Western Kentucky vs. LSU: Game Grades, Analysis for the Tigers

The No. 5 LSU Tigers (7-0, 4-0) defeated the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (6-2, 4-0), 48-20, on Saturday night in Baton Rouge. 

While much of the focus was on running back Leonard Fournette—and rightfully so—sophomore quarterback Brandon Harris passed for 286 yards and three scores. It was the third straight solid start for Harris, and he has yet to throw an interception in 2015. 

The Tigers are off next week before traveling to Alabama on November 7 to face the Crimson Tide. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Second-Half Grade
Pass Offense	B	A-
Run Offense	B	A
Pass Defense	B+	B
Run Defense	B+	A
Special Teams	A-	B+
Coaching	B+	A

Pass Offense: Harris was good. The conditions were bad, especially in the first half, but Harris hung tough in the pocket and made some big plays downfield. His maturation is coming at the right time for the Tigers.

Run Offense: Fournette ran for 150 yards on 26 carries. He was terrific, getting the tough yards all night as he broke numerous tackles. He didn't have the highlight-reel run everyone expects, but he got better as the game wore on. 

Pass Defense: Western Kentucky passed for 325 yards on 61 attempts. However, that is expected. LSU allowed only one big play all night. The Tigers kept everything in front of them, limiting one of the more explosive offenses in the nation to settling for shorter gains. 

Run Defense: Outside of one run, WKU did nothing on the ground. Overall, LSU allowed 103 yards, 35 of which came on one play. 

Special Teams: Kicker Trent Domingue remains perfect on the season, as he connected on both his attempts. No fake field goals this week for the Tigers.

Coaching: Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron called a good game for Harris. They called for several deep shots, knowing WKU's defense had eight or nine players in the box on every play. The defense did a good job of limiting big plays in the passing game. 

Bryan Manning covers college football for the Bleacher Report, and you can follow him on Twitter @bdmanning4