LSU football center on run game struggles: 'We Just Lack Details'

Even in the best of times, LSU football's run game has struggled. Their top rushing performance this season came against Southeastern Louisiana with 135 yards, but even that wasn’t a very efficient performance, averaging just 3.9 yards per attempt.

This run game inefficiency has led to the passing game becoming anemic, enabling defenses to drop eight players into coverage because they don’t have to worry about selling out against the run, making the windows tighter for quarterback Garrett Nusmeier.

LSU’s star center, Braelin Moore, was asked about this issue after Wednesday’s practice:

“We just lack details, we just lack execution,” Moore explained. “I can’t tell you why that is; we’re trying to figure that out. We’ve just got to focus in more.”

Whatever the cause, they need to fix it quickly if they want any chance of reaching the playoffs. Plays like the one below are littered across each game, consistently leaving the offense facing second and long, then third and a mile.

Well that explains why LSU doesn’t run more counter jeez pic.twitter.com/rgOsysmYSV

— Max Toscano (@maxtoscano1) September 14, 2025

LSU’s upcoming game against South Carolina doesn’t seem like a good chance for their running game to turn it around, either.

The Gamecocks are around average in rushing yards allowed per game (143.2), but they boast a run defense grade of 85.9, per Pro Football Focus, placing them 41st in the FBS.

Their average rushing yards allowed is skewed by one particularly tough game against a Missouri rushing attack, which ranks third in the nation with 292 rushing yards per game. Apart from that performance, they’ve been a stifling unit led by a physical front seven and corners who tackle well.

Moore recognizes the challenge that the Gamecocks will present, pointing out their talented defensive line as something he and the LSU line need to be well-prepared for. 

“From watching the film, I think the strength of their defense is the front seven,” Moore said. “They’ve got a good front four and they’ve got good backers, too. We’ve got to be very technique-sound and hone in on what needs to be done, and go do it. That’s the biggest thing; we can talk about it all we want, but we’ve actually got to go out and do it.”

The positive aspect is that the Tigers have had two weeks to work on the details Moore mentioned. While there hasn’t been much evidence supporting the idea of a big turnaround in the run game, there’s a chance that the performance against Ole Miss jump-started progress in that area, prompting the team to focus more seriously on that part of the offense.

If that’s the case, given LSU’s talented roster, there’s no reason to believe the Tigers can’t finish the season strong—and potentially make a run at the playoffs.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football center on run game struggles: 'We Just Lack Details'