LSU football scouting report, score prediction for season opener against FSU
BATON ROUGE - LSU football starts the Brian Kelly era on Sunday (6:30 p.m. CT, ABC) at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans against Florida State.
The Seminoles head to the Dome after stomping Duquesne at home in Week 0, 47-7. Besides adding a new coach, LSU enters the matchup with 16 new players from the transfer portal and almost an entirely new coaching staff.
Here's a look at how the Tigers match up against the Seminoles.
Who will be the starting quarterback?
It's the question that has been on the minds of every LSU and FSU fan this week.
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Will Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels and his explosive athleticism take the first snaps of LSU's season? Or will Garrett Nussmeier, a fearless thrower with plenty of arm talent, earn the first start of his career?
The answer will shape the Tigers' schematic outlook Sunday. Even if Daniels and Nussmeier may have similar skill sets – Nussmeier is also a good athlete and Daniels can push the ball downfield with his arm – Kelly was insistent on the offense not needing to be altered much if there was a change.
"There's not a dramatic difference between the two when it comes to play-calling," Kelly told reporters on Monday.
But having similar skill sets doesn't guarantee similar strengths. For example, Nussmeier – in theory – could operate in an offense with lots of run-pass options and designed quarterback runs but playing in that offense wouldn't cater to his strengths. That would be a better-designed system for Daniels – the faster and quicker player.
And Daniels could play in an offense littered with deeper route concepts that relied on his arm strength, but operating in that environment also wouldn't be playing to his strengths. That would be better suited for Nussmeier.
The key is the line of scrimmage, for both sides
One could argue that LSU and FSU's greatest strength and weakness are the same.
LSU's defensive line has been one of the few staples of expected production heading into the season. The Tigers could have up to four future NFL first-round draft picks between starters Maason Smith, Ali Gaye, BJ Ojulari and Jaquelin Roy. The depth behind them is also substantial with Jacobian Guillory and SEC All-Freshman team selection Mekhi Wingo coming off the bench, among others.
The Seminoles' defensive line also has plenty of quality. Despite losing lead pass rusher Jermaine Johnson II to the NFL, FSU added Albany transfer Jared Verse, who had 21.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks last season. It also brought back starters Robert Cooper and Fabien Lovett and has depth, playing nine linemen for 10 or more snaps last week.
But on the flip side, each team's offensive lines hold plenty of question marks.
LSU returns just one starter from last season and will start a center who has never played the position before (Garrett Dellinger) and a freshman at left tackle (Will Campbell). Meanwhile, FSU's starters last week allowed five pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, against an FCS opponent despite attempting only 22 passes.
Whichever defensive line proves to be more dominant – or in other words, whichever offensive line loses its battle less – wins the game.
FSU player to watch: Jammie Robinson
Robinson transferred to FSU after the 2020 season from South Carolina, and the cornerback was its second-best player on defense, earning All-ACC first team honors in the process. He had 58 tackles and opposing quarterbacks' NFL passer rating against him was just 76, both career-best marks.
Whoever starts at quarterback for the Tigers will need to be aware of his versatility. Robinson played over 175 snaps as a linebacker in the box, at free safety and in the slot as a cornerback last season.
Prediction: LSU 24, FSU 17
LSU's uber-talented defensive front will overwhelm a Florida State offensive line that struggled last season and wasn't impressive against Duquesne.
Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser and the USA TODAY Sports South Region. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU football vs. FSU: Prediction and scouting report
