Head coach Ed Orgeron talks about win and struggles against LTU

The No.6 Louisiana State Tigers returned home to Baton Rouge after winning a nail biter against then No.7 Auburn to face the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. The Bulldogs came into Death Valley undefeated, but left defeated.

The LSU Tigers looked like two different teams from both halves. The first half they reminded us why they are ranked in the top 10, but the second showed us why they could easily slip out of it.

The first half showed promise as the Tigers went scored first on their second possession of the first quarter with a one-yard run by senior running back Nick Brossette, which would end up being the first of many. 

What allowed LSU to keep the lead for the entirety of the game was their run game. Brossette ran for 78 yards and sophomore running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire racked up 136 yards on the ground; both accounted for five touchdowns total.

Brossette, who did not score a touchdown his first three seasons at LSU, scored scored three  against the Louisiana Tech and said “it feels great.”

Well, it is great because they are 14-0 when someone rushes for 100 yards under LSU’s Head coach Ed Orgeron. Orgeron credited the win to the difference in ground production in comparison to their opponent, the Bulldogs.

And LSU’s vaunted defense played to the same level; the Tigers came into this game allowing an average of 12.6 points per game. The defense enforced their will early in the game, causing two turnovers in the first half.

Junior corner back Kristian Fulton caused a fumble, which was recovered by junior linebacker Devin White for a 29-yard return and set up Brossette’s second touchdown of the game. The next one happened with about nine minutes left in the second quarter; after a deflection from White, senior safety Ed Paris caught an inception from Tech’s junior quarterback J’Mar Smith.

The first half was controlled by the Tigers with a 24-7 lead going into the third quarter, but the second half was a different story. LSU’s offense and defense came out somewhat flat in the third quarter and the Bulldogs capitalized on it. Orgeron was not happy with the second half performance.

“It was a let down in the second half, obviously,” LSU’s head coach said. “We didn’t finish the game.” 

LSU junior quarterback Joe Burrow and his head coach had the same thoughts on some of the games the Tigers have played this season: they let are letting up when they get a early lead.

“I think we got a little complacent in the second and third quarters,” Burrow said. “…I think we thought that they were kind of just going to roll over.”

On the opening drive, the Bulldogs drove down the field with some ease and cashed in on their second visit to the red zone, making the score 24-14. With some excellent play by Tech’s defense, shutting out the Tigers offense in the third quarter, it allowed the Bulldogs to score early in the fourth on a 42-yard touchdown to sophomore wideout Adrian Hardy, making the score a close 24-21.  

The Tigers pulled away at the end of the fourth quarter to end the night 4-0, but there is a glaring theme in LSU’s season thus far: finishing games. Orgeron said that his team needs to improve on keeping their foot on the gas.

“I think we have to be mature and finish,” said Oregon. “We got to have the guys to look, man, we got to have a killer instinct that will smell blood in the water and go get it. And we are not doing it right now.”

They will have to find that killer instinct sooner rather than later as Ole Miss comes to Death Valley next week. A team that is capable of replicating what happened in their most previous match, except with a possibly different outcome for the visiting team.

Video: Fanatics View