LSU needed to change a quarterback who received the Heisman Trophy final season.
USC needed to change a quarterback who was taken No. 1 general within the NFL Draft within the spring.
However each groups nonetheless have excessive hopes as they put together to fulfill of their season opener Sunday night time in Las Vegas.
The Tigers are ranked No. 13 within the AP ballot even after Jayden Daniels left for the NFL and was drafted No. 2 general by the Washington Commanders. The Trojans are ranked No. 23 even after Caleb Williams was taken by the Chicago Bears with the highest choose.
Daniels’ successor is Garrett Nussmeier, a three-year backup who has made only one begin, however in it he handed for 395 yards and three touchdowns in a victory in opposition to Wisconsin within the ReliaQuest Bowl in January.
That victory gave the Tigers 10 wins for the second time in as many seasons beneath head coach Brian Kelly, who hopes his third staff can open the season with a victory after his first two groups opened with losses to Florida State.
“Openers are troublesome,” Kelly mentioned. “You follow a lot — spring follow, preseason follow — after which you have to flip it to efficiency the place it is your first efficiency and you must execute at a excessive degree in your opener. I feel each coach has that uneasiness within the opener as a result of they do not know precisely what you are going to get.”
The Tigers ought to be explosive once more on offense with a number of proficient talent gamers and an skilled line that options 4 gamers with a mixed 111 begins.
“We’ll run the ball,” LSU deal with Will Campbell mentioned. “That is not one thing we’re hiding.”
Daniels was the staff’s main rusher every of the previous two seasons and the highest rusher amongst working backs final season (Logan Diggs) transferred to Ole Miss.
Kelly tried to improve the protection, which was one of many worst in class historical past final season, by hiring former Missouri coordinator Blake Baker.
Baker’s protection will get a robust take a look at instantly from the Trojans, led by Miller Moss, the successor to Williams at QB (who preceded Daniels because the Heisman winner in 2022), and versatile playmaker Zachariah Department.
“I’m attempting to proceed to develop larger, sooner and stronger,” Moss mentioned. “I wish to throw the ball additional, tougher and throw higher on the run. I’ve grown rather a lot emotionally this offseason. That is my greatest space of development in transitioning to a brand new position of management.”
Moss, like Nussmeier, has made only one begin and it was an impressive efficiency in a bowl sport final season as he handed for 372 yards and 6 touchdowns in a victory in opposition to Louisville within the Vacation Bowl.
Just like the Tigers, the Trojans modified coordinators after a poor defensive efficiency final season. The brand new coordinator is D’Anton Lynn, who was at UCLA final season.
The USC-LSU sport is certainly one of three video games between ranked groups this weekend.
“These video games are enjoyable,” Trojans coach Lincoln Riley mentioned. “They’re nice since you sit up for all of it offseason. Within the first sport, there’s all the time a way of recent pleasure and ready to see what you actually are and what the opponent actually is.”
–Discipline Stage Media
