Somehow, LSU football managed to squeeze its offseason—several months of chaos and confusion—into one play, the Tigers first offensive touchdown of 2020.
On third and goal from inside the five, Myles Brennan took a shotgun snap, faked a handoff, rolled to the right and immediately met three Mississippi State rushers. He was tackled, and while falling to the ground, launched a prayer to the end zone in the area of two Tigers and one Bulldog. Star freshman tight end Arik Gilbert jumped and secured the touchdown.
Just like the college football world’s desperate efforts to play the season in a pandemic, Brennan’s first touchdown seemed, at first, doomed to fail, then succeeded despite long odds.
Unfortunately for LSU, the team’s first battle of its title defense wasn’t as successful. The Tigers lost to the Bulldogs 44-34.
“No excuses, man,” Ed Orgeron said after the game. “We got to get better, and the execution was not there. No question.”
On Saturday, Tigers fans were violently jolted awake from their dream season, finding themselves in a world that feels more like 2018 than 2019. A shaky offensive line made life harder on an inexperienced quarterback, who struggled to connect with receivers and march down the field.
In fact, linebacker Jabril Cox’s second quarter pick-six was the first time LSU returned an interception for a touchdown since its 2018 season opener against Miami. When the Tigers went to the locker room at half, it was the first time they had faced a halftime deficit since 2018 against Texas A&M. 
On Saturday, LSU took the field with a starting lineup that featured three players who started in the National Championship, the same number of players who played last season at the FCS level: Cox, defensive back Darren Evans and center Liam Shanahan. Star corner Derek Stingley missed the game after reportedly checking into the hospital on Friday for an allergic reaction, and defensive lineman Glen Logan was out for unspecified reasons.
For the first three quarters, K.J. Costello was comfortable, slicing up an inexperienced secondary. Evans, Cordale Flott and freshman Elias Ricks struggled to track Bulldog receivers, leading to huge gains and long touchdowns.
“I think we did some really good things on defense,” Orgeron said. “We pressured the quarterback. Our pass rush was good. But we had too many missed assignments, and we got to look at why we missed those assignments.”
Mississippi State quarterback K.J. Costello completed 36-of-60 passes for 623 yards and five touchdowns, breaking the SEC record for single-game passing yards. No one has ever thrown for more yards in Tiger Stadium.
“It’s embarrassing,” JaCoby Stevens said after the game. “It’s like going into a boxing ring and getting knocked out. DBU didn’t show up today.”
The defense did show signs of life in the fourth quarter. Ricks soared for an interception, leading to a spectacular one-handed touchdown grab by Terrace Marshall. Stevens forced and recovered a fumble on a sack, and Brennan led the offense to a field goal. The game was tied at 34.
But the defense allowed 10 more points in the closing minutes of the game. The unit was poor all game. Its late heroic attempts to save the game were not enough in a disappointing showing for a squad that Orgeron has been touting all offseason.
“It’s really exciting to see the front seven unleashed,” Stevens said. “Last year, we complained about not having a rush. So, now that we have it, now it’s time for the back end to step up.”
Because Orgeron’s inherited defensive coordinator, Dave Aranda, left Baton Rouge to take Baylor’s head coaching job, Orgeron had a chance to hire someone who runs a defense the way he prefers. So he turned to Pelini, whose 4-3 front is designed to apply pressure and rely more on press man coverage in the secondary. This defense is Orgeron’s unit.
“I think one of the things we need to get better at from last year is defense,” Orgeron said before the season. “We didn’t play good defense. That’s why Bo [Pelini] is here.”
“I do believe we’re able to use our athletes more to play better defense,” he also said before Saturday. “There were too many points scored on us last year. I think you’re going to see a big improvement.”
History’s watchful eye will judge the post-championship Orgeron era on his decisions this offseason, after he seized the opportunity to hire his guys, play the way he prefers and leave his lasting mark on the program.
“We’re going to find out what we’re made of,” he said.
The title defense is in peril, and LSU football is at a crossroads. Will the program consistently contend for championships, or will it return to its old standard, on the outside of the playoff picture looking in?
If game one is any indication, chaos awaits. The Tigers have work to do.
“Put it on me,” Orgeron said. “I got to get better. I got to coach better.”