By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – There have been losses in Lane Kiffin’s 15 seasons as a college head football coach he couldn’t explain.
Like two years ago in Tiger Stadium when Kiffin’s 9th ranked one-loss Ole Miss Rebels fell to 13th ranked LSU 29-26 in overtime.
Ole Miss held the lead until LSU’s final two snaps, a game-tying Garrett Nussmeier to Aaron Anderson 23-yard TD pass with 27 seconds left in regulation followed by Nussmeier’s game-winning 25-yard scoring strike to Kyren Lacy on the Tigers’ first offensive snap in overtime.
“This was like our game. . .we had the game and let it slip away,” Kiffin said afterwards. This one will be hard. It will be around forever.”
Last Saturday, with the Nike on the other foot in first-year LSU head coach Kiffin’s first game against the Rebels, he and his team again had difficulty afterwards (especially after watching the game film) swallowing a 32-24 loss in an early season battle of unbeaten top 10 teams.
“There’s some games you just get outplayed, out coached, and you go, ‘OK, back to the drawing board,’” Kiffin said at his Monday press conference as the now No. 10 ranked Tigers prepare to move on and host No. 23 Texas A&M on Saturday in Tiger Stadium. “But that one (the Ole Miss loss), they (his team) really struggled with this morning.
“After breaking down the film, they really feel like after seeing it that they lost the game in so many situations.”
In the most critical plays that decide a game – usually no more than five or six – LSU failed because of missed assignments.
Like settling on a game-tying field goal early in the fourth quarter after failing to score a TD because of a missed block.
“We have a toss to the running back that’s going to walk in the end zone,” Kiffin said. “The tight end doesn’t block the defensive end. Still made five yards, but it’s going to be a walk into the end zone. Those are the ones you struggle with because those are four-point plays a lot of time. Miss the (blocking) assignment down there and get a field goal instead of a touchdown.”
Or like LSU first-year starting quarterback Sam Leavitt’s unfortunate tunnel vision in the Tigers’ red zone costing his team valuable points.
“The last two times we go inside the five (yard line),” Kiffin said, “there’s two guys open in the end zone for touchdowns, and we get three combined points.”
Or LSU’s defense taking a poor pursuit angle on Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss’ game-winning 14-yard TD around left end as he sprinted untouched into the end zone.
“We have to do a really good job beating the (Ole Miss) tight end on it,” Kiffin said. “It’s not even a run that the quarterback pulls the ball on. It’s not even a zone read and he goes and scores.”
The dreadful feeling of the Tigers’ losing a winnable game has been exacerbated with the loss of a key starter on both sides.
Deshawn Spears, who played the STAR position defensively (a hybrid linebacker/defensive back) sustained a season-ending ACL knee tear against the Rebels.
When Spears was hurt, sophomore CJ Jimcoily and redshirt freshman Jhase Thomas both played in Spears’ absence.
Also, the loss of All-SEC first-team preseason tight end Trey’Dez Green with an undetermined leg injury is a huge blow to LSU’s offense. Green has been the Tigers’ safety valve receiver for the last two seasons. He had 14 catches for 222 yards and a TD this season before getting hurt making a 19-yard catch and run on the second play of the fourth quarter at Ole Miss.
Tight ends Zach Grace, Malachi Thomas and Roman Mothershed filled Green’s vacancy. None of that trio has Green’s experience (11 LSU starts), his size (6-7, 237) or his athletic ability.
GAME 4
No. 10 LSU (2-1 overall, 0-1 SEC) vs. No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-1 SEC), Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. (ABC)
Last game for Aggies: Lost at home 31-21 to Kentucky. The Wildcats’ defense limited A&M quarterback Marcel Reed to 26 of 49 passing for 236 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Series record and last meeting: LSU leads 36-24-3. Last season in Baton Rouge, the Tigers led 17-14 at the half but the Aggies’ 35-7 second half scoring blitz resulted in a 49-25 blowout by the visitors leading to the firing of LSU head coach Brian Kelly the next day.
Texas A&M head coach: Mike Elko (37-17 in five seasons overall and 21-8 in three seasons at A&M).
THIS AND THAT
Early betting line: LSU by 8½
Betting tip: The over is 8-2 (including five straight) including in the last 10 LSU-TAMU games.
Number of Louisiana natives on Texas A&M roster: 2
Number of Texas natives on LSU roster: 7
Number of transfers on the Texas A&M roster from 4-year schools: 30 players from 22 schools (including three from LSU).
TEXAS A&M PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB Marcel Reed (62 of 104 for 632 passing yards, 6 TDs, 3 interceptions, 117 rushing yards and 1 TD on 62 carries), RB Rueben Owens (186 rushing yards and 1 TD on 41 carries), WR Mario Craver (19 catches for 194 receiving yards and 1 TD) WR Isaiah Horton (12 catches for 120 receiving yards and 3 TDs), DE Marco Jones (8 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble), DE T.J. Searcy (14 tackles, 2½ FL, 1 sack, 1 PBU, 2 QB hurries), PK David Olano 3 of 3 FG, 15 of 15 PATs), P Tyler White (8 for 48.4 ypk, 1 touchback, 1 fair catch, 4 inside the 20, 4 50 yards plus)
DID YOU KNOW. . .
Former Texas A&M running back John David Crow was the first Louisiana-born native to win the Heisman Trophy. A native of Marion who graduated from Springhill High, the late Crow won the 1957 Heisman.