The No. 13 LSU football team got off to a slow start against No. 14 Wisconsin in Houston at the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff on Saturday night.
The Tigers (1-0) trailed the Badgers (0-1) 24-7 early in the third quarter after a long first half and allowing a quick score on the first drive of the second half, but the Tigers rallied back to score the next 21 points and come away with a victory in its season-opener.
“I’m very proud of this victory,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “I think we played sloppy. I think we did everything we possibly could have done at the latest possible time to do it before we decided to play our best.”
Sophomore Anthony Jennings started at quarterback for the Tigers, and despite an 80-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Travin Dural, struggled in the first half throwing 4-for-14 for 40 yards, excluding the score.
But Jennings improved as the game progressed, as he completed four of his six passes for 119 yards and a touchdown.
“I got more comfortable in the pocket and more comfortable with the defense they were running,” Jennings said. “All of my teammates around me helped calm me down and got me in the groove of things.”
LSU’s defense also showed a vast improvement between halves.
Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon and the rest of the Badgers’ running back corps ran all over the Tigers in the first half, garnering 173 yards a pair of touchdowns on the ground.
But after allowing a 63-yard Gordon run to open the second half, LSU’s defense stiffened up, as Wisconsin earned just 32 more rushing yards for the rest of the game.
“We always had the confidence that we were going to come back, especially in the fourth quarter,” said LSU senior linebacker D.J. Welter. “We preached that throughout the offseason. We stay positive throughout. They got a couple drives on us and scored some touchdowns. I think the defense as a whole stuck together and played throughout the game.
A turning point in the game came midway through the third quarter in typical Les Miles fashion.
With the Tigers trailing 24-7 and facing fourth down and four, Miles sent out the punting unit, but Kendall Beckwith took a direct snap and carried it five yards for the first down.
Jennings then found Dural for a 44-yard strike on the next play that put the Tigers on the Wisconsin 8 yard line. LSU had to settle for a 30-yard field goal, but it brought the game to within two possessions and put a little bit of pep in the Tigers’ step.
“I didn’t even know we were doing it, but it helped us a lot,” Jennings said. “We got back on the field and scored on that drive. We were trying to get in the groove of things, and that really helped.”
After forcing a key three-and-out, the Tigers picked up a couple of first downs. But the drive yet again resulted in a field goal by sophomore Colby Delahoussaye, cutting Wisconsin’s lead to 24-13.
LSU finally brought the game within reach in the fourth quarter after forcing another punt from Wisconsin and taking over in favorable field position after a woeful punt. The Tigers’ drive nearly stalled on a fumbled pitch for an 11-yard loss, but freshman receiver John Diarse caught a pass and broke three tackles on his way to the end zone on 3rd and 21.
“After the catch, I can’t even explain what happened,” Diarse said. “I just give all the glory to God, because I don’t know what happened. Next thing I knew I was in the end zone.”
Jennings found freshman receiver Trey Quinn in the flats for a two-point conversion that cut Badgers’ lead to 24-21.
Junior cornerback Jalen Mills kept the momentum rolling, intercepting McEvoy on the next drive to give LSU the ball near midfield.
Senior running back Kenny Hilliard responded in a big way, as he touched the ball on all three plays of the ensuing 53-yard touchdown drive, giving the Tigers their first lead of the game on a 28-yard touchdown run.
Hilliard would finish the game with 110 rushing yards on 18 carries.
“Kenny Hilliard ran the ball great tonight,” Jennings said. “That is one of the great backs we have here. He is going to continue to do great things.
That would prove to be the deciding touchdown, as the Tigers’ defense forced another interception and prevented Wisconsin from establishing another complete drive.
Hilliard put a cap on the game with three straight rushes for a first down, allowing Jennings to kneel the ball and allow the clock to hit zero.
Miles said the victory said a lot about the character of this LSU team, and that it reacted to adversity exactly the way he expected and wanted it to.
“We’re a blue collar team that will fight like hell and get in competitive games and scrap you,” Miles said. “This was one of those time.”