Instant Reactions: Ole Miss 24, LSU 19

Well I got this one dead wrong.

The irrational confidence that I had heading into Saturday’s game ended up being misplaced as LSU came up short once again in Oxford against Ole Miss (5-0, 3-0) by a score of 24-19.

Just as they did in 2023, one side of LSU’s team played well enough to win but was let down by the other side. The LSU offense was abysmal, and as the weeks pass the more it appears that this is just who they’re going to be this season.

Going up against one of the worst run defenses in the conference, LSU barely attempted to run the ball and when they did they were ineffective. LSU had one yard rushing after the first quarter. For the game they had 57 yards on 22 carries for an average of 2.6 yards a pop. Even more frustrating was Ole Miss kept dropping eight into coverage, and LSU still couldn’t run against a three-man front.

Funnily enough, the game started off pretty perfectly for LSU. Ole Miss elected to start with the ball, and went three and out on its first two possessions. LSU, meanwhile, got a first quarter touchdown thanks in large part to former Tiger safety Sage Ryan; Ryan deflected a ball intended for Trey’Dez Green, but it stayed up in the air and Nic Anderson came down with it to put the Tigers up 7-0.

Ole Miss responded their next time out, but the drive felt like a win for LSU. The Rebels went on an 18-play drive, but it stalled out inside the red zone, and the Rebels had to settle for a field goal. Along the way, Ole Miss converted three third downs, but on 3rd and 3 at the LSU seven, Patrick Payton batted a pass down to end the drive and set up the field goal.

LSU had a chance to maybe land an early haymaker, but an awful interception by Garrett Nussmeier ruined whatever momentum LSU was building. LSU had gotten all the way down to Ole Miss’s 29 yard line, but an ill-advised and inaccurate throw by Nussmeier ended up in the hands of Wydett Williams.

But LSU got some turnover luck of their own a few possessions later, as AJ Haulcy punched out a Cayden Lee reception, and Whit Weeks recovered the fumble in the end zone. LSU wouldn’t do anything at all with it, though a poorly timed hold by Trey’Dez Green wiped away what would have been a first down, and the Tigers punted the ball back after netting zero yards following the turnover.

LSU’s defense had some chances to get the ball back from Ole Miss and potentially set up the offense in plus territory. Following a hold that put Ole Miss in a 1st and 20 hole at their own 20 yard line, West Weeks bailed out the Rebels with a needless roughing the passer penalty. Six plays later, DJ Pickett cost himself a 71-yard pick-six by interfering Deuce Alexander; the very next snap, PJ Woodland followed that with a pass interference of his own, and then Kawan Lacy found the end zone one snap later to put Ole Miss up 10-7. On that 70-yard drive, 50 of those yards was gifted by LSU penalty.

Ole Miss followed that touchdown drive up with another touchdown and didn’t need any help from LSU penalties this time around. The Rebels led 17-7 at halftime, and ran 49 plays while LSU only ran 24.

To LSU’s credit, the Tigers tried to scratch and claw their way back into the game. The Tigers managed to kick two field goals in the third quarter to held into the final frame down 17-13. Ole Miss and LSU traded touchdowns, but the Rebs iced the game following LSU’s touchdown drive. On a 4th and 3 with about 1:45 to play, Lane Kiffin rolled the dice, converted, and ended the game.

LSU’s offense is officially a problem, and Garrett Nussmeier is either more hurt than they’re letting on, or he’s fine but has regressed in a dramatic way. I’m going to assume it’s the former, because there were too many throws to count from today where it just didn’t look right. One thing we’ve never been able to say about Nuss in his five years here is that he is lacking in arm strength, but now he’s under throwing people left and right.

The bigger problem is LSU can’t run the ball, and the compromised quarterback has nowhere to go with the ball because Ole Miss dropped eight into coverage. It’s reaching end of the Les Miles era levels of incompetence, but at least those teams could run the ball.