After coming off last week’s win, hardly anyone thought LSU football would lose to the Missouri Tigers on Saturday. This was not just an upset to the LSU fans, it was also an upset to the team as it likely went in expecting to win.
Defense
Missouri was destroyed in its first two games by Alabama and Tennessee but not by LSU. Redshirt freshman Connor Bazelak absolutely embarrassed LSU’s secondary by completing 29 out of 34 attempts for 406 yards and four touchdowns. He even threw an 86 yard touchdown to wide receiver Tauskie Dove, who outplayed two LSU safeties. The attempt for LSU’s defense to slow down Missouri’s speedy and very successful offense from scoring was highly unsuccessful.
In the fourth quarter, LSU had the chance to take the lead with seconds left to play when it was on the goal line. Missouri’s defense stepped up and shut it down, causing LSU to lose. With home field advantage, Missouri’s defense really stepped up in the win over LSU.
Offense
Even with the loss to Missouri, Myles Brennan and LSU’s offense did not play bad as they put up 41 points. Brennan completed 19 of 33 passes for 321 yards and four touchdowns. Brennan used more of his offensive weapons such as tight end Arik Gilbert, who caught a 25-yard touchdown pass before heading into halftime. If Brennan continues to mix his tight ends into his passing game with success, it will allow more throwing options because it is hard for a defense to stop all the factors in the passing game.
Brennan certainly looked solid with his quick offensive play at the end of the game that got LSU to Missouri’s goal line. If Brennan keeps successfully driving the ball down the field quickly, it will come in handy in games down the road when the Tigers are trailing or even tied.
In the first quarter, Missouri got the first score, which changed the whole momentum of the game for LSU. Allowing Missouri to get the first score showed it had a chance of winning the game, which is exactly what they did. If Brennan and his offense would have scored the first touchdown of the game, it is possible that the final outcome would have ended with a win.
On the final drive, LSU’s offensive line struggled to help guide tailback Tyrion Davis-Price into the end zone in two attempts and two of Brennan’s passes were knocked away.
Due to COVID-19, Missouri was missing two starting wide receivers Damon Hazelton and Keki Chism. However, this did not seem to affect Missouri’s offense at all.
All in all, LSU did put up a good fight. In a postgame interview coach Ed Orgeron said, “We have got to get it in there, we ought to be able to run the ball, we’re LSU we should be able to score from the 1-yard line.”
Although it did not end how fans expected it to, there are still many more weeks to go for LSU football.
Hello! My name is Janelle and I’m a senior at The University of Central Florida studying Human Communications and Event Management. My two favorite teams are the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Penn State Nittany Lions.
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