2022 LSU Gumbo - Book - Page 46
Photos by Savanna Orgeron
LSU brought home its first win of the season against
McNeese State in the Tigers’ first full capacity game
since the 2019 season. They went on to win the game
on Sept. 11 by a score of 34-7. This brought LSU’s
record to 1-1 overall. This game was the first full
capacity contest held at Tiger Stadium since the 50-7
win over Texas A&M on Nov. 30, 2019, which took
place before the rise of COVID-19.
LSU scored in every quarter on the night, while
McNeese only scored one touchdown throughout the
entire game. This was a redeeming game for the Tigers
after losing 27-38 to an unranked UCLA team at the
Rose Bowl in Los Angeles the week before.
Max Johnson, the Tigers’ starting quarterback,
threw for 161 yards and three touchdowns against the
Cowboys. Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte also snagged
two receiving touchdowns. He finished with five
catches for 32 yards on eight targets. Freshman receiver
Jack Bech also had a great performance and a gamehigh 57 receiving yards on four receptions.
As for Head Coach Ed Orgeron, his son, Cody
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Orgeron, was the starting quarterback for McNeese
on the night. This made the game a father-son
competition, a rarity in college sports.
“Right, it’s kind of a difficult situation,” Orgeron said
to the Daily Advertiser before the game. “But I can’t
really get caught up in that personally or that type of
mindset. I’m going out there trying to win. On any
given Saturday, any team can win.”
Many students were excited about this first game
back at Death Valley. While Alex Box Stadium
returned to full capacity in April 2021, football fans
were eager to be back in their seats. As Tiger Stadium
returned back to full capacity for this game, it was
definitely a highlight of the season. Students, upon
arrival of the game, were required to present proof of
vaccination or of a negative COVID-19 test.
LSU football said even though the football team is
98 percent vaccinated as of August 2021, it still takes
COVID-19 precautions very seriously. While masking
is no longer required for outdoor events, the health of
student-athletes is a top priority.