After LSU’s thrashing at the hands of Troy, fans are looking for answers. To them, it doesn’t make sense that the Tigers — armed with two of the brightest coaches in college football and some of the sport’s most talented athletes — could lose against a bottom tier school.
The answer is simple: this is not a good football team.
In fact, we’re looking at one of the worst LSU teams in the last decade. Statistically, this LSU team is the worst through its first five games since 2010, when Les Miles ran the program, offensive coordinator Gary Crowten called the plays, and before defensive coordinator John Chavis jumped ship to Aggieland.
Through its first five games this season, LSU has 2,045 total offensive yards with 17 offensive touchdowns. Eleven of those scores and 964 of those yards come from the run game, while quarterbacks have completed 60 percent of their passes for 1,081 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions.
It’s a marginal improvement over the first five games of last season. The 2017 team has fewer rushing yards, but has made up for the difference with a more efficient passing game. But — in terms of yardage and scores — the difference between Matt Canada’s offense and last season’s is about two touchdowns and 53 yards.
Quality of competition must also be considered. LSU’s first five opponents last season had a combined record of 39-25, with one team being an FCS school and two finishing in the top 25. Three of the five were SEC competition and the Big 10 West Division champions.
The Tiger’s opponents so far this season went 38-26 a year ago. None finished in the top 25, one is an FCS school and one was an SEC opponent. So yes, LSU has marginally outperformed last season’s team, but it has done so against inferior competition.
Aside from last season, this team has the lowest offensive output in terms of yards since 2011 — when LSU’s defense, not its offense, led it to an undefeated regular season. Even then, the 2011 squad scored five more touchdowns through its first five games than the 2017 team.
In scoring, this is the worst five-game opening stretch since 2010, when the team only managed 11 touchdowns. The LSU defense — a unit that was terrifying under coordinator Dave Aranda last season — has also turned in some of its worst performances in recent memory.
The LSU defense has given up 1,551 total yards of offense to start the season, which, aside from last season (1,630) with the higher quality opponents, is the worst mark since giving up 1,608 in 2009. The defense has also given up 630 yards on the ground — the most since 2014 — and seven rushing scores, the highest mark since coach Gerry DiNardo’s final season in 1999.
Needless to say, this 3-2 start is far from what LSU fans expected after landing a top-10 recruiting class, signing a talented offensive coordinator and moving into Aranda’s second year running the defense.
The bright side?
That horrible 2010 offense still managed to win 11 games (including one against Alabama). The talent is there for LSU, it’s just a matter of Canada, Aranda and Ed Orgeron finding a way to unleash it.
