LSU’s offense took a hit in Saturday night’s 31-13 loss to Alabama, and the numbers backed up what the scoreboard already said.
The Tigers posted a 74.4 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus, their lowest since the 32-24 loss at Ole Miss on Sept. 19.
LSU’s defense checked in at 75, which was the unit’s lowest mark since the 35-34 overtime loss at Kentukcy on Oct. 10.
No. 14 LSU fell to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in Southeastern Conference play, while No. 5 Alabama moved to 7-2 and 5-2 in the SEC.
Jackson Harris was once again the bright spot for LSU’s offense. The Hawaii transfer earned an 80.7 grade, the best on the team for the third straight game, after catching 11 passes for 166 yards.
He was targeted 18 times and had one drop. Harris broke his previous career high in catches from the week before and posted his third game this season with more than 160 receiving yards.
He now sits No. 17 nationally and No. 2 in the SEC with 800 receiving yards.
Trey’Dez Green also turned in a strong outing in his second game back since the knee injury he suffered against Ole Miss. He caught 10 of 13 targets for 85 yards, did not drop a pass and added a 75.1 grade as a pass blocker.
On defense, DJ Pickett continued his steady season. The sophomore allowed no completions on two targets, posted a 71.8 coverage grade and picked up his first sack of the year. He finished with three tackles.
TJ Dottery was busy all over the field, leading LSU with nine tackles, all of them unassisted. He also produced two hurries in seven pass rush snaps and earned a 93 pass rush grade, according to PFF.
Stephiylan Green did not show up in the official tackle column, but PFF credited him with one in 32 snaps. He also forced one hurry.
The roughest grades landed on LSU’s offensive line and a few key skill players. Braelin Moore finished with a 49.3 grade, though his run blocking mark of 57.7 was the second-best among LSU linemen. His pass blocking grade was 26.5, and he allowed one sack and three hurries in 58 opportunities.
Eugene Wilson III had 61 yards on three catches, with most of that production coming on a 31-yard catch and run on LSU’s final drive of the first half. Even so, he received only a 56.3 receiving grade after hauling in three of six targets. PFF also charged him with his fifth and sixth drops of the season.
Sean Thompkins Jr. entered at right tackle in the third quarter after Weston Davis appeared to suffer a right ankle injury. Thompkins played 32 snaps and logged a 70.1 run blocking grade, second on the team behind Davis’s 73.3, but his pass blocking grade was a team-low 20.6 after he allowed a QB hit and two pressures in 23 opportunities.
Aliou Bah struggled on the right side as well. The Maryland transfer right guard posted a 49.2 run blocking grade and a 59.5 pass blocking grade, while giving up two hurries. LSU ran behind him eight times for 25 yards, or 3.1 yards per carry.
The lowest defensive grade went to Ja’Keem Jackson, the only LSU defender below 55. The rotational defensive back played 27 snaps, made one tackle, missed one tackle and allowed an 8-yard catch on his lone target.
In Other News...
LSU Playoff Hopes Took A Brutal Hit For One Frustrating Reason
LSUs playoff path took a major blow in Tuscaloosa, where the Tigers left with a 31-13 loss to Alabama despite moving the ball well for long stretches. The numbers on the stat sheet were not the problem so much as what happened when LSU got close to the goal line. The Tigers piled up more than 450 yards of offense and controlled possession, but drives kept dying in the red zone, and missed field goals plus turnovers turned promising possessions into empty ones.
Alabama made LSU pay for every mistake, with quarterback Keelon Russell delivering a sharp performance by completing 17 of 24 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns. LSUs offense also had to deal with steady pressure and a rushing attack that never really took hold, which made the red-zone failures even more costly. For a team trying to stay in the College Football Playoff conversation, it was the kind of frustrating loss that lingers because the production was there, but the finishing touch was not. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Suffered Another Alabama Gut Punch At Home
LSU spent much of the night doing enough to stay in the game on paper, but not enough where it mattered most, and Alabama left Tiger Stadium with another familiar result in a place that has become increasingly unfriendly to the Tigers. The Crimson Tide won 31-13, extending a run that has seen them take seven of their last eight trips to Baton Rouge, even though LSU actually outgained Alabama in total yards.
The frustration for LSU came from missed chances that piled up as the game went on, including failed fourth-down tries and a missed field goal that kept points off the board when the Tigers needed them most. Afterward, Lane Kiffin said the loss has to be put behind them, but for LSU the bigger issue is harder to ignore: against Alabama, the margin keeps getting decided by execution, not effort. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious After Alabama Loss
LSUs latest trip through the SEC gauntlet ended with another frustrating reminder of how far the offense still has to go. In the 31-13 loss to Alabama, the Tigers could not get enough going on the ground, and when opportunities did show up in scoring position, turnovers kept short drives from turning into points. It was the kind of night that left LSU chasing the game instead of dictating it, with the Crimson Tide able to lean on explosive plays while the Tigers searched for any rhythm.
There were still a few individual bright spots, including running back Dilin Jones and receiver Jackson Harris, but they were not enough to change the bigger picture. Quarterback Max Johnson also had to adjust his style because of injury, adding another layer to an offense already trying to piece itself together. With the defeat serving as LSUs third loss of the season, the anger from the fan base feels less like an overreaction and more like the accumulation of too many familiar problems showing up again at the same time. [Read more 🡒]