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Kevin Steele made his debut as LSU’s defensive coordinator last Saturday in Starkville, Miss., and what a perfect game to make his presence felt.
In 2014, LSU’s heart-buckling loss against Mississippi State also marked the defense’s worst performance of the season. Turning the tables last Saturday showed the impact Steele is having on that defense, and that even with success there’s room to grow.
In the game last year, LSU allowed a season-high 570 yards of total offense to Dak Prescott and the Bulldogs. Mississippi State gashed LSU for 302 rushing yards, the most the defense surrendered since Oct. 23, 2010, at Auburn.
Prescott alone accounted for 373 yards of offense, including 268 yards passing and another 105 on the ground. Fast forward to last Saturday when then-ranked No. 25 Mississippi State posted an impressive 378 yards of total offense, but only scored 19 points.
That was Steele’s bend-but-don’t-break defense at its best.
LSU held Prescott to 11-of-20 passing for 88 yards in the first half, largely because of the pressure the defensive line was able to put on the quarterback. Both defensive end Arden Key and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux were able to sack Prescott, and both sacks came in the opening quarter.
Five of the Bulldogs’ six offensive drives in the first half resulted in punts, and Mississippi State could only muster a field goal by intermission.
LSU ran into trouble in the second half as Mississippi State made adjustments to combat the fierce pass rush. Prescott sped up his release and, as a result, was 23-of-32 passing for 247 yards in the second half and threw his only touchdown pass of the game during that span.
Not coincidentally, Prescott was only sacked once in the final three quarters.
As ferocious as the LSU pass rush was in the first half, it was equally as gassed in the second. Such is a concern with a defense littered with young talent, but players that lack the necessary conditioning to play a 60-minute game. That rings particularly true in SEC competition, when the players tend to be among the fastest in the country.
For what it’s worth, Steele’s game plan was on point. It was executed to a tee — at least early on — but needs to be facilitated further by improved stamina among his players.
If pressure up front is what the Steele defense is going to be built upon, then consider this week’s showdown against No. 18 Auburn a fitting formula.
Auburn’s starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson is suddenly in the spotlight for all of the wrong reasons entering Saturday’s game at No. 13 LSU. Johnson has thrown five interceptions through his first two starts of the season, the most by an SEC quarterback in that span since 2009, per the SEC Network.
Last week, Johnson was rattled by the Jacksonville State defense and turned it over twice, nearly leading to a monumental upset. Such was a theme in the season opener against Louisville. Though neither team was able to get to Johnson for sacks, both were able to generate enough pressure in the Auburn backfield to force errant throws and make questionable decisions.
In both contests, Auburn’s ground game helped alleviate the pressure opposing defenses were able to get on Johnson. That will be a test for the LSU front seven and safeties if the defensive line is chasing after Johnson.
The name of Steele’s game is pressure, and with LSU he certainly has all of the weapons he needs at his disposal. LSU’s defense line may be feasting off on Auburn’s second-string right tackle. The Tigers can also use Kendell Beckwith and Deion Jones to throw multiple rushers at Johnson, if need be, especially if the defensive line loses steam for a second week in a row.
Thus far, LSU is 1-0 in the Kevin Steele era with a 21-19 defeat of Mississippi State. He has to feel good about finally shoving his previous most recent performance as a coordinator — a 70-point outburst by West Virginia — out of the narrative.
Figuring out how to knock off a second ranked opponent in as many weeks will only bolster the defensive coordinator’s stock.
Sam Spiegelman is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, LSU and Texas A&M.
