Stephen Lew
By Hunt Palmer
LSU’s quarterback is ready to play.
Garrett Nussmeier’s numbers against Southeastern Louisiana’s overmatched defense don’t really matter. He threw for 273 yards. Could have been 373 or 173. He threw for three touchdowns. Could have been one. Could have been four. He led six straight touchdown drives. Could have been four or 10.
He completed 81 percent of his throws. Three were dropped. He was on time, accurate and productive.
It’s an FCS defense. None of that truly matters for a fifth-year senior quarterback who threw for over 4,000 yards last season.
What does count is Nussmeier’s health, arm strength and ability to carry the LSU offense.
He looked that part on Saturday night.
“You look at the efficiency with which he threw the football, targeting the football, seeing the field, it’s still, whether they’re a step behind or not, it’s still recognition and feeling comfortable out there,” said LSU coach Brian Kelly. “And you could see there was a level of comfort in terms of him throwing…Yeah, we’re not saying we beat the No. 1 team in the country, but it still requires the technical development that we haven’t seen, and now that he’s healthy, he’s able to do a lot more.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Nussmeier hadn’t attempted a throw over 34 yards in LSU’s first three games. Saturday, he fired deep for Chris Hilton in the end zone and drew a pass interference. The throw was right on the money with some zip, something that has been missing for a month.
More impressively, Nussmeier’s second touchdown toss of the night showcased all of his physical strength. He evaded a Lion pass rusher and rolled to his left. Once he left the pocket, he flipped his hips around and ripped a throw across his body from the 20 to the back of the end zone, 30 yards on a rope for a score.
Nuss to Thomas for the TOUCHDOWN@Garrettnuss13 ➡️ @ftfzayy_
📺 SEC Network pic.twitter.com/kCGLDDcwPC— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) September 21, 2025
That throw is the exact same against the Southeastern Louisiana Lions as it is the Detroit Lions. He made it.
Make no mistake, Nussmeier is the key to LSU’s playoff run.
The defense is the backbone of the team, and the running game is the biggest variable. There will be days when the Tigers find some success on the ground. There will be days the running game struggles. LSU has a shot to win in both instances.
If Nussmeier plays a clunker, LSU has almost no shot most Saturdays moving forward.
Florida likely represents the worst SEC offense on LSU’s schedule. Five defensive interceptions got LSU through that middling and injured Nussmeier effort by 10 in Tiger Stadium.
Thirteen offensive points won’t cut it at Ole Miss. It’ll get you beat in Tuscaloosa and Norman. Even Vanderbilt scored 70 on Saturday, and John Mateer at Oklahoma might be the Heisman favorite.
LSU’s defense is going to show up. That much you can count on. The degree to which Nussmeier shows up will probably determine LSU’s fate.
Those first three weeks appeared hampered by that “torso” issue. Saturday cleared that hurdle.
The most highly anticipated season in half a decade now enters an eight-week, six-game SEC gauntlet that features four Top 20 teams (Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Alabama), the potential first quarterback off the NFL Draft boards in April (LaNorris Sellers) and the nation’s leader in total offense (Taylen Green).
Nussmeier looks ready.
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