LSU-South Alabama: 3 things we learned from Tigers win | LSU

Sports columnist Scott Rabalais breaks down the LSU Tigers’ 42-10 victory over South Alabama on Saturday night:

1. FAST AND FURIOUS.

All season long everyone has been waiting for LSU to get off to a fast start against…someone. It finally happened against South Alabama. The Tigers’ mission was to extinguish the dashed hopes of a Jaguars team that had scored 135 points in its previous two games. The mission was accomplished with four touchdowns on LSU’s first four possessions. Yes, it was South Alabama and not Alabama, but the Tigers weren’t able to muster that kind of dominance against Nicholls.

2. Turn it off

Running back Caden Durham made a big splash early in his first season for LSU, but nothing quite like the cannonball he threw into the South Alabama pool. He rushed 71 yards on a first-time touchdown pass from Garrett Nussmeier, then nearly shot from the LSU 13 and went down at the Jaguars’ 1. Apparently he was bundled up by a teammate later in the quarter, but there was excitement at Tiger Stadium after his first-half heroics.

3. FEWER PERKINS, BUT MESSIER

LSU’s first game without linebacker Harold Perkins after his ACL injury against UCLA was the Tigers’ best defensive performance so far this season. Speculation as to why this is the case could fill volumes. It’s safe to say that the rest of LSU’s defensive players have raised their level of play to fill the void in Perkins. The Tigers allowed some big plays in the second half, so it wasn’t all bouquet for them, but overall it was kind of a positive step forward.