By Hunt Palmer
For better than three quarters, LSU’s remade defense held its own Sunday night.
The final two drives told a different story.
With 6:57 remaining in the game, Southern California received a punt and set up shop at its own 36 yard line trailing, 17-13. Quarterback Miller Moss and the Trojans only needed three plays, all completed passes, to travel 64 yards for the go-ahead score.
After the Tigers knotted the score at 20, USC knifed right through the LSU defense again for the decisive touchdown. This time the drive spanned eight plays and chewed up 75 yards. Woody Marks’s 13-yard scoring run with eight seconds remaining was the final blow.
It was a sour ending for new defensive coordinator Blake Baker and his unit after 45 game minutes of improved play.
“We put way too much pressure on our defense to be something that they’re not ready to be,” said LSU head coach Brian Kelly. “They battled, but we have warts, and they’re not going away overnight. They got better, but our offense needed be better.”
Baker inherited the worst statistical defense in LSU history. The 2023 Tigers ranked 81st in scoring defense, 108th in total defense and 127th in passing defense. The task in the opener happened to be USC head coach Lincoln Riley who has never finished outside the Top 8 in the country in scoring offense as a head coach.
Early returns were quite positive.
Thanks, in part, to a missed 29-yard field goal attempt to conclude the first half, LSU held the Trojans to just 10 first half points.
Harold Perkins crashed off the offensive right side to create an early third down tackle for loss. USC’s first scoring drive was aided by a miraculous catch by wide receiver Kyron Hudson. He skied and corralled a Moss pass with one hand as two Tigers contested.
Still, that was the only touchdown drive of the first half.
The Trojans appeared to have a second touchdown, but Ashton Stamps made a terrific play on the football to jar it from Hudson’s hands in the end zone with under five minutes left in the half.
LSU broke up seven passes in the game, three at the line of scrimmage. The biggest of those came on a fourth and nine play with 8:45 to play. The Tigers led, 17-13, and the ball was at the USC 36. Riley elected to call timeout to set up a play.
Sai’vion Jones came on a twist and swatted the ball up at the line of scrimmage, and linebacker Whit Weeks nearly came away with the interception in Trojan territory. Instead, the ball fell to the turf allowing USC to punt.
It was one of four potential game-changing turnovers LSU came just short of creating. Jones and Greg Penn each forced a fumble. LSU couldn’t pounce on either.
And then there were the penalties.
Sage Ryan was called for a pass interference that set up USC’s first score. Jardin Gilbert’s targeting foul moved the ball from the 27 to down to the 13 with 18 seconds left.
Major Burns was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct that cost the LSU offense 15 yards early in the fourth quarter. He also jumped offsides which allowed Moss a free play on the touchdown that put USC on top with 5:44 to play.
“The two personal foul penalties, they impacted the game,” Kelly said. “And they’re from veterans, and guys that know better and are leaders. I have to look at myself and say I have to do better, because they’re not getting the message. Those two (personal foul penalties) impacted the game….two personal foul penalties that set up scores is unacceptable.”
The final two drives will ultimately tell the story, but LSU’s group did some things very well.
USC only managed 69 rushing yards on three yards per carry. The Trojans were just 3-for-9 on third downs and 0-for-1 on fourth.
Star playmaker Zachariah Branch finished the game with 56 yards on four catches.
Moss did finish the day with 378 yards through the air and a score. USC averages 7.5 yards per play.
“I wouldn’t call USC’s offense pedestrian,” Kelly said. “I thought the quarterback played well. I thought he outplayed our quarterback. He made the plays when he needed to. I thought our defense took a step forward from last year. We have to be able to help them, as well. We can’t be three and out and then put them back on the field. It just felt like we never helped each other tonight.”
