LSU football’s season wasn’t up to the team’s standard, by all accounts.
“I didn’t come down here to go 8-4,” head coach Brian Kelly said.
Still, LSU’s win over Oklahoma was a positive result that puts the Tigers’ three-game losing streak further in the rear-view mirror. The team spoke at length about the maturity and confidence it took to bounce back with two straight wins to close the regular season.
Here are our three takeaways from the win.
Garrett Nussmeier has closed the season on a strong note
Nussmeier was the object of brutal criticism during LSU’s three-game skid, but credit where credit is due – he played perhaps his two best games to close out the season.
Aside from a fumble which was returned for a touchdown in the first quarter, Nussmeier played practically mistake-free football against Oklahoma. His touch and poise were on point despite being under duress.
When Nussmeier came back into the game after an injury to his throwing shoulder, he seemed to somehow be even more in rhythm.
Nussmeier’s last two games against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma were the only two games of the season where the quarterback had a completion percentage above 70% against an SEC opponent.
“I said it in September… I hope that I would be a better player now than I was in September, and I think that that is proven to be true,” Nussmeier said.
Something that especially stood out was Nussmeier’s prowess throwing the deep ball, which he’s been inconsistent with all season. This time, however, he connected on three passes of over 40 yards, including two touchdowns.
“That’s part of the offense that we were missing and that we needed desperately,” Kelly said.
Each of those throws were beauties that were placed perfectly, as opposed to the overthrows that had been common for Nussmeier earlier in the season.
Chris Hilton Jr. makes an impact
The other side of that deep passing production was the wideout on the receiving end: Hilton.
The redshirt junior had two catches for 85 yards and a pair of touchdowns after having only three catches on the season entering the game.
Hilton was expected to have a breakout year, but struggled with an injury and missed LSU’s first seven games. When he came back, he was still less than 100%.
On Saturday, though, the speed and deep-threat ability that had people excited about Hilton was on full display.
Hilton has another year of eligibility and could build on this strong close to the year and form a formidable receiving group with wide receivers CJ Daniels and Aaron Anderson reportedly returning.
Kelly and LSU remain confident about the team’s foundation
“We’re taking receipts, and we’ll see you at the national championship,” Kelly said. “This team’s building.”
It was a bold prediction, but Kelly saw enough in the way his team finished the season to claim that it’s still on a championship trajectory. He believes the team is laying the cultural foundations necessary to win at the highest level.
Without naming names, Kelly said he expected several key players to return next year.
Kelly also highlighted the youth that LSU has, with five freshmen (defensive linemen Ahmad Breaux, Dominick McKinley and Gabriel Reliford, cornerback PJ Woodland and linebacker Davhon Keys) and two sophomores (cornerback Ashton Stamps and linebacker Whit Weeks) playing significant time on defense against Oklahoma.
“Oh, yeah. The future is bright,” Weeks said.
In all, Kelly said LSU has 21 freshmen and 16 more from the 2025 recruiting class that will enroll early and begin practicing with the team in the winter, adding up to a formidable youth movement.
“I’m excited about our future, regardless of what people seem to think,” Kelly said.
