GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
So far, so great for LSU first-year starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.
Through five games, Nussmeier is ahead of the pace of former LSU Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels after five games the year before each won the Heisman in 2019 and ’23, respectively.
After five games in 2018, Burrow, a junior, was 70-of-131 passing for 1,023 yards and six touchdowns with zero interceptions for a .534 completion percentage and 134.15 efficiency rating for the 5-0 and No. 5-ranked Tigers. They would finish 10-3 overall, 5-3 in the Southeastern Conference.
After five games in 2022, Daniels, a junior, was 89-of-131 passing for 1,215 yards and six touchdowns with zero interceptions for a .679 completion percentage and 160.96 efficiency rating for the 4-1 and No. 25 Tigers. They would finish 10-4 overall, 6-2 in the SEC.
Through five games in 2024, Nussmeier, also a junior, is 138 of 198 for 1,652 yards and 15 touchdowns with four interceptions for a .696 completion percentage and 160.7 efficiency rating for the 4-1 and No. 13 Tigers. LSU, 1-0 in the SEC, hosts No. 9 Ole Miss (5-1, 1-1 SEC) Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC). Only his efficiency rating is slightly off Daniels’ pace.
Burrow had played two SEC games, including a 22-21 win at No. 7 Auburn in which he directed a game-winning field goal drive in the final moments to win it. And he led the Tigers to a 33-17 victory over No. 8 Miami in the opener in Arlington, Texas. Daniels had also played two SEC games, including a 21-17 win at Auburn and had a non-conference loss, 24-23, to Florida State in the opener.
Nussmeier has a loss in the opener to No. 23 USC in Las Vegas. Like Burrow, he directed a game-winning, field goal drive in the final minutes to win it 36-33.
Burrow lost his sixth game, 27-19 at No. 22 Florida. Daniels lost his sixth game as well, 40-13 at home to No. 8 Tennessee.
Nussmeier knows, in many ways, the season starts Saturday.
“Can’t get lost in the hype,” Nussmeier said Tuesday. “Can’t get lost in all the extracurriculars.”
And Nussmeier can’t get lost in Tiger Stadium.
“This is the most electric atmosphere in all of college football,” he said. “We have the greatest fans in the world. It definitely helps us, but it’s also our job to give them something to cheer about. It’s our job to set the tone and get that stadium going. We know if we can do a good job of making plays and get that stadium excited, they’re going to make enough noise to have an impact as well. Any time, we play at night here, the crowd can make a difference.”
Nussmeier was on the sidelines last season in Oxford, Mississippi, when Daniels threw for 414 yards and four touchdowns and rushed 15 times for 99 yards and a touchdown, and still lost, 55-49, to Ole Miss. Since Ole Miss has its same quarterback in Jaxson Dart and much of its offense back and is second nationally in passing (372.8 yards a game) and in total offense (576.8 yards a game), he was asked if he feels pressure to light up the scoreboard as Daniels did.
“No,” he said. “I have faith in my defense. It’s not a one-side-of-the-ball sport.”
It was last season for LSU, though, as Brian Kelly said Monday at his press conference.
“This is a new situation,” Nussmeier said. “This is a new season. Everything’s different.”
The outcome of Saturday’s game could make everything different for the rest of the season for each team.
“We came to LSU expecting to play in games like this,” Nussmeier said. “Coming to LSU, you can’t be surprised by it.”
It’s why Burrow and Daniels both came to LSU before him.
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