Tigers and Cubs: Week 1 vs. Clemson

Welcome to the first edition of a weekly post-game series called Tigers and Cubs. It’s a play on words using LSU references based on a series that I used to do when I covered the New Orleans Saints back in the mid-2010s. Then, it was called Saints and Sinners.

Each week, we’ll look back at the game and highlight the top and bottom performers. The plan is to name three of each. There will certainly be games, like this one, where there are more than three players that were worthy of being praised for their performance, but having to narrow it down is what makes it special.

As for the Cubs, the goal here is never to hate on a player’s performance or kick him when he’s down. We’re simply discussing light critiques that he and his coaching staff have more than likely gone over multiple times before this piece comes out on Tuesdays. We’re going to be constructive, not straight negative.

Saturday night against Clemson delivered one of those games in which 10+ players could be chosen as Tigers. That was one of the best week 1 performances we’ve ever seen from an LSU football team, especially considering the opponent. Dabo Swinney and his Tigers have won two titles in the past 10 years, so don’t let the last few years fool you. He’s still a great coach with a great program, but one that’s just in need of some adjustments to the new landscape of college football. What LSU did on Saturday was impressive.

As for the Cubs, we have to dig a little deeper and nitpick to find solid options for that list. There weren’t really any individuals that played awful and doomed their team, so we have to find little things to clean up.

Tigers:

Sam Leavitt

It always starts with the quarterback. It’s the most important single position in all of team sports, so when you get an individual performance from the guy under center like you did on Saturday, it’s hard to keep him off of this list. The question since January when the transfer portal was open was, “Will Leavitt be 100%.” Well, it sure seemed like he was 100%.

While the timings with his receivers need to (and will) improve, he was making magic with his legs. There were a few really nice throws, but the stat line of 16-28 for 230 yards with a touchdown and interception, doesn’t really blow you away. The 12 carries for 113 yards and 2 touchdowns does, though. My new term for the way Leavitt plays quarterback going forward will be “backyard football”, because his ability to scramble around looks like a big brother juking around his little brother and friends. His performance was a treat to watch.

Dilin Jones

Ever since spring camp, all we have heard was that Dilin Jones was the guy to watch at running back. It was hard to believe, at first, considering LSU was bringing back Caden Durham and Harlem Berry. Then, fall camp arrived and the talks were more of the same. “It’s Jones’s job to lose,” many said.

Well, we saw why on Saturday night. Lane Kiffin has often opted to share the load between multiple running backs in his career. Unless he has a stud, that is. Look no further than Kewan Lacy a year ago at Ole Miss. While it’s only one game, Jones’s performance against Clemson looked like that. His 23 carries for 113 yards and 2 touchdowns would be great for any game. That was before the 3rd quarter was even over and he and the starters were out of the game and on the sideline. It could have been way, way more. It’s hard to argue against Jones and his 4.9 yards per carry as being the performance of the game.

Jordan Ross

Coming over from Tennessee in the transfer portal, many wondered if Jordan Ross was a bust. He came out of high school as a top-10 player in the entire country. Ranked the #1 edge rusher, he was a consensus 5-star and expected to do big things. Through two years with the Volunteers, he was only able to record 1.5 sacks.

In one game as a Tiger, Ross reminded the world why he was ranked so high. He finished with 4 tackles, 2 for loss, and a sack. One of those tackles for loss very well could have been ruled a sack, which would have given him more production in one game than his entire career. It was the play he made in the 1st quarter that really set things off, though. Lining up at defensive end, Ross dropped back in to coverage and baited a Christopher Vizzina throw right in to his hands, returning it for a touchdown and sending Tiger Stadium in to so much of a frenzy, a minor earthquake was registered. LSU got themselves a good one.

Cubs:

Malik Blocton

It’s unfortunate to have to list someone here for one decision, but it’s something that just can’t happen. Late in the 3rd quarter, pressure forced Tait Reynolds to throw an incompletion on 1st and 10 to start Clemson’s drive. Blocton his Reynolds blatantly late and drew a roughing the passer for an automatic first down. It’s a mistake that did not matter in the long run with the score 44-3 at the time, but those things can be killers in tight ball games.

Scott Starzyk

The All-SEC kicker transfer from Arkansas got off to a great start by drilling his first field goal attempt from 49 yards. The kick had plenty of leg and tied the game at 3-3 early. Early in the 2nd quarter, LSU faced a 4th and 3 from the Clemson 30 yard line. To everyone’s surprise, Kiffin chose to kick the field goal instead of staying hyper-aggressive and going for it, especially when analytics likely told him to. It was 17-3 at the time, so his reasoning was likely to make it a three-score game. Starzyk, again, had plenty of leg, but he pushed the 48 yard attempt wide right. If he’s going to be counted on in big moments, those kicks have to be made. Especially in situations that would justify his head coach’s decision.

WR Drops

This one is broad, but one of the only messy areas on Saturday night were the drops by the receivers. It started on the second play of the game. Although Leavitt told us in the post-game presser that he took responsibility for the bad location of his throw, Malik Elzy still got his hands on a quick slant, but the ball bounced off of him right in to the arms of the Clemson defender. It gave them the ball at LSU’s 33 yard line and immediately put pressure on the defense. The play was not ruled a drop, but it qualifies for this discussion.

Jackson Harris and Eugene Wilson III were both credited with drops, as well. Wilson III’s came on a beautifully thrown deep ball by Leavitt, slipping right through his receiver’s hands. There were one or two other instances of passes that should have been caught, although they were not categorized as an official drop.

I fully expect this to get cleaned up, but it was one of the few glaring issues in an otherize dominant 51-10 victory.