The LSU Tigers fell short against Houston by the score of 38-35 in the Kinder\u2019s Texas Bowl. Although the scoreboard reflected offensive improvement, the same issues that plagued LSU all year were prominent in the loss. Ultimately, offensive line play and penalties wouldn\u2019t allow the Tigers to overcome their personnel losses.<\/p>\n
LSU couldn\u2019t have asked for a better start to the game, as Barion Brown returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. After stopping Houston on its first possession, LSU went on to achieve a feat even more shocking \u2013 complete a touchdown drive. A big run by Harlem Berry<\/a> set up a touchdown pass from Michael Van Buren<\/a> to Trey\u2019Dez Green to put the Tigers up 14-0.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the Tiger offense quickly went back to normal after the early lead. Houston turned up the pressure and sacked Van Buren three times in the first half. The LSU defense contributed to all three of Houston\u2019s scoring drives with pass interference, facemask, and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Houston took a 21-14 lead going into the half, and we had to wonder if LSU could find enough offense<\/a> to get the win at that point.<\/p>\n The revitalized Tiger offense stormed back to tie the game in the second half, but stops were tough to come by. Houston\u2019s best NFL prospect, Tanner Koziol, was a constant headache for LSU at the tight end position. Houston eventually went up by 10 points after a Dean Conner touchdown run. That score essentially put the game away, despite a touchdown drive by LSU late in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n The season-long issues of a shockingly bad run game, penalties, pass protection, and vulnerability against tight ends continued to haunt LSU. Houston outgained LSU 201-77 in rushing yards. LSU had 66 more penalty yards than Houston. The Tigers didn\u2019t get any sacks, but Houston had four. Continuing the run of tight end dominance against LSU, Tanner Koziol<\/a> had nine catches for 76 yards.<\/p>\n While a win would\u2019ve been great for LSU, there were still positives to take away from the game. Young players made their mark as upcoming stars and contributors for the program. Tight end Trey\u2019Dez Green was unstoppable on his way to scoring two touchdowns and averaging 20 yards per catch. Sophomore Kyle Parker was a force at wide receiver, leading the team in catches.<\/p>\nThe Future is Bright<\/strong><\/h3>\n