LSU’s 2025 football season ended with a fittingly disappointing 38-35 loss to Houston in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl on Saturday night.
This year’s edition of the Texas Bowl gave LSU a lot to look forward to, but also revealed scratches that need buffing.
To keep with the holiday season, here are some New Year’s resolutions for LSU to make as they enter 2026.
Let Kyle Parker be an athlete
The redshirt sophomore played the best game of his LSU career in his home state Saturday.
The Allen native who averaged two receptions per game had his number called seven times, tallying 68 yards and scoring once.
Parker was primarily utilized as a slot receiver and succeeded with slant routes. His quickness and agility matched well against the Cougars defense that couldn’t keep up with him over the middle.
He has a big opportunity to be a leading receiver for LSU next year, along with the ever-impressive Trey’Dez Green.
Play defense in the red zone
While LSU gave Houston red zone trips for Christmas, the Cougars opened their gifts in the end zone six times.
LSU’s red zone defense was penetrable, vulnerable and uncharacteristically weak. The decision from many defensive starters to opt-out can’t be overlooked, but neither can the lack of depth in the LSU defense.
For a defense that has played lights out all year, the lack of cohesion in the red zone cost them the game.
Do your laundry
Yellow fabric littered the field at NRG Stadium.
Penalties hampered LSU in the first half while it surrendered a 14 point lead. Six of LSU’s seven first half penalties occurred on defense, with multiple penalties occurring on the same drives.
Each of the six gave Houston a first down and totaled 65 yards. On the Cougar’s first scoring drive, LSU was twice penalized for grabbing a face mask, leaving the door wide open to the red zone.
The second quarter looked similar but with two pass interference penalties that gave Houston the ball in the red zone free of charge.
LSU’s second half was cleaner, but the damage had already been done.
Maintain surgical third down play-calling
LSU was 7-12 on third downs on Saturday, their second-most efficient game this season in that category. On the first few scoring drives, play-calling on 3rd downs kept the drives alive.
Slants were key, as Parker and Green hauled in multiple drive-saving receptions, cutting through the Cougar defense with precision.
If Lane Kiffin can take the good from LSU’s third down offense, this team can be unstoppable in 2026.
Sharpen the special teams iron
LSU was leading the Texas Bowl 14 seconds into the game. It was done by Barion Brown, whose opening kickoff return touchdown was LSU’s first since Hokie Gajan did it in 1978.
Brown’s touchdown was followed by another big return to the LSU 48.
Grant Chadwick’s punts were all what the doctor ordered, while Damian Ramos missed his only field goal attempt and the team botched an onside kick that hit the hands of two different Tigers.
Special teams has been unpredictable all year, and needs some polishing entering the new year.
Get Tylen Singleton some action
Singleton had as many tackles in Saturday’s game as he did in the last two seasons combined.
The Many, Louisiana native played the most snaps and best game of his young career. Singleton is a redshirt sophomore who will see more playing time next year after his display against Houston.
Kiffin and his defensive staff have to take advantage of having young contributors like Singleton in their program through a head coaching change. Baker should be keeping his eye on Singleton to be a rising star for LSU.
Maintain quarterback containment!
Texas Bowl MVP Conner Weigman beat LSU with his arm and his legs.
He ran the ball 13 times for 56 yards, and diced up an LSU defense that was not able to contain him once he decided to scramble.
When a quarterback that is not known for his mobility can beat a defense on the ground like Weigman did, major changes need to happen.
Get out of the time machine
The 2025 Texas Bowl featured anLSU team that looked like an evil twin of LSU’s 2023 team. The defense was unable to stop Houston, and the offense scored more points against the Cougars than any other FBS opponent this year.
LSU took one step forward and two steps back, but now with Kiffin at the helm, LSU looks into the future to improve the offense without sacrificing the intimidating defense the Fighting Tigers are known for.
