Tiger Rag breaks down the latest on LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt’s hamstring injury and the reserves showed in LSU’s 63-14 blowout of McNeese before looking ahead to a road Southeastern Conference matchup with Kentucky. Reed Darcey, who covers LSU for The Advocate in Baton Rouge, joins the show to give his take on the Tigers through the first five games of the season and previews Kim Mulkey’s LSU women’s basketball team.
Here is the complete transcript of the show from YouTube. Tiger Rag apologizes for any AI generated mistakes:
0:00
0 seconds
Louisiana radio network sports. I’m Case Kishnik. LSU’s big 63 to4 win over Mcnes let a lot of backups see extended reps.
0:08
8 seconds
Third string quarterback Hassan Longre saw some action under center and at punt returner. LSU coach Lane Keifin says he and his staff try to think outside the box as much as anyone.
0:17
17 seconds
Sometimes if you don’t have that type of mind or you don’t think that way, there might be answers right in front of you.
0:22
22 seconds
Say that in life sometimes answers are right in front of you and you don’t realize them because you’re not open to them. So we really have a program like that. Did anybody bring up ideas? And we
0:30
30 seconds
challenge old ways of thinking all the time to try to find things like that.
0:35
35 seconds
With seven more SEC games remaining, the Tigers will shift their focus to Kentucky this weekend. And quarterback Sam Levit says he’ll be fully recovered from the hamstring injury he suffered against Texas A&M.
0:44
44 seconds
You know, it’s feeling really good. I’m I’ll be 100% by Saturday. It was just a super light hamstring thing and um got it back really good for the game and I just didn’t really have to run around.
0:53
53 seconds
So, kickoff against the 4-1 Wildcats is set for 6:00. louisianaarraietwork.com.
1:00
1 minute
If you love LSU, don’t settle for headlines everyone else already has. At tiger.com and in Tigerra magazine, you’ll find breaking news, exclusive
1:08
1 minute, 8 seconds
interviews, recruiting, game analysis, and the investigative reporting that’s making headlines across Louisiana.
1:13
1 minute, 13 seconds
Recently named Louisiana’s first place breaking news winner by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Tiger Rag delivers independent journalism covering
1:21
1 minute, 21 seconds
the business, the politics, and the games of LSU athletics. Visit tiger.com everyday. Tiger rag, independent, fearless LSU.
1:30
1 minute, 30 seconds
The Falcons crashed New Orleans domecoming 20th anniversary celebration with a 45 to 24 thrashing of the Saints.
1:36
1 minute, 36 seconds
New Orleans turned in a disappointing performance and quarterback Tyler Shuck says there’s no way to sugarcoat it.
1:41
1 minute, 41 seconds
You lose to the Falcons like that and especially on in a Monday night game, it sucks and there’s no nothing you can say. It was Oh man, doesn’t suck. It it
1:50
1 minute, 50 seconds
definitely does. But I do know as a team that we’re extremely close and that we’re going to keep going and keep our eyes forward.
1:55
1 minute, 55 seconds
The Saints will host the 4-0 Vikings on Sunday. UL Lafayette visits Louisiana Tech this weekend in the Bulldog’s first Sunb Belt Conference game. Kinjun’s
2:04
2 minutes, 4 seconds
coach Michael Dermo says the dogs play defense the way it’s meant to be played.
2:07
2 minutes, 7 seconds
They play extremely hard. They fly around. They run to the football and they’re physical tacklers. I think their staff does a great job of putting the
2:15
2 minutes, 15 seconds
pieces in position and it’s hard to figure out, but they don’t ask guys.
2:19
2 minutes, 19 seconds
They don’t put guys in position to do things that they’re not capable of, which I think is good coaching. Kickoff in Rustin is set for 6:30.
2:27
2 minutes, 27 seconds
Louisiana Radio Network Sports. I’m Case Kishnik. Y’all ready? Y’all ready? Let’s go. Come on. Tiger Rag Radio is on the air.
Chapter 2: Tiger Rag Radio show opening
2:35
2 minutes, 35 seconds
Let’s crank this thing up.
2:36
2 minutes, 36 seconds
We’re statewide breaking down the latest happenings with LSU athletics. This is us. Hear from the coaches. Our time is now with LSU basketball.
2:45
2 minutes, 45 seconds
The players having fun and we working, baby. That’s it, man.
2:47
2 minutes, 47 seconds
The recruits. One way or another, we’re going to make history.
2:50
2 minutes, 50 seconds
And those who cover the Fighting Tigers of LSU and the SEC, LSU is the best job in it’s 2 hours of non-stop LSU talk.
2:58
2 minutes, 58 seconds
I came here to win. We’re going to win immediately.
3:00
3 minutes
Tiger Rag Radio is brought to you by Cumins. Cumins creates power solutions that the world depends on. Louisiana Beef Industry Council, Budro’s
3:09
3 minutes, 9 seconds
Electrical Services, and Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.
3:16
3 minutes, 16 seconds
Get ready to talk Tigers with producer Case Kishnik and our host Todd Horn, Jeff Polmo, and Glenn Gilbo.
3:25
3 minutes, 25 seconds
Players are better people than they are players.
3:28
3 minutes, 28 seconds
This is Tiger Rag Radio and good evening everyone. Welcome to another edition of Tiger Rag Radio. This is Jeff Polmo, news and sports director
3:36
3 minutes, 36 seconds
of Louisiana Radio Network along with the executive editor for Tiger Rag magazine, Todd Horn. Editor Glen Gilbo is off tonight. Case Kishnik, our re our
3:46
3 minutes, 46 seconds
producer and also reporter for the Louisiana radio network and tiger.com.
3:50
3 minutes, 50 seconds
Great show lined up for you as we’ll get you ready for LSU and Kentucky this Saturday in Lexington. Reed Darcy of the
3:57
3 minutes, 57 seconds
Advocate who covers LSU, of course. He will join us a little bit later on in this hour. We’ll hear from one of our good old friends, Caroline Fenton with
4:05
4 minutes, 5 seconds
Yahoo Sports. Dave Neil, of course, a longtime announcer when it comes to SEC sports. He’s with the SEC Network and
4:13
4 minutes, 13 seconds
ESPN. Longtime playby-play man. He was there the last time LSU actually beat Kentucky in Lexington. And that happens
4:21
4 minutes, 21 seconds
to be the Bluegrass Miracle. He had the other call in the game unless you count the uh call from the Kentucky Wildcats
4:28
4 minutes, 28 seconds
radio team. But uh we’ll talk to Dave who was actually in Baton Rouge this past Saturday for the LSU MCN game. and
4:36
4 minutes, 36 seconds
we will get you a scouting report on the Wildcats from Ryan Black from the Louisville Courier Journal. So, good
4:42
4 minutes, 42 seconds
show here. A lot to get to. LSU 4- one at the moment and um hey, playing
4:49
4 minutes, 49 seconds
playing some decent football at the moment.
4:52
4 minutes, 52 seconds
Well, you know, Lane said he was very very pleased with where the Tigers are right now with one exception of the injuries. He wishes those injuries
5:00
5 minutes
weren’t there. And you know that’s a really good point uh because you know the defense has been a big part of this Lane pointing out that LSU’s
5:09
5 minutes, 9 seconds
defense first team defense has only allowed one touchdown in the second half all season long and they’re going to
5:16
5 minutes, 16 seconds
need that defense as they get into this sevename stretch starting this weekend in Lexington. But it’s minus Wit Weeks
5:24
5 minutes, 24 seconds
and minus Deshaawn Spears and that doesn’t count the offensive side which is minus Tes Green. And Levit says Sam Levit says he’s 100%.
5:34
5 minutes, 34 seconds
Do you believe that?
5:37
5 minutes, 37 seconds
I don’t believe that there’s a football player in the country that’s at 100% right now.
5:41
5 minutes, 41 seconds
Well, let’s get to the sound bite uh right away here. Uh Case, if you could, let’s hear a little bit of Sam Levit talking about his hamstring as he did speak with reporters on Tuesday.
5:50
5 minutes, 50 seconds
You know, it’s feeling really good. I’m I’ll be 100% by Saturday. Uh it was just a super light hamstring thing and um got it back really good for the game and I just didn’t really have to run around.
6:00
6 minutes
So super light hamstring injury.
6:04
6 minutes, 4 seconds
Yeah. So there’s grade one which is the most minor. There’s grade two which is medium, you know, four to six weeks and then there’s grade three which is you’re out for the season basically.
6:13
6 minutes, 13 seconds
So I guess he’s at grade half. Yeah, I was going to say grade half.
6:17
6 minutes, 17 seconds
Grade half. But the way he was limping around against Texas A&M and even to an extent against McNees, I I don’t I don’t
6:24
6 minutes, 24 seconds
know. I I think he’s downplaying it a little bit, but he he was out there. How surprised were you that you saw him out there Saturday night against MC?
6:33
6 minutes, 33 seconds
Well, it’s interesting question because I was very surprised. I honestly did not think that he was going to even dress out.
6:39
6 minutes, 39 seconds
Yeah, that’s what I thought. Shows what how much I know, right? But that’s kind of what you would have gleaned from
6:48
6 minutes, 48 seconds
listening to Kein talk about it heading into the week in my opinion. Um, and then there he is. So, what I’ve
6:56
6 minutes, 56 seconds
learned from that is not only I I can’t trust what Kein says before before the game about what he’s going to
7:04
7 minutes, 4 seconds
do as far as the injury report goes or players. Yeah. Um I noticed not a very when he
7:12
7 minutes, 12 seconds
was talking about injuries the Sunday after the Texas A&M game obviously expressed a lot of concern about the Wit
7:19
7 minutes, 19 seconds
Weeks injury and you can and heck you heard it in the sideline report that he gave to Holly Row uh that night about
7:27
7 minutes, 27 seconds
that it’s that it’s bad this doesn’t look good but his tone when he was speaking about it on Sunday following the Aggies game was
7:35
7 minutes, 35 seconds
not nearly to the level it was as far as the level of concern that it was with Wit, but I still felt, man, if this guy
7:45
7 minutes, 45 seconds
is hobbled, why risk it? Why put it out there? All it takes is somebody missing a block and then him all of a sudden trying to
7:53
7 minutes, 53 seconds
quickly get out of the pocket and then uh-oh, that hamstring strain becomes something much more significant in a
8:01
8 minutes, 1 second
game that’s literally meaningless. And nobody’s going to remember this game.
8:06
8 minutes, 6 seconds
Nobody barely remembers this game as we do this show.
8:10
8 minutes, 10 seconds
What game exactly?
8:12
8 minutes, 12 seconds
The Yeah, but I think your point is especially with a hamstring injury because regardless of how minor it is and you saw how hobbled he was
8:22
8 minutes, 22 seconds
um in the Texas A&M game, he one false move, one one move somewhere and it
8:29
8 minutes, 29 seconds
stretches and it’s gone. Yeah. You know, and that that’s the thing that made me think that there’s no way Sam Lev is going to be. He’s making $4.5 million a
8:37
8 minutes, 37 seconds
year according to the latest zone three projections of what the players are making. Why would you do that? Well, I’m not criticizing Lane. Lane knows more.
8:46
8 minutes, 46 seconds
Throw out the money figure. They lose this guy for a significant amount of time. That’s it. You’re not winning
8:54
8 minutes, 54 seconds
games. Uh you’re not winning most of your games with Lannon Clark or who’s on Long Street as your quarterback.
9:00
9 minutes
Yeah. Well, I I agree with that and I what I was saying was I trust whatever Lane does right now. He’s I there’s no
9:07
9 minutes, 7 seconds
reason not to trust it. I just it’s baffling to me that that would be the the correct decision. Not that it wasn’t the correct decision because he does need the reps.
9:15
9 minutes, 15 seconds
Yeah.
9:16
9 minutes, 16 seconds
But I guess he could weigh that better than than we could or I could and uh so therefore I trust it. But
9:23
9 minutes, 23 seconds
yeah, I I wouldn’t have I would not have expected it. I didn’t expect it. I was shocked that he played what was it 42
9:30
9 minutes, 30 seconds
plays, 48 plays, something to that effect.
9:33
9 minutes, 33 seconds
He ended up throwing 23 passes for 177 yards.
9:36
9 minutes, 36 seconds
Yeah. And and and that’s the upside. He looks better throwing the ball than he had the first three games of the year,
9:43
9 minutes, 43 seconds
certainly against Miss. Um, but I the question for me now is they’re
9:52
9 minutes, 52 seconds
the injuries have cost them and they’re not going to be replenished moving forward. Did they get enough reps
10:00
10 minutes
against uh that junior high team or well wasn’t junior high uh much lesser FCS opponent.
10:09
10 minutes, 9 seconds
Did that help? Does that really help? I don’t know. Does that help those backups? I I really don’t know.
10:16
10 minutes, 16 seconds
I think for a guy I thought Corey Barber’s performance was very intriguing
10:23
10 minutes, 23 seconds
because if you’re not getting it, it doesn’t seem like Malik Elie is going to be the guy that they probably
10:31
10 minutes, 31 seconds
thought. Uh maybe Jace Brown still can be. Um we know Jackson Harris is capable. We’re still waiting for say a breakout game from Trey Wilson.
10:43
10 minutes, 43 seconds
And if you have and who knows one of there there’s there’s probably a good chance there’s going to be another injury to
10:52
10 minutes, 52 seconds
this wide receiver group. And so if Cory Barber steps up and he gets a couple of touchdowns in this game, that’s a pretty good confidence builder.
11:03
11 minutes, 3 seconds
Yeah, I agree with that. And I also think that that, you know, Winnie Watkins is is a key receiver for LSU.
11:09
11 minutes, 9 seconds
And it’s interesting to me that that Barber got his playing time because Watkins dropped two passes for touchdowns in this game, which is unusually rare.
11:19
11 minutes, 19 seconds
Yeah.
11:20
11 minutes, 20 seconds
Um but anyway, whatever. I just I just wonder if if you know, an offensive line
11:26
11 minutes, 26 seconds
working against an FCS defensive line in late in the second half is helpful or or not. I’m not saying it’s not.
11:34
11 minutes, 34 seconds
Yeah, because any rep, you know, but that’s It seems like it’d be better just to practice. Yeah.
11:39
11 minutes, 39 seconds
Well, they got to play 12 games. They got to play seven home games or this year. Yeah, it’s seven home games, right? Yeah. Seven.
11:47
11 minutes, 47 seconds
Yeah. Well, they only have three more left.
11:49
11 minutes, 49 seconds
Yes. Three more left. So, you you got to pay the bills with those seven home games as Verge Jerry would tell you. So, yeah, you had to play the game. I mean,
11:57
11 minutes, 57 seconds
so so what were I’m sorry to interrupt you, but did they sell out the MCN State game? Doesn’t matter. As long as you had 80,000 people there, that’s you’re making a buck.
12:07
12 minutes, 7 seconds
Okay. Well, they had to pay they had to pay 3/4 of a million just to get those reps.
12:11
12 minutes, 11 seconds
You make that it’s the it’s what we have in college football nowadays.
12:15
12 minutes, 15 seconds
I guess it doesn’t matter if you’re down 26 million. What’s another million? 3/4 of a million. You know, but the the key was, as Lane was quick
12:24
12 minutes, 24 seconds
to point out in his postgame press conference, no significant injuries coming out of the MC game. And that’s what they needed to do. Yeah, but he
12:32
12 minutes, 32 seconds
didn’t say no injuries. He said no significant injuries. And we’ll find out when the availability report comes out Wednesday night because we get them again this week. We’ll get them every week now.
12:41
12 minutes, 41 seconds
Oh, and they’re so reliable.
12:42
12 minutes, 42 seconds
Well, it gives you a little bit of a sense, right? They’re so reliable on Wednesday.
12:48
12 minutes, 48 seconds
But if somebody pops up there, we’ll we’ll see. We’ll find out. But um let’s see. Uh what getting back a little bit
12:57
12 minutes, 57 seconds
more on uh Sam Levit who the the accuracy is much much better. Here’s Lane Kitman talking about Levit’s
13:04
13 minutes, 4 seconds
accuracy and the pass protection that’s been a big part of his ability to just stand in the pocket.
13:11
13 minutes, 11 seconds
It’s just like in golfing or a batter like there’s a lot to your rhythm of your swing and they don’t move their
13:18
13 minutes, 18 seconds
feet all over the place. And you know, when you’re looking at the rush and you’re moving around and your eyes are looking all over like in that Old Miss game, you know, you’re not going to be
13:26
13 minutes, 26 seconds
very accurate and you’re not going to play really consistent. And so I think because of the rush and then the injury, so that he’s not when someone starts to
13:34
13 minutes, 34 seconds
come free, he’s not just taking off and running. He’s saying, “Okay, now I’m going to step in and throw this one and then take the hit.” And there were some examples like that the last two weeks.
13:44
13 minutes, 44 seconds
So can I translate that?
13:45
13 minutes, 45 seconds
Sure. So Sam Levit’s in the last two games not seeing ghosts and his eyes aren’t darting all over the place and
13:54
13 minutes, 54 seconds
his feet aren’t happy. He no longer has happy feet. He’s actually standing and making the throws. Those are very good
14:02
14 minutes, 2 seconds
uh practices for a quarterback at an SEC school to have.
14:07
14 minutes, 7 seconds
But Texas&M didn’t scare me as far as their pass rush went. Um, McNe State certainly didn’t scare me as far as
14:16
14 minutes, 16 seconds
their pass rush went. So, I don’t know, Case, what do you think? You think uh from looking at the PFF scores and
14:22
14 minutes, 22 seconds
watching the games up close that the addition of Satder White at starting guard splitting some time with Borderline now uh has made a significant
14:32
14 minutes, 32 seconds
difference because that’s really the only major change they’ve made in that offensive line at least from a standpoint of personnel.
14:38
14 minutes, 38 seconds
I think you had it the first time. the the real significant difference is coming on the other side of the ball where you’re not really as worried about Texas A&M’s pass rush or MC’s pass rush
14:47
14 minutes, 47 seconds
as you were uh with Will Eckles and and Old Miss. And I I don’t think they have another real big test coming with Kentucky this weekend. Kucky’s 13th in
14:55
14 minutes, 55 seconds
the SEC in sacks this year. They’ve got 10 all year. And and I just don’t think that that’s really going to strike the fear of God into anyone on that
15:03
15 minutes, 3 seconds
offensive line. And I don’t think you’re really going to have an opponent like that until November.
15:08
15 minutes, 8 seconds
Yeah. Well, the one thing that does concern me a little bit about Kentucky, and I agree with you, they don’t have
15:15
15 minutes, 15 seconds
much of a pass rush, although they did sort of terrorize Texas A&M a little bit in that game. I watched a little bit of that game,
15:23
15 minutes, 23 seconds
but they do have a plus4 turnover margin. Yeah. What do you think about that, Case?
15:30
15 minutes, 30 seconds
Yeah, I think it’s really dangerous considering that Sam Levit is currently the interception leader in college football or at least tied for it with seven interceptions this year.
15:38
15 minutes, 38 seconds
But but now that his feet are no longer happy and he’s not Now that his feet are no longer happy, he’s throwing interceptions to McNe instead.
15:48
15 minutes, 48 seconds
That what happened on that interception anyway? What what what’s the official diagnosis of what happened on that interception?
15:55
15 minutes, 55 seconds
I think you just didn’t see the safety coming off of that that left side. Eddie tried to force the ball in down the middle of the field and the safety came up and undercut him. I think it was a good play from Mcnes and I think Levit needs to be able to see that.
16:05
16 minutes, 5 seconds
Yeah, they were in too deep coverage and so he just threw it down the middle thinking it was going to be wide open and I don’t think he saw the second safety like you’re saying that came
16:13
16 minutes, 13 seconds
over. Well, that’s concerning right there. No, the interceptions have been concern are concerning and they’re concerning going into this game because
16:22
16 minutes, 22 seconds
if you turn it over two or three times, especially in what should be an electric atmosphere in Lexington, you’ll find
16:30
16 minutes, 30 seconds
yourself in a big-time dog fight in the fourth quarter or potentially having to try to rally back like you did. also
16:38
16 minutes, 38 seconds
look back to I know different era um and I say different era even though it was two years ago but when they played South
16:46
16 minutes, 46 seconds
Carolina when LSU went to South Carolina Gamecocks were fired up for that game and LSU was completely overwhelmed
16:53
16 minutes, 53 seconds
and they got behind 17 to nothing eventually won the game. I think it was 17 to nothing. It was at least two touchdowns.
16:59
16 minutes, 59 seconds
Yeah, it was it was um this is kind of that same type of game, right? You have a Kentucky program that’s believing in their head coach.
17:07
17 minutes, 7 seconds
Now, I I get it. South Carolina does not believe in Shane Beamer at the moment, but at that time they did. And this is a team that feels like, hey, we’ve already
17:16
17 minutes, 16 seconds
defeated one top 10 team. We did that on the road. Now, let’s see if we can do it here at home. So, and I think that’s a good point, but I
17:23
17 minutes, 23 seconds
think there’s an advantage that LSU has going into the game to deal with that frenzied crowd, and that is they just
17:32
17 minutes, 32 seconds
came out of the most frenzied crowd in the history of mankind uh with that Old Miss situation. I think that experience is going to help them.
17:41
17 minutes, 41 seconds
It also hasn’t been a good year for SEC teams coming off of big emotional wins and and they had that big overtime win against South Carolina. You’ve seen Old
17:48
17 minutes, 48 seconds
Miss come out and get get rocked against Florida after beating LSU. Then Florida went and lost to Missouri. Maybe there’s a little bit of a let down for Kentucky like there was for those teams.
17:57
17 minutes, 57 seconds
Might be. Let’s take our first break.
17:59
17 minutes, 59 seconds
We’ll have more on the as we continue to break down Saturday night’s big match up between LSU and Kentucky and Lexington. You’re listening to Tiger Rag Radio.
18:07
18 minutes, 7 seconds
A sizzling T-bone steak, a mouthwatering char grilled hamburger, a slow smoked brisket. There are plenty of reasons to grill beef this fall. With 29 cuts of
18:16
18 minutes, 16 seconds
lean proteinpacked beef to choose from, there’s always something succulent to serve to your family. So this weekend and throughout the fall, be the hero of
18:24
18 minutes, 24 seconds
your backyard barbecue by serving what everybody wants, the delicious taste of certified Louisiana beef. So remember, beef, it’s what’s for dinner. Brought to
18:32
18 minutes, 32 seconds
you by the Louisiana Cattle Producers through the Louisiana Beef Industry Council and the Beef Check Off.
18:37
18 minutes, 37 seconds
Cumins is known for their commitment to quality, performance, and products that are built to last. They make it their business to understand their customers priorities and partner in their success.
18:46
18 minutes, 46 seconds
Cummins has the technical expertise and experience to deliver fast, highquality repairs using genuine parts. And by calling 1800 Cummins, you have access to
18:55
18 minutes, 55 seconds
one of the largest and most capable sales, service, and support organizations in the industry 24/7. For more information on Cumins products, service or support, call 1800 Cummins.
19:07
19 minutes, 7 seconds
Some call it overplanning. At Budro Electrical Services, we call it foresight. Be prepared for the next power outage with a GenerRack home
19:16
19 minutes, 16 seconds
standby generator. After sensing a power outage, a GenerRack home standby generator automatically restores your
19:23
19 minutes, 23 seconds
home power. Generrack. It’s not just a generator, it’s a power move. Trust Budro’s electrical services for expert
19:31
19 minutes, 31 seconds
installations, proactive maintenance for home and business. Budroelectricals.com for more information. If you love LSU,
19:38
19 minutes, 38 seconds
don’t settle for headlines everyone else already has. At tiger.com and in tiger magazine, you’ll find breaking news, exclusive interviews, recruiting, game
19:47
19 minutes, 47 seconds
analysis, and the investigative reporting that’s making headlines across Louisiana. Recently named Louisiana’s first place breaking news winner by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
19:56
19 minutes, 56 seconds
Tiger Rag delivers independent journalism covering the business, the politics, and the games of LSU athletics. Visit tiger.com every day.
20:04
20 minutes, 4 seconds
Tiger Rag, independent, fearless LSU. LSU is more than just football scores.
20:13
20 minutes, 13 seconds
It’s recruiting battles, NIL, SEC politics, coaching decisions, public records, financial decisions worth
20:20
20 minutes, 20 seconds
hundreds of millions of dollars. Nobody covers the complete story like Tiger Rag. Every day at tiger.com and every
20:27
20 minutes, 27 seconds
month in Tigerra magazine, you’ll find award-winning journalism, exclusive interviews, insider analysis, recruiting coverage, opinion, history, and
20:36
20 minutes, 36 seconds
investigative reporting that other outlets simply don’t have. Tiger Rag was recently honored with first place for breaking news by the Louisiana Sports
20:45
20 minutes, 45 seconds
Writers Association for its coverage of LSU athletics. Whether you’re following Lane Keifin, Jay Johnson, Will Wade, Kim
20:52
20 minutes, 52 seconds
Moy, or the future of LSU athletics, Tiger Rag is where serious LSU fans begin. Visit tiger.com today. Tiger Rag,
21:02
21 minutes, 2 seconds
more than big games. The story behind LSU sports.
21:08
21 minutes, 8 seconds
No more mold, no more damage, no more outdated old bathroom, no more slipping and hurting, no more stress. Make your
21:15
21 minutes, 15 seconds
ordinary bathroom extraordinary for only $99 per month. New shower, new door, new tub, new wall, new anti-slip technology.
21:25
21 minutes, 25 seconds
Feast stressfree. Call 800770-5322.
21:29
21 minutes, 29 seconds
BCI Bath and Shower is made in America for the highest quality. Ask about our military and senior discounts. Your dream bathroom in as little as one day.
21:38
21 minutes, 38 seconds
First 50 callers save $1,500 on a NeverClear glass treated door. Call now for free premium color upgrades.
21:44
21 minutes, 44 seconds
800770-5322.
21:47
21 minutes, 47 seconds
Call BCI Bath and Shower, the leader in bathroom remodeling. Be smart, save, and stay a step ahead of inflation with our
21:54
21 minutes, 54 seconds
interestf free financing options. Call 800770-5322. Love your bathroom with free upgrades.
22:01
22 minutes, 1 second
Call 800770-5322. That’s 800770-5322.
22:09
22 minutes, 9 seconds
Now, back to Tiger Rag Radio. Back here on Tiger Rag Radio, Jeff Polmo, along with the executive editor for Tiger Rag
22:16
22 minutes, 16 seconds
magazine, Todd Horn, and our producer, Case Kishnik, who works for both LRN and Tiger Rag. I’m Jeff Polarmo. And talking
22:24
22 minutes, 24 seconds
LSU Kentucky on Saturday night, the Wildcats are 4-1, just like LSU. Kucky’s
22:30
22 minutes, 30 seconds
coming off a thrilling 3534 overtime win over the Gamecooxs. Kentucky also has a signature win, if you would, over Texas
22:39
22 minutes, 39 seconds
A&M going on the road. And at that time, Texas A&M was ranked in the top 10. We all probably would agree that the Aggies
22:46
22 minutes, 46 seconds
are not a top 10 team. Not probably not even a top 25 team, but still a very nice win for coach Will Stein in his first season to go down to College
22:55
22 minutes, 55 seconds
Station and get those victories. What’s interesting in both of those wins for Kentucky is they faced mobile
23:03
23 minutes, 3 seconds
quarterbacks who did very well against that Kentucky defense and running the football. And that’s
23:10
23 minutes, 10 seconds
Marcel Reed who rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown against the Wildcats this season. And then Lenor Sers last week.
23:17
23 minutes, 17 seconds
How about this? 147 yards rushing for Lenores. He broke off a 74 yardd run in
23:24
23 minutes, 24 seconds
the contest. Will Stein, who spoke Tuesday to reporters in Lexington, talked about having to defend mobile quarterbacks better.
23:34
23 minutes, 34 seconds
It’s not stopping. So Sam Levit can run.
23:37
23 minutes, 37 seconds
Um John Matier, next one can run. they can all run. So like you got to be able to contain these guys. It’s not like there’s giant explosive runs from
23:45
23 minutes, 45 seconds
running backs right now. It’s literally quarterback scrambles. And so that has to improve and we know that we we’re
23:54
23 minutes, 54 seconds
aware of that. Nobody’s shying away from from that aspect of our defense that we got to do a better job of getting people
24:00
24 minutes
to the ground on third downs. So sounds like LSU.
24:08
24 minutes, 8 seconds
Yeah. in a way. I think Blake Baker can understand what Will Stein is going through right now. There’s no doubt about that. Uh South Carolina in their
24:17
24 minutes, 17 seconds
game ended up rushing for 20 and it was 232 yards and&m ended up rushing for
24:27
24 minutes, 27 seconds
187. Can LSU say, let’s say Lev is probably, even though it is a slight
24:34
24 minutes, 34 seconds
hamstring injury as Levitt describes it, he’s still not as mobile as at this point right now, he’s not as
24:42
24 minutes, 42 seconds
mobile as Reed and Sers. But could LSU go into Kentucky and rush for say 150 yards, do you think, with Dylan Jones
24:50
24 minutes, 50 seconds
and Levit running a little bit and Harlem Barry and whoever else they put in the back field? I I not only do I think they can, I think they have to. I
25:00
25 minutes
think they have to because it’s such an integral part of Lane Kein’s and Charlie Weiss Jr.’s offense that they have a
25:07
25 minutes, 7 seconds
solid rushing game. Both of those teams got right at 100 yards or a little bit more than 100 yards of rushing outside
25:15
25 minutes, 15 seconds
of their quarterbacks. I think LSU is set to do that and I think LSU has to do that.
25:22
25 minutes, 22 seconds
I think it’s to the point where I’d almost be like you’re saying concerned if they didn’t where it’s such a big part of the offense and Dylan Jones has looked so good. Plus, I think what you
25:30
25 minutes, 30 seconds
saw from Harlem Barry and Stacy Gage really inspires some more confidence in both of them down the stretch. You don’t know what the rotation will shake out
25:38
25 minutes, 38 seconds
like when you’re against an SEC opponent. But I think they both looked really good against Mcnes.
25:42
25 minutes, 42 seconds
See, I and and I’m I don’t want to take anything away from Harlem Barry. Um, but I I mean to me when a kid gets in the
25:51
25 minutes, 51 seconds
open field he’s great, but getting in the open field I know that he improved vertical, but I just don’t see it yet from him. I don’t think he’s
25:59
25 minutes, 59 seconds
manufacturing his or taking advantage of the manufactured space yet that he needs to. He still somewhat looks timid to me
26:07
26 minutes, 7 seconds
running the football until he’s in the open field. Stacy Gage on the other hand is a different story and I think we’re going to see more of Kaden Durham as the next few weeks go by as well.
26:16
26 minutes, 16 seconds
Really? Yep.
26:17
26 minutes, 17 seconds
Why do you say that? Not he had five carries for 13 yards against McNees, right? And I think because he’s a he’s a
26:24
26 minutes, 24 seconds
more polished runner. I don’t think he’s doing it this year so far, but I think as you get into the heat of this sevename SEC schedule, you’re going to
26:33
26 minutes, 33 seconds
need all four of those backs. And I think he’s going to get he may not get that many more carries, but I think he’s going to become more important to the game plan
26:42
26 minutes, 42 seconds
game plans as we move forward in this SEC schedule. I don’t know. I think it’s a it’s a two back system. Mainly Dylan
26:50
26 minutes, 50 seconds
Jones and then whoever that number two guy is, whether that’s Barry or Gage, I think that changes a little bit as we move forward.
26:58
26 minutes, 58 seconds
I don’t know. I I I just think Kaden Durham’s buried on the bottom of this depth chart and I’m not sure how he gets I for for that brief moment of what we
27:07
27 minutes, 7 seconds
saw in his freshman season as we talked about the South Carolina game from two years ago. We’ve just we haven’t seen it. He’s the fastest back in the back
27:16
27 minutes, 16 seconds
field. He’s got the best size and he is going to be a factor at some point this year.
27:23
27 minutes, 23 seconds
We’ll see. We’ll see if uh he’s able to do that. We got our first guest coming up here, Reed Darcy from The Advocate.
27:29
27 minutes, 29 seconds
He’ll join us. We’ll talk with him about LSU’s preparations for Kentucky. And in case uh you’re not able to join us for
27:36
27 minutes, 36 seconds
the full two hours tonight, wherever you’re listening to us on Tiger Rag Radio, we want to thank all of our affiliates who carry our show every
27:44
27 minutes, 44 seconds
Tuesday night across the state. Our show is available via podcast anywhere you get your podcast or it also gets uploaded to YouTube so you can look for
27:52
27 minutes, 52 seconds
it there as well. Reed Darcy from The Advocate. He’ll join us when we come back on Tiger Rag Radio.
27:58
27 minutes, 58 seconds
A sizzling t-bone steak, a mouthwatering char grilled hamburger, a slow smoked brisket. There are plenty of reasons to grill beef this fall with 29 cuts of lean proteinpacked beef to choose from.
28:09
28 minutes, 9 seconds
There’s always something succulent to serve to your family. So this weekend and throughout the fall, be the hero of your backyard barbecue by serving what
28:16
28 minutes, 16 seconds
everybody wants, the delicious taste of certified Louisiana beef. So remember, beef, it’s what’s for dinner. Brought to you by the Louisiana Cattle Producers
28:24
28 minutes, 24 seconds
through the Louisiana Beef Industry Council and the Beef Check Off.
28:28
28 minutes, 28 seconds
Cumins is known for their commitment to quality, performance, and products that are built to last. They make it their business to understand their customers priorities and partner in their success.
28:37
28 minutes, 37 seconds
Cummins has the technical expertise and experience to deliver fast, highquality repairs using genuine parts. And by calling 1800 Cummins, you have access to
28:46
28 minutes, 46 seconds
one of the largest and most capable sales, service, and support organizations in the industry 24/7. For more information on Cumins products, service, or support, call 1800 Cummins.
28:58
28 minutes, 58 seconds
I’m Richard Futner, president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation. While I’m a fourth generation rice and soybean grower, you don’t have to be a farmer to be a Louisiana Farm Bureau member.
29:07
29 minutes, 7 seconds
Membership has its benefits from discounts on car seats, hotel rooms, and rental cars to access to insurance you can count on to be there when you need,
29:15
29 minutes, 15 seconds
plus a whole lot more. We’re 145,000 members strong, and we want you to join the Louisiana Farm Bureau family.
29:22
29 minutes, 22 seconds
Visit lafarmbureau.org. The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, the voice of Louisiana agriculture.
29:28
29 minutes, 28 seconds
If you love LSU, don’t settle for headlines. everyone else already has. At tiger.com and in Tigerra magazine, you’ll find breaking news, exclusive
29:36
29 minutes, 36 seconds
interviews, recruiting, game analysis, and the investigative reporting that’s making headlines across Louisiana.
29:41
29 minutes, 41 seconds
Recently named Louisiana’s first place breaking news winner by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, Tiger Rag delivers independent journalism covering
29:49
29 minutes, 49 seconds
the business, the politics, and the games of LSU athletics. Visit Tiger.com every day. Tiger Rag, independent, fearless LSU.
29:58
29 minutes, 58 seconds
Louisiana Radio Network. I’m Andrew Grainstein. It looks like we’re not going to get through 2026 without an Atlantic hurricane. The disturbance in
30:06
30 minutes, 6 seconds
the Gulf of Mexico is now a tropical depression and the National Hurricane Center says it’s expected to become tropical storm Issa by early tomorrow
30:15
30 minutes, 15 seconds
and hurricane Issa on Thursday. National Weather Service meteorologist Jacob Zarang says conditions became favorable for hurricane development.
30:23
30 minutes, 23 seconds
The wind shear that has been tampering activity this season has weakened. It’s not as strong currently where it’s at in
30:30
30 minutes, 30 seconds
the Gulf and it’s expected to stay weak for the next couple days before the system gets pulled to the north and then the shear will increase after that.
30:38
30 minutes, 38 seconds
President Trump signs an executive order that waves the off-road requirement to use tax-free red dye diesel. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says red dye
30:46
30 minutes, 46 seconds
diesel is cheaper because it’s exempt from state and federal highway excise taxes. That will save for us 40 cents a gallon.
30:54
30 minutes, 54 seconds
For the rest of the United States, it’s 24.4. That’s the federal side.
30:58
30 minutes, 58 seconds
LRN LSU is more than just football scores.
31:04
31 minutes, 4 seconds
It’s recruiting battles, NIL, SEC politics, coaching decisions, public records, financial decisions worth
31:11
31 minutes, 11 seconds
hundreds of millions of dollars. Nobody covers the complete story like Tiger Rag. Every day at tiger.com and every
31:18
31 minutes, 18 seconds
month in Tigerra magazine, you’ll find award-winning journalism, exclusive interviews, insider analysis, recruiting coverage, opinion, history, and
31:27
31 minutes, 27 seconds
investigative reporting that other outlets simply don’t have. Tiger Rag was recently honored with first place for breaking news by the Louisiana Sports
31:36
31 minutes, 36 seconds
Writers Association for its coverage of LSU athletics. Whether you’re following Lane Keifin, Jay Johnson, Will Wade, Kim
31:43
31 minutes, 43 seconds
Moy, or the future of LSU athletics, Tiger Rag is where serious LSU fans begin. Visit tiger.com today. Tiger Rag,
31:53
31 minutes, 53 seconds
more than big games. The story behind LSU sports.
31:58
31 minutes, 58 seconds
The Department of Energy awards Energy almost $14 million in federal grants to strengthen its power grid in Louisiana as well as in Mississippi and Arkansas.
32:08
32 minutes, 8 seconds
Kristen Granier, the director of federal infrastructure policy at Energy, says part of that money will be used to deploy a dynamic line rating sensor.
32:16
32 minutes, 16 seconds
It’s kind of a volleyballsized device that clamps on our transmission lines, and it basically reads the data
32:24
32 minutes, 24 seconds
of the capacity of that line as it’s flowing.
32:27
32 minutes, 27 seconds
A night of celebration in the Superdome went sour quickly as the Falcons spoiled the 20th anniversary of the dome coming with the 45 to 24 thrashing of the
32:35
32 minutes, 35 seconds
Saints. New Orleans trailed by two scores for much of the game and quarterback Tyler Shuck says there’s no way to sugarcoat it.
32:42
32 minutes, 42 seconds
You lose to the Falcons like that and especially on a Monday night game. It sucks and there’s no nothing you can say. It was oh man doesn’t suck. It it
32:50
32 minutes, 50 seconds
definitely does. But I do know as a team that we’re extremely close and that we’re going to keep going and keep our eyes forward.
32:56
32 minutes, 56 seconds
Follow us on X at LA Radio Network. LSU is more than just football scores.
33:04
33 minutes, 4 seconds
It’s recruiting battles, NIL, SEC politics, coaching decisions, public records, financial decisions worth
33:11
33 minutes, 11 seconds
hundreds of millions of dollars. Nobody covers the complete story like Tiger Rag. Every day at tiger.com and every
33:19
33 minutes, 19 seconds
month in Tiger Magazine, you’ll find award-winning journalism, exclusive interviews, insider analysis, recruiting coverage, opinion, history, and
33:28
33 minutes, 28 seconds
investigative reporting that other outlets simply don’t have. Tiger Rag was recently honored with first place for breaking news by the Louisiana Sports
33:36
33 minutes, 36 seconds
Writers Association for its coverage of LSU athletics. Whether you’re following Lane Keifin, Jay Johnson, Will Wade, Kim
33:44
33 minutes, 44 seconds
Moy, or the future of LSU athletics, Tiger Rag is where serious LSU fans begin. Visit tiger.com today. Tiger Rag,
33:53
33 minutes, 53 seconds
more than big games, the story behind LSU sports. Let’s go.
33:59
33 minutes, 59 seconds
We now return to Tiger Rag Radio.
Chapter 3: LSU football analysis
34:09
34 minutes, 9 seconds
Jeff Polmo back inside the Tiger Rag studios here along with Todd Horn and Case Kishnik. And we bring in our first
34:18
34 minutes, 18 seconds
guest of the night here on Tiger Rag Radio. That’s Reed Darcy who covers LSU football and women’s basketball for the Advocate. Reed, thanks a lot for being a part of the show. How you doing tonight?
34:29
34 minutes, 29 seconds
I’m doing great, guys. How are y’all? I appreciate y’all having me back on.
34:33
34 minutes, 33 seconds
Well, it’s great to have you on. Um, I’m a big stat guy and so I loved your latest article in the Advocate taking a look at some of the numbers that LSU has put together offensively.
34:45
34 minutes, 45 seconds
What is the most impressive numbers based on what you wrote in your article that really jump out to you and you say,
34:52
34 minutes, 52 seconds
“Man, that’s that’s something right there.” I think it’s the fact that they need only about 164 more rushing yards, I
35:01
35 minutes, 1 second
believe, to eclipse um all of the rushing yards they had last year, which is pretty crazy. So, this is only their sixth game of the year and then they
35:10
35 minutes, 10 seconds
could wind up with more rushing yards than they had all of last year. Um if they get even, you know, pretty uh significantly lower total than what
35:18
35 minutes, 18 seconds
their average is because they’re averaging north of 220 rushing yards a game. And that just goes to show um just how how quickly this has changed for
35:27
35 minutes, 27 seconds
LSU. Last year they were one of the worst rushing teams in the country and now that Lane Tiffen is on board and Charlie Weiss is calling plays and that
35:35
35 minutes, 35 seconds
they have some new personnel on the offensive line. They have new lead ball carrier and Dylan Jones. Um it is just night and day difference and uh if you
35:43
35 minutes, 43 seconds
look at it um they have 19 rushing touchdowns so far which leads the country. Uh they only had 10 all of last year. So, one more and they’ll double
35:52
35 minutes, 52 seconds
them up u from last year. There’s some pretty pretty impressive stuff. Um pretty impressive stuff for Keifin at Weissner.
35:58
35 minutes, 58 seconds
You know what, Reed, you’re my you’re one of my favorite writers and journalists and in the not just the state, but the the whole country and now
36:08
36 minutes, 8 seconds
I’ve lost respect for you because you’re talking about how great this this offense is and this Russian game is,
36:15
36 minutes, 15 seconds
which it is, but you’re comparing it to one of the worst ever of all time. So, it’s like what what what what gives?
36:24
36 minutes, 24 seconds
I mean, were they just that bad or are is it are these guys that good? What is it?
36:29
36 minutes, 29 seconds
Well, I I appreciate that backhanded compliment. It started it started off really well and I was like, “Oh, thanks.” And no, but it’s true. It’s still true.
36:37
36 minutes, 37 seconds
Yeah, it is. It is. They only had one way to go, but up. But I still think it’s notable that again through five games, the schedule has not been great.
36:47
36 minutes, 47 seconds
They’ve not played um very many good defenses, but they are one of the best offensive teams in the country. And all the numbers say that they’re great in
36:55
36 minutes, 55 seconds
the red zone. They’re great on third down. Um and and they’re really good running the ball, which is the most important thing that they have to do with Lane G, Charlie Weiss. You know,
37:04
37 minutes, 4 seconds
they I know Lane Keing has a reputation for being like this high-flying offensive mind, but his bread and butter is really running the ball. when when they have an efficient explosive rushing
37:13
37 minutes, 13 seconds
attack, um then you you usually see the best version of this offense and that’s what we’ve seen again through five games. Could that change as they play
37:20
37 minutes, 20 seconds
some of their tougher sk tougher tougher games here as that the SEC slate really heats up? Maybe. But um through five games, they’ve been pretty awfully good.
37:28
37 minutes, 28 seconds
So, and if you look at it, LSU not only has one of the top offenses in the country right now statistically, but they also have one of the best defenses in the country statistically, and that’s
37:37
37 minutes, 37 seconds
pretty rare. Uh, do you think that they’re worthy of their top 10 ranking, number 10 ranking right now, even though
37:44
37 minutes, 44 seconds
they haven’t played that tough of a schedule yet?
37:47
37 minutes, 47 seconds
Yeah, I I do. I think there’s a difference here between this defense and the past two defenses that Blake Baker
37:56
37 minutes, 56 seconds
has had. And the number one difference to me is the talent up front and the players that they have on the edge. Uh Princewell, Lumman Yellen, and Jordan
38:04
38 minutes, 4 seconds
Ross are just much better fits for the Blake Baker system than the two edge rushers they had last year. When you think about Patrick Payeyton and Jack
38:12
38 minutes, 12 seconds
Pyurn, two good players, two really good run stoppers, but they weren’t really the pass rushers that Blake Baker needs to run the best version of his system
38:21
38 minutes, 21 seconds
because you have guys like Vincewell Uman Yellen and Jordan Ross and the freshman Bruce Gerald’s winning one-on-one and giving LSU a real uh
38:30
38 minutes, 30 seconds
credible fourman pass rush. That has just opened up um so many more things for Blake Baker. could be so much more selective with how he blitzes. And when
38:39
38 minutes, 39 seconds
you face a running quarterback like like Marcel Reed, perfect example, you don’t have to blitz him to pressure him. You
38:46
38 minutes, 46 seconds
can just get pressure with four and have your the rest of your defense back and and make sure you’re not too exposed on the back end. So, um they’ve got a lot
38:54
38 minutes, 54 seconds
more test, I think, but um this defense has taken small steps forward every year under Blake Baker. And I think the big
39:01
39 minutes, 1 second
reason why they are off to such a good start is that they just have that added extra talent, that added extra personnel that they got through the transfer
39:09
39 minutes, 9 seconds
portal. It’s really made a big difference so far.
39:12
39 minutes, 12 seconds
Reed, how hurt do you think that front seven is though without a guy like Whit Weeks in the middle? You know, we they looked fine. They looked great against
39:19
39 minutes, 19 seconds
Mcnes, but that’s not exactly miss or Texas A&M that they’re going up against there. What does his loss kind of mean for the defense down the stretch?
39:27
39 minutes, 27 seconds
They have less speed. Uh, I think you you can have fewer blitzes uh from that second level uh without him and that affects a little bit of your pass rush.
39:37
39 minutes, 37 seconds
Um, but I I don’t really think it changes much of the most important things for the defense, which is stopping the run. Uh, Devon Keys has
39:45
39 minutes, 45 seconds
proven throughout his career that he’s a more capable run defender. He led LSU in tackles last year and it’s it’s just
39:52
39 minutes, 52 seconds
such a luxury to have him as like your uh the guy you slide right in there once Wick beats goes down because TJ Doy the
40:00
40 minutes
miss transfer and Devon Keys were the SEC’s two leading tackers last year and that’s your plan B essentially. So um
40:08
40 minutes, 8 seconds
that that goes to show just the the resources that LSU had to put into this roster um to give Lane Kein a lot of
40:16
40 minutes, 16 seconds
depth at that linebacker spot. I I don’t Whit Weeks is an awesome player. He means so much to the program and to the defense. Um but because you have Devon
40:24
40 minutes, 24 seconds
Keys, losing him doesn’t hurt as much as it would say if you lost Prince Um a guy like that.
40:30
40 minutes, 30 seconds
Reed, I I noticed you say Devon Keys and you said it like three times and I always said it was Devon Keys, but he corrected us last week. Did was that a
40:39
40 minutes, 39 seconds
correction for you for the first time as well?
40:42
40 minutes, 42 seconds
Uh is it I believe it is Devon. Am I saying it right? No, you’re right. You’re right. Right. He made it a point. It’s Devon.
40:49
40 minutes, 49 seconds
Yeah, I think I think he corrected us last spring. I think he said it was Devon because we’ve been calling him Devon the first two years of his career.
40:57
40 minutes, 57 seconds
So, I’ve I’ve tried to I’ve tried to pronounce it correctly ever since.
41:01
41 minutes, 1 second
Well, do we know uh outside of name pronunciation, do we know if PJ Woodland and DJ Picket are are really good? I mean, obviously they’re they’re better.
41:11
41 minutes, 11 seconds
They’re average, right? At least average, right? That’s the baseline.
41:14
41 minutes, 14 seconds
They have not been tested at all through these first five games.
41:19
41 minutes, 19 seconds
I think we’ll find out in the next couple weeks. Uh Kentucky and Mississippi State are two teams that can beat you vertically that can throw down
41:26
41 minutes, 26 seconds
the field. Kenny Mitchi has a really good arm, the Kentucky quarterback. And in the next week, you got Kamario Taylor coming to uh Tiger Stadium. Kamario
41:35
41 minutes, 35 seconds
Taylor is a guy, I know he’s a little banged up right now, but he’s he’s someone who can make some throws that are just there’s just no defense for some of the throws he can make. he’s got
41:43
41 minutes, 43 seconds
that much arm strength. So, I’d expect this Saturday and next Saturday, Picket and Woodland to be uh tested a lot more
41:50
41 minutes, 50 seconds
often than they have been um in these first few games. But, I mean, I think that just speaks to the the pass rush and just how good it’s been. Opposing
41:59
41 minutes, 59 seconds
teams haven’t really had much time to throw downfield because they’re constantly under duress. Um that’s that’s the Blake Baker front front for you and all the talent they have down
42:06
42 minutes, 6 seconds
there. Just a few more segment seconds in just a few more seconds in this segment, Reed, and then we’d like to bring you back for the next segment to
42:14
42 minutes, 14 seconds
talk a little women’s hoops. But do you see Prince Will Uman breaking the sack record at LSU passing hard and key?
42:20
42 minutes, 20 seconds
I mean I mean yeah, I think so. He’s got eight and a half or something like that so far. So won’t take too much more to
42:28
42 minutes, 28 seconds
get get there. The record’s 12. And I believe Derald’s perhaps even more impressively, Deralds might set the
42:35
42 minutes, 35 seconds
freshman sack record, which is seven and a half by Harold Perkins back in 2022.
42:41
42 minutes, 41 seconds
Um, he’s been sensational. It’s almost flown under the radar. Uh, but five sacks as a true freshman defensive tackle is almost unheard of. So, it’s
42:49
42 minutes, 49 seconds
been super impressive what he’s been able to do.
42:51
42 minutes, 51 seconds
And Harold Perkins looked good in a Falcons uniform last night. But we won’t go down there. Uh, Reed, let’s take a break and if you don’t mind, let’s talk some Lady Tiger hoops when we come back.
42:59
42 minutes, 59 seconds
Is that okay?
43:01
43 minutes, 1 second
Yeah, we can’t talk about the Saints as long as we’re not talking about No, that was it. That’s the only Saints reference here. All right, we’ll take a break. More of Tiger Radio after this.
Chapter 4: Women’s basketball preview
43:16
43 minutes, 16 seconds
LSU is more than just football scores.
43:18
43 minutes, 18 seconds
It’s recruiting battles, NIM, SEC politics, coaching decisions, public records, financial decisions worth
43:26
43 minutes, 26 seconds
hundreds of millions of dollars. Nobody covers the complete story like Tiger Rag. Every day at tiger.com and every
43:33
43 minutes, 33 seconds
month in Tiger magazine, you’ll find award-winning journalism, exclusive interviews, insider analysis, recruiting coverage, opinion, history, and
43:42
43 minutes, 42 seconds
investigative reporting that other outlets simply don’t have. Tiger Rag was recently honored with first place for breaking news by the Louisiana Sports
43:50
43 minutes, 50 seconds
Writers Association for its coverage of LSU athletics. Whether you’re following Lane Keifin, Jay Johnson, Will Wade, Kim
43:58
43 minutes, 58 seconds
Moy, or the future of LSU athletics, Tiger Rag is where serious LSU fans begin. Visit tiger.com today. Tiger Rag,
44:08
44 minutes, 8 seconds
more than big games. The story behind LSU sports.
44:13
44 minutes, 13 seconds
The IRS is the most powerful collection agency in the world. I couldn’t sleep. We were being audited.
44:19
44 minutes, 19 seconds
They do not give up until you pay. They put a lean on my house. How about you?
44:26
44 minutes, 26 seconds
Do you owe back taxes? Call Tax Solutions now and get some help. For a limited time, the IRS offers a tax
44:33
44 minutes, 33 seconds
forgiveness program called the Fresh Start Initiative. Our team can make it easier for you to pay back taxes, avoid tax leans, and get a fresh start.
44:43
44 minutes, 43 seconds
Sometimes you just need a second chance.
44:46
44 minutes, 46 seconds
I call Tax Solutions Now, and they got the IRS off my back. at Tax Solutions.
44:50
44 minutes, 50 seconds
Now, our affiliates are all accredited by the Better Business Bureau and members of the National Association of Tax Professionals.
44:57
44 minutes, 57 seconds
We saved our home and overcame the most powerful collection agency in the world.
45:01
45 minutes, 1 second
Time is running out. Call Tax Solutions now. Call 8003196697.
45:07
45 minutes, 7 seconds
800 319-6697 800 319-6697 Tiger Rag Radio is back.
45:24
45 minutes, 24 seconds
And we’re back here on Tiger Rag Radio.
45:26
45 minutes, 26 seconds
Jeff Palmo along with the executive editor for Tiger Rag magazine, Todd Horn and Case Kishnik. Still continuing our conversation here with Reed Darcy of The
45:34
45 minutes, 34 seconds
Advocate. But we switch sports. We talk some women’s basketball.
45:38
45 minutes, 38 seconds
Reed, what is the biggest question Kim Moy
45:45
45 minutes, 45 seconds
has to answer during preseason practice before this team’s identity becomes clear this year?
45:52
45 minutes, 52 seconds
Will she have enough rebounding this year? I think is number one. Um, we’ve talked about losing Kate Koval and how
45:59
45 minutes, 59 seconds
big of a loss that was for LSU. Um, I think they’ve got the pieces down there to, you know, kind of throw it together.
46:06
46 minutes, 6 seconds
Uh, but it’s kind of a concern here. You don’t really have a ton of proven production down there in the front court. I’d expect Noah Morrow to be the
46:15
46 minutes, 15 seconds
starting center um at some point this year, but again, she’s out until mid to late November with um a stress fracture
46:23
46 minutes, 23 seconds
in her leg. So, um LSU’s schedule doesn’t really get tough until Thanksgiving, so they should be fine without her. Um but she’s coming from
46:31
46 minutes, 31 seconds
Spain. She’s an experienced professional player, but again, she’s more of like a stretch for kind of a perimeter perime
46:39
46 minutes, 39 seconds
per perimeter oriented big. Um, so I’m not sure exactly how well she’ll be able to rebound. Um, you’ve also got Lola
46:46
46 minutes, 46 seconds
Lampley, the freshman, Anna Maniva, the player from Russia. Um, a lot of talent, a lot of potential, but we don’t really
46:55
46 minutes, 55 seconds
know what they have in them at this very moment in time. And I think that’s what Kim Wolf is trying to figure out right now as they practice.
47:03
47 minutes, 3 seconds
Well, when you talk about Morrow, you mean is she at all related in any way whatsoever,
47:11
47 minutes, 11 seconds
maybe distantly to Anisa Morrow? And would that mean that she’s going to be relentless in terms of trying to rebound?
47:18
47 minutes, 18 seconds
Uh, no. No, she’s not related to Ana Morrow. Uh, they spell their names differently. She’s Spanish. She’s from
47:25
47 minutes, 25 seconds
Spain. Uh, Nie is from Chicago. So, No, I think Noah um Noah’s a stretch four, you know, she’s a a really good shooter,
47:34
47 minutes, 34 seconds
which which is a interesting new layer that Kimoki has. She hasn’t really had a true stretch four uh like that, but but
47:41
47 minutes, 41 seconds
she can light it up. So, that’s going to be an interesting uh thing to see how they incorporate her into the offense. I think they’ve got some uh interesting things planned for her. But but again,
47:50
47 minutes, 50 seconds
the bread and butter, what you need out of that position is brim protection and rebounding. um she looks like she’s
47:57
47 minutes, 57 seconds
physically capable of providing that, but again, she’s been playing in Spain the last few years. I’m not so sure how that’s going to look in the SEC and in
48:05
48 minutes, 5 seconds
college basketball, you know, right? So, with that kind of talent cluster in the front court there, who would be your pick to to start when they
48:12
48 minutes, 12 seconds
tip off against Southeastern on November 2nd?
48:16
48 minutes, 16 seconds
Um, start the season, I would say you’ve got Jada Williams, the point guard. I’d imagine you have got Phil Wy in there
48:25
48 minutes, 25 seconds
and then Michaela Williams and your two front court players maybe are Zakayiah Johnson and Grace Knox. I’d imagine until Morrow gets back that Kimi will go
48:34
48 minutes, 34 seconds
small and then maybe once you get her in, you can slide everyone kind of up and then maybe File uh comes off the
48:43
48 minutes, 43 seconds
bench. I think that that worked for them a lot last year. It’s a really nice role for her. Um, she’s going to be playing
48:51
48 minutes, 51 seconds
25 to 30 minutes a game. Whether she starts or comes off the bench, it doesn’t really matter. Uh, but I think they want to stagger her minutes around.
48:59
48 minutes, 59 seconds
But until Noah Moore is in there, I’d expect them to be a predominantly small team.
49:03
49 minutes, 3 seconds
So, do you think that this team is predominantly going to be built around Michaela Williams and then like you said with Fi full Wally coming in off the
49:11
49 minutes, 11 seconds
bench predominantly as the season progresses?
49:14
49 minutes, 14 seconds
Yeah, it it will be on Michaela Williams to uh bring LSU wherever she can bring
49:22
49 minutes, 22 seconds
them. I mean, she it’s it’s her program now. It’s her team now. She’s no longer um playing with Angel Reese or playing with Fl. I think it’s unquestionably her
49:30
49 minutes, 30 seconds
team. And I think that’s a pretty exciting possibility for LSU. She’s one of the most underrated players in the country and she is absolutely capable of carrying a program to the final four.
49:42
49 minutes, 42 seconds
That’s how good she is. Um, I’d expect her to have the ball in her hands uh quite frequently, obviously, uh, making
49:50
49 minutes, 50 seconds
plays, hitting outside shots, even rebounding, uh, when they need her to.
49:55
49 minutes, 55 seconds
Um, so, uh, she she’s got a chance here her senior year to really prove what kind of player she is. I think, uh, go
50:04
50 minutes, 4 seconds
it would go a long way if she can, uh, really lead LSU deep into the tournament. How would you say bringing in kind of a a traditional floor general
50:12
50 minutes, 12 seconds
like Jada Williams, what does that change about Kim Wilki’s offense? And do you maybe I don’t know foresee any issues with having three guards that
50:20
50 minutes, 20 seconds
maybe are a little bit more ball dominant and kind of need the ball in their hands to be the most effective?
50:25
50 minutes, 25 seconds
No, I don’t think that’ll be much of an issue because they kind of had that last year, you know, with Fl and Michaela and Malia Filei. I don’t think Kim uh really
50:34
50 minutes, 34 seconds
cares about having too much talent or or too many uh guards. She’s proven that she can just give them the ball and just
50:42
50 minutes, 42 seconds
let them go to work and then she’s okay with just having them kind of freelance and figure out um how to get their own shots and the structure of the offense.
50:50
50 minutes, 50 seconds
Um I think Jada Williams is a pretty much a perfect fit at point guard for LSU. Uh Jada Reishard is a very very
50:58
50 minutes, 58 seconds
good player. Um, but she’s not really the playmaker that Jada Williams is. I mean, Jada Williams had uh seven, eight assists. She averaged last year, which
51:06
51 minutes, 6 seconds
was third in the country. And I think uh that’s going to help everybody across the board. It’s going to help Feilly and and Michaela Williams uh to get open
51:14
51 minutes, 14 seconds
looks. And it’s really going to help the bigs uh get looks around the rim because uh she’s really really good at throwing
51:21
51 minutes, 21 seconds
entry passes into the post as she proved last year playing with Audi Krooks up at Iowa State. So, um, I’d expect her to be a really, really important addition to
51:30
51 minutes, 30 seconds
this team and I’d expect her to have a really, really good year.
51:33
51 minutes, 33 seconds
Just a few seconds left here. Uh, the last few years, obviously, this program has had some big personalities. Angel
51:40
51 minutes, 40 seconds
Reese, FJ Johnson. Who’s that big personality on this year’s team?
51:45
51 minutes, 45 seconds
It’s Jada Williams. I think, you know, Michaela Williams and Malaysia Fey, they’re kind of quieter, you know, kind
51:52
51 minutes, 52 seconds
of players. They’re not the big personalities that Angel were, but Jada Williams super active on social media.
51:59
51 minutes, 59 seconds
You know, she loves to speak. You know, she’s joined a group that’s kind of speaking publicly against the Protect College Sports Act, the US uh Senate
52:07
52 minutes, 7 seconds
bill. Um she’s a very interesting person and she’s very um out there. She loves to talk. So, I I’d expect her to be like
52:14
52 minutes, 14 seconds
that that emotional leader, that kind of public face of the program uh kind of role for her. I think she’s very comfortable in those shoes.
52:23
52 minutes, 23 seconds
All right, couple seconds, Reed. Uh, where does LSU finish in the SEC this year? Put me on the spot. I would say second.
52:32
52 minutes, 32 seconds
How about that? Behind South Carolina and ahead of Texas.
52:34
52 minutes, 34 seconds
Okay. All right. Well, we’ll see. We’ll see how it all shakes out. Thanks a lot, Reed. We appreciate your time. Yep. Thank you, guys.
52:41
52 minutes, 41 seconds
Reed Darcia, the advocate. We got one more segment to go in hour number one. Stay tuned here to Tiger Rag Radio.
Chapter 5: Kentucky matchup preparation
52:47
52 minutes, 47 seconds
Cumins is known for their commitment to quality, performance in products that are built to last. They make it their business to understand their customers priorities and partner in their success.
52:56
52 minutes, 56 seconds
Cumins has the technical expertise and experience to deliver fast, highquality repairs using genuine parts. And by calling 1800 Cummins, you have access to
53:06
53 minutes, 6 seconds
one of the largest and most capable sales, service, and support organizations in the industry 247. For more information on Cummins products, service or support, call 1800 Cummins.
53:17
53 minutes, 17 seconds
Some call it overplanning. At Budro Electrical Services, we call it foresight. Be prepared for the next power outage with a GenerRack home
53:26
53 minutes, 26 seconds
standby generator. After sensing a power outage, a GenerRack home standby generator automatically restores your
53:33
53 minutes, 33 seconds
home power. Generrack. It’s not just a generator, it’s a power move. Trust Budro’s Electrical Services for expert
53:41
53 minutes, 41 seconds
installations, proactive maintenance for home and business.
53:44
53 minutes, 44 seconds
Budroelectricalervices.com for more information.
53:47
53 minutes, 47 seconds
I’m Richard Futno, president of the Louisiana Farm for Farm Bureau Federation. For more than 100 years, Louisiana Farm Bureau has been the voice of Louisiana agriculture. Louisiana Farm
53:56
53 minutes, 56 seconds
Bureau advocates on behalf of all the farmers and ranchers across our great state. What that really means is we advocate for you to ensure we have the safest, most abundant, and affordable
54:04
54 minutes, 4 seconds
food supply in the world. Louisiana Farm Bureau is 145,000 members strong and we want you to join the Louisiana Farm Bureau family.
54:12
54 minutes, 12 seconds
Visit lafarmbureau.org. The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, the voice of Louisiana agriculture.
54:17
54 minutes, 17 seconds
If you love LSU, don’t settle for headlines everyone else already has. At tiger.com and in tiger magazine, you’ll find breaking news, exclusive
54:26
54 minutes, 26 seconds
interviews, recruiting, game analysis, and the investigative reporting that’s making headlines across Louisiana.
54:31
54 minutes, 31 seconds
Recently named Louisiana’s first place breaking news winner by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, Tiger Rag delivers independent journalism covering
54:39
54 minutes, 39 seconds
the business, the politics, and the games of LSU athletics. Visit tiger.com every day. Tiger Rag, independent, fearless LSU.
54:53
54 minutes, 53 seconds
LSU is more than just football scores.
54:55
54 minutes, 55 seconds
It’s recruiting battles, nil, SEC politics, coaching decisions, public records, financial decisions worth
55:02
55 minutes, 2 seconds
hundreds of millions of dollars. Nobody covers the complete story like Tiger Rag. Every day at tiger.com and every
55:10
55 minutes, 10 seconds
month in Tiger Magazine, you’ll find award-winning journalism, exclusive interviews, insider analysis, recruiting coverage, opinion, history, and
55:19
55 minutes, 19 seconds
investigative reporting that other outlets simply don’t have. Tiger Rag was recently honored with first place for breaking news by the Louisiana Sports
55:27
55 minutes, 27 seconds
Writers Association for its coverage of LSU athletics. Whether you’re following Lane Kein, Jay Johnson, Will Wade, Kim
55:35
55 minutes, 35 seconds
Moy, or the future of LSU athletics, Tiger Rag is where serious LSU fans begin. Visit tiger.com today. Tiger Rag,
55:44
55 minutes, 44 seconds
more than big games. The story behind LSU sports. We’re back to Tiger Rag Radio.
55:53
55 minutes, 53 seconds
Jeff Polmo, Case Kishnik, and Todd Horn with you. Coming up next, it’ll be Caroline Fenton from Yahoo Sports. Looking forward to hearing from her.
56:01
56 minutes, 1 second
Also in our number two, Dave Neil, longtime playby-play man for the SEC Network and ESPN. He’ll reflect back to
56:10
56 minutes, 10 seconds
the Bluegrass Miracle. He was also in Tiger Stadium last Saturday for the game against MC. And we’ll also get you a scouting report on the Kentucky Wildcats as well from one of their beat riders.
56:22
56 minutes, 22 seconds
Uh Kentucky 4- one, 2-1 in the SEC. And it’s early. It’s only game five or we’re
56:30
56 minutes, 30 seconds
kind of getting into the the middle part of the season. And if you had to rank or had to try to figure out who are
56:39
56 minutes, 39 seconds
some of the early candidates for SEC coach of the year, which I think would be very interesting if say LSU goes 11 and one. Do you think Lane Keifin would
56:46
56 minutes, 46 seconds
be voted coach of the year considering everything that’s happened?
56:50
56 minutes, 50 seconds
I think it would depend on a lot of what these other guys do, but I think you kind of have to if you got a first year head coach coming in. 11 wins.
56:58
56 minutes, 58 seconds
Yeah, 11 wins is pretty good. But Will Stein is certainly a candidate as well.
57:02
57 minutes, 2 seconds
Oh, and who knows, maybe this thing in the second half of the season, it just falls all apart for the Wildcats. But they’ve won two games on the road in the
57:09
57 minutes, 9 seconds
SEC. So that there right there, it’s that’s impressive. And seeing how well Alabama has been playing, losing big to
57:16
57 minutes, 16 seconds
Alabama right now is okay. It’s acceptable, especially if you’re if you’re Kentucky. Uh so Will Stein’s got
57:24
57 minutes, 24 seconds
a chance here to potentially be the coach of the year. And again, we’ll see how things go. If he is able to pull off the upset this Saturday against LSU, he
57:32
57 minutes, 32 seconds
certainly, I think, becomes the front runner for SEC coach of the year. Here’s what Lane Kein had to say on Monday about Will Stein.
57:40
57 minutes, 40 seconds
I think they’re really well coached. I think he’s done a great job of bringing energy into the program um coming in and they’re really sound. They run really
57:48
57 minutes, 48 seconds
cool plays on offense, problematic plays, and they’re really sound on defense. They don’t do a ton of things.
57:55
57 minutes, 55 seconds
They coach really well and um and their players definitely believe in their systems and he’s got them playing with a lot of confidence.
58:03
58 minutes, 3 seconds
Playing with a lot of confidence I think is the key there case because when you take a look at the statistics as far as
58:10
58 minutes, 10 seconds
total yards, you know, total defense, rushing offense, rushing defense, but what whatever category you want to look
58:16
58 minutes, 16 seconds
at, Kentucky does not rank high in any of those categories in the SEC. But what sticks out to you is what they’ve been
58:24
58 minutes, 24 seconds
able to do with the turnover margin. And that is going to be, I think, such a huge factor in this football game.
58:31
58 minutes, 31 seconds
And that all starts and ends with Kenny Mchi, you know, taking care of the ball.
58:34
58 minutes, 34 seconds
He’s got one interception on the year. I think one of my favorite quotes from from Stein today was about Mchi’s mobility and how he’s kind of improved there. Yeah.
58:41
58 minutes, 41 seconds
And he said, “He’s not Lenora Cers, he’s not Marcel Reed, but the words he used to describe him were slithery, greasy, and slippery.” And I don’t know if I’d
58:49
58 minutes, 49 seconds
want to be described as those three things, but it seems to be working in Kentucky.
58:52
58 minutes, 52 seconds
And his one of his favorite wide receivers is a guy that was committed to LSU that went to Airline High School.
58:58
58 minutes, 58 seconds
Kenny Darby, the 6’1, 180 pounder from Bojer City, was really good last week as he helped the Wildcats
59:08
59 minutes, 8 seconds
get that victory. Uh Darby had a a huge game, became the first Wildcat with at least 12 receptions, 96 yards, and one
59:15
59 minutes, 15 seconds
touchdown in an SEC road game since Randall Cobb did it against uh Mississippi State in Starkville in 2010.
59:23
59 minutes, 23 seconds
And for the season, Derby now has 25 catches for 322 yards, three touchdowns.
59:28
59 minutes, 28 seconds
He is he leads or is tied for the team lead in all three categories. And of course, they got Nick Anderson as well, but Darby has been a big part of that
59:37
59 minutes, 37 seconds
passing game. That does it for hour number one. Caroline Fenton from Yahoo Sports will join us. We’ll also talk
59:44
59 minutes, 44 seconds
with Dave Neil. So, a lot more to get to as we continue getting you ready for LSU and Kentucky on Saturday night in Lexington.
Be the first to comment