The Tigers faced their toughest test of the season on Saturday. As the sun set, Ole Miss came charging into Death Valley, spearheaded by the No. 1 defensive line in the country, ready to wreak havoc on quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and the Bayou Bengals’ offense.
But have no fear. No. 13’s personal protectors are here.
While the Rebels have one of the best defensive fronts in the country, don’t be mistaken; the purple and gold’s offensive line is no joke.
The offensive line is one of the most overlooked position groups in all of football. They don’t catch the ball, tackle, or score touchdowns, at least frequently, but a high-powered offense can only succeed with a ferocious front five able to push the pile for their running backs. As one unit, they serve as personal security guards to shield their leader at quarterback.
For LSU, its talent starts at the top at the tackle spots. Juniors Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr. hold down the fort at the left and right tackle. They are referred to as some of, if not the top tackles in the nation.
Seniors Garrett Dillinger and Miles Frazier fill in at left and right guard, with redshirt freshman DJ Chester anchoring at center.
“I feel like the whole world knows we have the best offensive line in the nation behind Garrett, Will, Miles, DJ and Emery,” Tigers wide receiver Zavion Thomas said. “So much so that when we see the opposing defensive line, it’s not much that we have to worry about. Just knowing that we got those five guys makes our lives so much easier.”
Thomas is right. In 2023, the Bayou Bengals were runners-up for the Joe Moore Award, given to the country’s best offensive line. A picture of the trophy sits on the wall of the offensive line room in LSU’s practice facility.
Halfway through the 2024 campaign, the purple and gold are a leading candidate to win it this year. Bringing that award back home to Baton Rouge for the first time since 2019’s magical national championship-winning season would mean a lot for a group that does some of the best dirty work in the SEC.
The Tigers’ offensive line completely nullified an Ole Miss defensive front that wrecked games through the season’s first month.
While LSU didn’t run all over the Rebels, its 24 ground attempts for 84 rushing yards, averaging 3.5 yards per carry, kept the defense honest. But the real story is how the purple and gold did a majority of their damage through the air.
Ole Miss’s pass rush, whose 24 sacks through their first six matchups led the nation, failed to smear Nussmeier’s white jersey with grass stains once all night.
Six games in, and Nussmeier has only been sacked twice, with both coming in a thrilling 36-33 road win over the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Bayou Bengals’ pocket bouncers gave Nussmeier all the time in the world for him to play hero ball. No. 13 was able to scramble around and make some incredibly athletic plays downfield, which helped the Tigers come back and send this game to overtime.
One hundred seasons celebrated at Tiger Stadium and an overtime ending to cap off the night? It doesn’t get much better than that.
Following the Rebels’ field goal to open overtime, Nussmeier and the Tigers’ offense got the ball one last time.
On its first snap, LSU’s offensive line held up just long enough to give Nussmeier a window to hit wide receiver Kyren Lacy for a walk-off win. It was a fitting end to a Saturday-night spectacle.
The Bayou Bengals’ offensive line just aced their biggest test of the season with flying colors. If it can continue to hold up throughout the rest of SEC play to give Nussmeier the time to hit his big playmakers downfield, watch out for the purple and gold in the home stretch.
The LSU Tigers might have the best offense in the country, and it all starts with the foundation of the nation’s best offensive line.
