By Hunt Palmer
All season long we’ve broken down LSU’s opponents by the numbers. I think it’s time we assess LSU by diving deeply into the statistics. By now you know LSU was a pass-happy team with a clunky running game. But how did it all compare to the rest of the 16-team Southeastern Conference? Let’s take a look.
(As always, 1st is always best and 16th is always worst even if the better number is lower)
Scoring Offense: 7th, 30.5 point per game
Total Offense: 5th, 431.5 yards per game
Yards per Play: 7th, 6.1 yards per play
As you can see from the big picture numbers, LSU was in the middle of the pack in terms of scoring and yards per play. Slightly better than that when it comes to just creating yards.
Rushing Offense: 16th, 116.4 yards per game
Rushing Attempts per Game: 16th, 26.7
Rushing Yards per Carry: 11th, 4.1
The running game was pathetic. Finishing last in the conference in rushing is completely unacceptable at LSU. We heard quote after quote about stacked boxes and checks into the passing game. I don’t have those types of statistics, but if 15 other teams found out a way to move the ball more effectively on the ground, the Tigers should have been able to do it. This has to be mission No. 1 for Joe Sloan in the offseason, because I’m willing to wager that no team ranked dead last in the SEC in rushing is ever winning a championship. Or competing for one.
Passing Offense: 2nd, 315.2 yards per game
Passing Attempts: 1st, 534 (41 per game)
Yards per Attempt: 9th, 7.7 yards
Completion Percentage: 5th, 64.4%
Passing Touchdowns: 3rd, 29
LSU was an excellent passing offense. They leaned on it more than everyone else, and that’s obviously an issue, but at least you were leaning on a strength. Teams like Oklahoma and Kentucky leaned on a running game and weren’t even good at that. Garrett Nussmeier was largely accurate and decisive. Yes, the interceptions hurt. We’ll get to turnovers later, but LSU’s passing game was very productive and reasonably consistent for the season. You can certainly point to valleys against A&M, Alabama and Florida, but there were more peaks.
Sacks Allowed: 1st, 15 (1.2 per game)
Tackles for Loss Allowed: 1st, 48 (3.7 per game)
I know many Tiger fans expected the 2024 offensive line to maul teams week after week. That didn’t happen. However, when you consider that LSU led the conference in passing attempts and sacks allowed, you have to tip your cap to the offensive line for that effort. It’s not like Jayden Daniels was back there to avoid rushers, either. This group was excellent in pass protection. The good TFL allowed numbers can be attributed to a lack of rushing attempts.
20+ Yard Plays: 6th, 70 (5.4 per game)
10+ Yard Rushes: 16th, 42 (3.2 per game)
20+ Yard Passes: 4th, 58 (4.5 per game)
50+ Yard Passes: 16th, 2
LSU wasn’t explosive enough. If there were enough stacked boxes to force LSU into the fewest rushing attempts in the league, there should have been more opportunities for home runs. LSU was last in the league there. It’s blatantly obvious that Chris Hilton would have helped here. He caught four of these in the last two games and dropped one in Gainesville. So, personnel did matter. That’s rectified with Hilton returning and Barion Brown coming in. LSU has to create more chunk plays in 2025.
3rd Down Percentage: 1st, 49.2%
4th Down Percentage: T10th, 50%
4th Down Attempts: 8th, 24
Red Zone Touchdown Percentage: 14th, 56.6%
These stats make a ton of sense. LSU was the best in the league on short and intermediate throws. That helps a ton on third downs. LSU stunk at running the ball. That kills you in the red zone.
Time of Possession: 2nd, 32:03 per game
Turnovers: 6th, 17
Interceptions Thrown: 11th, 12
Fumbles Lost: T4th, 5
All of those third down conversions above allowed LSU to control the ball. That’s a good thing. Considering how often LSU threw the ball, five teams threw more picks. Still, Nussmeier knows that number needs to be closer to 6 or 7 next year.
OVERVIEW
LSU’s offense has a ton to build on for next season and a ton to work on. It’s absolutely reasonable to expect the LSU passing game to hum next year. It would be a surprising twist if the Tigers don’t have another Top 2 or 3 passing offense in the SEC. with that should come anothr great third down offense that controls possession time. The sack numbers might go up a hair, and there’s room for that. But the explosives need to go up, and the interceptions need to come down. As far as the running game, that needs a massive overhaul. Caden Durham comes back, and he should be a high-level SEC back. We’ll see what Kaleb Jackson, Harlem Berry and JT Lindsey can do. LSU has to run the ball more often, more effectively and in the red zone.
