LSU Football: How Tigers Should Prepare to Face 2 Notre Dame QBs

Les Miles and Brian Kelly will both be stuck in the quarterback blues leading up to the Music City Bowl on December 30. 

LSU had a rough close to 2014. The Tigers' November losses included two games of under 100 yards passing from Anthony Jennings. Fans badly want to see Miles give true freshman Brandon Harris another chance under center.

But at least the Tigers have had inept quarterback play all season. The free fall of Notre Dame's Everett Golson has put Kelly in a rut.  

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The Fighting Irish dropped five of their last six games after starting the season 6-0. Their last loss was a brutal 49-14 beatdown at the hands of USC.  

Notre Dame's inept offense has been the biggest concern for Irish fans. Golson was once considered one of college football's elite signal-callers, but his seven interceptions in the final four games has caused Kelly to rethink the direction of the position. 

Sophomore backup Malik Zaire saw his first meaningful action of 2014 against the Trojans. Zaire looked promising, going 9-of-20 through the air for 170 yards. 

Kelly said earlier this week he will use both Goslon and Zaire against the Tigers, per Keith Arnold of NBC Sports: “I think both of them can help us win...I want to play them both because I think both of them have different traits and we need to find a way to win the game. I think both of them can help us win.”

Arnold, who also writes for B/R, said via email that Zaire's legs add an extra dimension to Notre Dame's offense. 

"Zaire's an upgrade as a runner, not as a passer," said Arnold. "He's genuinely smooth in the read-option game, and is a better athlete than Golson, who is no slouch either. He is just not fast enough to run his way out of certain situations." 

Though Notre Dame's offense is struggling, here are three things the Tigers must do to prepare for Kelly's two-quarterback system. 

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Keep Contain

LSU's outside rushers must keep contain. If they don't, Notre Dame will have major success offensively. 

Golson and Zaire are both mobile, with Zaire, as Arnold said, being the faster of the two. They can inflict significant damage with their legs. LSU defensive ends Jermauria Rasco and Danielle Hunter must keep lane discipline. 

LSU's blitzers must do the same. Linebacker Kwon Alexander and safety Jalen Mills allowed Alabama's Blake Sims to get outside the pocket late in the fourth quarter, and it cost the Tigers the game.

LSU's secondary will be the best Notre Dame has faced all season. But if Kelly's quarterbacks can extend plays with their legs, receivers William Fuller and Corey Robinson are talented enough to eventually get open. The key to stopping that is by keeping them in the pocket. 

Do not be surprised if LSU's defensive ends approach this game the same way they faced former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. They will be cautious with their rush in an effort to keep contain. 

Stop the Run

Notre Dame's running game has been good but not great.

Running back Tarean Folston leads the charge with 816 rushing yards and five touchdowns. The numbers sound fine, but Folston and the rest of Irish backs lack some explosiveness. None of them have registered a run of 30 yards or more. 

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Defensive coordinator John Chavis is at his best when his defense stops the run on early downs. This forces offenses into passing situations, which allows him to insert his 3-2-6 "Mustang" package. The defense can be confusing for quarterbacks, as they are not accustomed to seeing six defensive backs on the field at once.

The Tigers must also be prepared for the zone read. They were eviscerated by Auburn and Mississippi State on designed quarterback options. 

Kelly said, per Arnold, the zone read will be in play for Zaire. It could provide the success he needs on the ground against LSU. 

Mix Up Coverages

Chavis loves to trust his defensive backs in man coverage, as he should. Cornerbacks Tre'Davious White and Jalen Collins have had terrific seasons. 

Chavis gave himself more freedom when middle linebacker Kendell Beckwith and safety Jamal Adams were inserted into the starting lineup at the midway point of the season. Beckwith and Adams' tackling in the open field and blitzing ability has transformed the defense.

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LSU should run mostly man coverage and blitz aggressively. But in man coverage, defensive backs have their backs turned to the quarterback. This opens up massive running lanes for quarterbacks to run through. Also, Fuller and Robinson are a fantastic receiving tandem that would be tough to guard for the entirety of a game. 

LSU prefers not to play zone coverage, but some of that must be mixed in Chavis' game plan. Kelly is too good of an offensive mind to see the same defensive schemes over and over.

Chavis understands that. Expect him to throw a variety of looks at Notre Dame to keep Zaire and Golson guessing. 

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.