LSU falls to Florida State, 45-24, as Tigers have clear issues

The LSU Tigers lost to the Florida State Seminoles, 45-24, in a disappointing night for a team with national championship aspirations. What does this loss mean for the Tigers?

The Tigers were unable to get settled in the first half of this game as they played with a horrible pace that forced them to make a lot of mistakes. In all fairness, Florida State made a lot of mistakes in the first half but they were able to rebound well in the second half.

Despite losing the ball on downs twice, LSU was able to score two touchdowns and a field goal on their way to a three-point lead at halftime. In the second half, Florida State would continue the scoring frenzy but LSU was unable to respond as Jayden Daniels threw an interception late in the third and the Tigers lost the ball on downs on another drive. Florida State would go up 45-17 after LSU lost the ball on downs and all hope was lost after that.

What can LSU fans take away from this loss?

The LSU Tigers have clear issues on special teams as Aaron Anderson muffed a punt in this game. Additionally, it is very clear that the Tigers are not very good on defense. Yes, they have studs like Harold Perkins Jr. among others but the team has a lot of depth issues. Perkins Jr. is unable to rush the QB due to the fact that they need to drop back in coverage.

Perkins, who is one of the best pass rushers in college football, is forced to play out of position due to the fact that the Tigers do not have good depth at all. The offense was also unable to execute on key offensive downs which forced LSU to give up the ball on downs. LSU was unable to get a yard for the TD on four downs.

One example of this is on the first drive of the game where Daniels got sacked on fourth and goal at FSU’s 1-yard-line. It’s easy with the benefit of hindsight but the Tigers should have run the ball. Instead, they allowed the Seminoles’ defensive line to overpower the Tigers to prevent a score.

LSU still has plenty of time to get themselves together with the rest of their in-conference fully ahead of them. Their next matchup playing against a team that is up to their talent level is Ole Miss. They have the whole month to play a more settled version of football, figure out their LSU defensive depth issues, and find ways to execute key offensive plays. If they are able to do so, the Tigers can end up getting a chance to go to the college football playoff.

It would require the Tigers to win out going forward but this is a team with a lot of talent so it is possible. The first major step in doing that will require them to win out before they play Ole Miss who has a similar level of talent to the Tigers.