Ad Disclosure
November is starting to turn ugly for an LSU team that opened the month as a playoff contender.
It’s not entirely the Tigers’ fault, for they’ve played two of the hottest teams in the country over the past two weeks. But, after a 7-0 start, you can’t lose consecutive games against conference opponents by a total of 61-30 and expect fans to still be cheering for you.
To avoid a complete collapse in 2015, these five Tigers will have to make an impact in Saturday’s game against Ole Miss:
1. QB Brandon Harris: After not throwing an interception all September and October, Harris now has consecutive games with a pick in the Tigers’ only two losses. The bigger issue, however, is his inability to scare defenses with reliable, deep balls that has really hurt the Tigers.
Harris took five sacks against Arkansas and couldn’t get LSU out of its offensive funk. With RB Leonard Fournette in the backfield, defenses are daring Harris to beat them and the game-manager isn’t taking advantage.
Ole Miss made Arkansas QB Brandon Allen look like Peyton Manning two weeks ago so if ever there was a week for the sophomore to get back on track, it’s this week against the Rebels.
2. OL K.J Malone: After giving up five sacks to an Arkansas team that had recorded just eight coming in, the LSU offensive line showed cracks after dominating their opponents early. Starting LT Jerald Hawkins left the field Saturday with undisclosed injury, which may force him to miss the Ole Miss game as well.
His replacement K.J. Malone (son of Utah Jazz great Karl Malone) struggled mightily in his absence. Throughout the game, Malone’s assignment, Arkansas pass rusher Deatrich Wise Jr. continuously wreaked havoc in the backfield, finishing with 2.5 sacks. Against a Mississippi defensive line that includes potential SEC Defensive Player of the Year award winner Robert Nkemdiche, Malone will need to prove he deserves to be on the field.
3. WR Malachi Dupre: After making little impact in his freshman season, the former 5-star WR Dupre is emerging. Dupre has five touchdowns in his past five games (more than his freshman year total).
LSU needs that and more as opponents load up to stop Fournette.
4. NB Jalen Mills: As the only senior starter in the secondary Mills will need to rally a talented group that’s been giving up big plays all season.
Big play-TD puts Arkansas in front early:
Arkansas' Dominique Reed makes the short catch, then bust… https://t.co/P3bpx9MI2H via @ESPN— Feeding the Hogs (@FeedingHogs) November 15, 2015
For a football team that’s known as “DB-U”, LSU’s secondary has been one of the team’s underrated weaknesses all season. The Tigers have just eight inceptions through nine games.
Expect Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly to challenge them repeatedly Saturday.
5. RB Leonard Fournette: There’s nothing so wrong with LSU that a 200-yard performance from Fournette can’t fix. LSU needs its best players to play like it. That starts with Fournette.
