LSU’s offensive line simply struggled in the Tigers’ 10-0 loss to No. 1 Alabama.
Leading up to LSU’s matchup against the Tide, coach Ed Orgeron stressed the importance of protecting junior quarterback Danny Etling.
But it didn’t take long for Alabama defensive end Jonathan Allen to become acquainted with Etling, after sacking him on the Tigers’ eighth play of the game. In fact, Alabama’s defensive line sacked Etling three times in the first quarter alone.
“We struggled,” Orgeron said about the offensive line. “We struggled tonight. Obviously we struggled to run the ball. We struggled to pass protect. We struggled.”
LSU’s offense had tough sledding against the Tide. The Tigers were shut out at home for the first time since 2002, also against Alabama.
In the first half — which ended with both teams scoreless — LSU gained just 100 yards. The Tigers had a mere 25 yards in the second half.
Etling had issues finding open receivers. When Etling dropped back to pass, there was an Alabama defensive lineman in his face.
Alabama’s front seven made its presence known.
“They did a good job of getting pressure on us as well,” Etling said. “I think we had guys who were open, and sometimes we didn’t get a chance to hit them. I think that comes down to miscommunication to us on offense, and that’s something we’re going to get fixed.”
Etling was 11-of-24 for 94 yards, and the bulk of those yards came with a 41-yard pass to junior wide receiver D.J. Chark in the first quarter.
The Tide’s constant pressure made Etling uncomfortable, he said, and pressure from linebacker Ryan Anderson forced an interception in the fourth quarter moments after Alabama took a 7-0 lead.
LSU’s rushing attack was ineffective and mirrored the Tigers’ 2015 loss in Tuscaloosa when junior running back Leonard Fournette only rushed for 31 yards.
Alabama again made life rough for Fournette, forcing him to earn every one of his 35 rushing yards on Saturday as he ran into clogged lanes with little room.
Offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger tried to use Fournette in different spots on the field, sometimes splitting him out at wide receiver to set up screen plays or trying to run the ball out the shotgun.
But nothing worked.
“We’re very disappointed in everything,” Orgeron said. “The execution — everything that happened tonight, we are not very pleased. We are going to go back and look at what we did — if it’s the plays, the formations, whatever it may be. We’ve got to get better.”
With a lack of running game, stopping LSU’s offense made things easier for Alabama, junior fullback J.D. Moore said.
“It made us one-dimensional,” he said. “You can’t do that to their defense.”
LSU is now 3-1 in the “new season” under Orgeron, and with three games left — two of them against top 25 teams — LSU doesn’t want to fall into a post-Alabama three-game skid like it did last season.
To prevent that, the Tigers first have to hold themselves accountable.
“We have to own the mistakes,” Moore said. “If we try and hide them and shield them they’ll just be haunting us for the rest of the season. It’ll hurt to watch this film just like any other loss. We have to own it, correct it and have a great week of practice for Arkansas.”

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Anjana Nair

LSU junior quarterback, Danny Etling (16), is tackled by Alabama senior linebacker, Ryan Anderson (22), and freshman offensive lineman, Brandon Kennedy (56), in the LSU game against Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016, in Tiger Stadium.