LSU vs. Alabama: 3 Stars That'll Vanish in Saturday's Game

Barkevious Mingo

Mingo had a monster game against Auburn last week, registering two sacks in the game. The problem with him is that he is more of a pass-rusher than a run-stopper, and against Alabama, that won’t work.

The Tide run the ball too much, and Alabama’s offensive line is more experienced than just about anyone he’s played against. For instance, against Oregon, he only had one tackle all game but had three.

The other defensive end, Sam Montgomery, is much more likely to make an impact in this game based off of past experience—he had four tackles against Oregon compared to one against West Virginia.

Marquis Maze

Between Morris Claiborne and LSU’s incredible punt return coverage, which has allowed only seven yards on 11 returns, Maze will be effectively shut down.

Claiborne is considered the top cornerback available in this year’s NFL draft, and he already has three interceptions and four pass breakups this season. And if he isn’t covering Maze, Tyrann Mathieu will be and he is just as dangerous.

Maze is A.J. McCarron’s go-to receiver, and when Alabama is put in 3rd-and-long situations, things could get a little dicey if he isn’t open.

Dre Kirkpatrick

Kirkpatrick is Alabama’s best cornerback, and at 6’2”, he will likely be assigned the task of covering the dangerous Rueben Randle. He is 6’4”, so this should be a good matchup except when you look at how Kirkpatrick plays.

He likes to jam receivers at the line and is particularly dangerous against the run, while Randle is more of an explosive player, averaging almost 20 yards per reception despite running a 40 in the mid-4.5 range.

LSU also likes to run the ball in between the tackles, so Kirkpatrick may not get many tackles because he plays on the outside.