The Lobos will head to Demise Valley for a non-conference conflict with the Tigers in late September.

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Will the Tigers rebound?

New Mexico Soccer: First Look At 2022 Non-conference Opponents

Maine | UTEP | LSU | New Mexico State

The New Mexico Lobos will head to Demise Valley this season for a non-conference conflict with the LSU Tigers in Week 4.

After successful the nationwide title in 2019, the Bayou Bengals crashed and burned over the next two years and determined to show the web page on the Ed Orgeron period, inflicting a seismic shift throughout the school soccer panorama in flip to herald Brian Kelly from Notre Dame. Whereas it stays to be seen simply how good the Tigers will likely be in 2022, taking part in on the highway in SEC nation is rarely a simple ask.

Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Convention: SEC

Collection Historical past: This would be the first assembly between New Mexico and LSU.

2021 Report: 6-7 (3-5 SEC)

Head Coach: Brian Kelly (first 12 months at LSU; 166-62 in FBS, 275-97-2 total). Kelly’s hiring in late November of final 12 months precipitated a shockwave of chain reactions that touched almost each nook of the school soccer panorama, however you’ll be able to perceive why this system forked over $95 million to show issues round: Notre Dame made two School Soccer Playoff appearances beneath his watch and completed within the high 12 for 5 straight years, which is the type of consistency you don’t usually discover within the SEC exterior of Tuscaloosa.

Key Gamers

Kayshon Boutte, WR

Boutte has the potential to be probably the greatest broad receivers within the nation if he can keep wholesome. Accidents restricted him to 6 video games in 2021, however he dominated in that point to the tune of 38 catches, 508 yards, and 9 touchdowns, and he underwent ankle surgical procedure within the low season to rectify that ailment.

Jayden Daniels, QB

Daniels left Arizona State for LSU by way of the switch portal after three seasons of tantalizing Solar Devils followers with a powerful arm and good wheels. Final 12 months, specifically, was an inconsistent one the place he accomplished 65.4% of his passes and averaged a stable 7 9 yards per try, however he solely had ten touchdowns in opposition to ten interceptions.

That he additionally added 719 dashing yards and 6 dashing touchdowns speaks to the truth that he nonetheless might not have reached his ceiling. He’s probably the most necessary gamers wherever within the SEC this season.

BJ Ojulari, DE

Ojulari’s first 12 months as a defensive starter put the remainder of the convention on discover, as he broke out with 55 whole tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks. It isn’t onerous to think about the Marietta, Georgia native following his older brother Azeez into the NFL ranks with one other top-notch marketing campaign just like the one he simply posted.

Jarrick Bernard-Converse, CB

Like Daniels, Bernard-Converse is one other of LSU’s switch portal pickups after spending 4 years and beginning 47 straight video games at Oklahoma State. He was a giant the reason why the Cowboys landed its Fiesta Bowl bid in 2022 with 51 tackles, 11 move breakups, and 1.5 sacks and will give the Tigers a lockdown nook they actually need.

Ali Gaye, DE

Ojulari isn’t the one one who can get issues performed on the defensive position, however Gaye solely performed in 4 video games final season because of harm. In that point, he had 19 tackles and a couple of.5 sacks, so a return to kind from the 2020 second-team all-SEC performer will go a great distance.

Overview:

Offense

The Tigers offense was a far cry from its high-flying championship iteration, ending ninetieth amongst FBS groups with 5.39 yards per play, 82nd in obtainable yards proportion earned, and 77th in factors per drive. New offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock will likely be beneath strain to engineer some type of turnaround as quickly as doable.

Resolving the quarterback state of affairs is one job. Daniels may very well be the starter, however he nonetheless has to compete with Myles Brennan and others to safe the QB1 position for good. Re-establishing a dependable operating recreation is one other after the Tigers misplaced their high two rushers from 2021. John Emery Jr. is one candidate who’s again after being academically ineligible final season, whereas Penn State switch Noah Cain made eight begins for the Nittany Lions and ran for 790 yards throughout three seasons.

The offensive line underperformed final 12 months and now returns only one starter in Cameron Wire, so it stays to be seen whether or not the turnover is an efficient or dangerous factor. Younger prospects like true freshman Will Campbell and sophomore Charles Turner may find yourself taking part in simply as large a job within the new unit as transfers like Miles Frazier (Florida Atlantic) and Tremond Shorts (East Tennessee State).

The move catching group, not less than, is in a lot better form since LSU brings again 5 of the six receivers who had not less than 25 receptions a 12 months in the past. Boutte may very well be a celebrity, however others like Jaray Jenkins (34 catches, 502 yards, six TDs) and Brian Thomas Jr. (28-359-2) present a wealth of complementary expertise to take the strain off. Junior tight finish Kole Taylor, listed at 6-foot-7 and 250 kilos, is one other title to look at.

Protection

All in all, the LSU protection was simply okay in 2021, permitting 5.51 yards per play whereas ending 79th in factors per drive allowed and sixty fourth in obtainable yards proportion allowed. Okay doesn’t minimize it within the Southeastern Convention, although, so new coordinator Matt Home has a giant job on his fingers, as effectively.

The excellent news is that there’s loads of expertise able to be deployed within the entrance seven past Gaye and Ojulari. Defensive deal with Maason Smith had 4 sacks in 9 video games as a real freshman whereas Jacqueline Roy chipped in with six tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in part-time obligation final 12 months; each may very well be main gamers within the Tigers’ revival.

Behind that bunch, fifth-year senior linebacker Micah Baskerville supplies each much-needed management within the locker room and the manufacturing to again that up: He led all returning LSU defenders with 83 tackles whereas posting 9 TFLs and two sacks. Changing Damone Clark gained’t be straightforward, nonetheless, although former Clemson switch Mike Jones, Virginia switch West Weeks, and others will give it their greatest shot.

The secondary additionally utilized the switch portal to restock its personnel, not simply Bernard-Converse however Mekhi Gardner (Louisiana), Joe Foucha (Arkansas), Greg Brooks (Arkansas), and Sevyn Banks (Oklahoma State). Collectively, they’ll look to shore up what might need been the protection’s largest weak spot in 2021, when LSU allowed opponents to finish 64.2% of passes and allowed 29 passing touchdowns.

Early Predictions

LSU has a protracted highway again to respectability within the SEC West, however the apparent expertise benefit the Tigers could have over the Lobos imply that it’ll in all probability be a protracted day on the workplace for Danny Gonzales’s males.

LSU 41, New Mexico 10