Upon further review, in the end, LSU’s defense lost the Ole Miss game Saturday in Oxford, Mississippi, 24-19.
As is often the case, offense grabs the headlines. Particularly when a once-Heisman Trophy favorite like quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is suddenly throwing the football like Jordan Jefferson because of an abdomen injury. At times, he seems better. At times, it looks like he doesn’t know where his passes are going.
This is not the same Garrett Nussmeier who routinely threw for 300 yards a game last season. Column:https://t.co/apCyYnE6gt
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 28, 2025
LSU coach Brian Kelly says he’s not hurt. Nussmeier says he’s not answering questions about is health, which makes it sound like he doesn’t want to talk about the fact that he’s hurt.
Still, as off as Nussmeier was at times – his interception into a crowd from the Ole Miss 29-yard line when another receiver was open deeper in the second quarter and underthrowing an open Chris Hilton Jr. for what would’ve been a touchdown in the third quarter – he got it together late.
Nussmeier completed 10 of his last 16 passes of the game for 77 yards and drove the Tigers to 13 points on his last three possessions. Nussmeier and even LSU’s running game was actually clicking as it saved its best drive of the game for last – an 80-yard touchdown possession on 15 plays over 5:58 to get within 24-19 with 5:04 to play in the game.
Nussmeier completed 5-of-9 passes for 53 yards, including two fourth-down conversions on the drive. On 4th-and-3 from the Ole Miss 38, he found wide receiver Kyle Parker for three yards. On 4th-and-5 from Ole Miss 30, Nussmeier hit Parker again for 10 yards.
Meanwhile, LSU rushed six times for 30 yards on the drive and actually converted one of just two third downs on the day when Ju’Juan Johnson gained six yards up the middle on 3rd-and-2 from the LSU 28. Freshman Harlem Berry gained nine yards on a 2nd-and-5 to the Ole Miss 6, and Berry took it in from there for the touchdown.
Finally, for the first time since LSU’s second drive of the game when the Tigers went 67 yards in five plays and Nussmeier was 4-of-4 passing for 68 yards, the Tigers looked like they had an offense.
The second touchdown drive came after two short drives for field goals to get LSU within 17-13.
So, coming off that 80-yard drive and cutting the lead to five points, LSU’s offense was hot and confident. All it needed was the ball one more time.
And the Tigers never saw the ball again as Ole Miss drove 56 yards in 11 plays to end the game.
“Yeah, definitely, I mean your mindset going into that was you’ve got to have a stop in order to win the game,” LSU linebacker Whit Weeks said. “And we didn’t get a stop.”
LSU drops to No. 13 in AP poll.https://t.co/nWwQ0hV8od
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 28, 2025
And Ole Miss rushed on seven straight plays. Wasn’t like it was anything fancy for LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker to figure out. The Rebels picked up their first two of three first downs on the critical drive without even facing a third down with an 11-yard jaunt by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and a 17-yard gash by running back Kewan Lacy.
Where was the defense?
Finally, it stiffened as defensive end Patrick Payton stuffed Chambliss for a 1-yard gain to force a 4th-and-3 from the LSU 35, with 1:46 to play. A stop there, and LSU has a chance. But Chambliss completed a 20-yard pass to tight end Dae’Quan Wright in the flat. He was so open, it looked like he came off the sideline.
And it was over.
Love Blake Baker’s fit
— Alex Restrepo (@Repo) August 31, 2025
LSU Baseball hat
Hoodie with the original LSU logo pic.twitter.com/MoVbleE31L
Baker should have to give back that national champion LSU baseball cap he wears on the sidelines after that possession.
LSU DEFENSE FOLDED IN 2ND HALF
And don’t give me this, “The defense was tired.” Yes, it was on the field for 50 plays in the first half, forcing two three-and-outs, another punt and getting a fumble before Ole Miss took a 17-7 lead at the break. But LSU’s defense had halftime to rest.
“Clearly, we held on for dear life in the first half, because we put them on the field for 50 plays,” Kelly said. “But that wasn’t the case in the second half. We didn’t have B gap security. The ball got outside our defense. We couldn’t get off the field on third down (as Ole Miss was 8 of 16). And they weren’t tired.”
No, it was more Ole Miss coach/offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin and his titled OC Charlie Weis Jr. outfoxing Baker. And at times, Baker had the right defense called, but LSU’s players didn’t answer.
Linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., for example, had all of four tackles and no quarterback hurries as Chambliss rushed for 71 yards on 14 carries and threw for another 314 yards. LSU had no sacks on the day, marking the first time Ole Miss allowed no sacks to a top five opponent since 2019 against LSU.
“We just didn’t execute at the level we’ve been executing defensvely in the second half,” Kelly said. “And we were starting to move and get some rhythm on offense.”
Yes, three straight scoring drives.
“And now, we’re not having that same rhythm on defense,” Kelly said. “We have to play better.”
LSU’s defense in the end gave up a season-high 480 yards after coming in No. 17 in the nation in total defense with just 246 a game. LSU’s front line, linebackers and much praised and expensive transfer safeties Tamarcus Cooley and A.J. Haulcy did not have good games.
LSU’s defense also saved its worst for last – the exact opposite of the offense.
Oh, that 4th-and-3 with 1:46 to go.
“We had them in situations, and we let ’em out,” Kelly said. “We had them backed up.”
When LSU was within 17-13 early in the fourth quarter, the same thing happened.
Ole Miss faced a 3rd-and-14 at its 47-yard line. A stop by Baker’s defense there, and LSU’s improving offense could’ve taken its time on a drive and take the lead.
“The game’s in the balance, and we’re in Cover 2,” Kelly said. “And they throw a dig on us.”
Chambliss hit wide receiver Harrison Wallace III for 18 yards off Haulcy to the LSU 35-yard line. Five plays later, the Rebels extended their lead to 24-13.
“Like, you’ve got five (defensive backs) under on that,” Kelly said. “We should’ve ate that up, right?”
Wrong.
“We can’t play this game of, ‘We’ll play well defensively for a bit,'” Kelly said. “Then, we’re going to play OK on offense for a bit.’ We’re not clicking on all cylinders.”
But the cylinders on defense are more talented, experienced and expensive, particularly considering a completely rebuilt offensive line. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin sure noticed that.
“I thought that their defense was as advertised,” he said. “I mean, they’re loaded on defense. I told Brian Kelly in warm-ups, I was like, ‘That’s an NFL team down there.'”
And those future NFL players on LSU’s defense choked it.
“These games, they feel good when you win them, when the other team is loaded with players and has NFL players all over the place,” Kiffin said. “You’ll see that in the draft the next two years coming out of there.”
That was a lot of Name, Image & Likeness money and portal transfer cash on LSU’s defen$e that let Ole Miss keep the ball for that last 5:04.
“Last thing I told our coaches, ‘You’re going to earn your money today in this one. It’s not going to be easy,'” Kiffin said. “And I thought our guys made a lot of really big calls.”
As Nussmeier waited for one more possession, helplessly.
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