Examining LSU’s Problems Offensively

LSU suffered its first setback of the season in a 24 -19 loss to Ole Miss. Although the game was closely contested, the Rebels further exposed a few of LSU’s problems over the course of their win. Some issues were apparent, but were swept under the rug, while wins kept coming. It’s beyond time for Brian Kelly and the LSU staff to face some harsh truths about their team.

LSU’s Problems on Offense

The Nussmeier Dilemma

This was supposed to be the year. Garrett Nussmeier waited patiently to start in the era of multiple transfers per player and college football free agency. He had a solid year in 2024 without the help of a running game or upper-tier defense. All the stars seemed aligned for Nussmeier to elevate his game as a senior in 2025 on the way to becoming a first-round pick.

Something happened along the way that altered his course. News of a leg injury leaked from fall camp practice. The excitement of the season-opening win at Clemson didn’t leave much room for questions about the conservative offensive game plan in that game. The world finally found out about his torso injury after the Florida win. Ole Miss has now made it more apparent than ever that LSU has a problem, and it’s time for an uncomfortable conversation.

We get it; he’s not completely healthy. But there comes a point at which the question must be asked – what does he add to the offense? Nussmeier isn’t a runner even when healthy. He currently can’t physically make the throws needed for the offense to thrive. To make things worse, he continues to make unnecessary, ill-advised throws into coverage.

The LSU staff has the responsibility to make the best decisions for the team above anything else. This is not about loyalty to a player, because the team comes first. The Tigers are obviously limited in what they can achieve with this level of quarterback play. Choosing to continue trotting out a hobbled quarterback is choosing to accept another year of missing the playoffs.

What’s the Alternative?

Backup quarterback Michael Van Buren started the bulk of the 2024 season for Mississippi State as a true freshman after an injury to the original starter. We don’t expect much from freshmen starters in Power Four conferences, especially in Starkville, where the supporting cast is lacking. But Van Buren was competent if not spectacular.

He passed for over 300 yards against Georgia and Arkansas. Van Buren’s completion percentage wasn’t great, but neither was his protection. This brings us to our next point: the LSU offense needs Van Buren’s mobility. It’s safe to say that the Tigers have significant pass protection issues. Ole Miss consistently disrupted plays while rushing only three defensive linemen.

LSU has another problem in the offensive line that was a weakness even before injuries to Weston Davis and Paul Mubenga. Pressure is inevitable with this group, so a quarterback with the ability to escape could save drives, which could eventually save games. We don’t know what Van Buren can do yet, but we’ve seen what Nussmeier can’t.

The Offensive Approach

Football has no mercy and sometimes puts coaches in tough situations. It’s not ideal to enter a top-15 matchup on the road with a compromised offensive line, short a starting running back, and with an injured quarterback. You would think the offensive staff had a plan in place to overcome these shortcomings. Let’s hope what we saw in Oxford wasn’t the best plan the staff could come up with.

LSU’s plan was to get the ball out quickly with wide receiver screens, which is fine if that’s part of the approach. There must be more to it; no team can consistently drive down the field and score touchdowns off “long handoffs” alone. Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan has slipped back into his 2024 habit of completely abandoning the run. The Tigers didn’t even try to run the ball in the first half of Ole Miss. That resulted the Rebels running 26 more plays than LSU by halftime.

Mismanaging resources has also been a problem for LSU. Freshman running back Harlem Berry was inexplicably left on the bench in the first half but quickly rewarded the staff with positive plays once he got in the game. Short on playmakers at the position, this is not the time to be conservative with inexperienced players. An offense this inept has nothing to lose.

Regardless of personnel decisions, the offense has not looked fully functional at any point after five games. It’s disjointed, clunky, and every play appears to be more of a challenge than it should be. We see offensive coaches like Lane Kiffin pull plays out of the vault that create easy completions in critical spots, especially in short-yardage situations. Everything LSU does offensively is a struggle, and that must change.