Three Observations From LSU Football's Week 3 Victory Over the Florida Gators

Three Observations: Week 3 Edition

No. 1: Defensive Gem Sets the Tone in Baton Rouge

The LSU Tigers continue wreaking havoc in 2025 with defensive coordinator Blake Baker's unit lifting the program to a 3-0 start in Baton Rouge.

Despite a shaky start to the season on offense, the program has received a boost defensively after revamping the group during the offseason.

On Saturday night in Tiger Stadium, the LSU defense intercepted Florida quarterback DJ Lagway five times with safety Dashawn Spears reeling in two of his own.

Spears, who's quickly emerging as a critical component to the defensive backfield, took one to the end-zone after a 58-yard pick-six.

Spears, DJ Pickett, Tamarcus Cooley and AJ Haulcy reeled in interceptions to give the Tigers a boost against the Gators.

But this unit faced adversity in Week 3 after losing linebacker Whit Weeks on the first possession of the game after being ejected for targeting.

With Weeks out, sophomore linebacker Davhon Keys entered the mix with the best game of his career after logging 14 total tackles, six solo tackles, one tackle for loss and 0.5 sacks.

LSU forced five turnovers, held the Gators to 10 points, and dominated the second half to earn a Week 3 win in Tiger Stadium.

No. 2: The Rushing Attack Remains a Struggle

It's easy to nitpick the offense after such a dominant defensive effort from Spears, Keys and Co. on Saturday night, but there remains a level of concern in the rushing attack.

Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier went 15-for-27 through the air with 220 passing yards and a touchdown, but the lack of success in the run-game continues to be a thorn in LSU's side.

On Saturday night in Death Valley, the Tigers ran the ball 25 times for 96 total yards on the ground. It was an average of 3.8 yards per carry for LSU with a lack of push in the trenches.

The longest rushing attempt through three quarters came from Caden Durham on the program's first play where he took it six yards up the middle in a drive that stalled in a three-and-out.

In the fourth frame, Durham broke open a 51 yard run to give the Tigers a boost down the stretch - inflating the yards per carry from 2.2 yards per attempt to 3.8.

Moving forward, there's a level of confidence from LSU's defense, but challenges on offense will be critical to the success of this team.

No. 3: LSU's Defense Returning to the Standard Set

LSU's defense is entering elite territory, and despite it being a small sample size of three games, this unit is clicking on all cylinders.

The Tigers knew what defensive coordinator Blake Baker needed from a personnel perspective and put together the exact recipe he was looking for.

LSU has players "wreaking havoc" in the trenches with newcomers Jack Pyburn, Patrick Payton, and Bernard Gooden, among others, making noise while the defensive backfield has come alive headlined by Mansoor Delane, DJ Pickett, PJ Woodland, Tamarcus Cooley and AJ Haulcy.

There's a new energy in Baton Rouge with the old mantra "Defensive Back University" beginning to feel more real within Tiger Stadium.

LSU ended Saturday night with five interceptions with secondary coach Corey Raymond beginning to see his unit click on all cylinders.

After a lackluster season in 2024 in the defensive backfield, the program retooled the secondary with multiple new weapons that are quickly providing a spark in the Bayou State.

There's a standard in Baton Rouge defensively with Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu, Glenn Dorsey, and Morris Claiborne, among others, setting the tone years ago.

Now, as the season carries on, the general feeling is that this unit can return to the standard set with a "championship-level" defense turning heads.

No. 3 LSU will return to action next Saturday night in Death Valley for an in-state showdown against Southeastern Louisiana. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.