach Brian Kellyâs roster is as healthy as theyâve been since the start of the season, and that notably includes within their backfield.
What this means is that impressive freshman running back Caden Durham is reportedly as close to 100 percent healthy as heâs been since September, when he amassed 217 total yards and two touchdowns on just 10 touches against Sun Belt foe South Alabama in week five. While itâd be irresponsible to expect a similar output from the freshman phenom this week, itâs at the very least reason to feel some optimism.
Additionally, when you take into consideration that the Tigers are going from a matchup against a truly elite Texas A&M defensive front, to a somewhat middling Crimson Tide defensive line, there could certainly be some open lanes in the ground game throughout the evening.
LSU football vs. Alabama will officially take place this evening, Saturday, November 9, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The top-15 matchup is set take place at Tiger Stadium, and will be available to watch live on ABC or ESPN+.
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