By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
HOUSTON – Baylor had 507 total offense yards, the most against LSU this season.
The Bears also had the most passing yardage, passing attempts, completions and tied for the most offensive plays. And they had the fourth-most points despite two touchdowns being taken off the scoreboard.
Yet, without eight starters who either opted out or entered the transfer portal, the Tigers won their third straight bowl game under head coach Brian Kelly with a 44-31 victory in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl here Tuesday afternoon in NRG Stadium.
LSU (9-4), a 3½-point underdog, led from start to finish over Baylor (8-5), which had a six-game winning streak snapped.
The expected – the passing of bowl game MVP LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier – and the unexpected – the Tigers scoring TDs offensively, defensively and on a kickoff return for the first time in their 56-game bowl history – resulted in LSU’s first bowl win over Baylor after previous losses in the Bluebonnet and Liberty Bowls.
“Coach Kelly said before the game this is the start of 2025,” said Nussmeier, who completed 24 of 34 passes for 304 yards, three TDs and an interception. “And so we wanted to make a statement and we talked about having a killer instinct.”
Nussmeier’s 10-yard TD pass to freshman tight end Trey’Dez Green to culminate LSU’s opening scoring drive, followed by freshman linebacker Davhon Keys’ 41-yard TD interception return in the game’s first 8:20, gave the Tigers a 14-0 lead.
It also put Baylor in chase mode the rest of the day. And LSU answered almost every time the Bears scored and seemingly made headway.
“There were some pretty bizarre things that can happen in a bowl game,” Kelly said, “because of the preparation and the layoff. We kind of went with the flow. It’s what this team has been about all year. When they’re in a valley, they know they’re going to come out of it.”
After Baylor finally got on the scoreboard on QB Sawyer Robertson’s 21-yard TD pass to Josh Cameron on the first play of the second quarter. Nussmeier threw TD passes of 41 yards to Chris Hilton Jr. and 1-yarder to Green on the Tigers’ next two possessions for a 28-7 lead with 8:46 left.
After Baylor running back Dawson Pendergrass scored on a 1-yard run with 1:41 before halftime, just one play after LSU All-SEC first-team linebacker Whit Weeks dislocated his right ankle, the Tigers’ Zavion Thomas returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a TD and a 34-14 lead with 1:24 left.
Even after Baylor scored 10 straight points on Isaiah Hankins’ first half-ending 23-yard field goal and Robertson’s 4-yard TD pass to Ashtyn Hawkins to slice LSU’s cushion to 34-24 with 6:21 left in the third quarter, the Tigers answered with 10 consecutive points.
Sixth-year senior running back Josh Williams, a Houston native, burrowed for a 4-yard TD on the first play of the fourth quarter. Placekicker Damon Ramos’ 43-yard field goal with 9:46 left to play gave the Tigers a 44-24 lead which Baylor couldn’t overcome despite 445 passing yards from Robertson.
“We were just never to get on the other side of that pick-six and that (kickoff) return,” Baylor head coach and former LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said. “We made way too many mistakes. “We just got beat one-on-one (by LSU receivers) a lot. This was reflective of our season.”
The Tigers finished with 418 total offense yards. Kelly was proud of the revamped offensive line (which didn’t allow any sacks) featuring three new starters in true freshman tackle Tyree Adams, freshman redshirt guard Paul Mubenga and sophomore guard Bo Bordelon to replace opt-outs and likely NFL draft choices Will Campbell, Emery Jones Jr. and Garrett Dellinger.
While Hilton had 4 catches for a career-best 113 yards and a TD, it was the 6-7, 245-pound Green who successfully stepped into the role vacated by All-SEC tight end Mason Taylor who opted out.
“Because of the plays he made on third and fourth down, he made you forget about Mason Taylor who’s an incredible player,” Kelly said of Green. “He (Green) allowed Garrett (Nussmeier) to convert key third and fourth down situations like Garrett did all year with Mason.
“Trey’Dez is a tremendous competitor. The work he put in bowl prep was second to none. You saw his mindset, his want to go in there, mix it up and run block. We treated it like Mason was running that position.”
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com
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