By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU finished its football season Saturday night the way it often did in a lost 2025 season … with not quite enough.
No. 21 Houston gashed LSU’s defense throughout the night for 437 yards and 32 first downs in a 38-35 win at NRG Stadium in Houston as quarterback Conner Weigman – a transfer from Texas A&M – completed 27 of 36 passes for 236 yards and four touchdowns.
Houston running back Dean Connors amassed 126 yards on 16 carries and put the game away with a 20-yard touchdown run with 2:23 left for a 38-28 lead. The Cougars kept the ball for nearly 39 minutes of the 60-minute game as they rushed for 201 yards in all.
LSU stormed back to cut it to 38-35 with 1:15 to go on a 3-yard touchdown run by wide receiver Zavion Thomas. But an onside kick was recovered by the Cougars, and it was over just after the clock struck midnight as the Tigers lost their fourth game of the season by by a touchdown or less.
After entering the season No. 9 in the nation and getting off to a 5-1 start, the Tigers lost five of their last seven games.
It was not a good showing by defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s unit just weeks after Baker signed a new three-year, $9.3 million contract to stay with the Tigers and new coach Lane Kiffin, who hopes to infuse much more talent on both sides of the ball. But he was forced to play backups with top players like linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. opting out and Whit Weeks out with an ankle injury.
“We need to close that gap between our starters and our backups,” Baker said.
Kiffin did not coach the game, but was there and did a lengthy interview with ESPN’s broadcast crew and another one with the LSU Radio Network during the first half. Interim coach Frank Wilson finished 2-3 after replacing fired coach Brian Kelly on Oct. 26. Wilson is now off to Ole Miss as running backs coach. Kiffin left Ole Miss on Nov. 28 and was introduced as LSU’s coach on Dec. 1. All of LSU’s offensive staff will not be retained by Kiffin.
LSU quarterback Michael Van Buren completed 16 of 26 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns, but the Tigers were again plagued by a lack of running game as they totaled 77 yards on 24 carries.
Kiffin will be looking for new quarterbacks in the NCAA Transfer Portal, which opens on Friday.
“Things are good right now,” Van Buren said. “So, I’m going to go home, sit on it, and we’re going to see.”
He could’ve been speaking for much of the roster.
Houston (10-3) took a 31-28 lead midway through the fourth quarter on a 25-yard field goal by Ethan Sanchez. LSU had tied it 28-28 on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Van Buren to wide receiver Kyle Parker to open the fourth quarter.
LSU came back from a 21-14 halftime deficit to tie it at 21 on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Van Buren to tight end Trey’Dez Green.
Houston took a 28-21 lead on Weigman’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Traville Frederick.
The Tigers started the game off in style by taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but couldn’t hold it.
Barion Brown became the first LSU player since Hokie Gajan in 1978 to return an opening kickoff for a touchdown. He took it back 99 yards for the 7-0 lead just 14 seconds into the game.
Van Buren then drove LSU 60 yards in four plays for the 14-0 lead as he hit Green on a 23-yard touchdown pass. Van Buren stood strong in the pocket and took a major hit before letting it fly.
Houston came right back, though, and cut LSU’s lead to 14-7 with 6:08 to play on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Weigman to Amare Thomas after a 75-yard drive in nine plays.
The Cougars then outscored LSU 14-0 in the second quarter to take a 21-14 lead into halftime as Weigman took over the game. He drove Houston 73 yards in 14 plays with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Thomas for a 14-14 tie with 6:08 left in the second quarter. Then Weigman took the Cougars 90 yards on 11 plays through LSU’s struggling defense with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Tanner Koziol with just 30 seconds before halftime.
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