Garrett Nussmeier’s takeover of the starting quarterback spot for the Tigers has long been delayed.

He was in contention for the job as a redshirt freshman before transfer Jayden Daniels won the job, beginning a two-year reign that culminated in a Heisman Trophy.

All said, Nussmeier hasn’t started a game since he was in high school in 2020.

It didn’t matter on Monday in Tampa. In LSU’s 35-31 win over Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl, with Daniels sitting out, Nussmeier gave LSU its all-important tenth win. In doing so, he offered a sneak peak at what he can offer the team next year taking over as the starter.

With the defense struggling as it did all season, Nussmeier and the offense needed plenty of offense to put LSU over the top. With six minutes left in the game and pinned at their own two-yard line by a Wisconsin punt, the Tigers needed a game-winning drive.

Three minutes and 98 yards later, Nussmeier delivered, zipping a four-yard touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr. that would be the winner after a defensive stand.

Nussmeier finished with 395 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Thomas paced the team with 98 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

While Thomas is mulling an NFL Draft decision and may not return next year, likely top pass catchers Mason Taylor, Kyren Lacy and Chris Hilton Jr. each had over 50 yards, displaying solid chemistry with the new quarterback.

For years, Nussmeier has had a reputation as a gunslinger. He has the physical ability and arm strength to make most throws, and he lacks the inhibition that would keep him from attempting them.

For much of the game, Nussmeier showed the ability to settle for the easy throws, at times to a fault. His ability to read the field and put together drives was especially apparent as he commanded late-half offense.

Even amid that success, the deep shots Nussmeier is known for were mostly missing in the first half.

On the penultimate drive of the first half, Nussmeier and the LSU offense calmly marched downfield, with no pass further than 17 yards downfield. The drive ended with a touchdown run from freshman Kaleb Jackson to tie the game at 14-14.

On the next drive, Nussmeier took one of his patented risks, but it was ill-advised. While rolling out to his left, he threw to Brian Thomas Jr. from a difficult arm angle without setting his feet.

The ball came out flat, settling in at a depth where it was easy for the Wisconsin defender to break on the ball and come up with the interception, ending LSU’s bid for points before the half.

Those two drives were a perfect dichotomy of the challenge LSU faces with Nussmeier: how do you rein in his aggressiveness without squashing his confidence?

LSU’s offense under Nussmeier will be at its most successful when it marries those two approaches: tempering his propensity for risk with methodical intermediate passes while still unleashing his arm when necessary.

Down the stretch, LSU found the perfect balance.

Nussmeier took calculated risks, uncorking two well-placed deep touchdown passes in the second half, as well as passes of 37 and 43 yards during the game-winning drive.

The offense wasn’t perfect; at times, it was disorganized. There were miscommunications with receivers and penalties that weren’t present earlier in the season.

It’s unclear whether that was a product of a new quarterback or of the change in offensive play calling, with offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock having left for a position with Notre Dame earlier in the week.

Quarterback coach Joe Sloan called the plays in his absence, with wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton serving as a co-offensive coordinator.

Nussmeier battled inconsistency in the first half. A handful of his throws were inaccurate and some of his decisions were misdiagnoses of the coverage.

He was also surprisingly passive to open the game.

His ability to make quick decisions and pick up modest gains was useful in the opening few drives. He showed an ability to keep the offense on schedule and take what the defense gave him, something that was in question coming in.

However, that approach held Nussmeier back on several early third downs, where he too quickly took the check down short of the line to gain while missing other open receivers, ending the drive.

At the end of the day, though, Nussmeier came through when it mattered, even against a Wisconsin team ranked No. 25 in the country in pass defense.

Additionally, Nussmeier faced the same Herculean task that Jayden Daniels faced each week this season: lifting a team to victory despite a defense that continuously makes the offense’s margin for error razor-thin.

Wisconsin quarterback Tanner Mordecai had his best game of the season for a Wisconsin offense that ranked No. 88 in the country in passing offense coming into the game.

On Wisconsin’s final drive, though, LSU’s pass-rush stifled Mordecai, getting home three straight times to prevent the Badgers from winning.

Going forward, LSU has a lot of questions. The wide receiver room and offensive staff figure to look a lot different next season, and even Nussmeier’s starting spot is not a given, with Vanderbilt transfer AJ Swann expected to push him.

Monday’s win offers the comforting development, though, that the Tigers seem to have a quarterback they can trust.