Our friends at Death Valley Voice help us break down today’s matchup between the Syracuse football team and LSU at the Carrier Dome.
Today at 12:00 pm EST, Syracuse hosts LSU in a matchup of undefeated teams. Syracuse is coming off an overtime victory over Central Michigan 30-27, while LSU is coming off a drubbing of Auburn, 45-21.
Although both teams are undefeated, LSU is ranked 8th nationally while SU is unranked. They are still searching for an identity after losing their top two quarterbacks to injury in the first three games of the season.
Earlier this week, I was able to exchange some questions with Josh Criswell, the editor of Death Valley Voice, an LSU fan site. Here are some of his thoughts on tomorrow’s game:
LSU is extremely run heavy through 2 games, do you think that will continue against Syracuse?
There is no reason to believe that anything will change, especially given LSU’s offensive tendencies during Les Miles’ decade at the helm of the program. The Tigers seem to always feature a run-heavy, even when they have solid talent at the quarterback. If they are going to open up the playbook and start airing the ball out, it is going to be against an SEC opponent, not a team that they are a multi-touchdown favorite against.
The LSU defense has been dominant so far. How do you think they’ll perform against Syracuse and it’s option/hybrid back look?
The LSU defense will most likely continue its dominance. They have already faced two dynamic offenses this season. The one thing that has given them some trouble so far has been their pass defense, but I do not expect Zack Mahoney to exploit the Tigers’ secondary.
Sep 19, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) leaps over the goal line for a touchdown against the Auburn Tigers during the third quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Fournette is having a monster start to the season. Do you think he will continue that success against SU’s run defense?
There are not but a handful of opponents who could possibly slow down Leonard Fournette, and even then it would take a terrific defensive effort. I hate to use the worn-out comparison, but he really does look like Adrian Peterson did during his OU days. Fournette has had four consecutive 100-yard games dating back to last season, and I do not see that streak ending.
Who is the one player people may not know about on LSU that could be the difference maker this year?
Brandon Harris. As the starting quarterback at LSU, he gets plenty of fanfare in the SEC, but he has not been mentioned much in the national media due to the Tigers reliance on the running game. But if LSU is going to be a legitimate national title contender, it is going to be because they find a productive passing game to match with their dominant rushing attack.
Do you think Les Miles will run a very basic or “vanilla” playbook to not give anything away before SEC play, or will he try and experiment and open up the offense?
A mix of both. When the starters are in the game, you can expect vanilla play calling. But when the Tigers begin to put some of their true freshmen on the field, expect more exciting play calls.
What are your final predictions?
I hate to say it, but I don’t see this game being close at all. I predict Leonard Fournette having another 100-yard game, and LSU’s young players seeing the field early and often. The biggest thing that could help Syracuse is if they find a passing attack. If not, things could get ugly.
LSU 41, Syracuse 20