LSU (2-1) will welcome New Mexico (2-1) to Tiger Stadium on Saturday night as the Tigers look to continue their momentum after a big win at home against Mississippi State. This will be the first all-time meeting between the two teams as the Lobos will hit the road for the first time during the 2022 season.
New Mexico @ LSU Game Information:
Current Records: New Mexico (2-1) @ LSU (2-1)
Date/Time: September 24th @ 6:30 p.m. CT
Where: Tiger Stadium; Baton Rouge, LA
Where to Watch: SEC Network + and ESPN + (Commentators: Play-By-Play Mike Corey, Analyst Dave Steckel, Reporter Jalyn Johnson)
Spread: LSU (-31.5)
Previewing LSU Heading into Week Four:
The Tigers will look to go 3-0 in their three-game home stretch as they face New Mexico after opening up conference play on the right note
On the offensive side, LSU was able to have an effective running game against a veteran Mississippi State defense. The purple and gold racked up 207 yards on the ground in their 31-16 win against the Bulldogs.
Jayden Daniels had an effective game as he went 22/37 with 210 yards and one touchdowns. Daniels also showed some bursts in the running game as he had 16 carries, 93 yards and a touchdown. Running back Armoni Goodwin was a big part in the Tigers running game. Goodwin racked up nine carries for 76 yards and a touchdown.
LSU was able to have a balanced attack on offense as they had 416 yards of total offense (210 passing yards and 207 rushing yards). The offense line showed improvement as the running backs were able to find some open holes late in the contest to put the game out of reach.
Tiger Defense Looking to Build Off a Strong Performance vs. Mississippi State
The defense for the purple and gold started off down 13-0 early in the game. They were able to make adjustments at the half as LSU was able to close out the game on a 31-3 run. Mississippi State was able to strike on their first drive, but the Tigers were able to shut down the air raid attack in the second half.
The Tiger defense only allowed the Bulldogs to three points throughout the entire second half. LSU’s defense stood strong as Mississippi State went 3-14 on third downs and 1-4 on fourth down conversions. The Tigers held the Bulldogs passing attack to 214 passing yards and held them in check to only 75 rushing yards.
The Tiger defense is expected to add to their secondary as transfer cornerback Sevyn Banks will see his debut for the purple and gold. Brian Kelly spoke on the possibility of seeing Banks on the field on Saturday night.
“We feel like he’s right there, and we believe this is the weekend that he’ll finally get some playing time.”
Scouting LSU’s Opponent: New Mexico
New Mexico has started their season 2-1 with wins coming against Maine (41-0) in the season opener. They also picked up the win against Utep (27-10) this past weekend. Their lone loss came in week two against Boise State at home, 31-14.
The Lobos are led by quarterback Miles Kendrick who has 379 yards passing, three touchdowns and three interceptions on the season. New Mexico’s leading rusher is Sherod White (23 CAR, 101 YDS, 2 TD) and their leading receiver is Geordon Porter (9 REC, 140 YDS, 2 TD).
New Mexico’s offense averages 160.0 rushing yards per game (73rd in the country). They have given up 126.3 passing yards per game (123rd in the country). The Lobos offense currently rank as the 121st overall offense in the country. The Lobos are averaging 286.3 yards of offense compared to LSU’s 438.0 yards of total offense.
New Mexico is strong on the defensive side as they are coming off forcing seven turnovers against UTEP. The Lobos were able to get four interceptions and recover three fumbles in their 27-10 win over the Miners. New Mexico’s defense held UTEP to just 54 yards on the ground.
The Lobos on the defensive side are giving up just 74.7 rushing yards (11th in the country). Their defense has given up 155.0 passing yards (13th in the country). New Mexico’s defense is currently ranked 9th overall in total defense.
The Lobos have a strong presence on the defensive side. Tavian Combs and Jerrick Reed are the leaders of the secondary. New Mexico is also led by Joey Noble, who led the Lobos in sacks (6.5) during the 2021 season.
Prediction For New Mexico @ LSU:
LSU will be looking to improve to go 3-1 before they jump back into SEC play. The New Mexico defense will be able to give the Tiger defense some fits coming out of the gates.
Jayden Daniels will look to continue his success he had against Mississippi State against a defense that has picked up a ton of turnovers in the first three weeks of the season. If New Mexico is going to pull off the upset they are going to have to force turnovers and put pressure on LSU’s offense
The Tiger defense will be able to handle New Mexico’s offense. It is an offense that ranks among the worst in all of college football. Look for LSU to win this game comfortably as they will get their first victory all-time against New Mexico.
Prediction: LSU 45, New Mexico 13