Everything Else You Need To Know About Miami-LSU

Less than five days people, it is here. Canes football season is finally upon us, and we can say it is game week.

LSU on Sunday, biggest season opener in quite some time, and honestly, I can’t remember a season opener that had this much hype, and also this much on the line.

The days are numbering fewer and fewer, so I thought I'd throw some stats your way, as well as anything I else you’d need to know before the Canes and Tigers kick off on Sunday night.

• The Hurricanes are 6-4 against SEC teams since 2000.
• Miami coach Mark Richt is 6-0 in the month of September in his first two seasons at UM. and amazingly, his offense is averaging 46.1 points per game in September. LSU’s head coach Ed Orgeron has just one September under his belt with the Tigers, and is 3-2, and his offense averaged 27 points per game last September.
• One of the matchups of the day is going to be Miami receiver Ahmmon Richards against LSU cornerback Greedy Williams. Williams is poised to become the nation’s top corner, while Richards is a top notch receiver when he’s healthy. Williams was listed as a first team pre-season All-American for CBS. Richards was named to Athlon’s first-team All-ACC preseason team. Williams had six interceptions in 2017 as a freshman.
• Miami was third in the country in turnovers last season with 31. LSU’s quarterbacks threw a combined four interceptions all 2017.
• LSU starting quarterback Joe Burrow transferred from Ohio State, and spent two seasons backing up J.T. Barrett. Sunday will be Burrow’s first start in his collegiate career. Burrow has thrown for 287 yards and two touchdowns.
• No running backs on the LSU depth chart have ever scored a touchdown on the ground. Last season LSU had two running backs with over 8 touchdowns.
• Both Miami and LSU have players on the CBS pre-season all-American list. Hurricanes safety Jaquan Johnson is a first-team selection, and linebacker Shaq Quarterman is on the second-team. Tigers cornerback Greedy Williams and linebacker Devin White both made the first-team.
• LSU was 23rd in the country in 2017 in rushing defense, allowing 126.4 yards a game, and 84th in passing yards allowed per game, their opponents averaged 203.5 yards through the air a game.
• LSU receiver and Texas Tech transfer Jonathan Giles hasn’t played since 2016, but in that season Giles had over 1,100 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns, while averaging 16.8 yards a catch. Expect Miami cornerback Michael Jackson to cover Giles. Jackson was tied for the most interceptions for the Hurricanes in 2017 with four.
• LSU’s top five returning receivers/tight end have a combined 1,007 yards and 11 touchdowns, not even equaling Giles 2016 stats.
• The Hurricanes were one of only 22 teams to allow an average of fewer than 20 points per game during the 2017 regular season.
• LSU has a new offensive coordinator, Steve Ensminger, who filled in for the same position during the last eight games of the 2016 season. During those games, LSU’s offense averaged 32 points and 464.9 total yards.
• Miami quarterback Malik Rosier averaged 175 yards passing during the Hurricanes final six games of 2017. Rosier had a completion percentage of 64.4 in the month of September last year, his best and highest month of the season.

• In their first 10 games of the season in 2017, all wins, Miami averaged 442 yards on offense and 33.7 points a game
• Miami’s defense allowed 19.9 points per game in 2017, and returns seven starters, and LSU’s offense averaged 27.2 points per game, which was ninth in the SEC.