LSU wasted no time turning Saturday night into a rout, jumping out to a 35-0 lead in the first half and rolling past McNeese 63-14 in front of a sellout crowd at Tiger Stadium.
The No. 11 Tigers handled the Cowboys in the third meeting between the programs and got production all over the field, with freshman wide receiver Corey Barber Jr. delivering one of the night’s biggest breakout performances. Barber Jr. caught two straight second-quarter touchdowns for the first scores of his LSU career, finished the first half with 45 yards on four catches from quarterback Sam Leavitt, and ended the game with 83 total yards while going 7-for-7 on targets.
LSU’s ground game was just as ruthless. Harlem Berry led the way with 125 yards and a touchdown, Stacy Gage added 110 yards and two scores, and Dilin Jones chipped in 79 yards and a touchdown of his own.
The tone was set almost immediately when junior safety Tamarcus Cooley picked off McNeese quarterback Jake Strong on the Cowboys’ first possession, snagging a pass intended for Kameron Senegal at the LSU 31. That turnover fed straight into an early Tigers march, with Jones punching in a 1-yard touchdown to open the scoring and give LSU a 7-0 lead inside the first five minutes.
McNeese never really settled in. The Cowboys went three-and-out over and over in the first half, finishing the opening 30 minutes with five three-and-outs and seven overall by the end of the night. LSU, meanwhile, kept stacking drives and points.
There was a brief stumble when Leavitt missed Winston Watkins Jr. in the end zone late in the first quarter, but the Tigers answered quickly. Leavitt found tight end Roman Mothershed for a 1-yard touchdown, the first of Mothershed’s LSU career after transferring from Troy.
Leavitt did throw an interception later, with McNeese senior cornerback Lorenzell Dubose forcing the turnover on a pass intended for Wilson at the 2-yard line. But that was one of the few moments that slowed LSU down.
Landen Clark entered at quarterback early in the second quarter and added a 3-yard touchdown run, stretching the lead to 21 points. Then Barber Jr. took over. Leavitt hit him for a 6-yard score, and with 57 seconds left before halftime, Barber Jr. caught another pass from Leavitt in the left corner of the end zone and turned it into a 12-yard touchdown to send LSU into the break up 35-0.
McNeese finally got on the board with 4:48 left in the third quarter, when freshman quarterback Brady Barrier connected with Jamaal Levi for a 43-yard touchdown. But LSU answered right back. Freshman defensive tackle Deuce Geralds scored on a 1-yard run, Berry added an 11-yard touchdown, and the Tigers were back in full control at 49-7.
The Cowboys scored again on a 64-yard run by Levi, but LSU kept extending the margin. Gage ripped off a 46-yard touchdown to make it 56-14, then added a 39-yard run two minutes later to push the Tigers to 62 points. Scott Starzyk’s extra point on LSU’s final scoring drive brought the total to 63, and he finished a perfect 9-for-9 on PATs.
LSU, now 4-1, heads to Kentucky for Week 6 on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m.
In Other News...
LSU Just Got Encouraging News At Two Crucial Positions
LSU got a welcome update on two important pieces of its roster, with coach Lane Kiffin saying tight end TreyDez Green and linebacker Whit Weeks are both expected to return at some point this season. Green, who has been working back from a knee injury suffered in September, is out of his brace and moving freely, while Weeks continues to recover from a fractured lower leg.
The Tigers have managed to keep winning with others stepping into those roles, but the eventual return of both players would still give the team a boost on each side of the ball. For now, LSU can at least feel better about the direction of two injuries that looked like they could linger much longer. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Got A Hopeful TreyDez Green Update Before SEC Play
LSU is heading into SEC play after a win over McNeese, and the conversation around the Tigers has quickly shifted from settling things down to getting ready for a tougher test against Kentucky. Lane Kiffin had plenty to say about the matchup and had praise for Wildcats coach Will Stein, while also using the week to take stock of where his own team stands after the opener.
The injury picture remains part of the backdrop, especially with quarterback Sam Leavitt dealing with a hamstring issue and the staff watching how that situation unfolds. Kiffin also offered a positive update on TreyDez Greens recovery, a development LSU will be happy to hear as it moves into conference play and continues to sort through the details of a game that figures to draw out more from the Tigers on both sides of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
LSU's Young Tigers May Have Forced Bigger SEC Roles
In a lopsided 63-14 win over McNeese, LSU got something more than an expected tune-up performance. Injuries among starters opened the door for younger players to see meaningful snaps, and several freshmen answered with the kind of production that can change the way a depth chart looks moving forward. On defense, Deuce Geralds, Zach Weeks and Jhase Thomas were among the young Tigers who made their presence felt.
Geralds stood out with a sack and a touchdown in the same game, while Corey Barber Jr. gave the offense a lift with 7 catches for 83 yards and 2 touchdowns as LSU piled up 731 total yards. Performances like those do not guarantee anything in the SEC, but they can force coaches to think differently about how quickly freshmen are ready for bigger roles when the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]