LSU lost 45-24 to Florida State Sunday, failing to avenge its heartbreaking loss to the Seminoles last season.
It was a disappointing night for the Tigers as they had high expectations coming into this season, and beating Florida State would’ve been a key win on their resume. However, that was not the case as things went left quickly.
The Tigers led at half 17-14 and looked productive on offense and started to get pressure with the front seven, but it seemed as if they could’ve been up a lot more. As for the second half, they couldn’t stop the Seminoles and were missing many assignments on the defensive side of the ball.
Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis was able to pick apart the secondary as he went 23-31 with 342 yards and four touchdowns. Keon Coleman had a day with nine receptions, 122 yards and three touchdowns. The same goes for Johnny Wilson as well, as he had seven catches for 104 yards.
As much as the Seminoles deserve credit for their performance, the number of miscues for the Tigers hurt them drastically.
First, it was the missed opportunities in the redzone.
Tre Bradford had a big play on the first play of the game with a 55-yard reception to get LSU in Florida State territory which eventually brought the offense to the goal line. The Tigers had six plays inside the five-yard line including going for it on fourth down and didn’t score.
Not being able to convert these short-yardage plays and ending up with no points played a huge role.
Leaving empty-handed during a game where every point counts will hurt them in the long run, and it did here. I understand the aggressiveness as they want to set the tone, but getting stopped once, you have to reconsider whether going for it is the right move and to take your points.
Special teams struggles continued from last season as Aaron Anderson muffed a punt early in the first half. It ended up not being as serious since the Tigers were able to get an interception the play after, but it took away possession for LSU and a chance to get some much-needed points.
The offense didn’t help itself either, as there was no ability to get a push from the offensive line and run the ball. The running backs only combined for 12 carries for 49 yards. They also allowed four sacks.
On top of that, the amount of dropped passes on crucial plays from the receivers was concerning. Kyren Lacy and Brian Thomas Jr. had a couple of key drops where a catch could’ve changed the outcome of the game.
The offense went stagnant in the second half, scoring only seven points late in the fourth quarter. Four out of the five drives for the Tigers resulted in two punts, an interception and a turnover on downs. The inability to keep up with Florida State in the second half was detrimental.
Nonetheless, what hurt the Tigers the most was their defense. A lot of people had concerns about their secondary, and rightfully so due to the inexperience and amount of transfers brought in.
Some nice plays were made such as tackles from Greg Brooks Jr. and an interception from Syracuse transfer Duce Chestnut, but after that, it was a poor performance overall.
There were a lot of missed assignments from the defensive backs and blown coverages as Florida State’s receivers were often wide-open down the field.
There were also a lot of missed tackles from the defense. Some plays could have been held to three to five-yard gains nut instead went to eight to 15-yard gains.
Too many big plays and big gains from the Seminoles ended up gashing the Tigers defensively.
LSU will play Grambling on Sept. 9 in Death Valley and will have time to use this game to correct its mistakes and make adjustments for the rest of the season. The season is not over the Tigers, but they will have to figure things out if they want to compete for a championship. There’s no more room for error.
