By Hunt Palmer
December has gone from a month of celebration to the lifeblood of a program in college football.
No longer is the month reserved for fun and games, bowl gifts and a holiday break.
Twelve programs compete for a title, dozens prepare for a bowl game, and all of them assemble a roster for the following season.
LSU checked its two applicable 2024 boxes before the big ball dropped in Times Square, pillaging the portal and dismantling Baylor in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl on Tuesday night.
Now eyes point directly to 2025 where LSU hopes to have the third box and most significant box checked. As much fun as roping fake cattle and challenging the opposing defensive line to a bar-b-que eating competition in Houston might be, it’s time to start chasing a championship.
The key to that will be Garrett Nussmeier who was excellent in the Texas Bowl win. With his 303 yards and three scores against Dave Aranda’s defense, Nussmeier now boasts the second most single-season passing yards in program history with 4,043.
He used Trey’Dez Green in the red zone. Twice. Because he’s the red zone guy.
He used Chris Hilton for the deep ball. Twice. Because he’s the deep ball guy.
Aaron Anderson and Zavion Thomas have returned kickoffs the last two games. Twice. Because they’re the elusive guys.
Nussmeier didn’t seem to feel the loss of Kyren Lacy, CJ Daniels and Mason Taylor, and the guys he did use will be back next year. They’ll be more than supplemented by the additions of former freshmen All-Americans Nic Anderson and Barion Brown.
A host of fresh faces held their own on the offensive line. Nussmeier was not sacked in 34 passing attempts. And the backs were only stopped short of the line of scrimmage three times.
Tyree Adams, Paul Mubenga, DJ Chester, Bo Bordelon and Coen Echols return. Two Power Five transfer starters are already ticketed for Baton Rouge, and another could be on the way. Consider the competition for all five starting offensive line positions officially on.
Caden Durham led the way with 64 yards on 4.6 yards per carry. He’s back. So is Kaleb Jackson and two of the best prep backs in the country including top-ranked Harlem Berry who was in uniform Tuesday night.
That’s the foundation for another explosive offense.
The defense has work to do.
Surrendering 445 passing yards is going to eat at Corey Raymond and Jake Olson. So here come Ja’Keem Jackson, Mansoor Delane, DJ Pickett and more. The cavalry is coming to DBU.
Prior to kickoff, Whit Weeks was the presumed heartbeat of the 2025 defense. Seeing him on a cart in an air cast sickens the stomach, but he’s got 242 days to get ready for Cade Klubnik and Clemson. Whit’s two brothers will be there every step of the way in his recovery, and fellow linebacker Harold Perkins just went through this. He’s there, too.
The Tiger front that helped hold Baylor to 62 rushing yards on 32 carries certainly got help from Paris Shand, Gio Paez, Sai’vion Jones and Bradyn Swinson, but Ahmad Breaux, Dominick McKinley, Gabriel Reliford and Dylan Carpenter all shouldered a heavy workload.
Here come three edge transfers from the Power Five and a 320 lbs tackle from Bo Davis’s previous stop.
Kelly stuck his neck out a month ago saying, “see you at the national championship.”
That’s far from a guarantee. It’s not even a likelihood.
Nussmeier is the guy that makes it realistic, though this year proved there’s improvement to be made and help will be needed.
In a game where Nussmeier didn’t have four of his offensive linemen in the right spot, three of his top four pass catchers and a heavy decision on his mind for part of the lead up, Nussmeier took LSU up and down the field with the efficiency of a Chick-fil-a drive thru.
Three of LSU’s first four possessions went for touchdowns. The fifth resulted in a perfectly throw ball from Nussmeier that Anderson dropped in the back of the endzone.
The next drive ended with another perfect strike from Nussmeier to Anderson who hauled this one in for a big gainer, but he was stripped.
Two self-inflicted wounds were all that kept Nussmeier and LSU from scores on five of their first six drives.
Nussmeier makes every throw. He’s elusive enough. And the production he posted this season proves he’s among the best returning quarterbacks in college football.
Now he’s got nine months to figure out how to eliminate the throw he made on the seventh drive when he never saw a dropping defensive end and was picked off in a huge spot.
That happened in College Station deep in enemy territory and against Alabama at the goalline.
But LSU went down and got a touchdown on the next drive Tuesday night.
When the Texas dust settled, Nussmeier was the MVP of the bowl game for the second consecutive year. Both were well deserved. He’ll take that trophy and cowboy hat on the short flight to Baton Rouge. I’m sure he ate the beef rib. The equipment staff will find some room on the truck for the Texas Bowl trophy, too.
It’s time for more significant hardware in 2025.
