LSU soccer enters the brand new season with excessive expectations, sad with consecutive 10-win seasons in head coach Brian Kelly’s first two years.
The search to enhance on these outputs and push for a spot within the new 12-team School Soccer Playoff begins on Sunday as LSU faces USC at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Right here’s how The Reveille Sports activities Employees predicted the upcoming sport.
Jason Willis, Sports activities Editor | @JasonWillis4
These are two exceedingly related groups – longtime backup quarterbacks lastly getting their time to shine, revamped defenses and an unproven forged of offensive weapons.
Lincoln Riley’s offense will severely take a look at an LSU protection that bent, broke and did nearly the whole lot in between final 12 months. I believe this sport might expose some critical rising pains, doubtlessly on each offense and protection as quarterback Garrett Nussmeier settles into commanding the offense full-time.
Nevertheless, I believe the distinction is the stress LSU generates on protection. Not solely do the Tigers have a proficient forged of edge rushers, however new coordinator Blake Baker’s protection designs stress with artistic blitzes that come from throughout. That may overwhelm a USC offensive line that has little expertise collectively and make new quarterback Miller Moss’ job that a lot more durable.
Prediction: LSU 35-31 USC
Lizzie Falcetti, Deputy Sports activities Editor | @lizziefalcetti
This sport shall be shut.
USC and LSU will depend on their offensive types to create explosive performs. With Lincoln Riley’s air-raid offense and the Tigers’ conventional pocket-passer at quarterback, this battle ought to travel in scoring.
However Brian Kelly stated it finest: “openers are troublesome.” There’s at all times a lot unpredictability in week one, particularly with new beginning quarterbacks.
USC is at all times quick, and LSU’s defensive backs shall be key in not letting the Trojans take this sport. This matchup shall be a special sport model for LSU’s protection who’re used to SEC offenses that depend on physicality.
I believe LSU will come out on prime on this shut battle, breaking their four-game dropping streak in season openers.
An LSU loss in Vegas wouldn’t keep in Vegas, as each sport counts towards the 12-team playoff. It’s essential the Tigers hit large this weekend.
Prediction: LSU 45-42 USC
Tyler Harden, Senior Sports activities Reporter | @ttjharden8
LSU hasn’t received its season opening sport since 2019, when the Tigers received the Nationwide Championship, and Joe Burrow was underneath heart.
Each LSU and USC discover themselves in related positions, as each groups are changing Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and USC’s Miller Moss each proved themselves of their respective bowl video games, however it’s a matter of constructing off that momentum this offseason.
The Tigers are coming in with arguably top-of-the-line offensive strains within the nation, and USC made some additions from the switch portal to its protection. Which will simply be the swing issue: how lengthy they’ve been collectively.
Each groups misplaced key gamers, however with Nussmeier having been within the system for 3 years and a number of other key returners round him resembling Kyren Lacy, Will Campbell and Emery Jones, familiarity works in LSU’s favor. I believe the Tigers begin the season 1-0 for the primary time since 2019.
Prediction: LSU 31-21 USC
Ava Hebert, Senior Sports activities Reporter | @avahebe4
After each LSU and USC misplaced Heisman-winning quarterbacks within the 2023 season, it’s protected to say that the 21 different gamers on the sphere will play a bigger position than common.
Though Garrett Nussmeier and Miller Moss are possible excited for the chance to show themselves, LSU’s new and improved protection would be the distinction maker in the long run.
Along with this, the Tigers have top-of-the-line – if not one of the best – offensive strains within the nation, making it onerous for USC’s protection to get a cross rush on Nussmeier. With the number of elements benefiting LSU, the Tigers will lastly break their first-game curse, going into the primary house sport of the season with a win.
Prediction: LSU 35-28 USC
Tre Allen, Sports activities Reporter | @treday0314
There shall be no lack of offense on this sport. LSU is taking its No. 1 ranked offense from a season in the past to Las Vegas to tackle one other prime 10 offense within the USC Trojans.
Each groups misplaced a ton of key gamers, however some stay. LSU returns with Will Campbell, Harold Perkins, Emery Jones, Kyren Lacy and extra. As for the Trojans, Zachariah Department is seeking to surge for his sophomore season as his new quarterback, Miller Moss, is taking management.
This sport goes to come back right down to which protection can get a cease first. LSU is coming off an abysmal season with its protection, however it’s seeking to flip again round. I consider the aggressiveness and new scheme by defensive coordinator Blake Baker would be the deciding issue.
Sending extra stress from both the linebackers or defensive backs will put stress on a younger quarterback for the Trojans and velocity up their offense. The offense for the Tigers will proceed to be dynamic and put up factors on this sport.
Prediction: LSU 34-27 USC
Cabe Bond, Sports activities Columnist | @PrezBond
The Tigers are going to be clawing for per week one win; over the previous 4 seasons, LSU has began their campaigns with a loss. Luckily for them, USC seems to be its finest probability at snapping the streak.
How? The Tigers are matched up nicely to mitigate the Trojans loaded line of defense. In reality, at its core, LSU is completely designed to be USC’s kryptonite. Ought to the Trojans resolve to maintain their 3-4 base and have edge Jamil Muhammad drop into protection, LSU nonetheless has the bodily edge to win the matchup.
Practically each certainly one of Garrett Nussmeier’s targets needs to be a safe physique. Huge receivers Kyren Lacy and CJ Daniels are each robust targets. Tight ends Mason Taylor and Ka’Morreun Pimpton each have a finesse aspect to their sport, making it practically not possible for them to be coated by a linebacker alone.
And, ought to the Trojans resolve to ship stress and even dial up the occasional blitz, the Tigers are nonetheless greater than outfitted to attenuate that. LSU’s offensive line has been revered as top-of-the-line – if not one of the best – within the nation. Including to that’s operating again Josh Williams, who’s one of many higher blockers at his place.
That’s not simply offensively talking both; the Tigers ought to have the ability to dominate on either side of the road of scrimmage. USC’s inexperienced offensive line almost certainly received’t have solutions for LSU’s veteran pass-rushers.
Nevertheless, no matter defensive efficiency, the Tigers have a golden alternative to exit week one with a win. If their offense is ready to goal key matchups and execute nicely, then LSU shall be internet hosting Nicholls State with a win already underneath their belt.
Prediction: LSU 55-34 USC
Ethan Stenger, Sports activities Reporter | @lsuwoj
Getting into Sunday night time’s heavyweight bout in Las Vegas, the Tigers and Trojans are in very related conditions.
Even when blessed with Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams’ Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback play, neither workforce made the postseason over the previous two years, primarily because of their lackluster defenses.
With out Williams and Daniels, two generational abilities who have been taken on this 12 months’s NFL draft because the No. 1 and No. 2 total picks, USC and LSU are actually ushering in a brand new period of quarterback play: Miller Moss and Garrett Nussmeier are set to guide the cost for his or her respective groups. Each have the expertise round them to place collectively potential Heisman Trophy-winning seasons.
Whereas either side have completed what they will within the offseason to enhance their defenses, count on a shootout at Allegiant Stadium.
The Tigers have struggled of their season opener since their legendary undefeated Nationwide Championship season in 2019. Nevertheless, because the Trojans discover themselves in the identical boat as LSU does this 12 months, it is not out of the query that the purple and gold escape week one with a win this time.
The Tigers can have extra returning starters than USC coming into Sunday’s matchup, and continuity is vital in these early, razor-thin top-25 matchups.
LSU will come house to face Nicholls the next week battle-tested and 1-0.
Prediction: LSU 35-27 USC
Martin Sullivan, Sports activities Reporter | @marty_sulli
Sure, LSU and USC enter 2024 with related story arcs, issues and strengths. Nevertheless, not solely did LSU have much less floor to make up, the adjustments they’ve made have been extra vital.
Promising additions on either side of the ball and a few assertion hires on protection give cause to be enthusiastic about this season. Dropping three flashy stars within the first spherical of the NFL draft just isn’t simple to transition away from. Nevertheless, Garrett Nussmeier can have a plethora of weapons at his disposal and three years of expertise in Baton Rouge. The offense could not look the identical, however there is no cause it may’t ship.
The 2 essential issues for LSU are how the protection will carry out and the way Nussmeier will play in his common season beginning debut. I consider the rationale LSU wins this sport can be the rationale these issues don’t change into Achilles’ heels: the trenches. What helps a primary time beginning quarterback succeed? His offensive line. What can ease the stress of a secondary? The line of defense.
Dominating within the trenches is a dependable option to keep management of a soccer sport, and may LSU obtain this, in addition to restrict turnovers alongside the way in which, that four-year dropping streak will vanish.
Prediction: LSU 38-30 USC