How LSU Offense Can Find Success vs. Tough Ole Miss Defense

LSU quarterback Anthony Jennings is about to swim into shark-infested waters on Saturday night. 

The Ole Miss "Landshark" defense is a bloodthirsty bunch. The unbeaten Rebels are No. 1 in the country in scoring defense and sit atop the SEC in takeaways.  

"

Ole Miss currently leads the nation in scoring defense with 10.6 PPG. HC Hugh Freeze has made huge improvements. pic.twitter.com/okVFKy9bkt

— ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) October 20, 2014"

Jennings has only lost one game as a starter and has yet to throw an interception in SEC play. On the other hand, he has eclipsed 200 yards only once and is completing a measly 50 percent of his passes. 

Jennings is not the only player head coach Les Miles needs to step up. The entire offense must rise to the occasion for the Tigers to upset the No. 3 team in the country.

Here is what the offense needs to do to be successful. 

Establish the Run

It sounds so cliche, but running the football is so crucial to success in the SEC. The Tigers need to develop a ground game to help Jennings throw the ball successfully against the Rebels. 

How LSU should run it is an inexact science, especially against a stout Rebels front. 

Ole Miss is allowing less than 100 rushing yards per game, which is second in the SEC. The Rebels are formidable up the middle, led by defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche. But a closer look at the numbers from Cameron Roberson of Death Valley Voice gives hope to the Tigers:

"

Against the two top-30 rushing offenses Ole Miss has faced, they've allowed 361 yards, 4.46 ypa. LSU is 30th in rushing offense.

— Cameron Roberson (@LSUbeat) October 22, 2014"

LSU left guard Vadal Alexander and right guard Ethan Pocic both played their best games of the season against Kentucky. Alexander and Pocic's biggest improvements have been their ability to get to the second level of the defense to block linebackers. 

Unfortunately for the Tigers, the Rebels defensive tackle play is better than Kentucky. Blocking beyond the line of scrimmage becomes more difficult when guards are stalemated after the snap. Ole Miss does a great job of maintaining gap responsibilities against the run. 

Alabama's best runs came when running backs T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry found small creases and cutback lanes. LSU's stable of backs must do the same. The only way that is possible is if the LSU offensive line continues blocking hard even if it is beat initially. Running back Terrence Magee and the offensive line displayed both traits to perfection on his first touchdown run against Kentucky. 

"

[ESPN Video] 3Q LSU T. Magee run for 9 yds for a TD: Terrence Magee run for 9 yds for a TD http://t.co/VQs0ziE9ws #Wildcats

— Kentucky Wildcats (@BR_UKWildcats) October 19, 2014"

LSU will also look to run the "stretch" behind left tackle La'el Collins, a play that had success against Florida and Kentucky. The play puts added pressure on defensive ends to hold the point of attack. The problem with the stretch is the time it takes to develop, which is tough against the speed of the Rebels defense. 

"

That is an NFL block right there RT @Goldkamp247 LSU's La'el Collins blows Jon Bullard 5 yards off LOS https://t.co/DLlDuSo0S2

— Derek Tyson (@DerekTysonESPN) October 13, 2014"

No matter how it is done, effective runs will be vital for offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. The play-action pass would do wonders for Jennings. 

Complete Short and Intermediate Passes

Jennings' worst trait has been the short and intermediate passing game. If that does not change against Ole Miss, it will be costly. 

The Rebels love to play "soft" coverage, meaning their defensive backs play off the line of scrimmage in an effort to prevent big plays. Jennings must take what the defense gives him and move the chains. Below is an example against Alabama of the massive cushions the Crimson Tide receivers were given. 

CBS Screencap

Jennings' chemistry with Travin Dural is special, but the Rebels will likely have safety help on his top target all game long. If he forces deep passes into double coverage to Dural, it will result in interceptions. 

Alabama quarterback Blake Sims did an adequate job against the Rebels dumping the ball off to his tight ends when his No. 1 target, Amari Cooper, was blanketed. Unfortunately for Jennings, LSU's tight ends have only caught three passes all season. He will need slot specialists John Diarse and Trey Quinn to step up and make these tough plays.

	Receptions	Yards	Average	TDs
Travin Dural	26	665	25.6	7
Malachi Dupre	11	257	23.4	4
John Diarse	9	165	18.3	1
Trey Quinn	14	148	10.6	0

If the coverage is slated to Dural's side, 5-star true freshman Malachi Dupre will have more opportunities to make plays. Dupre has caught 11 balls for 257 yards and four touchdowns, but a majority of that has come with Brandon Harris at quarterback. He must perform as well with Jennings as he did with Harris.

Jennings must also do a better job of delivering Dupre the football. Below is a beautifully designed play by Cameron against Mississippi State in the early stages of the second quarter.

ESPN Screencap

After a successful Leonard Fournette run two plays prior, Cameron calls a play-action pass that forces the Bulldogs linebackers to crash the line of scrimmage. This creates a massive opening in the middle of the field. Pass protection is solid across the way, and Dural—running a deep post—takes the safety with him.

ESPN Screencap

Pocic gets pushed back some into Jennings, but overall, the pocket to deliver the ball is relatively clean. This is a throw he must make to an open Dupre (who is not in the above frame). 

ESPN Screencap

Jennings skips the pass to Dupre, killing the perfectly executed play by the Tigers.  

The Rebels will force Jennings to beat them. He must be willing to read the defense and throw to his second or third read if need be. Locking onto a receiver against the safety duo of Cody Prewitt and Tony Conner will lead to interceptions and/or bone-crushing hits. 

Pass Protection

Ole Miss is not a blitzing a team. The Rebels trust their athletic defensive line to get to the quarterback on passing downs.

There will be times when LSU's rushing attack is stifled, which means the offensive line must be effective protectors when the Rebels know the Tigers will pass. 

Even with an effective running game against Florida, the Tigers allowed four sacks. Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes has seen his group give up 16 on the season, including nine in conference play. 

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Marquis Haynes is a pass-rushing specialist who leads the Rebels in sacks with 6.5. Expect Ole Miss to line Haynes up against the much-improved right tackle, Jerald Hawkins. 

Nkemdiche, C.J. Johnson, Byron Bennett and Deterrian Shackelford all have two sacks on the season as well. The entire Rebels front creates great push even if it doesn't reach the quarterback. 

LSU's line must provide Jennings a pocket to throw the football. He must trust his protection and allow his receivers time to get open. The group, though, cannot have this happen:

"

Watching LSU game again, completely forgot when Bud Dupree blew by La'el Collins, a preseason top-10 NFL Dr... https://t.co/K81XzrwnB4

— Jason Marcum (@marcum89) October 22, 2014"

Cameron must also instruct Jennings to get the ball out of his hands quickly. If a pass is open underneath, take it. This could be a game where checkdowns to Magee are the best option.

Conclusion

LSU cannot skate by with simple running plays and a few tosses from Jennings. Former Tigers quarterback Alan Risher agrees, per ESPN 104.5:

"

Alan Risher on @1045espn's #AFR: "I firmly believe" that #LSU cannot win against #OleMiss running their same offensive strategy.

— James Haralson (@jamesharalson) October 21, 2014 "

The Ole Miss defense is packed with intelligent, well-prepared athletes. If the Rebels know what is coming, they will dominate. But despite their dominance, it is not an impossible feat for the Tigers to have a successful game offensively.

Red Cup Rebellion states Ole Miss has forced SEC opponents to score nearly 20 points below their season averages. If that trend continues, the Tigers project to score 17 points and gain 311 total yards. With the way Rebels quarterback Bo Wallace is performing, that will likely not be enough for the Tigers to win. 

LSU must run the ball effectively, complete short passes and protect Jennings in order to win. If not, the carnivorous Landsharks could have a bloody night in Death Valley. 

Stats, rankings and additional information provided by cfbstats.com and LSU Sports Information. Recruiting information provided by 247Sports.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow me on Twitter @CarterthePower.