LSU either desperately needs to play a ranked opponent, or it needs to improve drastically so when it does play No. 5 Ole Miss in three weeks, it will not find itself in a desperate situation.
For the second time in three weeks, the No. 16 Tigers fooled around with a large underdog and found itself tied with 24-point underdog UCLA at halftime before waking up and coasting to a 34-17 win over the Bruins before a sparse crowd at Tiger Stadium. The crowd was announced as 100,315 based on tickets sold, but there was probably only half of that as the first half ended in a 17-17 deadlock.
Two weeks ago, LSU let 46-point dog Nicholls State hang around and get within 23-21 early in the third quarterback before winning going away, 44-21. The Tigers (3-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) were fortunate to pull out a 36-33 win last week at South Carolina after trailing 17-0 in the second quarter.
LSU better not fool around with South Alabama (2-2) next week (6:45 p.m., SEC Network) at Tiger Stadium. The Jaguars of first-year coach and Baton Rouge native Major Applewhite are one of the top scoring teams in the nation with 48.3 points a game. Applewhite, a former Catholic High and Texas quarterback and Alabama offensive coordinator, saw his Jaguars beat Northwestern State, 87-10, last week before winning, 48-14, at Appalachian State on Thursday night.
The Tigers did methodically take control of the game in the third quarter with a 96-yard drive in 14 plays, taking up six minutes and 33 seconds for a 24-17 lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by tailback Josh Williams. LSU made it 31-17 early in the fourth quarter with a 92-yard drive in 11 plays. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw a 35-yard touchdown to tailback Caden Durham at the 11:15 mark.
Nussmeier was very sharp again, and where would LSU be without him? He completed 32 of 44 passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns. LSU’s run game was again so-so. Williams gained 62 yards on 13 carries, but after looking like the man last week, Caden Durham gained just 14 yards on six rushes.
Damian Ramos added a 32-yard field goal for a 34-17 lead with 5:48 to play.
UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers completed 22 of 36 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. He tied the game at 17 on an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Logan Loya with :02 remaining before halftime. His 20-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jack Pedersen tied the game 7-7 midway through the first quarter. The Bruins even led briefly at 10-7 on a 47-yard field goal by Mateen Bhaghani with 17 seconds to go in the first quarter.
LSU came right back with a 75-yard drive in four plays to take a 14-10 lead on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Nussmeier to wide receiver Kyle Parker. Ramos put LSU up, 17-10, with a 34-yard field goal with 3:45 left in the second quarter. But UCLA went right down the field, which did not bode well for LSU’s defense and the rest of the season.
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