LSU has been plagued by penalties this season but so far has avoided paying for its mistakes.

Through five games, the No. 4 Tigers have been flagged 42 times for 305 yards. By comparison, through five games last season, the Tigers were called for 30 penalties for 242 yards.

The penalties have yet to cost the Tigers a loss, but the Tigers haven’t played any ranked competition. That will change Saturday when LSU travels to Gainesville to play No. 10 Florida.

“We have to clean up some of the little things, and as a whole, we will improve,” said LSU junior safety Eric Reid. “The little mistakes and penalties have been hurting us. We have got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot.”

LSU coach Les Miles said he was unhappy with the way his team played Saturday in a 38-22 win against Towson. Despite getting the victory, Reid acknowledged that Miles and his teammates were disappointed with the amount of mistakes they made.

Players dismissed the idea that the sloppy play and penalties are a result of a lack of focus.

“It has to do with discipline,” Reid said. “When you get tired in your technique is when penalties happen. On special teams, it seems like every big return gets called back on a hold or a block in the back. We have to be disciplined enough to keep that from happening.”

Holding calls and procedural penalties have consistently kept the Tigers behind the chains and led to third-and-long situations. This caused LSU to go just six for 18 on third downs against Auburn, putting up 12 points against a defense that gave up 28 points to Louisiana-Monroe just a week earlier.

“We need to start playing a little bit smarter and do the little things better,” said sophomore wide receiver Jarvis Landry. “If we can be positive in the penalty area, I think we will be more efficient on offense.”

The Tigers were called for three personal fouls for unnecessary roughness against Auburn. With the game close, all three fouls cost them field position and pinned the already-struggling LSU offense deep in its own territory.

“I wouldn’t say we were frustrated,” said junior defensive tackle Bennie Logan. “Once we watch film, we will see what caused those penalties, but I don’t think they were caused by frustration. They were just mistakes made by our team.”

The Tigers’ next five opponents own a combined 21-1 record, which could threaten LSU’s undefeated record.