By Jayesh Pagar

Copyright clutchpoints

LSU Tigers’ hopes for a major college football season suffered a big blow on Saturday as the fourth-ranked Tigers lost 24-19 on the road against Ole Miss Rebels. The Tigers couldn’t capitalize in the most crucial moments, as the Rebels dominated almost all essential statistics of the game. LSU’s offensive problems, the quarterback’s play, and coaching decisions caused a loss that took the team to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play.
Brian Kelly’s team looks unprepared as they got outgained 480-254 in total yards. The Tigers managed just 4.5 yards per play and converted only 2 of 11 third-down attempts.
“Disappointed in the loss, certainly,” Kelly said after the game. “There is a game within the game. You start with the first half, where our inability to sustain anything on the offensive side of the ball put our defense on the field for 50 plays”.
Kelly admitted his team lacks the killer instinct needed in big games. “This team has to click on all cylinders,” Kelly said. “They are really good football players, and we have to get them complementing each other on a daily basis”.
The head coach’s game management was heavily criticized. Ole Miss ran 84 plays compared to LSU’s 56, showing the Tigers couldn’t control the clock or keep drives alive.
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier’s struggles hurt drive after drive
Nussmeier completed 21 of 34 passes for just 197 yards with one touchdown and one interception. His worst moment came in the second quarter when he threw a terrible interception deep in Ole Miss territory while driving for a potential 14-3 lead.
“Garrett [Nussmeier] has to play better,” Kelly said bluntly after the game. “Every player on offense has to play better and we have to be more consistent on defense”.
Nussmeier took responsibility for the poor first-half performance. “We just didn’t play well in the first half. We have to be better. Our defense was able to get stops early on and we needed to take advantage and we didn’t,” he said.
The quarterback refused to discuss his health despite dealing with injuries that limited him during fall camp. “I’m not going to answer any questions about my health right now,” Nussmeier told reporters.
Offensive line collapse created protection problems
LSU’s problems began before kickoff when starting right tackle Weston Davis suffered an injury during pregame warmups. True freshman Carius Curne was forced into action, creating immediate protection issues.
The makeshift line couldn’t handle Ole Miss’s pressure. The Rebels consistently rushed only three players yet still got to Nussmeier throughout the game. This forced LSU into obvious passing situations that Ole Miss defended perfectly.
Running game disappeared when needed most
LSU managed just 57 rushing yards on 22 carries, with most coming in garbage time. Without injured star running back Caden Durham, the Tigers had no ground game to rely on.
The numbers tell a damning story. LSU handed the ball to running backs just twice in the entire first half. This has been a long-term problem for Kelly’s program, which has struggled to run consistently for three seasons.
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
LSU was flagged seven times for 78 yards, with most coming at critical moments. Ole Miss scored their first touchdown after getting 49 yards from LSU penalties on a single drive.
A penalty against LSU defender DJ Pickett negated a pick-six that should have counted as a touchdown. This mistake showed that LSU was not ready to deliver a good performance in a challenging away game against a loud crowd.
LSU’s defense performed really well to keep the momentum on their side by creating turnovers and keeping Ole Miss away from the end zone for the majority of the game. The defense spent over 32 minutes on the field due to the offense’s inability to sustain drives.
“When our offense started to move the ball, our defense couldn’t get the stop,” Kelly explained. The lack of complementary football doomed LSU’s chances.
Championship dreams take major hit
The defeat significantly damaged LSU’s chances of making the College Football Playoff and showed the Tigers are not ready to compete with elite SEC teams. During the most unprecedented time, the same issues came back to haunt Kelly’s first two seasons.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin even trolled Kelly after the game, posting Kelly’s pregame quote about keeping the Magnolia Trophy in Baton Rouge. Kelly had said, “We’re going to keep that Magnolia Trophy right here in Baton Rouge right where it deserves to be”.
The Tigers now face an uphill battle with more challenging games remaining on their schedule. Kelly and his staff have a bye week before hosting South Carolina on October 11.