By Hunt Palmer
THE STORY
Maybe it was a hangover. Maybe it was poor execution. Maybe it was playcalling.
Whatever, it was, it wasn’t good night for the LSU offense.
Thanks to a defense that overwhelmed Louisiana Tech, LSU got out of its home opener with a, 23-7, win.
Braelin Moore’s injury on the first play started things on rocky ground, and it never really got better for LSU. Garrett Nussmeier was inaccurate early. The running game struggled between the tackles. Drops hurt at times, and Damion Ramos missed a long field goal.
Tech never stood a chance because of an anemic offense trying hopelessly to deal with LSU’s defense. But that doesn’t wipe away LSU’s listless offensive effort.
A 16-point win over Louisiana Tech isn’t going to derail LSU’s season in any way. It does raise some questions about an offense that didn’t hang a ton of points on the board at Clemson.
Next week when Florida comes to town, LSU can erase this memory with a good offensive effort against an SEC defense.
Tech sat back most of the night in a shell defense and tried to keep everything in front of them. That worked. LSU didn’t complete a pass for more than 23 yards all night. The concerning part was LSU’s inability to create much on the ground against that look.
Sleepwalking through these games is understandable. It happens to every program. If this was an example of that, on to the next. The question is, does LSU have offensive issues? We’ll find out.
THE STATS
LSU ran for 129 yards on 33 carries for an average of 3.9 yards per carry.
Zavion Thomas’s first half run and Harlem Berry’s second half run combined for 91 yards. The other 31 rushes went for 38 total.
Nussmeier was 26-for-41 for 237 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Barion Brown and Aaron Anderson both had eight catches to lead LSU.
LSU’s long pass of the night was 23 yards.
Louisiana Tech had eight tackles for loss.
LSU held the Louisiana Tech offense to 154 total yards, 58 rushing and 96 passing.
West Weeks made 10 tackles.
LSU won time of possession 36:52 to 23:08 and ran 75 plays to Tech’s 53.
Tech punted on 11 of 12 drives and only gained more than 34 yards on one drive.
Tech’s average time of possession per drive was 2:02.
Louisiana Tech did not run a play in the red zone.
THE PLAYS
On LSU’s first play from scrimmage, center Braelin Moore was injured. His leg was rolled up on, and he left the field gingerly with the assistance of the medical staff. It’s a left ankle injury that kept him out the rest of the game.
Louisiana Tech picked Garrett Nussmeier off on LSU’s first drive. Nussmeier had Aaron Anderson open on a deep ball but badly underthrew it. Michael Richard intercepted it.
LSU’s defense got the Tiger the ball back, but LSU stalled. Damion Ramos missed from 51 yards. He actually missed twice. The first was waved off by an LSU timeout.
Zavion Thomas provided a spark to a sluggish start. His 48-yard scamper to the Tech 12 set up a Nussmeier to Nic Anderson touchdown to cap a 98-yard drive and give LSU a 7-0 lead.
A pair of Louisiana Tech pass interference penalties helped put the Tigers in the red zone. Endzone passes for Trey’Dez Green and Kyle Parker were broken up, and Ramos booted a 23-yard field goal to put LSU up 10-0.
LSU lined up to punt from the Tech 36 yard line. After a delay of game, it officially came from the 41, but it was that kind of night for the LSU offense.
Durham plunged in from the three yard line to give LSU a 17-0 lead with 1:52 left in the third quarter.
Green was injured in the fourth quarter. It was another roll up on a run play. His right knee was checked out in the injury tent. He emerged with a brace on an crutches.
Nussmeier made a bad mental mistake with 11:50 to go. He took a nine-yard sack on third and 15 from the Tech 20. Ramos nailed the 46-yarder to make it moot, but the ball needed to be thrown away. 20-0.
Tech got on the board with a 33-yard touchdown with 4:02 left. Devin Gandy got free down the right sideline with no Tigers in the vicinity. It was a bust. 20-7, Tigers.
Tech decided to kick deep from an onsides formation, and Barion Brown ran it back 44 yards to midfield. A bit of a white flag from Tech there.
Harlem Berry finally got loose late for a 43-yard rush that involved three missed tackles and some breakaway speed.
Three LSU runs from inside the five yard line were turned away, and the Tigers settled for a 19-yard Ramos field goal to make it 23-7.
More LSU Sports
