ATHENS, Ga. — The LSU football team’s final drive Saturday night against Georgia seemed to set up a perfect ending to a torturous week for LSU senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger.
Down by three points, the Tigers took the field with 1:42 remaining on the clock and 76 yards between them and a game-winning touchdown.
LSU’s offense looked almost flawless to that point. Mettenberger was playing the game of his life and the Bulldogs failed to keep the Tigers out of the end zone in any of their previous four drives.
But unfortunately for the Tigers (4-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference), Georgia (3-1, 2-0 SEC) got its only stop of the half when it mattered most. Despite playing its most complete game in recent memory, Mettenberger and the LSU offense went to the locker room with their heads down.
“Our mentality was just like any other drive: to score and put ourselves in the best position to win the game,” Mettenberger said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to connect.”
Mettenberger again proved his status as an elite quarterback in the loss, completing 23 of 37 passes for a career-best 372 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. No LSU quarterback has thrown for so many yards since Rohan Davey threw 444 against Illinois in the 2002 Sugar Bowl.
Mettenberger said the media hype leading up to the game about his mother’s job in the Georgia Athletic Department and his return to the school where he began his collegiate career was blown out of proportion.
LSU coach Les Miles praised his quarterback for setting aside the distractions and performing the way he did.
“He came in here to play quarterback for the Tigers and to try to lead this team to victory,” Miles said. “That’s all we ask him to do, and that’s what he did. Was he perfect? No, but he was damn good.”
Mettenberger had help from his receivers. Junior Jarvis Landry earned career highs with 10 receptions — one for a touchdown — and 156 yards, while junior Odell Beckham Jr. finished with six grabs for 118 yards.
Landry was on the receiving end of a number of big plays and third-down conversions, including an incredible 25-yard diving reception in the midst of three defenders to put LSU on the Bulldogs’ 6-yard line.
LSU also got help from a number of players who have not been the usual suspects so far this season.
The Tigers’ first two touchdown passes were to senior receiver Kadron Boone, who before Saturday only grabbed one reception for 13 yards in the season opener against TCU. Junior running back Kenny Hilliard also found the end zone for only the second time this season on a pitch dive early in the fourth quarter.
“At the end of the day, it is about the team,” Boone said. “I just come in and play my role. I don’t get mad when I’m not in. I just have to be ready to come in the game with a good attitude.”
The only time LSU’s offense seemed to struggle was trying to run the ball in the first half, when the Tigers tallied just 13 yards on 15 rushes.
“They were doing a lot of run-stopping blitzes,” Mettenberger said. “[Georgia defensive coordinator] coach [Todd] Grantham definitely did his homework. … This week we are going to work hard on being more balanced.”
But the Tigers were able to find more success after halftime, garnering 64 yards on 21 carries in the second half.
The LSU unit that seemed to let Mettenberger down the most is the Tigers’ infamous defense, which surrendered almost 500 yards of total offense.
While Mettenberger and the offense may not have been able to finish off the Bulldogs in Sanford Stadium, the defense showed a greater need for improvement if it wants to be able to compete with some of the best teams in the nation.