LSU found a cleaner answer at left guard against Texas A&M, and the ripple effect showed up all over the offensive line.
After Ole Miss had the Tigers’ front scrambling in a 32-24 loss, LSU came back in a 35-6 win over Texas A&M with a much steadier pocket for Sam Leavitt, even though his hamstring injury limited his mobility. Lane Kiffin had already hinted after the Ole Miss game that personnel and schematic changes could be coming, and one of the biggest was a switch at left guard.
Bo Bordelon, a fifth-year senior, was out. Tennessee transfer William Satterwhite II stepped in.
Satterwhite’s day was not spotless. The redshirt sophomore posted a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade of 46.7 and a run-blocking mark of 52.7, and he was flagged for a holding penalty and an illegal man downfield call over his 59 snaps. Still, that was a clear improvement from the 0.5 pass-blocking grade Bordelon received against Ole Miss, a number that was later downgraded from an initial 12.6.
Even with those blemishes, Satterwhite helped stabilize the group. He allowed just one pressure and also handled center duties with the second unit.
The starting line’s overall numbers told the bigger story. LSU allowed hurries on only three of Leavitt’s 25 drop backs and gave up no sacks, even with Texas A&M blitzing 12 times, according to PFF. Leavitt, forced to stay in the pocket because of the hamstring issue, went 17 of 23 for 312 yards and two touchdowns.
That was a far cry from the Ole Miss game, when Leavitt was hurried 12 times, sacked twice, pressured on 47.4 percent of his drop backs and forced to scramble seven times.
The other guard spot was just as important. Maryland transfer Aliou Bah kept his starting job over Ole Miss transfer Devin Harper and delivered LSU’s best pass-blocking grade at 86.1.
He did not allow a sack, hurry or pressure. The week before, Bah had a 39.6 pass-blocking grade after giving up one sack and three hurries.
LSU also made life easier on its protection by leaning heavily on play action. The Tigers used play-action concepts on 64 percent of Leavitt’s drop backs, and he completed 13 of 15 play-action throws for 247 yards and both touchdowns.
The reaction after the Ole Miss loss was harsh, and the praise after Texas A&M may be just as loud. But one strong night does not erase the larger question. The Aggies’ front has been under scrutiny while replacing three NFL Draft picks, and they entered the game tied for No. 120 out of 138 FBS teams with four sacks in four games.
LSU still has seven SEC games left, and the next stretch will say plenty. None of the Tigers’ next three league opponents - No.
24 Kentucky on the road on Oct. 10, No.
16 Mississippi State at home on Oct. 17, and Auburn away on Oct. 24 - bring a pass rush that looks significantly more intimidating than Texas A&M’s. But Ole Miss did not look overwhelming before that LSU game either.
Two ranked opponents and trips to Kentucky and Auburn will be real tests of whether the Tigers’ offensive front can keep this up. If questions are still hanging around by the end of October, then Kiffin and Co. will head into their Halloween bye week with No.
7 Alabama, No. 1 Texas and No.
17 Tennessee looming in November.
In Other News...
LSUs Poll Position After That Win Says Plenty About The Tigers
LSUs latest surge still came with a familiar caveat in the polls, even after a convincing 35-6 win over Texas A&M. The Tigers held at No. 11 in the Coaches Poll and slipped one spot to No. 11 in the AP Top 25, a ranking that says as much about the national crowdedness around them as it does about their own performance. Floridas climb to No. 8 after beating Ole Miss was one of the bigger shifts near the top, but LSUs place remained a reminder that one big win does not always bring a corresponding leap.
For LSU, the more interesting part may be how little room there is left for error if the Tigers want the respect that usually comes with a late-season push. The AP list and the coaches version both showed movement elsewhere, with teams dropping out and others collecting votes, but LSU stayed planted just outside the top tier. In a week when some programs rose sharply and others faded from view, the Tigers were left in the middle, good enough to stay in the conversation but still waiting for the kind of change in perception that only comes with another statement win. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs SEC Push Suddenly Depends On How Far These Backups Can Go
After bouncing back with a win over Texas A&M in Week 4, LSU enters the heart of SEC play with a very different kind of test ahead of it. The Tigers are trying to keep momentum going after the loss to Ole Miss, but the bigger issue now is survival depth, with injuries thinning out key spots across the roster and forcing the next wave of players into the spotlight.
That has pushed backups like Landen Clark, Jackson Harris, Davhon Keys and Tamarcus Cooley into more important roles than LSU likely planned this early in the season. With linebacker Whit Weeks, quarterback Sam Leavitt, wide receiver Phillip Wright III, tight end TreyDez Green, linebacker Charles Ross II and safety Dashawn Spears all on the injury list, the Tigers push through the SEC may come down to how steady those reserve pieces can be while the staff waits for help to return. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Texas A&M Grades Revealed One Breakout And One Lingering Concern
Pro Football Focus latest grading from LSUs game against Texas A&M offered a tidy snapshot of where the Tigers found traction and where they still have work to do. Jackson Harris came out as the highest-graded offensive player with a 92.0 mark, while Tamarcus Cooley paced the defense at 87.7, giving LSU a couple of bright spots to point to after a matchup that demanded consistency on both sides of the ball.
The same report also flagged the Tigers rougher edges, with Jayce Brown drawing the lowest offensive grade and Dylan Carpenter landing at the bottom on defense. For LSU, that kind of split matters because it reinforces the difference between isolated standouts and full-game reliability, leaving the staff with clear evidence of who is elevating the group and where the lingering concern still sits. [Read more 🡒]