The next two games against UCLA and USA can be the restart that LSU needs | LSU

College football is by far my favorite sport, but it still lacks that certain something. Something that would have served the LSU Tigers well this season.

There are plenty of cheer games in high school football. In the NFL, the number of friendly games is decreasing.

LSU needed an exhibition, a jamboree or something similar to solve some of its problems before playing USC in Las Vegas. But the Tigers, like the Trojans, had to start cold, although they took advantage of LSU's weaknesses in the running game and defense to pull out a 27-20 victory.

The Tigers returned home with a lopsided 44-21 win over Nicholls State, then fought back from a 17-0 deficit to beat the Gamecocks 36-33 in a wild game in South Carolina last Saturday, the second-biggest road comeback in program history dating back to 1940.

That brings us to Saturday's game at Tiger Stadium between LSU and UCLA, the Bruins' first football appearance here.

UCLA is a weak copy of the team that upset LSU in a 38-27 upset in the Rose Bowl three years ago. The Bruins have been woeful on offense in their first two games, scoring just one touchdown each against Hawaii and Indiana. Of course, LSU's defense — while somewhat improved since 2023 — is still the moving object preparing to face this resilient force. It ranks 14th or worse in five key defensive categories in the new 16-team Southeastern Conference.

Still, this should be a game where LSU can make progress. Fix mistakes. Gain confidence. Impose its will, barring one or three big plays that the Bruins are sure to pull off. Consider this game and next week's home game against South Alabama the test part of the season, so to speak.

Of course, the Jaguars have a very good offense, having beaten Northwestern State and Appalachian State by a whopping 135-24 in their last two games. But that is the concern for the Tigers and their new defensive coordinator Blake Baker for next week.

Despite the inconsistent play the Tigers have had so far, especially on defense, they are still making progress. They are still ranked 16th nationally. At 2-1, they are still fighting for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The way LSU looked in its first three games, the Tigers won't even make it into an expanded CFP. But there's still time. And right now, the schedule looks great for LSU if it goes that route: Beat UCLA and South Alabama. Use the first off date of the season to recover and reassess. Then jump back in and face the toughest challenge of the season: Ole Miss, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Alabama in a five-week stretch. A stretch that will define the 2024 season.

The Tigers aren't ready for the Rebels or the Crimson Tide yet. But these next two games will give LSU a chance if used correctly.

Extra points

There are two things that disappoint me about Saturday’s game:

1. The team colors. LSU will wear purple jerseys and traditional gold helmets and pants (OK, yellow, but they call it gold). That means UCLA will wear white jerseys for its first and perhaps only visit to Tiger Stadium.

I was dying to see UCLA jog into Tiger Stadium in their traditional light blue jerseys. What's that about? A leftover clause from Ed Orgeron's severance package: “No sissy blue jerseys in Tiger Stadium” (The “sissy blue” reference is Orgeron's words to the jeering Bruins fan in Pasadena three years ago, not mine).

I understand that this has become a tradition at LSU. At the second non-league home game, the Tigers wear their purple jerseys. Apparently the players love them; players who weren't there to see all the home games that LSU had to play in purple jerseys from 1982 to 1994. This uniform inconvenience continued until former coach Gerry DiNardo got the NCAA to change the rule for the 1995 season, which allowed a team to wear white at home games if the visiting team consented.

Seeing UCLA in blue and LSU in white would have certainly made a classic matchup in uniforms even more classic (if you notice, the stripes on both teams' shoulders are practically identical). It's not meant to be. But it will still be quite a sight. That UCLA and Oklahoma are visiting Tiger Stadium for the first time in the same season is certainly significant.

2. A day game, no night game: You knew LSU would have to play a home game in one day at some point, but hey, ESPN/ABC, the forecast calls for 94 degrees at kickoff on Saturday. That's HOT! The weather here is one of the reasons they installed lights at Tiger Stadium in 1931.

It has long been understood that LSU has asked its television partners not to schedule day games here early in the season, at least in September. In addition, the Bruins and their fans will be denied the best experience at Tiger Stadium – a night game.

Just don’t deny them a cold compress and a portable fan.