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After finishing 9-3 in the regular season, LSU took on Wisconsin in the Reliaquest Bowl looking for their second straight 10-win season. Garrett Nussmeier threw for 395 yards and three touchdowns to come back from 14 points down in the second half to win 35-31.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
LSU started with the football and got Garrett Nussmeier into an early rhythm, going 5-7 before missing his receiver on third down and forcing a punt. Wisconsin’s first offensive possession started with two plays for five yards before Tanner Mordecai threw three passes for 73 yards resulting in a 20-yard touchdown pass to Bryson Green to make it 7-0 Badgers early in the first quarter.
On the next LSU possession, multiple penalties on both sides wound up with a 4th and 1 for the Tigers. From under center, Nussmeier gave it to Josh Williams who was tripped behind the line and stuffed for a loss. The Badgers took over and two plays later, Mordecai found his top target Will Pauling for a short gain, but a broken tackle turned the short gain into a 53-yard touchdown to give Wisconsin the 14-0 lead. Pauling had three catches for 113 yards and the touchdown for the quarter.
LSU answered with a long drive that ended with a touchdown run by All-American linebacker Harold Perkins Jr from one yard out to make it 14-7 in the second quarter. After a missed field goal from the Badgers, the Tigers got the ball back again and moved down the field with a mix of pass and run before true freshman Kaleb Jackson punched it in from 12 yards away to tie the game at 14-14 with 1:28 left in the first half.
Wisconsin answered immediately, scoring a touchdown in 40 seconds to regain the lead at 21-14. LSU tried to move down the field quickly, but the nation’s interception leader, Ricardo Hallman, snagged pick #7 for the season and allowed the Badgers to increase their lead before the half.
Wisconsin started the second half in a very similar way, going 75 yards in eight plays to score another touchdown, this time a 33-yard run from Jackson Acker to make it 28-14 early in the third quarter.
LSU answered 100 seconds later with a five-play, 75-yard drive before Nussmeier found Brian Thomas Jr for a 38-yard touchdown to make it 28-21 in favor of Wisconsin.
The LSU defense got a critical stop of the Badgers offense to get the ball back with a chance to tie the game. Nussmeier orchestrated another strong drive and found Brian Thomas Jr in the back corner of the endzone to tie the game at 28-28 with less than five minutes left in the third quarter.
Wisconsin added a short field goal towards the end of the third quarter to make it 31-28 with just one quarter remaining. After a couple of defensive stops by both teams, LSU got back into the endzone with a 98-yard drive that ended with a four-yard pass from Nussmeier to Brian Thomas Jr to take a 35-31 lead.
Wisconsin moved down the field, but the LSU defense stood strong with three straight sacks to win the game 35-31 and win 10 games for the second straight year.
BIG NUMBER: 773
Both Garrett Nussmeier and Tanner Mordecai combined for 773 yards passing in the Reliaquest Bowl, including 395 from LSU’s new quarterback who made his first career start.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Garrett Nussmeier
The Lake Charles native had a stellar first career start, completing 31-45 passes for 395 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Tigers offense.