The good and the bad of LSU Football's win over Nicholls in Week 2

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers got back on track in the team's first home game Saturday night after defeating Nicholls State 44-21 in Death Valley.

Despite the win, Kelly and Co. are still in the development phase, but it is obvious that the offense has continuity in the passing game.

Here are three positive and three negative aspects of Saturday night in Death Valley:

No. 1: The Garrett Nussmeier-Kyren Lacy connection

If there was one consistent offensive presence at Tiger Stadium, it was LSU playmaker Garrett Nussmeier. The redshirt junior carried his momentum from Week 1 into Week 2 with a series of impressive throws in his first home start.

Nussmeier finished the day with 302 yards on 27 of 37 passes and six touchdowns for the Bayou Bengals.

The Gunslinger continues to respond to the calls of Joe Sloan's offense and send them to a variety of receivers. On Saturday, he connected with eight different receivers, with Kyren Lacy, CJ Daniels and Zavion Thomas leading the way with five passes caught each.

Lacy finished the night with 65 yards, while Daniels scored 63 yards himself.

It is obvious that the Tigers' passing attack is working and Nussmeier has clearly demonstrated his talent over the last two weeks.

No. 2: The influence of freshmen

Kelly and Co. made it a point to bring the true newcomers onto the field on Saturday night and to recruit a number of young players who made an impression on the Tigers.

It started with tight end Trey'Dez Green and running back Ju'Juan Johnson getting into the end zone and ended with cornerback PJ Woodland forcing a fumble in his first career start.

The LSU staff sent a number of first-year Tigers to the race, including Jelani Watkins, Ahmad Breaux, Gabriel Reliford and others who were experiencing Death Valley for the first time.

The most important takeaway from the junior team was that safety Dashawn Spears and Woodland were in the starting lineup on Saturday. A change is needed in the secondary and Kelly's team made the switch in Week 2. Now it will be interesting to see if the switch holds in Week 3 when the Tigers travel to South Carolina.

No. 3: Improving the red zone

In Week 1, LSU was abysmal in the red zone, scoring just six points despite having three opportunities inside the 20-yard line.

On Saturday, the Bayou Bengals showed significant improvement in their game against the Colonels, shooting 5 of 5 in the red zone with Kyren Lacy leading the way.

The five points went to LSU playmaker Garrett Nussmeier after he connected with freshman tight end Trey'Dez Green, freshman running back Ju'Juan Johnson, Kyren Lacy for two points and Zavion Thomas for a shuffle pass point.

The Tigers showed great creativity in their advance into the end zone and scored all five points from the red zone after well-thought-out plays.

After struggling in Week 1, this group made a comeback in Week 2 against the Colonels from the Red Zone.

No. 1: No continuity

Kelly and Co. entered the game Saturday night at Tiger Stadium with a myriad of defensive combinations, with a new group taking the field on virtually every possession. It started with PJ Woodland and Ashton Stamps at cornerback, with the young duo making plays when needed.

If there was a bright spot on defense, it was Woodland taking control on the other side of Stamps and forcing a fumble in the third quarter. It was a game-winning play for the Tigers, taking a lead after a miserable first two and a half quarters.

In Woodland's first collegiate start, he finished the night with four total tackles, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble.

Despite a strong performance from the corners, it was a tough battle in the trenches for the Tigers on Saturday night. Nicholls State running back Collin Guggenheim broke down the LSU defense after rushing for 145 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries for the Colonels.

The Colonels' offense made the most of its opportunities at Tiger Stadium and ran down the clock in the first half. Nicholls scored two touchdowns, both of which lasted over seven minutes, and the team went into halftime trailing 23-14.

LSU's secondary remains a question mark, especially at the safety position. True freshman Dashawn Spears started alongside redshirt freshman Kylin Jackson, but the Tigers rotated both Jordan Allen and Sage Ryan to find a consistent rotation.

In the trenches, LSU lost defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory to an ankle injury and the unit struggled to perform with substitutes.

It was a challenge for defensive coordinator Blake Baker's unit on Saturday night after allowing 145 rushing yards and 152 yards through the air.

No. 2: Third Down Defense

Nicholls started the game by converting three of his first five third downs while the LSU defense was unable to get off the field. This was a thorn in the team's side last season after being unable to make plays to get off the field, and it showed again in Week 2.

The Colonels finished the game 6 of 13 on third downs, with LSU's defense coming out on top in the second half, but once again the team was plagued by a shaky start.

No. 3: No hasty attack

Kelly's offense had no pressure in the trenches after finishing the night with just 64 rushing yards against an inferior in-state opponent. In a game where the young players should have shown plenty of volume, they lacked consistency on the ground.

LSU running back Josh Williams failed to register a single run attempt in the first half, while Kaleb Jackson struggled to find space early on.

The bright spot in the backfield came from defensive back and later running back Ju'Juan Johnson, after he caught three passes for 16 yards and a touchdown in the first half.

The offensive line still has a lot of work to do. The centerpiece of the unit, Will Campbell, received another false start penalty on the first drive of the game, preventing any chance of getting going quickly. It is his third false start penalty this year.

Williams finished the night with 19 yards, while Jackson totaled 15 yards for the Tigers, marking another inefficient performance from the team on the ground.

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