BATON ROUGE – There were numerous reports of fans feeling faint in Tiger Stadium during LSU’s 34-17 victory over UCLA here Saturday afternoon.
In the first half, the reason was that 92-degree heat baked everything that wasn’t in the shade.
In the second half, it was because the Tigers’ defense, after their typically uneven first half, held one of college football’s worst offenses scoreless. Then, LSU’s offense cranked out consecutive touchdown drives of a season-high 14 plays for 96 yards and 11 plays for 92 yards followed by an 8-play, 32-yard drive for a field goal.
That’s a combined 33 plays for 220 yards, 2 TDs (one rushing, one passing) eating 15:15 of game clock, or possessing the ball for just more than a quarter.
Dare you say it, LSU third-year head coach Brian Kelly? Your team played. . .
“Complementary football,” Kelly said.
All on one field from the same team for two consecutive quarters. Feel free to call 911 and lose consciousness. No sun required.
On Sunday, the Tigers (3-1) moved two spots to No. 14 in the Associated Press and jumped three spaces to No. 13 in the AFCA Coaches Poll. You could say with little argument that LSU is overrated at this point considering none of its wins against a weak early schedule haven’t been four-quarter masterpieces.
What is difficult to remember – probably even at times for Kelly who is almost at a loss for words about his team’s inconsistent play-to-play execution – is that his squad is a work in progress.
Last year’s 10-3 Tigers had Heisman Trophy-winning QB Jayden Daniels, the nation’s best dual signal caller with four seasons of experience as a starter (the first two at Arizona State, the last two at LSU).
After the first four games a year ago, LSU was 3-1 with Daniels accounting for 372.3 of the Tigers’ 530.1 yards (338.3 passing, 191.8 rushing) total offense per game. Armed with veteran wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, LSU had already made 29 plays gaining 20 or more yards with 15 plays over 30 yards including 8 TDs.
Daniels’ running ability spread defenses from sideline to sideline. The Tigers could score in a blink.
This season, new offensive coordinator Joe Sloan (who was LSU’s QB coach last season) re-tooled the offensive scheme to fit the skill set of new starting QB Garrett Nussmeier, who only leaves the pass pocket to escape pressure.
With four of five offensive line starters from last season, LSU’s offensive personnel reflects its stats – 418.5 yards total offense (314.8, 103.8 rushing) — with a patient and probing scheme, lots of shorter pass routes and running backs who often have more receiving yards than rushing yards.
Nussmeier is tied for second nationally in TD passes (13), ranks second in completions per game (28.25) and seventh in passing yards per game (311.75 ypg).
LSU’s rushing attack, dead last in the 16-team SEC and 102nd nationally averaging 103.8 yards, will likely not be better than any team remaining on the Tigers’ schedule. LSU’s next five opponents (including next Saturday’s Tiger Stadium visitor South Alabama) are all ranked in the top 20 nationally in rushing.
Though the Tigers have just 19 plays so far of 20 yards or more with just five 30 yards or more and 5 TDs, the offense aside from some blue zone (inside the opponents’ 5-yard line) failures, has been mostly on-schedule.
“Coach Sloan does an unbelievable job of putting us in the right position to make plays,” Nussmeier said. “He does an outstanding job of understanding how teams are trying to attack us.”
Defensively under new coordinator Blake Baker, whose strong suit is masking coverages and blitzing, the Tigers are getting closer to becoming a constant stonewall.
But for the moment, it’s not usual for LSU’s defense to make two consecutive plays and then an awful one on third and/or fourth down to keep opposing drives alive. UCLA forged a 17-17 halftime tie by converting 4 of 7 third downs and 1 of 1 fourth downs.
“The mistakes are maddening,” Kelly said.
It’s not like LSU defenders aren’t being coached.
“What’s maddening is we have the players, the skill and the talent,” Tigers’ linebacker Whit Weeks said. “You have to get your feet and eyes right, put yourself in the right position and do your job. You don’t have to do somebody else’s job. You’ve got 10 other dudes besides yourself out there on the field that can make plays.”
LSU’s defense is increasingly countering its handful of bonehead, asleep-at-the-wheel busts with effective blitzes from every direction. It’s resulted in much-welcomed tackles for loss (23 for minus 120), sacks (12 for minus 91), QB hurries (15) and turnovers gained (6 with 4 fumbles and 2 interceptions).
Senior defensive end Bradyn Swinson, who’s second in the SEC and tied for fifth nationally with five sacks, likes the complementary football the Tigers have played in their decisive second halves the last two weeks in wins.
“The more that we (the LSU offense and defense) are connected, that’s just feeding off each other energy,” Swinson said. “I feel that’s what we’ve been missing for a long time.”
The first four games have clearly established the 2024 Tigers’ identity. Few, if any victories, will come easy in a league that has teamed ranked in five of the top six spots in the national polls.
Kelly hopes incremental improvement on both sides of the ball will offset occasional mental mistakes. He knows exactly what he has on his roster. No miracles are waiting in the wings.
“Nobody is getting traded,” Kelly said playfully in his UCLA postgame press conference. “Those are the guys we’re going to work with, and we’re going to just keep coaching them, we’re going to keep working with them, and they’re going to turn the corner in terms of listening and trusting, and we’re going to keep working on how to put them in a better position as coaches.”
Buckle up. There’s plenty of exhilaration and aggravation left in the season.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com