Through eight games, LSU’s offense had looked like one of the most dangerous units in the country. It was explosive, productive and, at times, flat-out fun to watch.
The Tigers were sitting sixth nationally and first in the SEC in total offense at 510 yards per game. They were averaging 318 passing yards and 192 rushing yards, while putting up 40.1 points a night.
That scoring mark ranked seventh in the country and second in the SEC. LSU’s attack was clearly pass-heavy, but the run game had still been effective enough to keep defenses honest.
That was a massive leap from last season, when LSU finished 101st in scoring offense at 22.8 points per game and 109th in total offense at 333.5 yards per game.
Then came Alabama.
Against the Crimson Tide, LSU managed only 13 points despite piling up 457 total yards and outgaining Alabama. The Tigers threw for 380 yards, but all that movement between the 20s never translated into enough points. That was the ugly part of the night, and it pointed straight to the problem that could end up costing LSU a playoff spot if it doesn’t get fixed.
The issue is all about the red zone.
Before the Alabama game, LSU’s scoring profile looked like a strength. The Tigers had actually been scoring at a higher rate than Alabama entering the matchup.
They were 40-of-45 in the red zone for 32 touchdowns and eight field goals, with both their 45 trips and 40 scores ranking second nationally. Even so, their red zone offense ranked 37th in the country, converting 88.9% of those chances.
Saturday made that weakness impossible to ignore.
LSU had four red zone trips against Alabama and came away with just 10 points. That’s the kind of number that turns a high-powered offense into a wasted opportunity machine.
The blame doesn’t sit on one side alone. It lands on coaches and players alike.
Still, the bigger issue is the lack of effective playcalling in that area of the field. LSU needs calls that fit what it does best once the field shrinks.
The criticism isn’t really about Lane Kiffin’s choice to go for it on a pair of fourth downs. It’s more about the offense not having the right answers when it got close.
Alabama’s defense deserves credit too, because it was excellent down there. LSU also leaned on the run a lot, and when it did throw, blocking breakdowns forced Leavitt to scramble.
But the Tigers still couldn’t find the right play, or the right packages, when it mattered most inside the 20. That’s where the frustration lives.
After the game, Kiffin said the game “comes down to red zone and fourth downs.”
He was right. Those were the moments that decided it.
On Sunday, Kiffin added that Alabama changed its red zone looks after the bye week. He also said Sam Leavitt’s late-first-half interception was “trying too much” when a field goal was available.
And this wasn’t the first time Kiffin had pointed to missed chances. After the Kentucky loss earlier in October, he said his team was simply missing plays, whether that meant a receiver open in the end zone that nobody saw or a missed block.
Still, his message on the red zone issue was plain.
“You got to score touchdowns in the red zone," Kiffin said.
What makes the whole thing even harder to ignore is that LSU has barely used one of its best answers down there. Trey’Dez Green, the 6-foot-7 tight end and the team’s best athlete, was targeted just twice on 15 red zone plays against Alabama.
That’s a striking choice when Green led the 2025 team with seven touchdown receptions.
And LSU didn’t exactly make up for it by leaning on other big threats. Jackson Harris, the Tigers’ only other major pass-catching weapon, got just one red zone target.
In Other News...
LSU Just Added A Louisiana Linebacker Worth Watching Closely
LSU kept a Louisiana linebacker in the fold with the addition of JaMarquis Hudson, who flipped his commitment from Kansas to the Tigers. The move brings him back closer to home after he built his high school profile in Texas, and it also gives LSU another defender with real ties to the state and a clear connection to the programs staff.
Hudson said family ties to Louisiana and his relationships with LSU coaches played a major role in the change, and he has already developed a strong rapport with linebackers coach Chris Kiffin. He also knows there is work ahead, planning to add weight so he can better fit LSUs defensive scheme, which makes his development one of the more interesting things to watch as this commitment settles in. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Alabama Grades Exposed One Bright Spot And One Big Concern
Pro Football Focus postgame grades offered a quick snapshot of where LSU held up and where it slipped in the loss to Alabama, and the numbers pointed to one clear offensive bright spot. Wide receiver Jackson Harris came out with the Tigers top offensive grade at 80.7, a sign that he was one of the few LSU players who consistently made his presence felt in a tough matchup.
The bigger concern showed up inside, where center Braelin Moore posted the lowest offensive mark at 49.3. On the other side of the ball, cornerback DJ Pickett led LSU with a 76.3 grade, and the defensive chart did not feature any glaringly poor performances, which leaves the focus on an offense that still has some sorting out to do. [Read more 🡒]
Will Wade Sent LSU A Warning After That Blowout
A big win over Texas Southern did not leave Will Wade sounding particularly satisfied, and that says plenty about where LSU is right now. Even after the Tigers handled business, Wade pointed to offensive inefficiencies and turnovers as the kind of slippage that can get exposed once the schedule stiffens, especially with Louisiana Tech and Gonzaga coming up next.
Donovan Dent said the message from the coach was all about staying locked in and not letting a lopsided result blur the bigger picture. For LSU, the concern is less about the final score from one night and more about whether the Tigers can clean up the details fast enough to be ready when the competition gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]