Well, that was ugly. LSU lost to Florida State, 24-23, in the most agonizing way possible. The Tigers were not great in any phase but were dreadful in the special teams phase of the game. As bad as LSU played, there were positives from this game to build on. LSU won the coin toss, so that’s something. LSU also muffed two punts, had two kicks blocked, shanked a punt, had two of the silliest personal fouls/targeting calls in the history of football, and only lost by one point. Jayden Daniels threw for over 200 yards and ran for over 100 yards. The secondary held up well, considering Florida State’s Jordan Travis escaped the blitz routinely to buy extra time. The biggest negative for LSU was the loss of Maason Smith for the year with a torn ACL. He can’t be replaced, but the Tigers can improve as a team.

What went wrong

• There was nothing special about the LSU special teams. No team can expect to win with the level of incompetence displayed in almost every aspect of the kicking game.
• The defense played well…until third down. There were good defensive calls made but bad execution on the field. Pass rushers consistently got in the backfield unblocked and took bad angles to the quarterback. Jordan Travis habitually escaped and found open receivers. The third down defense allowed FSU to control time of possession, so LSU was not able to get into an offensive rhythm.
• The coaching staff did not adjust offensively until they were forced to. There were times FSU got pressure on Daniels with 4, but there were more times when FSU blitzed with no checkdowns available for the quarterback. There were no screens called the whole game, and not many RPO’s. Tempo helped, but it should have come earlier. There was no sense of urgency when down by two scores in the fourth.
• LSU showed no interest or effort in establishing the run.
• Jayden Daniels will have to process faster for the offense to reach its potential. It’s tough to criticize Daniels, considering the circumstances (constant pressure), but there were passing plays to be made on some of the scrambles, which keeps the receivers engaged and also keeps Daniels healthy.

What went right

• Jayden Daniels carried the Tigers offensively in his first start. His running ability was evident from the first drive of the game. He became more confident in trusting what he saw regarding coverages as the game went on, as evidenced by him working from right to left with his eyes on the last touchdown.
• Much ado about Boutte’s body language, but LSU’s receivers made plays with limited opportunities. Jaray Jenkins was clutch, as always. Brian Thomas shined. Freshman tight end Mason Taylor showed playmaking ability and awareness.
• The secondary held its own in several single coverage opportunities for FSU. Jordan Travis had an extended amount of time in many of these cases. Many will see the touchdown on Bernard-Converse but will not see the reps he actually won when left on an island. Mekhi Garner also had a nice break up on a downfield pass. Not only did they cover well, but they avoided holding/pass interference penalties for the most part.
• The team didn’t quit. This game might have been the first step in changing the toxic culture the program displayed in the last couple of years. LSU got behind in some games in 2021 and looked as though they were waiting for the game to end. The Tigers fought until the last second and supported each other when mistakes were made.

This game exposed LSU in some areas, but it was not the physical beat down the UCLA/LSU game was. This was a product of offensive line deficiencies, special teams ineptitude, and poor tackling. Special teams and tackling can easily be fixed, as part of the tackling issue likely stems from the lack of tackling players to the ground at practice. The offensive line got better as the year went on last year with less talented players, so I expect the same this year. The coaching staff was able to see situations that made Jayden Daniels more comfortable, but there has to be more of an effort to run with actual running backs. Defenses will pin their ears back and rush without hesitation if the run isn’t a threat. This year will have its highs and lows, but the team will get better. This is a completely new team when it comes to both coaches and players, and adversity should be expected. It would be wise to avoid overreacting to every game. The results were disappointing but not hopeless. Geaux Tigers!!