Our Defense vs Their Offense: Texas Longhorns

With the LSU offense still seeming to be the most inconsistent part of the team, the LSU defense will need to deliver a performance similar to the 2011 LSU defense in order to win this game. LSU’s defense has been very good all year, and the challenge is not going to get any easier. The responsibility for keeping the Tigers’ hopes of a major postseason appearance alive will fall squarely on their shoulders.

The Tigers are set to take on the Longhorns this Saturday night in what will be the final home game of Lane Kiffin’s first year at LSU. Texas is led by Arch Manning, a New Orleans native and grandson of Saints legend Archie Manning. Arch Manning has had a solid campaign so far this season, and even though Texas has two losses, the Longhorns are still in control of their own destiny. Having Manning leading this offense certainly gives them a better chance of accomplishing their goals.

So far this season, Manning has 2,024 passing yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has also completed 66% of his passes and averages around 225 passing yards per game.

This Texas team has the ability to play similarly to the Alabama team that LSU just faced. When looking at the numbers, Alabama’s offense is statistically better in every single category, but the differences are not overwhelming. Texas averages 31.1 points per game, which ranks 48th nationally. The Longhorns also average 363 yards per game, ranking 87th nationally. Texas averages 232 passing yards and 130 rushing yards per game, ranking 66th and 105th nationally, respectively.

This offense is not as good as the Alabama offense that just left Tiger Stadium with only 280 total yards.

The major difference will be how defensive coordinator Blake Baker approaches Texas’ offensive philosophy. Texas uses a pro-style spread offense, whereas Alabama operates more out of a spread system with aggressive passing concepts. Texas uses motion to create leverage against opposing defenses and is comfortable taking what the defense gives them. The Longhorns also use motion to disguise what they are trying to accomplish on a given play.

Credit head coach Steve Sarkisian, because against Missouri this past weekend, Texas began implementing more traditional spread principles, formations, and concepts to get the ball out of Manning’s hands quicker. This approach will probably be used frequently against LSU to combat the elite pass rush that the Tigers possess.

Through nine games, Texas has allowed 27 sacks and has suffered significant injuries on the offensive side of the ball, most notably to left tackle Trevor Goosby. Goosby was considered one of the offensive tackles who could challenge LSU left tackle Jordan Seaton to be the first tackle selected in the upcoming NFL Draft. Unfortunately, the senior blindside protector is done for the year with a knee injury.

Texas also lost running back Hollywood Smothers to a torn MCL, and Cam Coleman, one of the top receivers in the transfer portal, did not play against Missouri after a game-time decision regarding his shoulder injury. That same shoulder injury bothered him the week before against Mississippi State, when Coleman played only 10 snaps but still managed to catch a touchdown. It’s possible Coleman could return for this game in Baton Rouge.

The numbers favor LSU’s defense taking advantage of the Texas offense, and with the number of injuries Texas has sustained so far, there is even more reason to believe LSU can and should overwhelm this Longhorns offense.

Against Missouri, the Longhorns scored 34 points but rushed for only 104 yards and allowed three sacks.

The advantage Texas has, and an area where LSU struggled last week against Alabama, is in the red zone. Texas converted all four of its red-zone opportunities into scores last week, and LSU allowed Alabama to finish 4-for-4 on its red-zone opportunities as well.

The Tigers may bend, but they cannot allow themselves to break.

Even if the offense puts them in compromising situations, the defense will have to come up big. LSU needs to force turnovers in this game in a major way. Texas has a minus-four turnover margin on the season, with the offense giving the ball away 14 times.

If LSU can stop the run, limit red-zone scoring, and force turnovers, this game should not be close.

If the running game is being stalled and the Tigers’ pass rush is getting home against Manning, he has a tendency to press and put both the football and the offense in danger. Manning has very good running ability, but he is not as elusive a runner as Keelon Russell, Marcel Reed, or Byrum Brown.

The Tigers should be able to win this matchup on defense. The question then becomes: Which LSU offense will show up?

How do you feel about the LSU defense going up against the Texas offense? Do you believe Arch Manning is the best quarterback in this matchup?