The Tigers have officially won 65 games vs. Ole Miss in the matchupās history and have an excellent chance of reaching No. 66 in 2023. Here, weāll outlineĀ three reasons LSU footballĀ will beat the Rebels, including Jayden Daniels and coach Brian Kelly.
Three reasons LSU football will win vs. Ole Miss
1. The Tiger passing game can find success against anyone
What a season itās been for quarterback Jayden Daniels and the entire LSU football offense. Most notably, the passing game has been far better than most fans expected, as itās proven to be one of the best in the SEC.
Through four games, Daniels has thrown the ballĀ 124 times for 1,296 yards and 12 touchdowns, compared to just two interceptions.
Furthermore, while the Tiger pass catchers have plenty of talent and depth, two main targets have truly shined in 2023. Juniors Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr have been fantastic, combining for 55 receptions, 936 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Ole Miss defense has allowedĀ 226.2 passing yards per game, good enough for 67th in the country. With the way quarterback Jayden Daniels has been leading this Tiger passing game, itās hard to imagine any defenses truly stopping them. Expect this to be a strength for LSU football yet again vs. the Rebels.
2. Run defense will shine
If thereās one thing the LSU football defense truly specializes in, itās stopping the run. Right up on the defensive front, the Tigers have several of the best defensive linemen in the entire country.
Among them are names such asĀ Mekhi Wingo and Maason Smith, but another name that might not be quite as familiar to fans is Jordan Jefferson.
Formerly a stud defensive tackle at West Virginia, Jefferson has subtly become one of the best run-stoppers in the SEC. In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, heās exactly that, as he ranks No. 2 in the conference with an 82.9 run defense grade.
All the players mentioned above could be huge for the Tigers on Saturday. This is especially true when considering the talent in the Ole Miss backfield.
Not only do they have studĀ sophomore running back Quinshon Judkins, but quarterback Jaxson Dart is a solid runner in his own right. If the Tiger defense hopes to slow down the Rebelsā offense, it will start with stopping the run, and I expect them to do so.
3. Coach Brian Kelly knows what it takes to travel well
LSU football has traveled to a true away game just once this season. Ironically enough, that one game was also in the state of Mississippi, as the Tigers beat Mississippi State 41-14.
With a score like that, one might think it was a dominating win, and one might be correct to think that. Coach Brian Kellyās squadĀ dominated all the way through, even despite it having been a morning kickoff.
When thinking about how the Tigers got off to such a hot start, Brian Kelly and his coaching experience were a major part of it. To keep his team awake and loose, he had the bus pull over on the way into Mississippi at a car dealership to allow the players to stretch out.
This inevitably worked wonders, as his offense went on to scoreĀ 24 points in the first half alone.
Coach Brian Kelly has over 30 years of head coaching experience. If anyone can lead a college football team to a road win in 2023, itās him.
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