Harold Perkins was expected to be a major factor in LSU’s season-opener against Florida State on Sunday night.

That ended up not being the case.

Perkins, who emerged as one of college football’s top pass rushers in 2022, was largely limited to an off-ball linebacker role against Florida State.

That decision severely limited what he was able to do as a pass rusher against FSU quarterback Jordan Travis. Perkins finished the game with just 5 total tackles (2 solo). He didn’t record any havoc plays in the loss.

Last season as a freshman, Perkins broke out with 13.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks as he helped the Tigers win the SEC West.

Without Perkins as a threat off the edge, LSU struggled to pressure Travis. The Tigers did not record a sack in this game and were credited with just 4 quarterback hurries.

The result was a (mostly) clean pocket for Travis, who fully took advantage of the opportunity. He threw for 342 yards and 4 touchdowns in the game.

Here’s some of the reaction to how Perkins was used: