By the time the final whistle blew, the No. 11 LSU football team had posted a season-high 672 yards of total offense and allowed a season-low 198 yards on defense in its 48-16 victory against Furman.
But a first half characterized by turnovers, shoddy defense and kicking errors dominated talking points after the game.
“The game started sloppy,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “We turned the ball over twice in the first half. The first-half scores were not inclined to what we would like. [During the] second half, the offense took control, and the defense played like they were supposed to.”
While LSU (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) statistically overpowered the Paladins (3-5, 2-2 SEC) in the first half, a number of mistakes had the Tigers heading to the locker room with a mere 20-16 lead.
The Tigers’ trouble started when miscommunication between senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger — coming off a career-worst three interceptions against Ole Miss last week — and junior wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. placed LSU’s second pass of the game right into the hands of Furman sophomore cornerback Reggie Thomas.
With nothing but green in front of him, Thomas took the interception 74 yards to the house, giving the Paladins a 7-0 lead.
“We just weren’t on the same page,” Beckham said. “It happens. It’s part of football.”
The offense found its rhythm shortly afterward, as sophomore running back Jeremy Hill tied the game with an impressive 55-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive.
But the Tigers’ problems had only just begun.
LSU’s defense struggled to get off the field in the first half, allowing Furman to earn 12 first downs — five of them on third- or fourth-down plays — and stay on the field for more than 22 of the half’s 30 minutes.
In addition, redshirt freshman kicker Colby Delahoussaye, who had not missed a field goal or extra point all season, went wide on one of each.
His miss from 31 yards out ended a streak of nine straight field goals and ended his night, as junior place kicker James Hairston took over kicking duties in the second half.
Delahoussaye seemed to be favoring a leg after the missed field goal attempt, but Miles alluded that the problem was more than physical.
“I’ve got to get my kicker going,” Miles said. “Delahoussaye, he’s got to be comfortable. I think he’s nicked a little bit, but I think he’ll be fine.”
To cap off the dreadful half, Beckham muffed a punt, allowing Furman to take over at LSU’s 28-yard line with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter and a chance to tie the game up.
The defense held the Paladins to a field goal, but this was no cause for celebration.
“At halftime, [defensive coordinator John Chavis] got on us,” said sophomore linebacker Kwon Alexander. “You don’t want chief to get on you. He’s a great coach. … We need to execute his plays more, play hard, play physical and play LSU defense.”
The Tigers did just that as they outscored the Paladins 28-0 in the second half, allowing only one first down and 49 yards on defense.
“That’s the way we’re supposed to look,” Miles said.
Beckham had yet another huge night, catching six passes for 204 yards and eclipsing 1,000 yards for the season and 2,000 career yards.
He became the first LSU receiver to post a 200-yard receiving game in more than a decade, and the performance was his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season.
LSU’s running game was also in full force, as Hill and junior running back Terrence Magee contributed a combined 254 yards on 21 carries, each scoring a pair of touchdowns.
Even with the strong finish, Miles said the Tigers can’t pretend like the first half debacle never occurred, especially with their contest against No. 1 Alabama quickly approaching.
“We cannot continue to play the way we played in the first half,” Miles said. “It’s fundamental.”
Luckily for LSU, it will get a long-awaited break before heading to Tuscaloosa, Ala., as the only team in the nation to play in nine straight weeks this season has finally reached its first bye week.
“We just need to get healthy,” Mettenberger said. “We’ve been going since Aug. 2 without a break. It’s really going to be a great time for us to heal and kind of take it easy for a little bit, get refocused, charge the batteries and get ready for a battle in Tuscaloosa.”
LSU junior safety Ronald Martin (26) intercepts a pass meant for Furman freshman wide receiver Andrej Suttles (3) on Saturday night, Oct. 26, 2013 during the Tigers' 48-16 win against Furman in Tiger Stadium.
