The headlines around LSU have been easy to understand. Lane Kiffin is in Baton Rouge, Sam Leavitt is giving fans plenty to talk about, and the offense keeps grabbing the spotlight.
But the real reason the Tigers have kept rolling is happening on the other side of the ball.
Under defensive coordinator Blake Baker, LSU has built a unit that pressures quarterbacks, forces mistakes and hands Kiffin’s offense extra chances to strike. That’s the part of this team that has quietly turned into its biggest strength.
The numbers say plenty. LSU entered its matchup against Auburn ranked third nationally in total defense, giving up just 246 yards per game through seven contests. And the recent stretch has shown that the defense is doing more than just keeping scores down - it’s setting the table for everything else LSU wants to do.
The pass rush has been the engine. Jordan Ross and Princewill Umanmielen have emerged as two of the SEC’s most disruptive edge players, and against Auburn they made life miserable for Byrum Brown.
Ross finished with two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss and was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week, while Umanmielen added another sack. LSU piled up seven sacks overall.
That front also made Auburn one-dimensional, holding the Tigers to 67 rushing yards on 35 carries. Once the ground game was shut down, the offense was forced into tougher passing situations all day.
That kind of pressure matters for more than just the box score. It creates punts, negative plays and stalled possessions, and that gives Leavitt and the LSU offense more chances to get into rhythm and build momentum.
The connection was crystal clear against Mississippi State. LSU blanked the Bulldogs 31-0, and the defense kept swinging the door open for the offense.
The Tigers forced five unsuccessful fourth-down tries, Ty Benefield picked off a pass, and Leavitt responded with four touchdown throws. He also finished with 289 passing yards.
That shutout also brought a major milestone for the defense: LSU’s first shutout against an SEC opponent since 2007.
The production hasn’t come from the pass rush alone. Linebackers TJ Dottery and Davhon Keys have helped steady the group even with injuries affecting the depth chart. Against Mississippi State, Dottery had 12 tackles and Keys added 10.
Behind them, the secondary has done its part too. DJ Pickett, PJ Woodland and Benefield have given Baker the coverage support needed to keep the pressure coming without constantly getting burned deep. That balance showed up against Texas A&M, where LSU held Marcel Reed to 106 passing yards and negative-13 rushing yards.
Containing mobile quarterbacks has become one of LSU’s best defensive traits, especially in a conference filled with dangerous dual-threat players.
Still, this defense hasn’t been spotless. The losses to Ole Miss and Kentucky exposed issues with tackling, gap discipline and communication, and injuries have taken away important pieces in Dashawn Spears and Whit Weeks. Against Kentucky, a missed adjustment on the final two-point conversion let Kenny Minchey get to the end zone.
"Someone got the call, and one didn't get the call," Kiffin explained afterward.
That moment showed how quickly things can fall apart when the execution slips.
"If you don't do fundamentally sound stuff, you get exposed versus good teams," he said.
So the questions are still there, even with the recent surge. LSU has shown it can generate pressure, and it has shown it can get solid play from its linebackers and secondary. The bigger test is whether that level holds up against better offensive lines.
With Alabama next, LSU gets another chance to answer that.
Kiffin and Leavitt may keep drawing the attention, but the defense is doing the heavy lifting that makes the offense so dangerous. If LSU is going to stay in the SEC championship conversation, Baker’s group has to keep being every bit as important as the unit getting the headlines.
In Other News...
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Lane Kiffin Doubles Down On LSU Move Amid Early Tigers Scrutiny
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LSU Fans Hate What Happened To This Alabama Showdown
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It also gives the matchup a little extra weight beyond the usual stakes. This will be the final annual meeting before the SECs revised scheduling rotation interrupts the series, and LSU and Alabama will not be back in Baton Rouge together until at least 2030. For a fan base that expected one more true primetime version of this game, the television slot landed like a letdown. [Read more 🡒]