Week 6 against Kentucky gave LSU a few clear standouts, and the Stripes of the Week rundown reflected that mix of big plays, steady production, and a defense that had to grind through stretches without much margin for error.
Jackson Harris earned a Three Stripes nod after another week of real growth. He tied Winston Watkins Jr. for the team lead in targets and catches against Kentucky with eight targets and six receptions, and while Watkins finished with more receiving yards, 62 to 58, Harris delivered the most memorable play of the night.
He connected on a 41-yard touchdown pass to Roman Mothershed at a crucial moment, putting LSU ahead 27-24 in the fourth quarter. For a passing game that had questions early in the season about trust between Sam Leavitt and the receivers, Harris has made the biggest leap in that area alongside Watkins.
On the defensive side, TJ Dottery also picked up a Three Stripes honor after helping LSU hold Kentucky largely in check on the ground. Take away one play, and the Wildcats were limited to 89 rushing yards.
Dottery finished with 12 total tackles, including one for loss, and he also posted a 65 grade in pass coverage. With Whit Weeks still out, Dottery’s role only grows more important for a linebacker group that remains thin.
Roman Mothershed came away with Two Stripes after turning in another productive night. He has scored touchdowns in back-to-back weeks, and against Kentucky he was LSU’s highest-graded player on PFF with a 77.9 overall mark.
His blocking grade was 54.7, right in line with Zach Grace at tight end. The confidence in Mothershed is clearly building, especially with Trey’Dez Green sidelined by injury.
Though Mothershed is listed as a wide receiver, his frame and style line up more closely with Green than anyone else on the roster, which helps explain the bump in his usage over the last two games. His line also jumped from two catches for 12 yards against McNeese to two catches for 56 yards against Kentucky.
That growth may not be dramatic, but the Tigers need it to keep moving in that direction until Green returns. Once he does, the two could give LSU a red-zone combination it doesn’t currently have.
Winston Watkins Jr. also landed in the Two Stripes group, and the production keeps backing up the preseason expectation that he would be a go-to option for this staff. Against Kentucky, he caught six passes for 62 yards. Even as the rest of the receiving room continues to earn more trust, Watkins remains a steady piece of the attack, and he now leads the team with 29 catches for 416 yards and two touchdowns this season.
Among the One Stripe selections, Stephiylan Green put together a quieter box-score night that still mattered. He had three tackles in 47 snaps and earned a 69.1 overall grade along with a 72.2 tackling grade. Green was a factor in the second-half adjustments that slowed Kentucky’s run game.
PJ Woodland also received one stripe after a solid outing in coverage and a noticeable special moment on a corner blitz. He didn’t get home on the pressure, but he still forced disruption in the throwing lane. Woodland also showed up with a strong hustle play, chasing down CJ Baxter on his 77-yard run on Kentucky’s first drive.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Family Drama Adds To LSU Fans' Frustration After Loss
The mood around LSU was already sour after the upset loss to Kentucky, and Lane Kiffin did little to lift it when he pointed to execution errors and turnovers as the reasons the Tigers let one get away. For a fan base expecting a steadier response, the defeat only deepened the frustration around a season that has already produced too many anxious Saturdays.
Then came a bit of added off-field noise during the Red River Rivalry, when Landry Kiffin drew attention online by showing support for several SEC programs, including LSU, Ole Miss and Texas. The social media criticism that followed was less about football allegiance than the timing, since LSU supporters were already bristling over the loss and looking for something, anything, to settle the conversation back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Faces A Dangerous LSU Temptation Right Now
LSUs fast start has given way to a rougher stretch in league play, and the Tigers are suddenly trying to steady themselves after consecutive SEC losses. There have still been flashes of what this team can become, especially on offense, but the inconsistency has been hard to ignore. Too often, LSU has left plays on the field in the moments that matter most, and the defensive effort has followed a similar pattern, with strong outings mixed in with performances that have not held up against conference competition.
For Lane Kiffin, the appeal is obvious because the talent is there and the upside has already shown up in stretches. The challenge now is figuring out whether LSU can turn those promising pieces into something more durable before the seasons biggest games start to define it. The Tigers have enough capability to stay in the conversation, but the margin for error keeps shrinking until the execution catches up with the potential. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Brings Auburn Fans A Bigger Question Than Media Day Absences
LSUs trip to SEC Media Day in Birmingham ended up looking a little thinner than planned, with coach Will Wade and several members of the program left behind by weather problems in Baton Rouge. The same travel issue also kept transfers Abdi Bashir Jr. and Mouhamed Dioubate from making the event, while Kim Mulkey and several LSU womens players were also absent from their own session, turning what should have been a routine preseason stop into a logistics story almost as much as a basketball one.
Beneath the inconvenience, though, the more interesting question for LSU is what the roster actually looks like once the season gets moving. The programs official group has been updated to 10 players, but several names still are not appearing there, and Wade has already been open about taking an unconventional approach to building out this team. For Auburn fans and everyone else around the league, the media-day absences were only the surface issue. The bigger issue is figuring out how complete LSU really is before the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]