Despite his defense’s historic struggles, Brian Kelly was adamant about one thing after the loss to Ole Miss.
“They’ve got a lot of pride,” Kelly said in his post-game press conference in Oxford. “They know that that’s not the standard, and I expect them to come back ready.”
He acknowledged several fundamental issues with the defense throughout the following week, such as its issues with tackling and technique. He even conceded, to an extent, that the defensive issues were a problem of personnel; that the players he had were inexperienced, and no one better was on their way.
Still, he never stopped expressing confidence in the unit’s pride.
Pride is something the defense would need to move on from the disastrous Ole Miss performance and pick its head up ahead of a matchup with a formidable Missouri passing offense.
READ MORE: 3 takeaways from LSU football’s 49-39 win over Missouri
Missouri quarterback Brady Cook came into the game as one of the nation’s most productive quarterbacks and one of the few who had thrown zero interceptions. The Tigers also had a group of excellent receivers, headlined by the nation’s leader in receiving yards, Luther Burden III.
In the 49-39 win over Missouri, LSU’s defense was far from dominant, but it showed up when it mattered.
There were disconcerting signals in the first half that the defense might be in for another rough day.
In the early going, Cook showed off much of the same attributes he had been displaying all season. He had good timing, got the ball to his playmakers, was accurate and looked supremely comfortable in the pocket even when evading pressure.
Missouri’s offense scored on four of its five first half drives, including three consecutive touchdowns to open the game and piled up 227 passing yards on a 75% completion rate in the half.
Burden gashed the LSU secondary for nine first-half receptions for 110 yards. He lined up primarily in the slot as he has all season, and safety Andre’ Sam was routinely assigned to him in coverage in the first half, a matchup that Burden easily won.
Cook looked for him early and often. Although his focus on Burden did result in an interception late in the second quarter on a play in which he was bracketed and shaded underneath by Harold Perkins Jr., it was a recipe that largely worked.
Missouri entered into the half with a 25-17 lead having at one point led 22-7, mostly on the back of Cook and the Missouri offense.
Though the LSU offense had some early miscues that led to two first half three-and-outs, the unit was again playing well enough to win. The defense, however, was in danger of putting that effort to waste.
The second half was a different story. Cook threw for 168 yards on 52.2% completion as the Missouri offense put up just 14 points and converted only two of its seven third downs.
LSU mixed up its coverage on Burden III and held him to only two receptions for 39 yards in the second half.
“Early on, we played a lot of man coverage,” Kelly said. “There were tough matchups there for us. We had to get into more quarter coverage, some more half-roll coverage. We just started to mix things up.”
Most importantly, the Tigers made three huge plays to snuff out Missouri drives as the game drew to a close.
Early in the fourth quarter, with LSU trailing 32-27, Missouri faced a third-and-13. Maason Smith, who had his most impactful game of the season, came up with a sack to force a Missouri punt, which eventually led to LSU taking the lead.
On a later Missouri drive with LSU leading 42-39, the Tiger defense again came up big on third and long with Missouri in LSU territory.
LSU’s prior scoring drive had left plenty of time on the clock for Missouri to march down and score the game-sealing points just as Ole Miss had done the week before, and it looked as if Missouri would do just that after a few successful plays.
However, the defensive line again got pressure on Cook, with Bradyn Swinson soaring in from the blind side right as Cook cocked back to throw and forcing a fumble that essentially ended Missouri’s drive, with a failed fourth down conversion following the play.
While the defensive line was at times pushed around, the unit had a big impact towards the end of the game, showing improved technique and displaying some of the strength and dominance that had been expected from the group.
The defensive front came up with a number of run stuffs and finished with three pressures and two sacks, both in crucial moments.
“We attacked so much better up front,” Kelly said. “Our stances were better, we crowded the ball much better.”
PHOTOS: LSU women’s tennis completes in ITA Regionals
LSU gave the ball back to Missouri after a three-and-out for one last shot to win the game with 45 seconds remaining, and the defense once again stood tall. Safety Major Burns undercut a pass and intercepted Cook, taking it all the way for a touchdown.
These were the plays the LSU defense didn’t make the week prior. In moments against Ole Miss where the defense could’ve sealed the game or made things easier for the offense, it crumbled.
“You need to make some plays to gain confidence,” Kelly said. “These kids are starting to see that they can make some plays.”
This performance from the LSU defense, while imperfect, is a clear sign of gradual improvement. The unit was never going to return to dominance overnight. If the Tigers can’t make all the plays, at least they can make the ones that matter.
Going forward, the blueprint for success is clear. Jayden Daniels and the LSU offense, perhaps the best of any team in program history besides the 2019 championship year, can carry the team to wins as long as it gets competent and timely contributions from its defense.
The win over Missouri shows the defense is capable of making adjustments when necessary and coming up big when it matters, something that was unthinkable a week ago and bodes incredibly well for LSU as it moves ahead.
