The LSU Tigers are heading back into SEC play Saturday night against a Kentucky Wildcats team that has already shown it’s better than plenty of people expected. Kentucky may have slipped out of the top 25 in the latest update, but the Wildcats are still riding a three-game win streak, and LSU can’t afford to treat this one like anything less than a real challenge.
If the Tigers want to avoid the upset, the path starts with controlling the game in the trenches and making Kentucky’s offense play on LSU’s terms.
The first job is simple: shut down the Wildcats’ ground attack. Kentucky leans on a two-man rushing punch in CJ Baxter and Jason Patterson, and both backs have been major reasons the Wildcats have broken through early this season.
Baxter, a five-star recruit out of high school and the top back in his class, began his college career at Texas before injuries pushed him to Kentucky this year. He has 361 yards and six touchdowns on 68 carries.
Patterson has been just as dangerous in his own way, turning 45 rushing attempts into 355 yards and three scores while averaging 7.9 yards per carry.
On the other side, LSU needs Sam Leavitt to keep building on what has been a more comfortable stretch throwing the ball. There has been plenty of focus on his arm over the past two weeks as he works back from a lower-body injury, and LSU has benefited from that shift.
Still, the Tigers are at their best when Leavitt can do a little of everything - stay in the pocket, deliver quick decisions, and threaten defenses with his legs when the play breaks down. Kentucky has already had trouble tackling this season, which should be good news for both Leavitt and Dilin Jones, who have been hard to bring down.
The final piece is forcing Kenny Minchey into uncomfortable spots. Kentucky’s offensive line has been strong, with former Tigers freshman star Lance Heard anchoring the unit.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Wildcats have allowed just 24 pressures, while LSU has given up 44. When Minchey has time, he’s been highly efficient, completing 68.3% of his passes for 1,148 yards, 11 touchdowns and only one interception.
Kentucky’s passing game has also shown the ability to hit explosive plays, so this becomes a big test for LSU’s edge presence, especially Princewill Umanmielen and Deuce Geralds, who have both started the year strong.
For LSU, this game comes down to denying Kentucky’s run game, getting Leavitt into a rhythm, and making sure Minchey doesn’t get comfortable.
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Harold Perkins has made his presence felt in Atlanta, too, and his latest outing against the New Orleans Saints stood out as the kind of performance that can change the conversation around a player. He piled up 10 tackles, added half a sack and broke up a pass, a busy stat line that showed the range and urgency LSU fans remember. For both players, the bigger question now is not whether they belong, but how quickly their first impressions can turn into something lasting. [Read more 🡒]
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Kentucky Faces A Huge LSU Test With No Room For Another Slow Start
Kentuckys comeback against South Carolina kept the Wildcats from leaving empty-handed, but it also reinforced the margin for error in the SEC. Down 17-0 before rallying to win 35-34 in overtime, Kentucky still slipped out of the AP Top 25, and first-year coach Will Stein made clear this week that surviving another slow start wont be nearly enough against No. 10 LSU.
The challenge gets even steeper because LSU arrives with its own issues, even while remaining one of the leagues most complete teams on both sides of the ball. Lane Kiffins group has been managing injuries, but the Tigers still have the kind of defensive front and offensive talent that can punish a team before it finds its footing, which leaves Kentucky staring at a test that demands a cleaner start and a full four quarters. [Read more 🡒]