LSU’s offense looked like it desperately needed a confidence boost, and on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium they got exactly that—against a Southeastern Louisiana FCS team that was in over its head. It was textbook “get-right” football: the starters steamrolling an inferior opponent, even if you could still spot a few pesky drops, missed blocks and an injury or two that’ll cause some angst.
When Garrett Nussmeier trotted out, you could practically hear the collective hold-your-breath from the crowd. He’s been battling a torso tweak and hadn’t shown much downfield pop earlier this season. But right from the opening drive, he looked like a new man. At the Lions’ 40-yard line he planted, threw a perfect spiral to the back corner of the end zone—too bad Nic Anderson couldn’t reel it in, but hey, seeing that deep rainbow after weeks of dinky throws felt like a breath of fresh air.
By night’s end, Nussmeier was 25 of 31 for 273 yards, three touchdowns, plus he ripped off his longest scramble ever and snuck in a fourth TD at the goal line. With LSU up 42-0 early in the third quarter, he even got to swag-walk off the field with a towel draped over his shoulder, watching the backups mop up.
Garrett Nussmeier preps well for Ole Miss in win over Southeastern La.https://t.co/HuXY3bwTpe
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 21, 2025
“That’s the QB you’ll see all year,” Brian Kelly said. “He felt great running, we knew he was healthy by how he was throwing, and you saw his comfort level go way up.”
Remember how through three games he’d completed only one pass over 20 yards and was 4-for-13 on deep shots? Tonight he uncorked two roughly 50-yard bombs, drew a pass-interference flag, and went 1-for-2 on throws beyond 20 yards. “We’ve only scratched the surface,” veteran DT Jacobian Guillory said. “Once Garrett really fires on all cylinders, LSU’s going to be scary.”
The Tigers leaned on the run, too—especially when Nussmeier turned a third-and-11 into a 26-yard scramble that set up Ju’Juan Johnson’s second score. Johnson had two TDs, and transfer QB Michael Van Buren showed off some nifty play-extending runs in his LSU debut. “I’m a sucker for QBs who can buy time with their legs,” one scout nodded, impressed by Van Buren’s power and burst.
Defensively, LSU flat-out shut Southeastern down, forcing stops on the Lions’ first three drives and holding them to 30 total first-half yards. Their only touchdown came against LSU reserves in the second half.
Of course, it wasn’t perfect. A few drops could have killed drives but didn’t, and redshirt freshman RT Weston Davis struggled so badly that DJ Chester subbed in and started in the second half—only to get booted for targeting covering a missed 59-yard field goal. That means no Chester at Ole Miss next week in the first half. But whenever the line wavered, Nussmeier answered. After a sack on one drive, he marched downfield and hit Zavion Thomas for 17 yards on fourth-and-11. On another, he escaped a collapsing pocket and squeezed a dart to Barion Brown for a TD before halftime.
“Maybe I should’ve tried to score on that scramble,” he laughed. “Everybody told me I should’ve. But baby steps.”
LSU’s 56-10 win was never in doubt, but what mattered was the momentum: a defense that stonewalled an FCS foe, a rushing attack carving up turf, and a quarterback who looks healthy, confident and suddenly dangerous downfield.
Sure, beating Southeastern Louisiana won’t wow the playoff committee, and wins over 1-3 Clemson and Florida will now only count as W’s on paper and nothing more. But LSU’s deep and talented offense shaking off doubts and finding a rhythm before the SEC grind—that’s the real takeaway.
Who saw that coming in August?
Caden Durham’s Ankle Injury
The Tigers’ already-sputtering ground attack faces new uncertainty after sophomore running back Caden Durham limped off with an ankle sprain during LSU’s 56-10 rout of Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday.
Durham, who leads the team with 52 carries but has managed just 4.4 yards per attempt through four games, will undergo an MRI on Sunday to determine the severity of the injury.
“We like to check those things out,” head coach Brian Kelly said after the game. “So we’ll get probably an MRI, make sure everything’s good, or a full scan tomorrow, and then we’ll have a better report on him.”
The timing couldn’t be worse for an LSU rushing attack that ranks 11th in the SEC heading into next weekend’s crucial matchup with Ole Miss. While sophomore Ju’Juan Johnson stepped up Saturday, Kelly will likely need to lean more heavily on junior Kaleb Jackson and freshman Harlem Berry if Durham can’t go against the Rebels’ formidable front seven.
Speaking Of The Rebels Defense
As LSU’s offense finds its footing, however, the timing potentially couldn’t be better: the Tigers head to The Grove next Saturday to face an Ole Miss defense that’s equal parts opportunistic and exploitable.
Through four games, the Rebels have flashed elite pass coverage—holding opponents under 190 yards through the air and forcing timely turnovers—but they’ve been gashed on the ground, surrendering nearly 200 rushing yards per contest.
Enter LSU, potentially minus star back Caden Durham (strained ankle), yet buoyed by a deep receiving corps and an elite quarterback who’s starting to click. Without Durham’s power runs, the Tigers will lean on tempo and play-action—and Ole Miss’s vulnerability to early down attacks plays right into that script. Expect LSU to challenge the Rebels’ edge contain, work the perimeter on tosses and stretch runs, and mix in quick hitters to neutralize Pete Golding’s zone blitz packages.
If LSU’s offensive line can weather Kapena Gushiken and Jaden Yates at the second level—and if backup ball-carriers step up—the Tigers could turn Ole Miss’s porous run defense into the cure for an ailing ground attack. In Oxford, the Rebels’ strength against the pass may keep LSU honest, but their porous run fits the exact prescription the Tigers need to keep their young offense rolling—even without Durham. Ju’Juan Johnson and Harlem Berry, welcome to Oxford . . .
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