By Hunt Palmer
Each week we’ll dive into the numbers from the folks over at Pro Football Focus to see how the Tigers graded out. The numbers from LSU’s, 34-17, win over UCLA are up, so let’s take a look.
Highest Grades
- Bradyn Swinson, EDGE – 87.9
- Garrett Nussmeier, QB – 87.4
- Will Campbell, LT – 84.1
- Aaron Anderson, WR – 75.1
- Sai’vion Jones, EDGE – 73.7
This list embodies the identity LSU is forming as a team in 2024. The Tigers have a pair of edge rushers who have changed the game in back-to-back weeks and a passing game that has consistently produced over the first month.
Better competition is coming, but Bradyn Swinson looks like an All-SEC player right now at defensive end. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker is moving Swinson from side to side, and the senior is making huge plays. Last week he was the SEC Defensive Player of the week, and his encore was a two-sack effort that included a forced fumble and a pressure that produced an interception. Offensive coaches are going to have to be aware of Swinson in the weeks to come.
Garrett Nussmeier has been rock solid in the first month. He’s leading the country in completions, and only Miami’s Cam Ward has more touchdown passes. He’s thrown the ball 160 times, and he’s only been intercepted twice. One of those was a last-ditch effort against USC. Saturday Nussmeier was 32-for-44 for 352 yards and two scores. His deep touchdown pass to Kyle Parker was dropped right in the bucket. Nine different Tigers made catches.
After arguably his worst game as a Tiger, Will Campbell stepped up and dominated against UCLA. Campbell graded a 90 in pass protection which is what is going to make him a wealthy man in the next eight months.
It’s been great to watch Aaron Anderson blossom into a playmaker in his third college season. He had six catches for 75 yards.
And the best thing for a pass rusher is to have another one on the other side. Sai’vion Jones, playing opposite Swinson, added a sack and a hurry. He also recovered the fumble Swinson caused. Jones’s highest marks were actually in run defense. He graded 77.8 against the run and 76.2 in tackling, both solid marks. LSU’s run defense made UCLA one-dimensional for much of the afternoon.
Lowest Grades
- Kyren Lacy, WR – 55.0
- Miles Frazier, RG – 56.2
- Emery Jones, RT – 56.5
- JK Johnson, DB – 57.2
- Jardin Gilbert, S – 58.4
- Major Burns, S – 58.5
- DaShawn Spears, S – 59.2
- Sage Ryan, S – 60.7
Miles Frazier and Emery Jones both had run blocking grades under 54. That’s not a complete shock. LSU hasn’t been efficient running the ball this year. And my concerns with Kyren Lacy are minimal. Of course, the third down drop on a gorgeous Nussmeier throw hurt, but Lacy has been excellent this season.
The biggest issue here is that many of LSU’s safety options struggled. Brian Kelly said two weeks ago that LSU needed far better production from its safeties. On Saturday afternoon, a UCLA offense that had been putrid for two games piled up yards through the air before halftime.
Jordan Allen posted a respectable 78.1 grade. The rest of the group had issues.
Jardin Gilbert’s tackling grade was 22.3. That cannot continue. Major Burns graded 59.3 in tackling and 56.9 in coverage. Freshman DaShawn Spears received a 42.4 in tackling and 54.6 in coverage.
These are the guys LSU is going to go with in the back end, and they must play better. Big plays have been an issue for LSU, and they were in the first half on Saturday, UCLA had six pass plays of 15 or more yards and two run plays of better than 10 yards. Things were significantly better in the second half, but Kelly and Baker are looking for 60 minutes of football.
