Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers will face the Nicholls State Colonels on Saturday night at Tiger Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
Featuring new LED lights, one of the largest video screens in college football, new boards and a new sound system, Tiger Stadium will be unveiled to fans for the first time on Saturday. The improvements were all made to enhance the fan experience and will create an atmosphere at Tiger Stadium unlike any other since it opened in 1924.
“When you look at those huge boards and see all the information on them, all the bells and whistles, those scoreboards that are constantly giving you new information, it definitely adds to the game experience,” said head coach Brian Kelly.
In his second career start for the Tigers, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier put together an impressive performance against Southern Cal, completing 30 of 39 passes for 308 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
LSU was led in the running game by sixth-year senior John Emery Jr., who rushed for 10 carries and 61 yards against the Trojans. Kelly, however, delivered heartbreaking news as the Tigers will be without Emery after he suffered a knee injury during a non-contact drill on Tuesday.
“We’re just sick for John,” Kelly said. “When you think about it, you wonder how you can be fair to him. He’s overcome so many obstacles. It’s just so disappointing. We feel so bad for him and his family. John has overcome so much and I’m so proud of what he accomplished at LSU and that he graduated. He’s going to be successful in life and we’ll see what the future holds for him.”
Junior receiver Kyren Lacy was a force to be reckoned with in the first half, catching seven passes for 94 yards and a touchdown, while tight end Mason Taylor and receiver Aaron Anderson also made key contributions with seven catches for 62 yards and five catches for 64 yards and a touchdown, respectively.
On defense, linebacker Harold Perkins led the team with eight tackles, while redshirt sophomore Jordan Allen, safety Major Burns and linebacker Whit Weeks each recorded six tackles. Defensive end Saivion Jones had one of his best performances in a Tiger uniform, making his presence felt on every snap. He finished the game with five tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, one pass break up and one forced fumble.
“We expect our team to play better this week,” Kelly said. “(We need to) play more consistently and attack Nicholls based on what they’ve shown us. They have a good defense and they’re well coached. It’s a team that knows how to win. They win a lot of games. We need to execute our offense and what we do. We need to be balanced, run the football and throw the ball down the field.”
Nicholls comes to Death Valley after a season-opening loss to in-state Louisiana Tech. The Colonels forced five turnovers on defense and totaled 200 yards on offense in a 25-17 loss in Ruston.
The Colonels are led by junior quarterback Pat McQuaide, who completed 10 of 26 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown on Saturday. Senior Collin Guggenheim was the leading runner with 18 carries for 79 yards, while junior Quincy Brown was the leading pass receiver with four catches for 70 yards.
“We have to play with some pressure for four quarters,” Kelly said. “We have to finish games. We have to play at a higher level and be much more disciplined. I’m looking forward to turning things around and getting our team to play to win.”
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