By Hunt Palmer
This piece has felt a little gloomy the last month. Neither side of the ball was playing well enough, and that resulted in three straight losses. Saturday night both sides played better football, and the result was positive. The Tigers controlled the ball, the clock, the line of scrimmage and the ballgame.
Let’s see how Pro Football Focus graded things out.
HIGHEST GRADES
- Garrett Nussmeier, QB – 86.3
- Josh Williams, RB – 77.7
- Miles Frazier, RG – 76.0
- Will Campbell, LT – 75.8
- Greg Penn, MLB – 71.8
Nussmeier was fantastic on Saturday night. He was given a clean pocket most of the game, and he operated the offense excellently from there. He finished the game 28-for-37 (76%) for 332 yards and a touchdown without an interception. Brian Kelly also lauded him postgame for his pre-snap decisions in the running game. Maybe the 4th-and-goal throw to Trey’dez Green could have been a little more on target, but outside of that, it was smooth sailing for the Tiger signal caller.
Josh Williams was an early spark on LSU’s first touchdown drive with two big plays. He produced all night to the tune of 151 total yards and two touchdowns. He graded 86.1 in pass catching and 74.4 in the running game. He caught all four of his targets and forced two missed tackles.
Miles Frazier and Will Campbell anchored an offensive line that kicked Vanderbilt’s butt. LSU owned the point of attack most of the game. Campbell posted a stellar 88.9 pass blocking grade. Frazier’s was 82.7. Neither allowed a single pressure on 38 pass block sets. Frazier’s grade in the running game was 75.3. Campbell’s was 67.3.
It’s really good to see Greg Penn’s name here. The Tiger middle linebacker has had some rough patches this year, but he’s a true leader and effort player. Penn was one of the players who addressed the team Monday to make sure the group remained focused on the last two games. He followed that up with one of his best games of the season.
LOWEST GRADES
- Zy Alexander, CB – 52.4
- Gio Paez, DT – 54.0
- DJ Chester, C – 58.3
- Jardin Gilbert, S – 58.3
- Sage Ryan, S – 59.1
It was a rough start for Zy Alexander. He bit on a double move on the first Vanderbilt play from scrimmage. That went for a 63-yard touchdown to start the scoring. He only allowed two catches after that, but the big play hurts the grade. So did a missed tackle. Alexander has had a good season. Saturday night wasn’t his best.
Paez only played 21 snaps, a season low. Dominick McKinley got 17 which is an encouraging sign from a young player. Paez was whistled for the facemask on the opening touchdown. That dings the grade a bit.
Chester was charged with the sack of Nussmeier. Outside of that, his pass blocking grade was a respectable 72.3. The 58.4 in the running game needs improvement. Chester has not posted a run blocking grade better than 60 this season.
At this point safety is probably the weakest spot on the roster. Jake Olsen made the decision in October to stick with the veterans. Kylin Jackson and DeShawn Spears have been relegated to the sideline. Gilbert’s tackling grade was a solid 83.1. Coverage was just a 60.4. Ryan was dinged for a missed tackle. He graded 47.8 there. Coverage was a 59.4.
