Through 3 games, the LSU Tigers are 3-0. That’s good news. Across those 3 contests, the Tigers’ defense is yielding just 9 points per game. That’s great news. The offense, however, is another story.
On the latest episode of Always College Football, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy labeled LSU’s offense a “work in progress.” The Tigers were out-gained in total yardage and significantly out-possessed (37:46 to 22:14) by Florida in Week 3, but won the game because their defense intercepted Gator quarterback DJ Lagway 5 times.
“Right now, something’s just not adding up for me,” McElroy said. “You don’t need to have fireworks if the game doesn’t require fireworks… but with how well they’re playing on [defense], your offense just kind of has to manage the game.”
Garrett Nussmeier has played efficient football for the most part, but has not posted the prolific numbers many were anticipating. His completion percentage has steadily dropped each week, going from 73.7% at Clemson and 63.4% against Louisiana Tech to 55.6% versus Florida. Additionally, LSU running backs are posting just 89.3 yards per game on the ground.
For Kelly to win the College Football Playoff, he’ll need his offense to pick up their 20 points per game pace. This Saturday’s game versus Southeastern Louisiana (7:45 p.m. E.T., SEC Network) offers a get-right opportunity ahead of a massive battle with Ole Miss in Week 5. The Tigers would be wise to take advantage of it.
