The LSU Tigers are very quietly 4-1 and a win this weekend over the Tennessee Vols (4-0) would finally make people take notice.
By Steve Wright
Follow @14powerscom
Here are the three keys to make that happen:
Jayden Daniels Needs To Go Big
The Tigers need a big game out of quarterback Jayden Daniels here. His start to the season was impressive, but his performance against Auburn was not one he will remember fondly. The same could be said of the entire offense if we are being honest, with a players-only meeting called this week to work out the kinks ahead of Tennessee rolling into town. Daniels’ issue has been consistency, with the Arizona State transfer being an outstanding playmaker in crucial moments but missing too many open shots so far. That can’t happen against Tennessee, where Daniels must be close to perfect.
Contain Hendon Hooker
The Tennessee offense is the best in the country in several metrics. The key to it all is quarterback Hendon Hooker. Hooker hasn’t thrown a single interception yet in 2022, but the key to winning this might just be to make Hooker throw the ball. The LSU defensive backfield is good enough to keep coverage on the Tennessee wide receivers, while Florida found out the hard way two weeks ago that when Hooker gets loose, he is deadly. The quarterback rushed for 112 yards on 13 carries against the Gators, and as a dual-threat, he is impossible to deal with. LSU needs to keep Hooker in the pocket and make him pass to beat them.
Play Tempo
When LSU almost came back to beat Florida State, it was because head coach Brian Kelly went with his tempo offense. Tennessee has an offense that will score 30+ points every time it gets off of the bus, in part due to a lightning-quick tempo that is hard to play against. Daniels seems to work better in a system where he is playing fast, so a huge key to beating the Vols would be to if not match tempo, then at least pick up the pace so that Daniels can thrive.
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