LSU-Appalachian State: FBS Champs vs FCS Champs

LSU vs Appalachian State
Sat, Aug 30
Line: n/a

The FBS Champion will play the FCS Champion when LSU takes on Appalachian State. The Mountaineers have won three straight FCS Championships and caught everyone's attention when they went to Ann Arbor and beat Michigan last season. LSU has plenty of talent returning, but will be starting a QB who has never taken a snap in Baton Rouge.

Keys to the Game:
1. Tackling in the Secondary
One of the keys to stopping the spread offense App State will employ is speed on defense. LSU has plenty of that. The other big key is tackling in space. Look at some of those touchdowns the Mountaineers had against Michigan last year; you will see one or more missed tackles in the secondary. With last year's LSU secondary, I wouldn't have blinked at this. But this years defensive backs are not as experienced.

2. Place Doubt
Appalachian State wants LSU to think about what happened last year at Michigan as much as possible. I am sure LSU is supremely confident they will not become another victim to a FCS team, but if App State is matching them blow for blow by the middle of the 3rd quarter, Tiger minds may wander.

3. Don't Hatch a Loss
Andrew Hatch will be playing in his first game at LSU. Good thing for him LSU has one of the best o-lines in the country. LSU has some very good receivers returning too. But just hand the ball off to the running backs and let them clear the way to the endzone. Hatch doesn't have to the be the reason LSU's wins, he just can't be the reason they lose.

Prediction
I think what App State has done over the last three years is remarkable. But LSU will be ready for the spread and will be able to neutralize it with their team speed on defense. LSU pulls away in the second half.

LSU 35 App State 14