SEC Round-Up: LSU defense's surprising 'addition by substraction'

A great loss typically doesn’t lead to great football success.

But that has largely been the case for LSU, which seems to have benefitted from addition by subtraction.

The subtraction is two-time All-Southeastern Conference junior linebacker Harold Perkins. He sustained a season-ending torn ACL while making a tackle in the fourth quarter vs. UCLA last month.

The loss of Perkins threatened to cripple the Tigers defense, which two weeks prior lost top interior lineman Jacobian Guillory to a torn Achilles.

But stunningly, LSU’s defense seems to have improved since losing Perkins.

The Tigers allowed an average of 369 yards and 24.5 points in the first four games. In the last three, they’ve allowed an average of 358.3 yards and 15.3 points.

Word out of Baton Rouge is LSU’s defense is better without Perkins.

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko — whose Aggies face LSU in the nation’s top clash this weekend — agrees with that thought, though he’s not sure why.

“I have a lot of respect for Harold. Harold is a great player,” Elko said earlier this week. “I don’t mean this in a bad way, but they’ve obviously taken huge strides forward in the last two weeks. I don’t think that’s indicative of him not being there.

“When your best player or your most talented player goes down, sometimes everyone else elevates themselves around it. They’re playing really good football.

“(Linebacker Whit) Weeks has taken on the challenge of stepping into that role, and he’s been about as productive as a linebacker can be the last two weeks.”

Weeks has posted double-figure tackle totals in each of the last three games. He now leads the SEC with 69 tackles. He has even been touted by some as the best linebacker in the country. He’s tied for eighth nationally in tackles.

Whether or not Weeks is the best linebacker in the nation can be up for debate. What cannot be argued is the Tigers have been substantially improved in run defense the last three games.

LSU allowed 243 rushing yards in a 36-33 Week 3 victory over South Carolina. The Tigers have given up 344 rushing yards since. That includes just 38 rushing yards in a victory over Arkansas last week.

Weeks certainly is a major factor in that success. However, LSU coach Brian Kelly pointed out other factors as well.

He’s praised true freshmen interior linemen Dominick McKinley and Ahmad Breaux, transfers Gio Paez (Wisconsin) and Jay’viar Suggs (Grand Valley State) and sophomore Shone Washington for tightening up the run defense.

“This is a collection that, if you look at it, none of them came with a lot of headlines, but all of them are blue collar, tough, hard-nosed and matched the identity (defensive line coach) Bo Davis wanted to coach,” Kelly said. “Bo’s done a really good job of getting everything out of the group in terms of the fundamentals, the toughness and playing gap responsibility.”

Of course, Perkins was better known as a pass rusher. He entered the season with 14 career sacks, so maybe it was predictable that his absence could have minimal impact on the run defense.

Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

In three SEC games, Bradyn Swinson has 5.5 TFLs and five sacks.

But LSU is tied for third in the SEC with 24 sacks. Perkins had none of them. Senior defensive end Bradyn Swinson is second in the SEC with 7.0.

So, it’s clear LSU is better defensively without Perkins. Or is it?

There may be another factor in LSU’s defensive improvement.

The last three games were against South Alabama, Ole Miss and Arkansas.

South Alabama (3-4) was held to fewer yards by Troy last week than it gained against LSU.

Ole Miss posted 465 yards of total offense, the most LSU has allowed.

Arkansas was largely without leading rusher Ja’Quiden Jackson, who was slowed by an ankle injury and got only five carries for 26 yards.

Just how much addition has come from the subtraction of Perkins remains to be seen.

Around the SEC

This week’s schedule: LSU at Texas A&M; Oklahoma at Ole Miss; Arkansas at Mississippi State; Missouri at Alabama; Texas at Vanderbilt; Auburn at Kentucky

Who’s hot: Arkansas receiver Andrew Armstrong has caught 22 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown over the last three games. He’s personally responsible for about 35 percent of Arkansas’ offensive production in that span. He had six catches for 72 yards in a loss to Texas A&M, nine catches for 132 yards in a win over Tennessee and seven catches for 94 yards and a touchdown in a loss to LSU.

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Oklahoma offensive coordinator Seth Littrell was relieved of his duties this week by head coach Brent Venables.

Who’s not: Last week, this category was reserved for Oklahoma’s offense. Then the Sooners got worse. After a 35-9 loss to South Carolina, Oklahoma now averages 288.1 yards (128th in the nation) and 22.1 points (107th). Those numbers are even skewed by a 51-3 victory over Temple and a 34-19 win over Tulane. In four SEC games vs. Tennessee, Auburn, Texas and South Carolina, the numbers are even more dreadful. In those games, Oklahoma has averaged 260.7 yards and 13.5 points. (They’d average 11.75 if a defensive touchdown vs. Auburn is subtracted). Oklahoma has combined for just 12 points in the last two games.

Keep an eye on: Mississippi State might have found something special in freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. In the last two games vs. Georgia and Texas A&M, he has passed for 548 yards and six touchdowns. He next faces Arkansas, which has been inconsistent in pass defense.

The pressure is on: In recent years, Alabama faithful had grown accustomed to stellar play from the secondary. The Tide defensive backs aren’t nearly as good this season. In four SEC games, the Tide has given up an average of 281.7 passing yards and eight touchdowns. This week, they face perhaps the best group of receivers so far in Missouri’s Luther Burden III, Theo Wease Jr. and Mookie Cooper. If they have a strong game, Alabama could suffer its third loss before Halloween for the first time since 2006.

Best matchup: LSU offensive tackles Will Campbell and Emory Jones are elite. Both are projected to be high picks in the next NFL Draft. With them protecting the edges, LSU has allowed just two sacks. They face their greatest challenge since going against South Carolina six weeks ago. Texas A&M edge rushers Nic Scourton, Cashius Howell and Shemar Stewart have combined for eight sacks and 14 quarterback pressures.