From the rain to the crowd straight through to LSU’s performance, it was a dreary Saturday evening in Tiger Stadium.
No. 3 LSU (5-0, 1-0 SEC) struggled to put away Towson (2-2), turning the ball over three times and committing ten penalties en route to a 38-22 victory.
“Frankly, I am alarmed with our performance,” said LSU coach Les Miles.
Towson’s 22 points marked the most points allowed by LSU since its 2011 season opener, a 40-27 win over Oregon in Dallas.
This one scarcely resembled that romp.
Towson, the No. 12 team in the Football Championship Subdivision, actually took a brief 9-7 lead in the second quarter.
Quarterback Grant Enders set up a 1-yard Terrance West touchdown with a 43-yard scamper and the visiting Tigers were dreaming big in a rain-soaked Tiger Stadium.
“I feel like we were viewed as a little high school team,” said Towson defensive end Frank Beltre. “They called us Towsen, Towson State, they called us everything but what we were. We punched them in the mouth, because they weren’t ready for what we had.”
Even with LSU’s struggles, that lead didn’t last long. LSU scored on consecutive drives to end the first half, taking a 17-9 lead into the locker room.
A J.C Copeland 1-yard dive and Odell Beckham Jr.’s 53-yard touchdown reception essentially iced the game by late in the third quarter.
Beckham was the lone sharp spot on a sloppy LSU offense, catching four passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns and returning a punt 30 yards.
“I feel like the offensive didn’t show enthusiasm, that’s what it comes down to,” Beckham said. “I wanted to show myself better than the last few games. I finally had a game that I expect to play.”
LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger finished the game 15-for-26 passing with 238 yards. His night was far from tranquil.
One week after struggling at Auburn, Mettenberger again looked uncomfortable in the pocket, losing a fumble on an ill-advised scramble, taking four sacks and earning an intentional grounding penalty.
Even LSU’s stalwart, its defense, couldn’t corral a Towson offense that only put up 21 points against Kent State earlier this month.
The visiting Tigers racked up 291 yards, including 188 yards rushing — a shocking 30 yards more than LSU’s vaunted ground game.
But Enders was limited to a 13-for-33 night throwing the ball, and Towson couldn’t overcome two fumbles in LSU territory.
On a damp evening bookended by rain, LSU kept handing the ball right back. The home team put the ball on the ground five times, losing three of them.
“The whole week, we were practicing stripping the ball and forcing turnovers,” said Towson safety Jordan Dangerfield, who forced a second-quarter fumble. “That was one of our goals, to get the ball back to the offense as much as possible.”
LSU senior wideout Russell Shepard opened the scoring with a 78-yard touchdown off a shotgun read with five minutes left, giving LSU a 7-0 lead.
Towson added a field goal, and LSU went five straight possessions without scoring, allowing the visitors to grab its brief lead.
Within an hour of earning that lead, Towson’s hopes for victory were all but extinguished.
But on a sloppy night, it was the black-and-white clad Tigers who finally had the respect of the home Tigers.
“I told our team they were a good football team,” Miles said. “I insisted that we prepare well. We didn’t give them the credit they deserved.There’s no question they earned that.”
HALFTIME UPDATE
Sandwiched between two SEC road trips, LSU’s game against FCS foe Towson was never supposed to be pretty.
For most of the first half, it was downright ugly.
Two LSU fumbles led to nine Towson points, and LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger struggled to find receivers or space in the pocket, but two late scoring have LSU up 17-9 at halftime.
The visiting Tigers largely dominated the opening 25 minutes, briefly taking a 9-7 lead in the second quarter after quarterback Grant Enders’ 43-yard run led to a 1-yard Terrance West touchdown as rain fell in Tiger Stadiun.
LSU quickly responded, moving 62 yards in six plays, capped off by a 27-yard touchdown strike from Mettenberger to Odell Beckham Jr.
Mettenberger finished the half 8-of-16 for 91 yards, but routinely missed open Tiger receivers and lost a fumble on an ill-advised scramble.
Kicker Drew Alleman added a field goal with 1:19 to play in the half to extend LSU’s lead to 8.
But prior to LSU’s late charge, it was the visiting Tigers who looked at home in front of a lethargic Tiger Stadium crowd.
LSU receiver Russell Shepard took a shotgun read 78 yards for an opening touchdown five minutes in, but LSU’s next five drives failed to produce points.
Towson took advantage, twice pushing the ball inside the LSU 5-yard line, settling for a field goal the first time and missing an extra point on West’s dive.
LSU compounded Towson’s game performance with a plethora of penalties (6), missed tackles and poor blocking on the offensive line.
LSU finished the half with 207 total yards, but only held the ball for 13 minutes.
Towson gained 110 yards and will have the ball to open the final half.
Follow @TDR_Sports and @AbshireTDR on Twitter for constant 2nd-half updates and check here for more following the game.
