LSU’s 63-14 win over McNeese gave the Tigers more than a lopsided final score. It also offered another look at two players who have pushed themselves into bigger roles: running back Harlem Berry and defensive tackle Deuce Geralds.
Berry said his rise has come from staying patient and doing the work even when the snaps weren’t there early in the season. After barely seeing the field through the first three games, he has become one of LSU’s go-to options following his performance against the Aggies and the injuries that opened the door.
“Keeping my head down, keep working hard, getting on special teams, working hard at practice until my opportunity was there and was able to present itself.”
Berry also credited assistant head coach and running back coach Kevin Smith for the offseason work that helped him sharpen his game. When Berry gets on the field, he says he leans on that coaching.
“Being able to just take the coaching and the details that he applied and he gave us and, like I said, it’s going to go out there and show.”
Geralds had a big day of his own, finishing with a sack and a touchdown against the Cowboys. For the true freshman, that moment in Tiger Stadium meant plenty.
“Its been my dream to be in Tiger Stadium and so scoring a touchdown in Tiger Stadium was like, unbelievable for me and I’m just really grateful for it and blessed for it.”
Geralds has started all five games for LSU this season, a rare responsibility for a freshman, and he said the older players around him on the defensive line have been important in helping him settle in.
“The older guys that I’ve been playing with on the D-line have really been pouring into me and teaching me new things.”
He has already piled up 5 sacks, putting him among LSU’s top defenders. Harold Perkins Jr. holds the school record for sacks in a season with 7, and Geralds said he is chasing more.
“I’m really working hard to go get more sacks and more sacks every game.”
LSU’s next game is against Kentucky, and the Tigers are about to begin a seven-week stretch of SEC play. Berry and Geralds are both expected to remain in the starting lineup as that run begins.
In Other News...
LSU May Have Found A New Weapon In Saturday's Rout
Saturdays rout offered LSU something it has been searching for on offense: another young target who can do real damage as soon as the ball is snapped. True freshman Corey Barber Jr. made the most of his chances in the first half, hauling in four passes for 45 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers quickly separated from McNeese State and turned the game into a runaway before halftime.
The timing matters, too, because LSU got that burst while quarterback Sam Leavitt was still managing a hamstring injury and still finished the day efficiently through the air. By halftime, the Tigers had already piled up a 35-0 lead, outgained McNeese State 347 yards to 31 and owned a 20-2 edge in first downs, a sign that the offense was operating with more rhythm and more answers than the opponent could handle. [Read more 🡒]
LSU's QB Plan Just Got More Complicated Than Fans Hoped
LSUs quarterback picture already had a little fog around it, and the McNeese State game only made it thicker. Sam Leavitt was back under center as the regular starter even while working through a hamstring injury from the previous week, a reminder that the Tigers are managing more than just the normal September wear and tear. Behind him, Landen Clark and Husan Longstreet were also slated for meaningful snaps, keeping the offense in a state of shared responsibility rather than a clean, settled hierarchy.
It was not just the quarterback room feeling the strain. Safety Ty Benefield and William Satterwhite II also started in place of injured or replaced players, which says plenty about how many moving parts LSU has had to sort through at once. For a team trying to establish rhythm early, the challenge is no longer simply who starts, but how quickly the Tigers can get continuity while those rotations keep shifting around them. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Sent LSU A Clear Message In A Blowout Win
LSUs 63-14 win over McNeese State looked one-sided long before it was over, but the bigger takeaway may have been the way Lane Kiffin handled it. The Tigers piled up a program-record number of first downs and offensive plays while finishing with the second-most total yards in school history, a reminder that the performance stayed sharp from start to finish even after the margin opened up.
Kiffin still found ways to keep the edge intact, calling timeout before the second half despite the comfortable lead and making substitutions that were as much about message as matchup. It was a clear push to reinforce his standards and the culture he wants in place, even in a game that could have easily drifted into empty snaps and soft focus. [Read more 🡒]