The no. 6 LSU Tigers will look to avoid a letdown after last week’s big win when they host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. The game will start at 7:00 EST on Saturday, September 22, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Fans can watch the game on ESPNU.
According to the Week 4 college football odds, the Tigers are 20-point favorites at home. However, early betting has actually favored Louisiana Tech after LSU opened as 22-point favorites.
Over the first three weeks of the season, LSU may have the most impressive resume in college football. They opened the season with a convincing win over Miami and then came from behind last week to beat Auburn on the road. With a shutout win over Southeastern Louisiana sandwiched in between, the Tigers have climbed all the way to no. 6 in the polls. Whether the pundits believe that LSU is a College Football Playoff contender is another matter. But at this point in the season, it’s hard to find a team with a better set of wins.
Elsewhere in the Pelican State, Louisiana Tech is 2-0 following wins over South Alabama and Southern. Obviously, those wins aren’t all that impressive. But the Bulldogs have looked good on offense and at least passable on defense in their first two games. They will fancy themselves as contenders in the Conference-USA West division, but before that, they will gladly take their shot at the preeminent program in the state of Louisiana.
This will be the 20th all-time meeting between Louisiana Tech and LSU, with Tech’s lone win coming back in 1904. Of course, these two teams last met in 2009, so it’s been nearly a decade since they’ve crossed paths. Historically, there isn’t a ton of animosity between these two programs. However, the Bulldogs will no doubt be looking to prove themselves and make a statement during a rare trip to Baton Rouge.
I have little doubt that LSU is at least 20 points better than Louisiana Tech. But that doesn’t mean the Tigers are going to cover a 20-point spread. I can see a big win and a top-10 ranking going to LSU’s head a little bit. Remember, after being Miami, they weren’t overly impressive against a lesser team the following week. With several important conference games on the horizon, I can see LSU having a letdown, enabling the Bulldogs to stay competitive and beat the spread.
LSU’s frame of mind aside, I actually like what Louisiana Tech brings to the table offensively. They have a dual-threat quarterback in J’Mar Smith who has plenty of experience under his belt. He threw three interceptions in the season opener against South Alabama, which is a little bit of a concern. But he only threw five picks all of last season, so turnovers typically aren’t a problem for him.
If Smith can avoid turning the ball over this week, I like Louisiana Tech’s chances of moving the ball and scoring some points. In addition to Smith’s running ability, the Bulldogs have a good running back in Jaqwis Dancy, who’s off to a fast start this year. They also have a handful of experienced receivers who won’t be intimidated by the LSU defense.
Keep in mind that Tech played two SEC teams last season, including a 1-point loss to South Carolina, so they’ll be confident that they can move the ball against the Tigers. Obviously, LSU has played brilliant defense this season. But if there’s any kind of lapse in focus, the Bulldogs have the playmakers who can take advantage.
On the other side of the ball, I’m still not sure LSU is the kind of team that can be explosive enough offensively to pull away from teams. The Tigers are gaining just 3.9 yards per carry on the ground this year, albeit against quality competition. New quarterback Joe Burrow has a similar excuse for completing just 46% of his passes. I’m not going to claim that the Louisiana Tech defense is anywhere near the level of Miami or Auburn. But even against Southeastern Louisiana, Burrow only connected on 10 of 20 throws.
The bottom line is that LSU doesn’t have a quick-strike offense. To be fair, they’ve had a couple of big plays, including an important touchdown late against Auburn last week. But most of their touchdowns come off of sustained drives or their defense creating takeaways. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it can make one think twice before betting on them to cover a 20-point spread.
Obviously, Louisiana Tech will need to get a few lucky bounces in order to keep this game close. However, I truly believe LSU was punching a little above its weight class last week. I also think it’ll be tough for them to bring the same kind of focus and effort this week that they had during a rivalry game last week. If there’s a letdown on the part of the Tigers, Louisiana Tech is definitely good enough to hang around. I’ll take my chances with the Bulldogs beating the spread.