LSU Beats Ole Miss
In a surprising defensive struggle, LSU scored a late touchdown in overtime to beat Ole Miss and keep its playoff hopes alive. This was far from the track meet of 2023, but possibly more entertaining since the defenses showed up this time. Both teams entered the game with impressive pass offenses, but Ole Miss looked to have the better defense. Although Jaxson Dart was the more efficient quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier made the big plays when it mattered most to come out with the win.
Ole Missed Opportunities
The Tigers survived a slow offensive start with the help of Ole Miss not being as sharp as usual. Tre Harris, the nation’s leading receiver, dropped a deep pass in stride that led to an early Ole Miss punt. The Rebels’ next possession ended in a missed 32-yard field goal. The first-quarter miscues granted LSU time to settle down, as the aggressive nature of the Tiger offense resulted in some challenging third-down situations.
In fact, LSU did not score on its first five possessions. With LSU’s wide receivers dropping like flies to injury, Nussmeier hit freshman tight end Trey’Dez Green with a 12-yard strike to cut the Ole Miss win to 10-7. Dart used his legs on the ensuing possession to get the Tigers off balance. He then completed five of his next six passes, finishing the drive with a touchdown pass to Harris. LSU answered with field goals on its next two drives to go down 17-13 at the half.
The Effects of Baker’s Blitz
LSU broke its year-long trend of short passes and rare downfield shots with mixed results. While the offense’s attacking approach seemed to backfire at times, Blake Baker’s defense was rewarded in the second half for going all-in. LSU sent extra rushers liberally, even on second and 37 in the third quarter. Baker’s change in philosophy resulted in the Tigers recording four sacks in the second half.
Even when the Tigers didn’t get sacks they negatively affected plays with pressure. Dart’s lone interception came after taking a hit and underthrowing a ball to Cayden Lee. The LSU secondary took its lumps but proved that it could be trusted in man coverage. Zy Alexander and Ashton Stamps maintained tight coverage and tackled well in space. We’ve stressed the need for the corners to step up, and they did so. Their coverage allowed LSU to send linebackers, safeties, and even corners to affect Dart.
Trust In Nuss
Ole Miss and LSU traded field goals to eventually put the Rebels up by seven with the score of 23-16 around the three-minute mark of the fourth quarter. Nussmeier’s demeanor makes it easy to forget that he’s never been in this situation. Down late against a heated rival with the hopes of a season riding on one drive, he delivered. Nussmeier brushed aside a few questionable decisions that led to interceptions to drive LSU down the field.
This was no ordinary drive; Nussmeier converted on fourth down twice to keep the drive and game alive. He hit Mason Taylor three times after Taylor was on a milk carton for three quarters. All three catches went for first downs. Finally, a Nussmeier dime to Aaron Anderson tied the game, leading to overtime.
Overtime and Beyond
The next series of events fell in line with the unpredictable nature of the game. The Rebels got the ball first in overtime and quickly found themselves in fourth and 25 due to penalties. Of course, kicker Caden Davis nailed a 57-yarder to put Ole Miss up by three. Nussmeier responded with a perfect back-shoulder pass to Kyren Lacy for a touchdown on LSU’s first overtime play to pull out the win for the Tigers.
The win is obviously consequential but in more ways than one. LSU is still a one-loss team and undefeated in the SEC. Perhaps it’s even more encouraging that the Tiger defense held Ole Miss to 26 points. Perceived as the downfall of the team, this defense has grown.
Bradyn Swinson continued his dominance with two sacks, but Major Burns added 1.5 sacks. A healthy Alexander completely changes the Tiger secondary. Whit Weeks was a tackling machine and continuously came up with big plays in bigger moments. The win is always of the utmost importance, but the process of improving is possibly even more encouraging for the Tigers.
