College football Week 1 schedule and predictions
BYU Cougars vs. No. 13 LSU Tigers (in New Orleans)
Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 2, 9:30 p.m., ESPN
Though most fans at home will be watching FSU and Alabama when the game kicks off, BYU’s matchup with LSU – relocated to New Orleans from Houston because of the effects of Hurricane Harvey – is an underrated matchup.
BYU vs. LSU: Three Things to Watch
1. LSU Running Back Derrius Guice
Leonard who? Fournette was the talk of the town for three years in Baton Rouge, but Derrius Guice gained1,428 rushing yards on 183 carries – an average of 7.6 yards per attempt – and scored 15 touchdowns splitting time last season. Guice not only led the SEC in rushing, he emerged as one of the most explosive ball carriers in college football and should be considered a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate.
BYU doesn’t look like it can contain Guice paper, but the Cougers were impressive defensively last week. Portland State managed just 2.4 yards per carry and managed only 220 total yards a week ago.
2. Can BYU Move the Ball?
BYU has an advantage over LSU in the fact the Cougars already knocked some of the rust off from the offseason by hosting Portland State last weekend. However, BYU also looked plenty rusty in its 20-6 victory over the Vikings.
The Cougars gained 365 total yards against their FCS opponent, which is far from ideal on the surface. After all, the five-star loaded LSU defense will be much tougher to deal with. However, BYU averaged a solid 7.2 yards per play in the season opener. Tanner Mangum completed three passes longer than 28 yards, and both Squally Canada and Kavika Fonua raced for 34-yard gains on the ground.
3. New LSU OC Matt Canada
Guice gets the headlines, but after years of frustration as a result of Cam Cameron and Les Miles’ offensive tendencies (as well as disappointing play from a series of LSU quarterbacks), most LSU fans are anxious to see new play caller Matt Canada in action.
Canada guided the Pitt offense to 40.9 points per game last season, which ranked 10th in the country. The Panthers had a balanced attack (Pitt averaged 225.1 rushing yards and 221.7 passing yards per game last year), and Canada is known for adapting his system to fit the talent available to him.
Prediction:
Alabama is the favorite to win the SEC and the No. 1 ranked team in the country, and Auburn is widely considered the top competition for the Tide in the SEC West, but LSU head coach Ed Orgeron has a roster with just as much talent.
It may take a little while for the Tigers to click offensively, and BYU is solid defensively, so a low scoring game is likely. But expect LSU to work out the kinks in Week 1, win a hard fought game against the Cougars, and build momentum to challenge Alabama and Auburn in the race to the SEC title.
LSU 24, BYU 14