Welcome everyone to the latest edition of #4Downs where I break down what went right and what went wrong for the LSU Tigers! This week, I look at LSU’s 27-19 loss to the Florida Gators.
1st Down: Offensive Line Struggled
One of the big surprises for LSU was that the offensive line struggled the way that they did with the amount of talent they had on the line. While the Tigers line had a lot of players coming back from injury, perhaps it was a little too soon for some of them to come back as they allowed five sacks on Burrow and a grand total of 11 tackles for loss on Saturday.
When you look at Burrow’s performance specifically, the fact that he was under pressure throughout the ballgame wound up being a big reason why they lost their first game of the season. He had a hard time making the adjustments he needed to after that solid opening drive. It really showed how Burrow can be a clutch player, but if the offensive line can’t keep him vertical, the next few weeks are going to be extremely rough.
2nd Down: Burrow’s Streak Snapped
One of the big positives for Burrow came to a sudden end and it happened at the worst possible time (as if there’s a good time to throw an interception). It was an absolutely crucial drive late in the ballgame where LSU needed to salt away some clock and get a field goal late in the ballgame.
It was very similar to what happened against Auburn just three short weeks ago. However, McDonogh 35 product Brad Stewart Jr. picked him off on the third play of the drive and made it an eight-point ballgame. You combine that with another interception on the following drive, Burrow definitely wanted to get out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium as soon as possible.
3rd Down: LSU’s Run Game Highlight for Tigers Offense
While the passing game was less than ideal on Saturday, LSU’s run game was solid thanks in large part to one drive in particular when Nick Brossette took the rock for three straight plays and it resulted in six points. It was amazing to see him do this at the right time and put the team on his back.
Helaire’s performance on the ground was solid as well with 55 yards on the ground, but due to issues with the offensive line it wasn’t quite able to rule the day and push them towards a win.
4th Down: Defense Couldn’t Cause Pressure
I talked about the offensive line for LSU and how they underperformed, allowing five sacks. The defensive line had an afternoon that Dave Aranda is trying to forget. You saw no one get a sack on the quarterback and only two total tackles for loss with Devin White having to do the bulk of the work. Feleipe Franks had a bad start to the ballgame going 1-for-6 for six yards, but he turned it around, going 11-of-21 for 155 yards in front of a packed house in Gainesville.
While it wasn’t anything to put on the Heisman highlight reel, Franks was able to get things done thanks in large part to his offensive line keeping a front seven that has been able to attack the quarterback headed into this ballgame in front of them.
Extra Point: Mullen Has O’s Number
Dan Mullen may not have the best record against LSU when compared to some of the other teams he’s faced in the SEC, but he’s had great success against an Ed Orgeron-led LSU program, beating him in both matchups in similar fashion. Go look back at that Mississippi State game from last season and there were a lot of similarities. From the fast start to Mullen’s Bulldogs controlling the battle in the trenches.
While the sample size is incredibly small, it’s enough to show that Mullen has O’s number and may have it for quite some time if he can build upon the success that the Gators have had in their first season under the 46-year-old head coach..
-Clint Domingue