TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Not even an interim coach with fresh rah-rah, a new play caller stuck trying to resuscitate an offense that can’t execute fundamentals, a quarterback change (finally), and a relentless defense that played its guts out couldn’t erase the frustrating constant that has buried LSU’s once-promising football season.
The Tigers’ offensive line is awful.
So bad – again – it was so bad it clearly prevented LSU from pulling any upset miracle of No. 4 Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium here Saturday night. The Crimson Tide (8-1, 6-0 SEC) gratefully accepted a 20-9 victory to remain one of two SEC teams unbeaten in league play.
When it was over, the Tigers (5-4, 2-4 SEC) had a season-low 232 total offense yards under tight ends coach Alex Atkins, who replaced fired offensive coordinator Joe Sloan as play caller.
Atkins experienced the frustration Sloan felt. No matter what play was called, the offense repeatedly shot itself in the foot.
LSU had 10 penalties for 74 yards, eight on offense, including five false starts, one offside, one holding infraction, and a delay-of-game.
Somehow, the Tigers pulled off a possible historical screwup when they were whistled for false starts on their opening offensive plays of the first and second halves.
Interim coach Frank Wilson, who replaced fourth-year head coach Brian Kelly, who was fired on Oct. 26, the day after Texas A&M obliterated LSU 49-25 in Tiger Stadium, played his role of the calm, upbeat cheerleader.
“We asked of our team that they go out and compete and play with a style and brand of football representative of our university,” Wilson said. “I thought we did that. I thought we played hard. I thought we competed throughout the duration of the game.
“That wasn’t a team that was quitting, that wasn’t a team that was submissive or not willing to fight back.”
LSU’s defense, again without the services of injured All-SEC linebacker Whit Weeks, kept the Tigers within striking distance.
They threw every disguise and blitz in their playbook at Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, who completed 21 of 35 passes for 277 yards and a TD. LSU held the Crimson Tide to their second-lowest point total and their lowest rushing total (56 yards) of the season.
Alabama scored just three points in the second half, a Conor Talty 44-yard field goal with 4:25 left in the game.
LSU only managed Damian Ramos’ field goals of 37, 44 and 37 yards, which were consolation prizes as the Tigers’ red-zone offense continued to stink to high heaven.
Fifteen plays (seven rushes, two passes, three field goals, two penalties) inside the 20-yard line produced just 14 yards and nine points.
“Teams start bringing blitz packages and change looks when we get in the red zone,” LSU center Braelin Moore said. “We struggle picking that up.”
Yes, it’s the ninth game of the season, and LSU’s O-line still can’t figure out blitz responsibilities. Makes you wonder what O-line coach Brad Davis has been doing all year besides pocketing his $930,000 salary.
Two glaring examples of LSU’s offense choking in the clutch came after Alabama’s three-play, 66-yard TD drive gave the Crimson Tide a 17-3 halftime lead on a Simpson TD pass with 22 seconds left.
LSU received the second-half kickoff and maneuvered to a third-and-goal situation at the Alabama 8.
There, the Tigers lit the fuse of self-destruction. A five-yard delay of game penalty was the precursor (after an LSU timeout) to starting QB Garrett Nussmeier being thrown for a 15-yard loss.
It happened when Alabama linebacker Yhonzae Pierre bullrushed LSU left offensive tackle Carius Curne and drove the true freshman into Nussmeier.
Instead of finishing the job with a TD that could have cut Alabama’s lead to 17-10, LSU settled for a 44-yard Ramos field goal with 8:54 left in the period.
Then early in the fourth quarter, the Tigers had a first-and-goal at the Alabama 7 after a brilliant third-and-13 conversion on a 19-yard pass from backup QB Michael Van Buren to wide receiver Barion Brown.
But again, momentum was erased by a Curne false start, and Van Buren was sacked for a 10-yard loss by an unblocked Alabama pass rusher.
So, instead of a TD that would have reduced Alabama’s margin to 17-13, LSU settled for another Ramos field goal for a 17-6 deficit with 10:20 left to play.
Four of LSU’s false starts were by true freshmen tackles Curne and Ory Williams and freshman redshirt Westin Davis.
Mistakes born from inexperience? Hardly. The trio, especially Curne and Davis, who’s a starter, have seen action all season.
Wilson inexplicably wrote off the false starts as “some young guys that were antsy to go and strike somebody. . . that’s part of the game.”
The problem is that such bonehead penalties have haunted the Tigers since day one this season. Wilson’s rationale fell on deaf ears.
Wilson did make the universally-approved decision to bench starting QB Nussmeier for the game’s final 23:54.
Nussmeier, who completed 18 of 21 passes for 121 yards, was replaced by Van Buren, a dual-threat sophomore who transferred from Mississippi State, where he started eight games last season.
He immediately gave LSU a boost when he entered the game with 6:26 left in the third quarter.
His mobility was obvious, escaping the pass rush by throwing on the run or stepping through a collapsing pocket. He completed 5 of 11 passes for 52 yards.
Nussmeier was visibly not happy about being benched for the first time. But his failure to throw to open receivers down the middle – some of whom dropped too many passes when he and Van Buren did find them – led Wilson to make the switch.
“He did some good things early on,” Wilson said of Nussmeier. “He started the game off extremely well. But as we went into the depths of the game, we just thought it was an opportunity for us to change it up, to throw their defense off.
“We just thought that it would be an advantage in the things that Michael could give us. We wanted to move him around and do some things. We thought that he gave us a chance to do those things.
“It (Van Buren’s performance) was solid. Some things were obvious. . .pushing the pockets, stepping up, delivering passes, escaping and extended plays, and picking up first downs with his legs.”
But Wilson afterwards didn’t want to name a starting quarterback for next Saturday’s 11:45 a.m. Tiger Stadium SEC tilt vs. Arkansas.
If Wilson wants to back up his pre-Alabama declaration of “I promise you we will run the ball,” then Van Buren should get the start because of his running skill.
At this point, LSU has nothing to lose. The Tigers’ remaining goal is to get a sixth win and become bowl eligible. It’s not an exciting proposition since it will likely return LSU to its consolation postseason rotation of the Citrus, Outback and Texas Bowls.
Wilson needs to start Van Buren. Just turn the kid loose and see what happens.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com