Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
By Hunt Palmer
LSU’s list of offensive problems runs long.
Ultimately, offenses are judged by points, and LSU is one of two power four schools yet to score 25 points against another power four program. The soap opera in Chapel Hill, N.C., is the other. The Tigers rank 86th in the country in scoring offense and 89th in total offense. Both of those rank 12th in the SEC.
The struggles are puzzling considering much of the personnel is proven.
Garrett Nussmeier isn’t Jayden Daniels or Joe Burrow, but suggesting just anyone can pass for 4,000 yards against an SEC schedule would be disingenuous. Nussmeier proved last season that he’s a capable college passer.
Caden Durham played well as a freshman, even through injury. He ran for more than five yards per carry in SEC games last year and was exceptional at Arkansas and at South Carolina. In those two games, he combined for 199 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
Aaron Anderson was third in the SEC in catches last season. Barion Brown is 10th on Kentucky’s receiving yardage list. Nic Anderson set records at Oklahoma. Zavion Thomas has been a decorated playmaker at Mississippi State and LSU. Plus, Trey’Dez Green has proven himself to be a potential star at tight end.
This offense shouldn’t be a bottom feeder.
Here are some trends that have to change for LSU’s offensive fortunes to shift.
RED ZONE WOES
LSU has been awful in the red area. Their touchdown percentage of 56% is 101st in the FBS. Why? Well, part of it is they can’t run the ball down there.
There are 136 teams in the FBS, three of them—Kent State, Missouri State and UMass–run the ball worse than LSU in the red zone. The Tigers average a microscopic 1.13 yards per rush inside the opponent’s 20 yard line. LSU shouldn’t be 133rd in the country in anything much less something so fundamental to winning games as running the ball near the endzone.
Louisiana Tech and South Carolina stonewalled 1st and goals at the one yard line late in those games. Vanderbilt did the same thing on Saturday with some help from Donovan Green’s false start that took a touchdown off the board.
Somehow LSU has to find a ground game near the endzone.
SLOW STARTS
LSU’s opening drives have been anemic.
The 44-yard drive for a field goal against Vanderbilt was the first scoring drive LSU has mounted all season to open a game.
LSU went 3-and-out against Florida, Southeastern Louisiana, Ole Miss and South Carolina. They picked up a first down against Louisiana Tech before throwing an interception.
The high watermark before the Vanderbilt field goal drive was 36 yards and a punt at Clemson, and 25 of those came on Durham’s spin out of what looked like a tackle for loss.
THREE AND OUTS
LSU’s three-and-out percentage has doubled this year. The Tigers have gone three-and-out on 17 of 75 drives. That’s 23%.
YEAR Three-and-Outs Percentage of Drives
2025 17-of-75 23%
2024 16-of-132 12%
2023 14-of-132 11%
2022 17-of-145 12%
2021 32-of-147 22%
Those numbers do not include bowls games. As you can see, the frequency is back to 2021 numbers when Max Johnson started for Ed Orgeron’s final team. In Kelly’s tenure, the number had been steady at 11-to-12%. It’s double that this year.
This is part of the reason LSU is 97th of 122 teams who have played at least seven games in plays run.
The other factor in that number is that LSU hasn’t been as good on third downs as a season ago. Last year LSU led the SEC in third down conversions and finished sixth in the country at 49%. This team is 42% which ranks 54th in the country and 10th in the SEC.
NOTHING EXPLOSIVE
If scoring from close to the endzone is tough, and the number of plays is down, the best way to create might be from explosive plays.
Those haven’t come, either.
LSU is 121st in the country in 10-plus yard runs and 98th in 20-plus yard passes.
Durham and Harlem Berry have plenty of speed. Chris Hilton and Brown are proven home run threats. Nussmeier’s injury clearly hampered this part of the offense early in the season. Brown torched Louisiana Tech on a ball that was underthrown and picked. Hilton had Ole Miss beat, and the throw came up short. Hilton dropped one against South Carolina.
There’s still a chance this part of the offense grows as Nussmeier gets healthier. LSU needs it.
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