LSU answered several questions against Texas A&M. Saturday should give the Tigers a chance to ask a few different ones.
After beating the Aggies 35–6, Lane Kiffin’s team enters its final nonconference matchup with momentum, mounting injuries and seven SEC games still ahead. McNeese State gives LSU an opportunity to develop its available personnel before the schedule gets more demanding.
But an expected victory leaves room for predictions that go beyond the final result.
Here are three bold calls for Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.
Landen Clark Accounts for Four Touchdowns
Clark has already shown he can finish drives. Saturday, he will show he can build them, too.
The prediction: Clark accounts for at least four touchdowns, including two through the air.
That depends on opportunity, particularly with Sam Leavitt’s availability uncertain because of his hamstring injury. Clark scored two rushing touchdowns against Texas A&M and has earned an expanding role after beginning the season behind Leavitt.
His running ability gives Kiffin an obvious tool near the goal line. The next step is proving he can consistently move the offense through the passing game.
Against McNeese, that could mean taking the easy completion, delivering on time and making the defense account for more than a quarterback keeper.
If Clark gets extended work, expect Kiffin to give him opportunities to throw before the game becomes an exercise in running out the clock. His mobility should also create chances outside the pocket when initial routes are covered.
Four touchdowns would be a significant performance for a reserve quarterback. Getting at least two through the air would make it more useful for LSU’s remaining schedule.
LSU Holds McNeese Below 150 Total Yards
LSU’s defense just held Texas A&M to 197 yards and kept the Aggies out of the end zone. The bold prediction is that the Tigers lower that yardage total considerably Saturday, even with changes throughout the rotation.
The call: McNeese finishes with fewer than 150 total yards.
That would require sustained execution after LSU begins substituting. One long run against a missed assignment or a coverage breakdown could put the prediction in trouble.
But the Tigers have a way to make those mistakes less likely: disrupt plays before they develop.
Deuce Geralds’ emergence has given LSU dependable interior pressure. The freshman has four sacks through four games, including two against Texas A&M. His ability to collapse the pocket can make life easier for a defense adjusting behind him.
McNeese quarterback Devin Lippold is also a significant part of the Cowboys’ running game, entering the matchup as their second-leading rusher. LSU will need to pressure him while maintaining its escape lanes.
Expect Baker’s defense to force enough short possessions that McNeese struggles to accumulate yards, regardless of which Tigers are on the field.
LSU Rushes for 300 Yards Without a 100-Yard Rusher
A dominant rushing performance usually produces one obvious headliner.
Saturday’s prediction is that LSU spreads the production around: at least 300 rushing yards, with nobody reaching 100 individually.
Clark’s legs could supply part of that total. The running backs should have opportunities to add the rest, especially if LSU establishes an early lead and rotates personnel.
The challenge will be maintaining efficiency as the offensive line changes. LSU’s starting protection took a meaningful step forward against Texas A&M, allowing no sacks. Saturday can offer a different test: whether multiple combinations can consistently open running lanes.
Reaching 300 yards without an individual reaching 100 would reflect production across several players and possessions. It would also allow LSU to control the game while limiting any one player’s workload.
Kiffin has already acknowledged weighing whether to rest players as injuries accumulate. A rushing attack that stays productive through substitutions would help him accomplish that while giving reserves meaningful work.
The Tigers should have opportunities to deliver all three predictions. Turning those opportunities into sustained production would make Saturday useful long after the final whistle.
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