It seems like a curious comparison, particularly since LSU head coach Brian Kelly has known the Southeasten Conference’s resident pirate coach, Mississippi State’s Mike Leach, since the beginning of Kelly’s head coaching career at Grand Valley State.

Leach was an assistant at Iowa Weslyan back then in 1989-91, but already fiddling with the “Air Raid” offense, of which he’s perhaps the most ardent proponent remaining in college football.

You know that hectic drill. Fast paced, throw it all over the lot, no need to even recruit a fullback or a tight end. Just keep chunking it.

Well, Kelly thought about it, and compared the wacky Leach Air Raid to the … triple option — yes, that monotonous, ball control, grind-it-out staple of the service academies.

It may sound like he’s going to be in for a rude awakening in his first SEC game Saturday against Leach and Mississippi State. But wait. Hear him out.

“It’s so true,” Kelly insisted.

His basic assessment?

It’s a simple offense to run, but very complicated to defend.

“Perceptually people think that there’s a lot of curveballs, but there is this dive, the QB keep or a pitch (pass),” he said. “There’s (only) maybe four or five, six concepts that are run so well.”

The basic philosophy behind it, he said, is “They can run it better than you can defend it in three days (preparation), so you better tackle, you better have a really good plan on some of the things that they really like to do, or you’re gonna get exposed.”

It’s a challenge.

Two years ago the Tigers, opening the COVID-delayed season fresh off a national championship, hosted Leach’s SEC debut and, under new defensive coordinator Bo Pelini didn’t seem to have a clue what the fool thing was.

The Bulldogs set a conference record with 623 yards passing and ran away 44-34. It sent shock waves through the SEC, but it wasn’t the exactly a canary in the mine shaft — State managed a 4-7 record the year.

LSU was much better in Starkville last year, still giving up 486 yards but keeping most of it in front of them for a 28-25 victory.

Kelly is no stranger to it. He’s studied it for years, he said.

“If you get too cute on defense, that’s where you get exposed,” Kelly said. “Or if you try to do one thing to take it away, or if you play too much man or if you play too much three-man rush. If you’re one dimensional, that’s where you get in trouble. So this is really about trying to change up your look try to make it so they don’t see the same thing every time.”

Kelly said don’t be surprised if the Tigers unveil some defensive looks that are a little different than in the first two games.

“There is a level of patience and persistence that you need because if you’re trying to disrupt it in one fashion, there are answers that they have and the answers are tried and true,” he explained.

“If you are not taking care of your assignment and doing your job, you’re gonna get exposed They’re going to have to tackle very, very well.”

It’s also a matchup in which the offense and defense have to complement each other.

The Tigers’ offense has looked much better early in the season when it goes to a fast-paced attack itself.

Fine, Kelly said. “But you have to look at efficiency over anything else.”

“Your offense and defense have to be linked together in games like this. Your offense can’t be just chucking it downfield and (going) three-and-out. You have to maximize your possessions. You’ve got to make sure that you’re not giving them easy possessions.

“So if we’re efficient on offense, we’re fine playing with tempo. If we’re not, it’s it’s really immaterial.”