LSU vs. Bama Rivalry Special Edition
Broome, Edwards face off in December MayorPresident runoff.
LAST CHANCE
REDEMPTION ARC
LSU needs bounce-back performance from Nussmeier against Alabama
BY JASON WILLIS @JasonWillis4
“I got to play better.”
That was a choked-up Garrett Nussmeier’s simple, repeated answer to reporters directly after his brutal performance against Texas A&M. Asked about a range of topics from the game, the LSU quarterback’s response always circled back around to those same five words.
Nussmeier had three interceptions in the second half of the 38-23 loss, each uglier than the last. It was part of a teamwide unraveling that turned a 17-7 lead into a potentially season-defining loss.
Head coach Brian Kelly stood up for the redshirt junior after the game, insisting that the LSU offense needed to do more to support him. Nussmeier, though, took all the responsibility.
That’s his leadership style: he shoulders the entirety of the accountability and the blame. It’s something he takes pride in.
“I’ve embraced it… I love it. I’ve been waiting for it my whole life,” Nussmeier said of taking the leadership helm prior to the season. “The way you take control of the leadership of a team is by your play.”
Now, heading into a do-ordie matchup with Alabama in which the winner can almost certainly kiss the College Football Playoff and SEC contention goodbye, Nussmeier’s play must speak volumes. He and the LSU offense are seeking redemption.
LSU can’t afford another substandard performance at the quarterback position against Alabama.
“Part of it has to come from Garrett to understand, ‘I don’t have to make a play every time I’m out there,’” Kelly said. Avoiding another avalanche of mistakes and getting back to
the level of play Nussmeier has been at for much of the season is paramount for LSU to win and maintain its postseason hopes.
Nussmeier is plenty capable of captaining an electric offensive performance, despite a rough showing against A&M and a similarly uphill battle for much of the game against Ole Miss. Both were examples of the gunslinging mentality and propensity to throw into tight windows that coaches were always wary of with Nussmeier.
However, he’s still top-10 in the country in both passing yards and touchdowns. Throughout the season, his arm strength and accuracy has shined, particularly in the intermediate range over the middle of the field.
For his part, Nussmeier said
his confidence hasn’t wavered over the last few weeks.
“I had to flush it,” Nussmeier said. “Now we’re focused on Alabama.”
Nussmeier won’t be the only one seeking redemption on Saturday.
The rushing attack that gave him little to no support in College Station and which has struggled all year will be looking for a bounce-back performance.
Kelly has again become the target of criticism as LSU has once more fallen in a crucial game, just like it did in its past three season openers, including the highly-anticipated matchup with USC this year. A win would go a long way toward silencing doubters.
The defense, too, will have an opportunity to show that it’s adjusted from two weeks ago. After being gashed by the quarterback run in the second half against Texas A&M, the unit will conveniently face perhaps the country’s most electric rushing quarterback in Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. Saturday is a chance to demonstrate that the defense, which had been making significant strides until that breakdown, has learned from its mistakes.
The most important person on the field, though, is the quarterback.
All eyes will be on Nussmeier to see how he responds to the figurative punch to the gut that was his performance against Texas A&M.
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GABRIELLA GUILLORY / The Reveille
Redshirt junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) scores a touchdown towards the end of the game on Oct. 26 during LSU’s 23-38 loss against Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
PAYTON PRICHARD / The Reveille LSU football redshirt junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) prepares to make a pass Oct. 19 during LSU’s 34-10 win against Arkansas at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on North Razorback Road in Fayetteville, Ar.
STEVE MARCUS VIA AP PHOTO
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) warms up before an NCAA college football game against Southern California, Sept. 1 in Las Vegas.
NEWS
TRUMP RETURNS
Trump wins four more years in the White House in a political comeback
BY ZEKE MILLER, MICHELLE L. PRICE, WILL WEISSERT & JILL COLVIN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.
With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.
The victory validates his bareknuckles approach to politics. He attacked his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, in deeply personal – often misogynistic and racist –terms as he pushed an apocalyptic picture of a country overrun by violent migrants. The coarse rhetoric, paired with an image of hypermasculinity, resonated with angry voters – particularly men – in a deeply polarized nation.
“I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president,” Trump told throngs of cheering supporters in Florida even before his victory was confirmed.
In state after state, Trump outperformed what he did in the 2020 election while Harris failed to do
as well as Joe Biden did in winning the presidency four years ago. Upon taking office again, Trump will work with a Senate that will now be in Republican hands, while control of the House hadn’t been determined.
“We’ve been through so much together, and today you showed up in record numbers to deliver a victory,” Trump said. “This was something special and we’re going to pay you back,” he said.
The U.S. stock market, Elon Musk’s Tesla, banks and bitcoin all stormed higher Wednesday, as investors looked favorably on a smooth election and Trump returning to the White House. In his second term, Trump has vowed to pursue an agenda centered on dramatically reshaping the federal government and pursuing retribution against his perceived enemies.
The results cap a historically tumultuous and competitive election season that included two assassination attempts targeting Trump and a shift to a new Democratic nominee just a month before the party’s convention. Trump will inherit a range of challenges when he assumes office on Jan. 20, including heightened political polarization and global crises that are testing America’s influence abroad.
His win against Harris, the first woman of color to lead a major party ticket, marks the second
time he has defeated a female rival in a general election. Harris, the current vice president, rose to the top of the ticket after Biden exited the race amid alarm about his advanced age. Despite an initial surge of energy around her campaign, she struggled during a compressed timeline to convince disillusioned voters that she represented a break from an unpopular administration.
Trump is the first former president to return to power since Grover Cleveland regained the White House in the 1892 election. He is the first person convicted of a felony to be elected president and, at 78, is the oldest person elected to the office. His vice president, 40-year-old Ohio Sen. JD Vance, will become the highest-ranking member of the millennial generation in the U.S. government.
There will be far fewer checks on Trump when he returns to the White House. He has plans to swiftly enact a sweeping agenda that would transform nearly every aspect of American government. His GOP critics in Congress have largely been defeated or retired. Federal courts are now filled with judges he appointed. The U.S. Supreme Court, which includes three Trump-appointed justices, issued a ruling this year affording presidents broad immunity from pros -
Harris says nation must accept election results
BY CHRIS MEGERIAN & DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Faced with a sweeping rejection by American voters, Kamala Harris conceded the presidential election to Donald Trump on Wednesday and encouraged supporters to continue fighting for their vision of the country.
The Democratic vice president said the battle would continue “in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square.”
“Sometimes the fight takes a while,” she said at Howard University, her alma mater, where she had hoped to make a victory speech after the election. “That doesn’t mean we won’t win.”
Harris’ decisive defeat shattered hopes that she could rescue Democrats’ chances after President Joe Biden’s reelection effort stalled and she replaced him at the top of the ticket.
She trailed in every battleground state to Trump, a Republican whom she described as an existential danger to the country’s foundational institutions. And Trump appeared on track to win the popular vote for the first time in his three campaigns for the White House — even after two impeachments, felony convictions and his attempt to over-
turn his previous election loss.
Despite her stark warnings about Trump, Harris reached for optimism on Wednesday.
“It is OK to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be OK,” she told supporters as some of them wiped tears from their eyes.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, was in the audience with his family. So were Reps. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, and Barbara Lee, both from Harris’ home state of California.
Before her speech, Harris called Trump to congratulate him on his victory. She told the crowd that “we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power,” an implicit reference to Trump’s unwillingness to do the same four years ago.
After Trump lost to Biden, he
EVAN VUCCI VIA AP PHOTO
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, stand on stage at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center Nov. 6 in West Palm Beach, Fla.
BEN CURTIS VIA AP PHOTO
Vice President Kamala Harris
ROUND TWO
ELECTION RESULTS
How did Louisiana residents vote?
Broome and Edwards to face off for mayor-president
Republican Sid Edwards and Democrat and Incumbent Sharon Weston Broome will face each other next month in a runoff for East Baton Rouge mayor-president.
Almost 190,000 Baton Rouge residents cast their vote for mayorpresident, resulting in Edwards, who was projected third in most recent polls, taking the majority of votes with 34% cast his way. Broome, who was projected second, received 31% of votes.
Because neither candidate won over 50% of the vote, Louisiana’s majority vote system requires a runoff election to decide a winner.
Ted James, the projected winner according to the most recent polling, did not earn enough votes to compete in the runoff, garnering 3% less of the parish’s vote than Broome.
Edwards spoke to a group of supporters following the announcements of the results, emphasizing how positive his campaign has been and promising it will remain that way through the next month.
“I am looking forward, I am your candidate, I am the man of the people ...” Edwards said. “And I promise you, come December 7, if I get that opportunity just hold on. It’s going to be beautiful.”
Broome also spoke to a group of supporters after the results were announced.
“Now in the coming days you will see the vast differences between the East Baton Rouge Parish I envision and have built the foundations for, and the vision of my opponent Sid Edwards,” Broome said. “My vision is working together to build a city we can all be proud of.”
In her speech, Broome addressed her opponent and former political ally James, calling for the
two Democrats to unite again after a contentious election of political jabs at forums and a controversial ad.
“Ted, you have been a formidable opponent and a notable public servant,” Broome said. “Now it’s time for our family to heal and come together. Baton Rouge cannot afford to be divided; we are stronger together.”
Both of Broome’s previous victories required runoffs. In 2016 she beat Republican Bodie White by 4% in the runoff, and defeated former State Rep. Steve Carter with 57% of the votes in the 2020 runoff.
If elected, this will be Broome’s third and final term.
East Baton Rouge residents can register to vote in the Dec. 7 election online via the GeauxVote Online Registration System, in person or by mail. The deadline to register for the December election is Nov. 16.
On the national, state and local levels, Louisianians made their voices heard this Election Day.
BY COURTNEY BELL @courtebell09
On Tuesday, Louisiana voters cast their ballot for the presidential election, congressional races and one statewide amendment, as well as issues and positions in local elections.
Statewide Results
Presidential Race
Donald Trump won 60% of Louisiana’s votes, with Harris earning 38%, the Secretary of State’s Office reports.
In East Baton Rouge Parish, Harris won 54% of the vote, and Trump 43%.
Congressional Races
Democrat Cleo Fields won the United States House of Representatives election for the newly-redrawn 6th Congressional District, polling just enough votes to avoid a runoff. Julia Letlow also won a seat in the House outright, garnering over 60% of the 5th Congressional District’s votes.
Of the six House of Representatives races held in Louisiana this election cycle, Republicans won four races and Democrats two. No runoffs are required.
Amendment 1
This election cycle, Louisiana voters only had one statewide amendment to decide on, and it passed with almost 75% of voters’ support. This amendment will require the state to direct a portion of future revenue it receives from Outer Continental
Shelf renewable energy production to the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund.
Baton Rouge Results
Mayor-President of Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish
Republican Sid Edwards and Democrat and Incumbent Sharon Weston Broome will face each other in a run off on Dec. 7.
Edwards received the most votes in the parish’s mayorpresident election, despite being projected third in the polls, while Broome received 31% of the vote. Ted James, the projected winner according to the most recent polling, did not earn enough votes to compete in the runoff, garnering 3% less of the parish’s vote than Broome.
Local Amendments
Almost 60% of the parish voted against the sweeping Home Rule Charter Amendment, which would have made hundreds of changes to Baton Rouge’s Plan of Government, including the creation of a newcity manager position and the removal of restrictions on council member’s salaries.
Baton Rouge voters approved all tax proposals on the ballot, including two property taxes allocated to the Recreation and Park Commission for maintenance and new projects, and two taxes to improve the parish’s fire services and increase pay and benefits for fire department employees.
Why are university foreign language curricula so standardized?
BY CADE SAVOY
The Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures is one of the largest and most important departments at LSU, enrolling a high number of undergraduate students each semester. To effectively manage its high class counts, the department utilizes a common tactic: standardization.
To ensure that every student who takes a foreign language course at LSU receives an equitable and enriching educational experience, WLLC standardizes syllabi across sections of every 1000 and 2000 level foreign language course. Students receive the same homework, are bound by the same absence policies and take the same exams.
According to Rafael Orozco, the chair of WLLC, this standardization is a necessary feature of LSU’s foreign language program.
“It is important that students re -
ceive the same instruction so that when they go to the next class, they can have pretty much the same information and progress — hopefully and ideally — at the same level,” Orozco said.
To students in less popular foreign language sequences, the standardization of syllabi is fairly innocuous.
“Our homework was standardized because the French department required it to be, but it didn’t really make much of a difference for us,” said philosophy junior and former Cajun French student Roan Guidry. “Because the sequence was more niche, we got to do a lot of stuff that people in other languages don’t. We got to interact with native Cajun French speakers, which gave us a better grasp of the language.”
But for many students in more popular language courses — like Spanish, French and German — they said the standardization of foreign language syllabi has become burdensome.
“The Spanish department makes it so that every Spanish class has the same absence policy. We get one out of three points for attendance even for excused absences,” said political science sophomore Shania Raimer. “It’s unfair to impose those absence policies on every class even when professors don’t think it’s necessary.”
Raimer also complained that the WLLC’s standards have caused Spanish students to become overwhelmed with testing.
“In the last week, I’ve taken a midterm, an oral exam and a chapter quiz,” Raimer said. “The syllabus makes it so that we test more than we learn. It’s bad for everyone.”
When approached about these complaints, Orozco countered with three responses.
First, Orozco noted that the number of tests students in the more popular language sequences take is largely outside of WLLC’s control.
“LSU is a public university. The state’s donors require that we have certain testing requirements for our students,” he said. “We’ve got to get funding, so having the tests is necessary.”
As for whether he believed that the state’s requirements had a positive effect on students’ educational outcomes, Orozco responded largely in the affirmative. “The requirements help make sure we stay in line. So I think they’re generally a positive thing.”
Second, Orozco pointed to the advancements WLLC has made in recent years to make foreign language instruction more effective.
“I personally signed off on the LSU World Language Assistant GPT. . . If you in your class had trouble with irregular verbs in the present tense, then your professor could generate personalized exercises to meet your needs,” he said. “We have this and a lot of resources to help all of our professors in all of our languages to be better instructors.”
Finally, Orozco expressed a willingness to work with students to make foreign language instruction better. “My door is always open. If [any student] wants to meet with me about our courses, I am more than happy to speak with them,” he said.
He also sanctioned the creation of a student organization to help resolve any disputes between foreign language students and WLLC.
“If [anyone] wants to create some kind of organization to help express how students feel about our courses, I would be in favor of that,” Orozco said. Whether these solutions will materialize — and whether LSU’s foreign language curricula will change in the near future — is anyone’s guess. But as more and more LSU students work their way through foreign language sequences, one thing is clear: foreign language requirements aren’t going anywhere, and students will have to find a way to navigate them.
GRAPHIC BY REI ZIMMERMAN, PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CANDIDATES’ CAMPAIGNS
BY COURTNEY BELL @courtebell09
CONCEDE, from page 3
White House said he spoke with Harris and Trump on Wednesday, and he invited the president-elect to meet with him soon.
David Plouffe, a top Harris adviser, said campaign staffers “left it all on the field for their country.”
“We dug out of a deep hole but not enough,” he said. “A devastating loss.”
Harris became the Democratic candidate after Biden, who was already struggling to convince voters that he could serve as president until he was 86 years old, stumbled badly in his June 27 debate with Trump.
TRUMP, from page 3
ecution.
Trump’s language and behavior during the campaign sparked growing warnings from Democrats and some Republicans about shocks to democracy that his return to power would bring. He repeatedly praised strongman leaders, warned that he would deploy the military to target political opponents he labeled the “enemy from within,” threatened to take action against news organizations for unfavorable coverage and suggested suspending the Constitution.
Some who served in his White House, including Vice President Mike Pence and John Kelly, Trump’s
He dropped out of the race on July 21 and endorsed his vice president, who swiftly unified the Democratic Party around her candidacy.
It was a remarkable twist of fate for Harris. Four years earlier, her own presidential campaign had flamed out and revealed the political limitations of someone once dubbed “the female Barack Obama.” Even though Biden chose Harris as his running mate, she languished in the role after taking office as the first woman, Black person or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president.
Some Democrats started writing her off when they pondered
longest-serving chief of staff, either declined to endorse him or issued dire public warnings about his return.
While Harris focused much of her initial message around themes of joy, Trump channeled a powerful sense of anger and resentment among voters.
He seized on frustrations over high prices and fears about crime and migrants who illegally entered the country on Biden’s watch. He also highlighted wars in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to cast Democrats as presiding over – and encouraging – a world in chaos.
It was a formula Trump perfected in 2016, when he cast himself as
the party’s future after Biden. But Harris found fresh purpose after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, and she became the White House’s leading advocate for abortion rights.
Harris also made a more concerted effort to network with local politicians, business leaders and cultural figures, forging connections that could serve her down the road. The moment arrived sooner than she anticipated, and she was catapulted into the presidential race with Biden’s departure only a month before the Democratic National Convention.
Harris instantly reset the terms of the contest with Trump. She
the only person who could fix the country’s problems, often borrowing language from dictators.
“In 2016, I declared I am your voice. Today I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution,” he said in March 2023.
This campaign often veered into the absurd, with Trump amplifying bizarre and disproven rumors that migrants were stealing and eating pet cats and dogs in an Ohio town. At one point, he kicked off a rally with a detailed story about the legendary golfer Arnold Palmer in which he praised his genitalia.
One defining moment came in July when a gunman opened fire
was 18 years younger and a former courtroom prosecutor going up against the first major presidential candidate convicted of crimes. Her candidacy energized Democrats who feared they were destined for defeat with Biden at the top of the ticket.
But she also faced steep odds from the beginning. She inherited Biden’s political operation with just 107 days until the end of the election, and she faced a restless electorate that was eager for change.
Although Harris pitched “a new way forward,” she struggled to meaningfully differentiate herself from the unpopular sitting presi-
at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A bullet grazed Trump’s ear and killed a supporter. His face streaked with blood, Trump stood and raised his fist in the air, shouting “Fight! Fight! Fight!” Weeks later, a second assassination attempt was thwarted after a Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a gun poking through the greenery while Trump was playing golf.
As he prepares to return to the White House, Trump has vowed to swiftly enact a radical agenda that would transform nearly every aspect of American government. That includes plans to launch the largest deportation effort in the nation’s history, to use the Justice Department to punish his enemies, to dra-
dent. In addition, she had limited time to introduce herself to skeptical voters, who never cast a ballot for her in a presidential primary.
Democrats now face the prospect of picking up the pieces during a second Trump presidency, and it’s unclear what role Harris will play in her party’s future.
“The work of protecting America from the impacts of a Trump Presidency starts now,” wrote Jen O’Malley Dillon, Harris’ campaign chair, in a letter to staff. “I know the Vice President isn’t finished in this fight, and I know the very people on this email are also going to be leaders in this collective mission.”
matically expand the use of tariffs and to again pursue a zero-sum approach to foreign policy that threatens to upend longstanding foreign alliances, including the NATO pact.
When he arrived in Washington 2017, Trump knew little about the levers of federal power. His agenda was stymied by Congress and the courts, as well as senior staff members who took it upon themselves to serve as guardrails.
This time, Trump has said he would surround himself with loyalists who will enact his agenda, no questions asked, and who will arrive with hundreds of draft executive orders, legislative proposals and in-depth policy papers in hand.
OPINION
Letter to the Editor: Drivers and pedestrians, proceed with caution
BY RANDALL NEWSON
Nearly every day I drive through the LSU campus, twice a day on Highland Road. Due to heavy vehicle and foot traffic, I
always observe the 25 mph speed limit. There are times it’s advisable, in my opinion, to go under that posted limit.
Something that I consider dangerous and inconsiderate is the number of people on foot that will ignore the crosswalk signs and stream across the intersection in front of oncoming traffic.
Some “dart” across, while many maintain a somewhat leisurely stride requiring oncoming traffic to slow or stop. Likewise, many students dart to cross where there is no crosswalk or signs to do so.
I’m baffled how anyone could be so inconsiderate and unsafe. In the past, there have been students hurt due to carelessness on their part and, on the part of unsafe motorists.
Does it take something that terrible happening to get everyone’s attention? All I ask is anyone walking or driving on campus be more aware, courteous and safe.
Texting and driving deserves jail time
BODACIOUS BLAIR
BLAIR BERNARD
@BernardBla36479
Apart from trusting everyone on the road with your life every time you get behind the wheel, let’s add a little electronic device to distract them from ensuring your safety. Unfortunately, we are very progressive when it comes to technology; I’ve even seen cops text and drive. But unless we designate a way to ensure that if a person is texting for an emergent reason while driving, you do the crime, you need to do the time.
What set off this idea was when I was cut off in traffic by a guy driving an F-150 with a New Jersey license plate. If that’s not enough to infuriate you, then I don’t know what is. Well, how about let’s give Mr. Jersey boy a nice face full of a cellphone? He was fully texting right in my face and he didn’t even know that he made me run off the road.
But I digress. To put you in a mindset to sympathize with me, I had to give in-depth details because I know it is a universal ex-
perience. I’ve realized that many drivers, especially inexperienced ones, have gotten so comfortable with texting and driving. Even my grandma does it, so there goes my hope for her generation trying to impart wisdom on this important topic. So drastic times call for drastic measures. If someone gets pulled over because they were texting and driving, they should immediately expect to be arrested and taken to jail.
I think this is a reasonable solution and punishment to wake people up and make them uncomfortable with texting and driving. I remember when there was a big movement happening in the early 2010s to stop texting and driving. Specifically, a random episode of home improvement that featured Justin Bieber. It was a very impactful and emotional episode about a family that had lost a child due to texting and driving. Unfortunately, we as a society moved on from it. But the truth is a tragedy changes a family, and it is so incredibly dangerous to text and drive. You know the depths that taking a risk to text and drive can take. You also know that it
is just as dangerous as drinking and driving. Frankly, it really pisses me off. If you get caught, especially after making a mistake while driving, have a nice night in your cot. IN PRISON. I’m joking, but if people want to be selfish and joke about life and death, then you can spend a nice, long night in a cell.
Blair Bernard is a 20-year-old theater performance major from Lafayette, La.
Ms. Frizzle and Grandma Aggie are the exact same person
JEMIAH’S JUSTIFICATIONS
JEMIAH CLEMONS @MICLEMAH
In wake of Halloween, it’s time to finally address the elephant in the room. Ms. Frizzle and Grandma Aggie are the same person. It’s a stretch, but stick with me and everything will make sense. Physical appearance, characterization and a bit of magic all point to these “two” characters being the same person.
Ms. Frizzle is known as the fun science teacher on “The Magic School Bus,” which follows Frizzle and her students as they embark on educational adventures in different dimensions. In her usual attire, Frizzle is seen with a curly red updo and wears eclectic dresses, and her pet lizard can always be found on her shoulder.
Grandma Aggie is a powerful witch and mentor in the “Halloweentown” movie franchise. Ag-
EDITORIAL BOARD
gie’s spunky nature and insight help her three grandkids defeat magical villains. Her physical appearance is strikingly similar to Frizzle’s. Aggie also styles her gray hair in a curly updo and wears long dresses and robes. Instead of a friendly green lizard, Aggie is accompanied by her reptilian handbag that provides any object she needs almost immediately. This is very similar to the role of Frizzle’s companion.
These simple commonalities lend themselves to the idea that Aggie is the older version of Frizzle. We could wrap up this theory based on their looks alone, but there’s more evidence that can tie all of it together. The confirmation of this theory primarily lies in the third installment of Halloweentown. In this film, the main character, Marnie Piper, arranges an exchange student program at her school for magical teens in Halloweentown to come study in the mortal world.
Teaching these students is done by none other than Grandma Aggie, aka Ms. Frizzle.
Throughout the film, Aggie does and says things that allude to her being a teacher in her younger years. When the students arrived at Callwood High School, they pulled up in a small Volkswagen that magically fit Aggie and her nine students, all who bear a noticeable resemblance to the students in “The Magic School Bus.” Getting the kids into the small car happens several times throughout the movie and is reminiscent of Frizzle with her school bus.
Aggie also becomes the new chemistry teacher, just like how Frizzle was the science teacher in her world. Coincidence? I think not. As the film continues, Aggie teaches her students about magic and how the mortal world works. In the end, the students help defeat evil and then return home to Halloweentown.
This leads me to believe that this movie was another one of Ms. Frizzle’s wacky adventures. The overlapping goal between “Halloweentown” and “The Magic School Bus” is for students to
learn important lessons along the way. This further proves that Frizzle and Aggie are the same; both characters care for their students and always go the extra mile for them, making them so beloved.
Grandma Aggie and Ms. Frizzle practically raised Millennials and Generation Z, so it only makes sense that they’re the same person, right? Frizzle taught
the complexities of science while making it fun for her students and viewers. Aggie provided a nurturing grandma aura that everyone needed. Most importantly, has anyone ever seen these two women in the same room?
Jemiah Clemons is a 20-year-old kinesiology junior from Miami, Fla.
Editorial Policies and Procedures
The Reveille (USPS 145-800) is written, edited and produced solely by students of Louisiana State University. The Reveille is an independent entity of the Office of Student Media within the Manship School of Mass Communication. Signed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, The Reveille or the university. Letters submitted for publication should be sent via e-mail to editor@lsu.edu or delivered to B-39 Hodges Hall. They must be 400 words or less. Letters must provide a contact phone number for verification purposes, which will not be printed. The Reveille reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for space consideration while preserving the original intent. The Reveille also reserves the right to reject any letter without notification of the author. Writers must include their full names and phone numbers. The Reveille’s editor in chief, hired every semester by the LSU Student Media Board, has final authority on all editorial decisions.
Quote of the Week
“Everybody hits me up for eating Little Debbies, but no one passes that cookie jar without taking one.”
Nick Saban
Former Alabama head football coach 1951 — Present
Colin Falcon Editor in Chief Managing Editor John Buzbee
Sports Editor Jason Willis Oliver Butcher News Editor Taylor
ERIN BARKER / The Reveille
A stop sign hangs upside down on Sept. 12, 2024, at an off-campus apartment complex on Ben Hur Rd.
AP ILLUSTRATION / PETER HAMLIN
COURTESY OF FLICKR
“Bill Nye the Science Guy” and “The Magic School Bus” is coming back to television.
Spread by: Riley White
GOATS AND VOTES
The BridgeLSU club invites students to discuss the 2024 Presidential Election while petting goats.
A student reaches out to pet a goat at BridgeLSU’s event in front of the Ogden Honors College on Nov. 5 near Highland Road.
Junior student government senator Brett Robertson feeds a goat named “Bambi” at BridgeLSU’s event in front of the Ogden Honors College on Nov. 5 near Highland Road.
Two students smile while petting a goat at BridgeLSU’s event in front of the Ogden Honors College on Nov. 5 near Highland Road.
BridgeLSU president junior Kelsey Womack poses with the three goats in front of the Ogden Honors College on Nov. 5 near Highland Road.
A goat stands calmly on the grass at BridgeLSU’s event in front of the Ogden Honors College on Nov. 5 near Highland Road.
Photos by: Cate Emma Warren
ENTERTAINMENT
Rev Rank: Top songs played on Tiger Stadium’s gameday playlist
BY CAM CHEHREH @camryncherries
There’s nothing like being an LSU Tiger fan on a Saturday night in Death Valley. The stadium hot dogs, pyrotechnics and school spirit is perfectly tied together by one thing: the music. With one of the biggest games occurring this weekend, here are the top songs you’re bound to hear on a Louisiana Saturday night:
6. “Alma Mater”
Geaux ListenTiger Fans
This song may not be the one to get Tigers pumped for a big game, but it’s the one that gives them a sense of community. Current students and alumni come together in a stadium with over 100,000 seats to sing the school anthem as one voice.
Get ready for the stranger next to you to hold onto you like you’ve known each other forever when this song sways students
and alumni side to side.
5. “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne
No song ranking list is complete without some dad rock, if this song could even be considered that. Crazy Train is a great crowd pleaser while the Tigers are getting crazy on the field and hopefully leading the team to a Death Valley victory.
4. “Swag Surfin” by F.L.Y and Easton
Nothing energizes a crowd like a little Swag Surfin. This hit is the perfect mid-game pick me up that students can’t help but enjoy. As the game can become slow and the drinks wear off, this provides a minor dance break to get the mood back up. No game is complete without a little swag and surf in the stadium’s crowd.
3. “Louisiana Saturday Night” by Mel McDaniel Third place goes to LSU’s be -
loved Louisiana Saturday Night. As the title states, this song is very fitting for a Saturday night in Death Valley. There’s nothing like a country song about Louisiana playing while sitting at a football game in Louisiana.
2. “I’m From Louisiana” by Louisiana Ca$H
Coming in second is a Louisiana classic. Considered the unofficial anthem by many students and Baton Rouge natives, this song is a Death Valley staple. This song is fun, energetic and bound to get the student section hyped up.
1. “Callin’ Baton Rouge” by Garth Brooks
This list wouldn’t be complete without Callin’ Baton Rouge in the number one spot. This country ballad kicks off every football game and sends a jolt of Tiger pride through the crowd. No LSU Game Day would be complete without this jam.
It’s officially ‘Bama Hate Week’ on social media and at LSU
BY CAM CHEHREH @camryncherries
It’s every LSU fan’s favorite week of the year. Bama Hate Week kicked off this Monday ahead of Saturday’s highly anticipated game. Here are some of the best memes posted online so far.
Column: Sell your ticket for some extra cash this weekend
BY OLIVIA TOMLINSON @oliviamersade
LSU vs. Alabama becomes the most anticipated game each year. With an abundance of students fighting for tickets to the sold out game, the cost to attend continues to increase.
At the beginning of each fall semester, students are offered a season ticket holder deal from LSU Athletics. Rather than purchasing tickets one game at a time during football season, students can purchase tickets to all seven home games for $105. In July 2024, students had the option to purchase a six game pass, excluding the Oklahoma game, for $89. Once fees and taxes are applied, that came to about $99.
These deals make the average ticket price for students around $15 a game, but Bama now, just a few days before the game, tickets are being sold for 20 times that: $300. The desire to sell student tickets gains popularity each year, especially towards the end of football season. Students begin to get burnt out of their typical Saturday routine of waking up early, just to be out until dark.
By selling tickets, students are able to make money and enjoy the game within the comforts of their own home or at their favorite bar. Most students make back almost double what
they originally paid for all tickets when selling one ticket for a long awaited for game.
Students who missed the LSU Athletics deal have resorted to searching for student section tickets on resale groups through Facebook and on ticket purchasing apps like Seat Geek. Tickets on Facebook groups, like “LSU Girls Sell Your Stuff” and “LSU Student Tickets,” range in prices from $150 to $300. Nosebleed tickets for the LSU vs. Alabama game won’t be found for less than$200 on SeatGeek.
The student section is the most sought out section in Tiger Stadium because of the enormous energy coming from the crowd. Any young adult wants to be seated here with their friends, while adults and alumni attending the event want a more comfortable seat throughout the
Caroline’s Cookies owner left school to pursue baking dreams
BY ELISE BLACLOCK @eliseblalock
Twenty-two year old small business owner, Caroline Merryman, is one smart cookie.
The Lafayette native cultivated a long lasting and reputable market for the thick and gooey treats from Caroline’s Cookies. What began as a childhood infatuation, soon took off as a successful business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Merryman began baking in her parents’ kitchen as a way to kill time. She would distribute her baked goods to family and friends in their mailboxes; however, she soon realized that cupcakes and other baked goods would not uphold the same level of freshness during her distribution. Cookies soon became her only option.
It became evident through the community’s demand that this love for her product was beyond the comforts of those she delivered to. While her order demand increased, so did her passion to pursue her hobby. The resumption of college courses was the ultimate indicator of Merryman’s success.
“College was going to be around forever, but this business was happening now,” Merryman said.
Through her parents and com -
munity’s support, Merryman was able to open her first storefront in her hometown of Lafayette. Her attention to detail and standard for perfect quality in each of her cookies has sustained since opening. Customers claim to love her unique flavor profiles, with a tribute to her original cookies that started in her kitchen. Four years later, she opened up her third location, two of which are located in Baton Rouge.
Merryman enhances her cookie market by updating popular flavor profiles to provide a fresh and exciting product for customers, members in the com -
munity and her employees. For each employee’s birthday, she allows them to pick out their own flavors.
“Creating a team and creating a safe space for all of my team members is crucial,” the small business owner said. “It was hard at first, but eventually I learned the importance of efficiency and quality control, and how to delegate work to other members of my team.”
It’s evident through employee relations alone, that Caroline strives to embody the highest quality throughout the entirety of her brand. Mackenzie Robin,
an employee, attributes Caroline’s Cookies success to the owner’s work ethic as a business owner.
“Caroline is not above any aspect of her business,” Robin said. “From baking the cookies, to business workshops, you can truly tell she cares for what she does.”
One inspiration to Merryman is Todd Graves. She believes the motto, “One Love” is seen in the quality in his products, his involvement with the greater Louisiana community and the effort he puts into his sole focus: chicken. Merryman aspires to uphold the same level of integrity, success and quality in her cookie company, much how Graves has.
“Having mutual respect for peers, having hands-on involvement in your product at all phases of the process and ensuring everyone is on the same playing field are what I have learned to incorporate into the business aspect of the cookie market,” Merryman said.
Merryman enhances her cookie market by updating popular flavor profiles to provide a fresh and exciting product for customers of members in the community. She said the incorporation of the community’s interests is one of her largest focal points in owning the business. Her flavor inspiration comes from walking
down aisles in the grocery store to cook books to social media.
The local business owner can be an inspiration to young individuals who are striving to pursue their hobbies as a career. Now that she has achieved this status, she has advice for young individuals who plan to do the same.
“Find your people, find your safe space and do not shy away from asking for help,” Merryman says. “Finding confidence in your brand or product is key and remember why you started.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLINE’S COOKIES Inside look at Caroline’s Cookies Perkins location.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLINE’S COOKIES Caroline’s Cookie owner Caroline Merryman poses for a picture.
CATE EMMA WARREN / The Reveille
LSU fans cheer together in the student section on Oct. 12, during LSU’s 29-26 overtime win against Ole Miss at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
ERIN BARKER / The Reveille
LSU fans cheer from the student section on Sept. 7, during LSU’s 44-21 win against Nicholls at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
Louisiana Book Festival celebrates 20 years of literary heritage
BY CAMILLE MILLIGAN
@camillemill333
The Louisiana Book Festival honored the authorship and artistry of Louisiana’s literary heritage through book signings, poetry readings, cooking demonstrations and much more in its 20th anniversary.
The festival took place Saturday, Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Baton Rouge. The event was free and open for the public to attend. Tents and tables lined N. 4th St., Spanish Town Road and the Capitol Parkway with authors, publishers and more. Families, students and adults mingled at the tents, talking with vendors and purchasing books. Local media outlets like 225 Magazine and WRKF had tables advertising their services. The festival also had tables for those with more niche literary interests. The Jane Austen Society of North America, Louisiana Region had a booth as well as the Sons of the American Revolution.
The Print Guild of LSU had a tent at the festival, devoted to educating the public on the process of print and paper making. Individuals and families could make their own colorful pieces of paper, while shopping for prints and handmade books designed by LSU students. Sarah Lindrew, president of the Print Guild of LSU, said the guild’s annual tent is a great way to expose the art of printmaking to the public.
“I think it’s always important to show people the arts, because I think the arts are a really great way to preserve the culture of the community,” Lindrew said. “It’s also really fun to have these interactive moments with children and with the community in general.”
Festival goers could also purchase unique reads from Louisiana authors. Local authors decorated fold-out tables with pins, business cards, bookmarks and other free goods to promote their work. For first-time authors, like Carla Seyler, the book festival is an opportunity to drum up some attention for her writing.
Seyler had wanted to write a book since she was 7 years old, and this past year, she finally did. Her novel, “A Place Unmade,” is
an environmental thriller set in New Orleans, where Seyler grew up. She said the book festival was a great place to feel connected to Louisiana readers.
“People have stopped, and it’s been a lot of fun talking to people,” Seyler said. “It’s getting my name out there. It’s a nice way to introduce my work to a whole lot of people.”
Many of the 68 public library systems in Louisiana were represented at the book festival along with small-scale publishing companies from different parts of the state. University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press sold a variety of books at its booth in one of the main tents. This small publishing firm is part of the Center for Louisiana Studies at the university. Its published works usually focus on Louisiana history and culture, which can take on many forms, from cookbooks to photography to nonfiction.
Devon Lorde, the editor-inchief at UL Press, said the festival gives them the opportunity to meet new customers and authors through the Louisiana Book Festival.
“A lot of our readership is focused in Lafayette, so it’s great when we come to this event,”
Lorde said. “We meet lots of new people who never knew we existed, and so every year we see more and more engagement with customers getting our books to wider places. It’s a really great opportunity for our authors to get to speak to new audiences,
so we’re really glad the festival is able to support that.”
Special talks and panels were held in the State Capitol Building, the Capitol Park Museum and the State Library of Louisiana. These talks were given by authors and guest speakers. They ranged in topics from more serious talks like “Thicker than Oil: Louisiana Novels on Disaster, Community, and Family” to more light hearted ones like “Tickling Your Funny Bone: Humorous Fiction.”
As shoppers carted around their newly purchased books or freshly made paper, they also flocked to the main merchandise tent to buy limited edition items with the artwork created for the 20th Louisiana Book Festival.
Emily Davison, a 2023 LSU alumnae, was one of the volunteers working at the information and merchandise tent. After graduating from LSU, Davison began working as an administrative coordinator at the State Library of Louisiana. The festival is the library’s biggest event of the year and an important time for community building that is centered around books.
“This is literally our superbowl,” Davison said. “Before I worked here I didn’t know the extent of this festival. Just seeing everybody come out, librarians from across the state that I’ve met at other events, just all being in one place at the same time is cool. It’s just nice to see people appreciating books.”
CAMILLE MILLIGAN / The Reveille
Books at the UL Press booth focused on Louisiana culture and history.
CAMILLE MILLIGAN / The Reveille
Families and adults shopped and made paper at the Print Guild of LSU’s tent.
Don’t let the challenges of college life get in the way of taking care of yourself. Schedule an in-person or Virtual Visit with a gynecologist at Louisiana Women’s Healthcare and let us help address any female health concerns you may have.
SPORTS
BY TYLER HARDEN @ttjharden8
THE FILM ROOM:
Here’s what Alabama brings ahead of its matchup with LSU
LSU’s College Football Playoff hopes come down to its matchup with Alabama. Beating the Tide is a large hill to climb, but up to this point, other teams have done it.
That still doesn’t make it easy.
The Tigers were ranked No. 15 in the first edition of the College Football Playoff rankings this season. Alabama was ranked at No. 11.
Both teams have two losses, with each having a respectable loss and a loss that either wasn’t expected or hasn’t aged well.
For Alabama, its loss to Vanderbilt was not expected, although Vanderbilt is now ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll. At the time of its win over Alabama, the Commodores were unranked.
For LSU, its loss to USC has aged anything but well, as the Trojans are near the bottom of the season with a 4-5 record.
LSU and Alabama’s seasons have unfolded in nearly parallel fashion leading up to their highly anticipated matchup, making it fitting that this year’s game carries such significant implications.
With a win, LSU could very well squeeze its way into the College Football Playoff if it wins out beyond Saturday. With a loss, the Tigers will be on the outside looking in.
Here’s what LSU will see from Alabama in its quest to
JALEN MILROE
LSU seemed to control its own destiny against Texas A&M in the first half. But one adjustment from Aggies’ head coach, Mike Elko, flipped the game upside down.
Marcel Reed replaced Conner Weigman at quarterback for the Aggies, and he ran for three touchdowns and 62 yards on nine carries.
LSU simply couldn’t stop the run threat, and Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe brings an even more intense run game to his skillset.
Milroe could arguably be one of the most, if not the most, complete quarterbacks in the SEC and perhaps the country. He’s thrown for 1,937 yards and 13 touchdowns through the air and ran for 380 yards and 12 touchdowns on a team-leading 102 carries.
The junior quarterback sees significantly more carries in opposing territory; he’s run for 120 yards on 18 carries between the opponent’s 39-20 yard lines and 107 yards on 29 carries in the red zone. In addition, all of his rushing touchdowns came in opposing territory.
Contrary to Reed against the Tigers, where he ran for small chunks of yards, Milroe has run for larger doses.
In five of Alabama’s eight games this season, Milroe has run for long carries of 20 yards or more. His run attack was most crushing in the Crimson Tide’s 41-34 win over Georgia, where he ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.
As it has in many games before Saturday, Milroe’s run ability will be a swing factor against LSU.
OVERALL RUN ATTACK
Alabama is ranked fifth in the SEC in rushing yards per game with 177.6.
The Crimson Tide, along with Milroe’s run threat, operates with a dual-running back system with Jam Miller and Justice Haynes.
Besides Milroe, Miller gets the majority of the carries. On 74 carries, he’s run for 450 yards and seven touchdowns. Haynes is not far behind with 350 yards and five touchdowns on 55 carries.
Both backs play with a similar style: powerful runners that can separate with their speed. Haynes, however, is used more in the pass game, catching 16 passes for 90 yards. Miller has added another 52 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown on six catches.
Texas A&M ran a similar, two-running back system with Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels. While the two combined for 174 rushing yards, the Aggies did not look to them through the air that much. Moss and Daniels combined for four catches for 47 yards.
With Alabama using its running backs more in the pass game, LSU’s defense will have to expect both a horizontal and vertical threat from the Crimson Tide.
RYAN WILLIAMS AND ALABAMA’S DEEP RECEIVER ROOM
Alabama’s true freshman wide receiver, Ryan Williams, wasted no time rising up the ranks at the college level.
Williams, who is just 17 years old, leads Alabama with 702 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 35 catches. While he’s been a threat to begin with for the Crimson Tide, his athleticism sets him apart from perhaps any other receiver in the country.
His athleticism is credited to his awareness and body control. Multiple times against Georgia, Williams made catches with his back to the defender. He made spin moves and moves both outside and inside on the fly to extend plays and even score.
Williams is a talent that many expected would emerge, but maybe not this early. LSU’s secondary could have its hands full if it allows Williams any space at all to make catches.
But Alabama’s air attack doesn’t end there. Along with Williams, nine other receivers have caught four or more passes this season.
Germie Bernard is right behind Williams with 463 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 30 catches. He led Alabama with 82 yards on five catches in the Crimson Tide’s 34-0 win over Missouri on Oct. 26.
With how much of a threat Williams already is, partnering him with several targets for Milroe to target may throw LSU’s secondary off balance.
SOLID ALL-AROUND DEFENSE
In all phases of its defense, Alabama has held its own more times than not.
The Crimson Tide’s secondary has been most reliable for Alabama’s defense, as it is tied for second with 11 interceptions on the season.
Three different defensive backs have multiple interceptions, as Malachi Moore, Keon Sabb and Domani Jackson each have two interceptions. Five other defensive players have at least an interception as well.
With this being said, Nussmeier will have to be careful with the football, which he struggled to do in the second half against Texas A&M.
In addition, with LSU’s struggles in its run game this season, Alabama’s linebackers have helped limit opposing run attacks. The Crimson Tide allowed just 80 rushing yards against Georgia.
Que Robinson leads Alabama with four sacks, and Jihaad Campbell has an additional 2.5 sacks. Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson and L.T. Overton each have multiple sacks. Campbell and Lawson are tied for a teamleading 66 total tackles.
Coupled with the ability of the linebackers and secondary to come up with negative plays, they’ve also come up with eight forced fumbles on the season thus far. Moore has two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Alabama may have the most versatile defense that LSU has faced up to this point, and in order to combat that, the Tigers will have to have both phases of the offense clicking, especially the run game.
How the Tigers can learn from 2023 matchup against Alabama
BY ETHAN STENGER @itsethanstenger
In 2023, then-No. 8 Alabama beat No. 14 LSU 42-28 at BryantDenny Stadium in Tuscaloosa to thrust them into a College Football Playoff appearance. On Saturday, the Tigers are looking to flip last season’s script.
No. 15 LSU hosts the No. 11 Crimson Tide in Tiger Stadium in a heavyweight bout of colossal proportions. The winner can parlay their victory into a trip to the SEC Championship and even the
College Football Playoff, keeping their season alive. The loser will be forced to play out the rest of their season, knowing they might’ve been a game away from greatness.
Saturday night’s result in Death Valley will send shockwaves throughout the college football landscape. The whole country will be watching.
With that said, what went wrong for the Bayou Bengals in 2023?
It starts with the battle in the trenches. LSU could not halt Alabama’s run game, specifically Jalen Milroe. The Crimson Tide quarterback ran wild for 155 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Alabama finished the night with 46 rushing attempts for 288 yards, an average of 6.3 yards per carry. That is not a recipe for success.
The Tigers have the tacklers to keep Milroe in check this time, especially at linebacker. Suddenly emergent star sophomore linebacker Whit Weeks leads the purple and gold in tackles with 74. Greg Penn III is also a surefire tackler; he wears No. 18 at LSU for a reason.
Contributions from safeties
Major Burns and Sage Ryan will benefit the Bayou Bengals on Saturday. The defensive line is also much improved, solidified by edge rushers Bradyn Swinson and Sai’vion Jones. If they can apply pressure and the Tigers can get Milroe on the ground, the Crimson Tide will start to get a lot more one-dimensional, making last season’s 42-point performance look like a distant memory.
But what about the purple and gold’s offense?
In 2023, Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels put LSU’s offense on his back. The No. 2 overall pick in April’s 2024 NFL Draft threw for 219 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while running for 163 yards and another touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, Daniels was rocked by Alabama’s Dallas Turner, resulting in a roughing the passer call. Daniels did not return for the rest of the game, effectively sealing a win for the Crimson Tide.
Without Daniels, the Tigers lost a central part of their rushing attack this season, but that hasn’t stopped Bayou Bengals head coach Brian Kelly from pounding
the rock. Freshman Caden Durham worked his way into Kelly’s running back rotation following the loss of senior back John Emery Jr. After a 128-yard, two-touchdown performance against South Alabama in late September, Durham took the starting job and hasn’t looked back.
With Daniels running for his life in the 2023 game, he would’ve heavily appreciated having a player like Durham in the backfield. Kelly got away from the ground game early in last year’s matchup, opting to hand it to his backs a measly 13 times, compared to Alabama’s 24 attempts, a number that’s nearly double.
While this year’s LSU offensive line will be without injured starting guard Garrett Dellinger, if it can clear running lanes, it will take immense pressure off quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to make plays that aren’t there. Nussmeier’s attempts at hero ball gashed LSU in their matchup against Texas A&M. His three second-half picks handed the Aggies the lead and, eventually, the win.
But Nussmeier has the talent around him to make plays, just like Daniels did in 2023.
Tiger wide receivers torched the Crimson Tide’s secondary with 10 catches for 171 yards in 2023. The Bayou Bengals possess a similar talent on the outside with wide receiver Kyren Lacy, who’s top-seven in the SEC in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Nussmeier and Lacy have had a Daniels and Nabers-like connection this season. Every time the purple and gold need a big play, Lacy has been down there somewhere.
Add slot receiver Aaron Anderson into the mix, and LSU has a chance to put up some serious points in this matchup.
Don’t overlook Tigers’ tight end Mason Taylor, either. He caught the walk-off, game-winning touchdown to beat Alabama at Tiger Stadium two years ago.
Following a quiet three-catch, 19-yard night in 2023, Taylor will be looking to make noise on Saturday night. Expect Bayou Bengals’ offensive coordinator Joe Sloan’s gameplay to include Taylor and lots of him.
If the purple and gold can control the trenches on both sides of the ball, they might just have the blueprint to beat Alabama at Death Valley on Saturday night.
LSU students predict this weekend’s game against Alabama
BY GABBY GRAY @GabbyGray06
Carter Grace
LSU vs. Alabama is one of the greatest rivalries in sports, and what makes it so great is the passion of the fans. Fans are the heart of sports and some of the biggest fans following this notorious rivalry are, of course, LSU students. So heading into Saturday’s highly-anticipated bout, how do they predict this weekend’s score?
Junior finance major and Painted Posse member Carter Grace had the privilege of attending the LSU vs. Texas A&M game in College Station two weekends ago.
“It was exciting,” Grace said. “But things started going wrong whenever we weren’t executing on special teams.”
He felt that LSU’s lack of being able to convert on field goals hurt the Tigers the most while playing against A&M – that and not being prepared for A&M to substitute freshman quarterback Marcel Reed into the game placed LSU at a severe disadvantage.
Grace feels that falls on the backs of LSU’s coaches. So how does he see the Tigers growing from that lack of preparation?
“I think if our coaches can make a game plan like they did against Arkansas, I think we’ll win the game against Alabama.”
Grace is, of course, referring to the utilization of sophomore linebacker Whit Weeks and his ability to spy on opposing quarterbacks while on the field.
If Weeks, however, fails to stop Alabama redshirt junior quarterback Jalen Milroe’s speed, then Grace feels that LSU will struggle against the Crimson Tide.
He is also relying on senior defensive end Bradyn Swinson to make large plays on the defensive side of the ball, but he ultimately feels that the game comes down to redshirt junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.
“Nussmeier will be the difference if he finally decides to use his legs,” Grace said. “In the SEC, all the best teams we’ve seen have mobile quarterbacks. Garrett Nussmeier might not be that quarterback right now, but he can be.”
Alexa Jones
Freshman human resource management major Alexa Jones expressed similar opinions concerning Nussmeier’s performance in recent games, and feels that if he can improve, LSU has the advantage against Alabama. However, she feels that the Tigers’ benefit from the home field advantage is the greatest one of all.
“Being at home in Death Valley adds to the experience and elevates the team as a whole,” Jones said. “It’s powerful and magical, and I think the team feels that too.”
In LSU’s recent history with Alabama at home, the Tigers secured a 32-31 win in 2022. Jones, amongst many other fans, hopes to add to that streak and feels that that will be possible through sophomore wide receiver Kyren Lacy. “He’s a fantastic player,” Jones said. “He’s a natural celebrity, and his X-factor is amazing.”
Kaylee Musgrove
Joseph Corsino
Marketing junior Joseph Corsino feels that the home field advantage will tremendously serve in LSU’s favor as well.
He sat in the north end zone as a freshman two years ago, where he witnessed the winning touchdown of the 2022 LSU-Alabama game and contributed to the celebration that shook the ground.
With the memory of LSU’s geology department recording a 133-decibel reading at the winning touchdown, Corsino is sure that Alabama will be rattled being back in Death Valley.
“I think Alabama will have a tough time listening to plays,” Corsino said. “And all around a tough time during the game itself.”
Corsino also resonates with players mentioned in the previous predictions, like Nussmeier, Lacy and Weeks. He feels
that the offensive line will be one of the most valuable factors against Alabama.
“We statistically have one of the best offensive lines in college football right now,” Corsino said.
LSU is currently ranked No. 21 in total offense in the NCAA compared to Alabama’s spot at No. 37.
Corsino takes pride in the offensive line and how it’s only allowed four sacks this season.
However, he also credited graduate running back Josh Williams as someone he is looking forward to seeing on the field.
Overall, he feels that being back in Death Valley will add to the excitement of this weekend and will result in a close-scoring game, with a field goal being the decider.
The Reveille also had the chance to speak with a student at Alabama, news media freshman Kaylee Musgrove, who expressed confidence in favor of the Crimson Tide this weekend.
“It’ll come down to their game time decisions in terms of whether or not they can put together a good four quarters of football,” Musgrove said. “Which is something they’ve struggled with in the past.”
Despite that struggle, Musgrove is sure of Alabama’s ability to channel the energy that comes from SEC rivalries as large as this one.
She feels that Milroe and freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams and their ability to work as a duo will be Alabama’s golden ticket to victory this weekend, while also noting the Crimson Tide’s defensive line and how they have improved this season.
“I do not see this being an easy fight on either side,” Musgrove said. “I see it being one score with a good amount of field goals in there as well.”
COLUMN: 2022 2023 2024
LEGACY ON THE LINE
This weekend’s Alabama game will define the Brian Kelly era for LSU
BY MARTIN SULLIVAN @marty_sulli
The reactionary nature of LSU fans often leaves them basing the entire tenure of a head coach on a single game. This week it may be justified.
Brian Kelly is in his third season as head coach and enters a game against Ala- bama that will make or break LSU’s playoff chances. With a bye week to prepare and home field advantage, Kelly has the opportunity to establish a precedent for the program in this new era of college football.
Kelly captured the adora- tion of Baton Rouge with an overtime upset over Ala- bama his first year at LSU.
When Kelly spoke to the team after the win, former defensive end Ali Gaye ex- claimed, “This is why you came here!” to which Kelly replied, “Hell yes!”
Kelly opened the 2024 season with a habitually heartbreaking Week 1 loss, then another to Texas A&M in October, a team that has given Kelly issues. The ex- pansion of the College Foot- ball Playoff had afforded Kelly some margin of error, but it’s gone this weekend.
Kelly was not hired to get LSU to nine or 10 wins every year and end with a mid- dling seed. Fundamental to reaching that next gear of a repeat playoff entrant is establishing a dominant ex- pectation.
A win would make Kelly 2-0 at home against Alabama and 1-0 against Kalen DeBoer. If Kelly is to be deemed a successful hire, both should be expected with little ex- ception.
Under DeBoer, the Tide remain a dangerous team,
but Saban only had three two-loss regular seasons in his 17 years at Alabama.
College football has reached newfound parity thanks to a number of factors, namely NIL. Currently, five teams sit at the top of the SEC with one loss.
One product of this was Alabama losing to Vander- bilt. Such an event showcases a revolution against monopolized talent and opportunity for change.
With upcoming recruiting classes full of talent, LSU can insert itself into the top of this unsettled SEC hierarchy. That starts this season.
Year three of Kelly fea- tures a new defensive coordinator, veterans who were once freshman under his leadership and a start- ing quarterback who has been developed for multiple years.
Tiger fans don’t care about banging tables or prepara- tion; they want results. Kel- ly has been afforded grace with a playoff expansion, now he has to deliver when it counts most.
By no means is it an easy expectation but the necessity, the window of oppor- tunity and the standard LSU has for its coaches makes it so that Kelly’s tenure will heavily defined by Satur- day’s outcome.
A loss will invoke feelings of an underwhelming sta- tus quo, continued envy of programs like Alabama and dreams of competitive play in January dissipating.
Saturday’s outcome will not just define the season; it will very much define the Brian Kelly era at LSU.
PHOTOS BY MADALYN CUNNINGHAM AND REAGAN COTTEN
PHOTO BY EMILY BOUDREAUX