BATON ROUGE — It is a cliche, but when it happens, it is nevertheless significant.
Amid projections of 6-6 and 7-5 over the summer and a prediction to finish fifth in the Southeastern Conference West at the SEC Media Days in July, No. 24 LSU upset No. 8 Miami in dominating fashion, 33-17, Sunday night in Arlington, Texas.
Miami was the highest-ranked opponent to lose to the Tigers in a season opener since 2011, but that LSU team was ranked No. 4 and projected to win double-digit games and compete for the SEC title. This one was not. In fact, LSU coach Ed Orgeron was actually asked about being on the hot seat on the SEC teleconference the previous Wednesday.
"Regardless of what's out there, and what people say, we believe in each other in that room, and we proved it tonight," Orgeron said after the game.
In other words, LSU "made a statement."
Two days later, LSU jumped from No. 25 in the Associated Press poll to No. 11. The 14-spot leap was LSU's largest in the history of the poll, which began in 1936. The Tigers also jumped from No. 24 in the USA Today coaches' poll to No. 15 for LSU's most dramatic leapfrog in that poll since the 2001 postseason. That year, the No. 21 Tigers upset No. 2 Tennessee, 31-20, in the SEC Championship Game and rose to No. 12 prior to the Sugar Bowl.
"Yes sir," LSU wide receiver Jonathan Giles said. "We were number 25, so we had a chip on our shoulder. Nobody expected us to win. So we knew we had to have the expectation to win."
There were a few predictions that had LSU winning, but Miami was a three-point favorite in a stadium that odds makers knew would have a Purple-and-Gold majority. The game supposedly meant more to Miami's season as the Hurricanes do not have another ranked opponent on their schedule until No. 12 Virginia Tech on Nov. 17.
"We made a big statement in each and every way," LSU cornerback Andraez "Greedy" Williams said. "Coach O has been saying that we need to block out the noise. That's what we did."
The Tigers (1-0) will now try to avoid the other end of that spectrum when they host Southeastern Louisiana (0-1) at 6 p.m. Saturday in Tiger Stadium on ESPN2.
"That's just the nature of football," said LSU tailback Nick Brossette, who led the Tigers with 125 yards on 22 carries. "Anybody can upset anybody. We just have to approach every game like it's our last. And we can't take anybody lightly."
If Miami took LSU lightly, it learned a lesson. The Tigers led 33-3 entering the fourth quarter.
"We knew we had a lot of people doubting us, so I think we proved a point — LSU is a top notch program. And we just want to put it back where it needs to be," Brossette said.
"We're LSU," said linebacker Devin White, who led the Tigers with eight tackles. "Everybody talks about other teams being who they are. At the end of the day, we're still LSU."
Orgeron added, though, that it was still just one game.
"We just viewed it as we're playing Miami," he said. "And it was our opening game, and we wanted to be 1-0. That's all it was about."
LSU played seven true freshmen
The Tigers played seven true freshmen in all against Miami — wide receivers Terrace Marshall Jr., Ja'Marr Chase and Kenan Jones, tailback Chris Curry, cornerback Kelvin Joseph, linebacker Damone Clark and placekicker Avery Atkins.
Dozen Tigers make first start
A total of 12 Tigers made the first starts of their careers — junior tailback Lanard Fournette, sophomore center Lloyd Cushenberry, junior transfer right guard Damien Lewis, junior transfer wide receiver Jonathan Giles, junior transfer quarterback Joe Burrow, sophomore wide receiver Justin Jefferson, true freshman wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr., junior transfer nose tackle Breiden Fehoko, junior cornerback Kristian Fulton, senior transfer cornerback Terrence Alexander, sophomore linebacker Jacob Phillips and senior transfer kicker Cole Tracy.
Fournette did not play much after the first play. He caught a 5-yard pass from Burrow on that play, but he did not carry the ball or catch another pass the rest of the game.
Tyler Shelvin upset
Even though it was a blowout, sophomore nose tackle Tyler Shelvin of Northside High in Lafayette and Notre Dame of Crowley did not play against Miami. Starter Breiden Fehoko and backup Ed Alexander were the only nose tackles to play.
Shelvin wrote on his Instagram account after the game, "I was sold a dream and was told a dream, but it is what it is. Yes, I'm already looking."
Orgeron said on Tuesday that he has visited with Shelvin about him not playing.
"He's going to be a very good player here," Orgeron said. "Obviously, we had a very good conversation."