LSU’s season has reached the point where every snap feels heavier, and the biggest question hanging over Saturday’s matchup with Texas starts up front.
The Tigers’ offensive line took a beating in the loss to Alabama, and that collapse helped turn a tight game into a 31-13 defeat. LSU was still in striking distance late in the third quarter, leading 13-10, before the fourth quarter unraveled.
On one of the defining plays, Alabama brought five rushers on fourth-and-3 in Crimson Tide territory, and linebacker Caleb Woodson worked his way through the middle of the protection to get a hand up and knock down Sam Leavitt’s pass. That stop forced LSU into its second turnover on downs of the night.
That was part of a broader offensive failure for LSU, which came away with only 13 points despite piling up nearly 500 yards. The Tigers turned the ball over on downs four times and reached the end zone just once in four red-zone trips. The result dropped LSU to 6-3 and left the Tigers with little room left if they want to stay in the College Football Playoff picture.
Now comes Texas, and Lane Kiffin sees a defense that can make life miserable for any offense that isn’t sharp.
“I think (Texas is) getting healthy at the right time, really like Alabama did last week, too,” LSU coach Lane Kiffin said. “These guys over the years have done a great job signing high school players, developing them and then adding great portal players.”
The challenge for LSU is obvious. According to Pro Football Focus, the Tigers’ losses to Ole Miss, Alabama and Kentucky - all top-20 teams in the latest College Football Playoff rankings - are the only games this season in which Leavitt has been pressured more than 15 times.
Against Alabama, PFF credited center Braelin Moore and right guard Aliou Bah with four pressures allowed apiece. When right tackle Weston Davis exited with a lower-body injury, Sean Thompkins stepped in and gave up two more pressures on 23 pass-blocking snaps.
Texas brings a pass rush that can punish those kinds of breakdowns. Colin Simmons has 10.5 sacks in only seven games, and the Longhorns’ 27 sacks as a team trail only Georgia, LSU and Tennessee in the SEC.
Kiffin knows the answer in theory, even if pulling it off is another matter.
“Throw quick, throw screens, run the ball well,” Kiffin said when asked how LSU can scheme around Texas’ dangerous pass rush. “But outside of that, it would be pretty schematical.”
Simmons was limited to 18 snaps last week against Missouri, according to PFF, and he missed the previous two games with a high-ankle sprain. Still, Kiffin made clear how much respect he has for him.
“Obviously, if Colin plays,” Kiffin said, “he’s one of the premier players at any position in college football.”
LSU’s problems against Alabama weren’t all about pass protection. The Tigers averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, not counting sack yardage, and Leavitt had stretches where he held the ball too long or looked to escape the pocket too quickly.
Even so, the line has struggled most when the competition has risen. LSU has looked far more comfortable against lesser defenses such as Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Auburn, in part because Leavitt has had more time to push the ball downfield.
Whether that holds against Texas is another matter entirely. For LSU, the path forward is clear enough: the offensive line has to play better, or the playoff chase could get even tighter.
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