After a dramatic come-from-behind victory against Wisconsin at Reliant Stadium in Houston, No. 12 LSU will host its home opener this Saturday when the FCS Sam Houston State Bearkats come to town.
How to watch LSU vs. SHSU: Preview, TV/streaming, odds and more
LSU eases down on the throttle after a season opener against ranked Wisconsin to face an FCS opponent at Tiger Stadium.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Badgers were one of two early tests in the Tigers’ backloaded schedule, as the only other difficult game in the first half of the season might be Auburn. LSU finishes the year with games against Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas A&M, so it’ll have to build off its strong second-half performance against the Badgers to get some momentum building into the tough conference season.
Sam Houston State has proven it can score, but needs to find consistency with a lot of new faces (12 FBS transfers joined the program this offseason). The Bearkats already own three victories over FBS opponents in their history (Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe and New Mexico), but even for a ranked FCS team, facing mighty LSU will be a monstrous challenge.
How to witness
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network.
Radio: Here’s a list of LSU affiliates, and the Bearkats are on KSAM 101.7 FM in Huntsville.
Online streaming: WatchESPN
More from our team site
More from our team site
The numbers
Rankings and records: LSU is ranked No. 12 in both the AP and Coaches Poll. Sam Houston State is ranked No. 13 in the FCS Coaches Poll. LSU is 1-0 on the year, while Sam Houston State is 1-1.
Vegas: No odds on this one yet.
Weather forecast: 85 degrees with a chance of thunderstorms.
Three names to know
Travin Dural, WR, LSU. The sophomore showed big-play ability in the Tigers' opening win against Wisconsin, catching three passes for 151 yards and a score. That yardage total surpassed his numbers from his entire freshman season, and he could see a similar performance against a leaky Bearkats defense.
Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU. The all-world blue-chip freshman actually struggled in his college opener against Wisconsin, running eight times for 18 yards. Head coach Les Miles tried to downplay high expectations (that he helped set) of Fournette, saying the true freshman "did great." Eyes will certainly be on the five-star player as he faces an FCS defense.
Jared Johnson, QB, Sam Houston State. Johnson won the starting job in camp and has had little trouble directing the Bearkats' offense, averaging 351.5 yards per game. He struggled a bit in the Bearkats' opener against Eastern Washington, however, throwing two interceptions. He'll have an even tougher task when faced with the Tigers' secondary.
Two things at stake
A loss here would be drastic for LSU, whose playoff hopes have been emboldened since their win over the Badgers.
Sam Houston State has never defeated a power conference opponent in its history.
Further reading
For more coverage of LSU, head over to And the Valley Shook.
See More:
