LSU Football: 5 Bold Predictions for the Tigers' Bowl Game
LSU head coach Les Miles is ecstatic his team will face Notre Dame in the Music City Bowl.
Miles had this to say, per James Moran of Tiger Rag:
"It’s a very attractive television game and we recognize that Notre Dame is tremendously talented and pulls from a pool of players across the country.
It’s a team that’s played in a national championship, and really we’re going to have to play well. We look forward to playing these guys. It’s a very talented team that’s well-coached and well-prepared.
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Miles speaks highly of the Fighting Irish's talent, but their recent results tell a different story. Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has seen his team lose its last four games, two of which were not competitive.
LSU does not have too much to brag about either. Though the Tigers won their last contest against Texas A&M, they lost their two previous games against Arkansas and Alabama.
Here are five bold predictions for the December 30 contest in Nashville, Tennessee.
LSU Will Have a Competent Passing Attack
LSU's passing game has been terrible.
Quarterback Anthony Jennings has not eclipsed 200 passing yards in a game since the season opener against Wisconsin. He threw for under 100 in two of three games in November.
But expect Jennings, or possibly true freshman Brandon Harris, to have a breakout game.
The Fighting Irish have allowed over 239 yards passing per game, which is good for 86th in the country. It does bear mentioning, though, that the Irish played better against better competition, as three of the four ranked teams they faced were held under 240 yards passing.
With that said, LSU's lead receiving duo of Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre are elite deep threats. There is no reason for them to not have effective performances against Notre Dame's porous secondary.
LSU Will Have at Least Three Sacks
LSU is not a great pass-rushing team.
The Tigers' total of 19 sacks is 13th in the SEC and 100th in the country. Yet they are due for a great game against Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish's pass protection has been inconsistent. The 28 sacks they have allowed is 86th in the country. Kelly watched his offense give up three or more sacks in four games this year.
Kelly has yet to make a decision at quarterback between the struggling Everett Golson and Malik Zaire, per Rachel Terlep of The Elkhart Truth. Either way, trying to decipher LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis' blitzing schemes is a tough task.
The Tigers should have success getting after the quarterback, though Golson and Zaire are both mobile.
Notre Dame Will Commit At Least Three Turnovers
Golson is an interception machine. He has thrown at least one in each of the last nine games.
LSU's secondary will be the best he has faced this season. The Tigers have multiple playmakers who have superb ball skills, led by cornerback Tre'Davious White.
Notre Dame has also coughed up 12 fumbles, which is 100th in the country. That alarming number should excite linebacker Kwon Alexander, who has a knack for stripping the football.
LSU's defense should have a big day.
Leonard Fournette Will Not Break LSU Freshman Record
Fournette needs 111 yards to break the freshman rushing record at LSU. It is certainly attainable, but unlikely.
Notre Dame's rush defense has been at its best against Power Five competition. The Irish held Florida State to only 50 yards rushing.
Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith was named a finalist for the Butkus Award in November, per JJ Stankevitz of CSNChicago.com. Though he did not win the award, his 103 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss show he is tough to block.
Kelly is going to load the box and make Jennings or Harris beat him through the air. This spells trouble for Fournette, who has struggled to break long runs this season.
LSU's offensive line will be a tough matchup for Notre Dame, which is good news for Fournette. With that said, it is hard to run on a defense that is focused mostly on you.
LSU Wins Big
LSU has too much talent for Notre Dame to handle.
LSU's fantastic performance against Texas A&M should be a sign of things to come. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron showed some new wrinkles in the offense to keep the Aggies off-balance. Expect more unpredictability with Cameron now that he has time to prepare.
Defensively, the Tigers' speed will give Notre Dame problems. Receivers Corey Robinson and William Fuller are gifted, but they have yet to see a secondary quite like LSU's.
The Fighting Irish looked putrid to close the season. The uncertainty at quarterback makes the situation even worse. That alone should give little hope for even Notre Dame fans.
The Tigers will win by at least two touchdowns.
Stats, rankings and additional information provided by cfbstats.com, ESPN.com and LSU Sports Information. Recruiting information provided by 247Sports.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow me on Twitter @CarterthePower.
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