Stephen Lew
By Hunt Palmer
THE STORY
Like LSU’s 2025 season, Saturday night was underwhelming.
The Tigers beat Western Kentucky, but only a few thousand stayed around to see the result. And that result, which looked secured as the clock wound down, came into doubt when Harlem Berry fumbled with less than 90 seconds to play, and Dylan Flowers of Western Kentucky scooped it and scored from 71 yards out to make it 13-10.
LSU recovered the ensuing onside kick to ice the game.
The offense was anemic. The defense made some plays. Injuries piled up, and LSU moved one game closer to closing this disappointing chapter.
Against a Hilltopper defense that allowed Toledo to run for 307 yards and ranked ninth in a 12-team Conference USA in total defense, LSU never found an offensive rhythm.
Even when the defense set the Tigers up in prime field position with two interceptions in five Hilltopper snaps in the third quarter, all LSU could muster was an 18-yard field goal after two failed snaps from inside the one yard line.
Trey’Dez Green’s second quarter touchdown catch was LSU’s only trip to the endzone.
The second worst run defense in Conference USA wasn’t tested enough. The Tigers threw the ball 42 times and ran it 35.
In the midst of the offensive ineptitude, the LSU defense dominated a Group of Five school like it should. After Western Kentucky drove 57 yards for a field goal on its opening drive, LSU shut the Hilltoppers out on their final 13 drives, forcing a pair of traditional turnovers and a trio of turnovers on downs to go with seven punts and pre-halftime kneel down.
One of those turnovers on downs was aided by a one yard line drop by WKU quarterback Rodney Tisdale Jr. on a wide open throwback pass. LSU would turn the Hilltoppers away on the next two goal-to-go snaps in the second quarter.
Beyond that, there was nothing for WKU on Blake Baker’s defense.
After halftime, the Tiger defense only allowed 19 yards and three first downs. Playing without star cornerback Mansoor Delane, who sat with an abdominal injury, the Tiger secondary limited a top 15 passing offense to a season-low 127 yards and recorded the two picks.
Still, the story was the lack of offense.
LSU could not stretch the field at all and struggled to run the ball. Braelin Moore and Ory Williams left the game from LSU’s offensive front.
LSU was 3-for-16 on third down and 1-for-3 on fourth down. They averaged just over four yards per play.
LSU’s regular season concludes Saturday with a trip to Oklahoma to take on a Sooners team battling to make the College Football Playoff.
THE STATS
LSU won total yardage 328-to-152.
WKU ran the ball 24 times for 22 yards.
Michael Van Buren: 25-for-42 for 202 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.
LSU had five sacks.
WKU QB Rodney Tisdale: 20-for-39 for 128 yards, 2 INT.
Third Downs: WKU: 4-for-15; LSU 3-for-16.
Davhon Keys led LSU with 10 tackles.
THE PLAYS
Western Kentucky got the scoring going with a John Cannon 36-yard field goal on the Hilltoppers’ first possession.
Midway through the first quarter West, Whit and Zach Weeks form the LSU linebacking corps. It marked the first time in LSU history that three brothers shared the field.
Michael Van Buren was intercepted by WKU linebacker Harper Holloman on the second play of the second quarter.
LSU’s defense held on fourth and goal from the four yard line as Tisdale’s pass was incomplete in the endzone.
LSU turned it back over on downs when Van Buren’s fourth down pass for Zavion Thomas fell incomplete. WKU took over at its own 42 with 5:45 left before halftime.
LSU got a fourth down stop with 3:15 to play before the half at the LSU 38. Ja’Keem Jackson made the tackle.
Trey’Dez Green gave LSU the lead with a touchdown catch from Van Buren. The touchdown came with 1:32 before halftime and made it 7-3 Tigers.
Zavion Thomas returned a punt 39 to the Western Kentucky 45 with :58 left in the half.
DJ Pickett caught a deflected pass for an interception that set LSU up at the WKU 21 yard line. West Weeks tipped it.
LSU marched down inside the one yard line but couldn’t score a touchdown. Van Buren dropped a snap on third down and goal and was dropped for a loss. Ramos made an 18-yard field goal to make it 10-3.
Another tipped pass resulted in a pick for LSU. PJ Woodland dove and hauled in an interception at the Tiger 45.
Ramos was good from 29 yards out. 13-3, LSU, with 11:15 to play.
LSU went for a fourth and 2 at the WKU 22 yard line. The pass for Green was broken up with 3:15 left in the game.
LSU was bidding to run out the clock, but Berry fumbled. It was picked up and run back 71 yards for a touchdown by Dylan Flowers. 13-10 LSU with 1:05 left.
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