5 plays that swung LSU's big win vs. Oklahoma to punctuate regular season
Oklahoma’s first trip to Tiger Stadium featured some early fireworks back and forth.
But home LSU proved to have too much firepower during the middle of the game and too stingy a defense for the Sooners (6-6, 2-6) to keep up after halftime.
The Tigers (8-4, 5-3) scored 20 unanswered points in a shutout second half to blow open the 37-17 victory in the regular-season finale.
Here’s a closer look at five of the most impactful plays that helped swing the game purple and gold.
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Aaron Anderson races to lead, history
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was knocked from the game on a sack on the third play of the second quarter, and the Tigers’ struggled to sustain much offensively with him on the sideline. Oklahoma meanwhile took its first lead, 14-10, with an explosive three-play, 75-yard drive midway through the quarter. But former Edna Karr star Aaron Anderson ensured that edge was short-lived as he housed the ensuing kickoff 100 yards to push the Tigers back ahead, 17-14, with the Damian Ramos extra-point kick. Anderson’s dash tied three other players, most recently Leonard Fournette in the 2014 Music City Bowl, for the longest in program history. The score was LSU’s first kick-return touchdown since Trey Palmer’s in 2020 vs. South Carolina.
Nuss return, Hilton highlight reclaim lead
Nussmeier was back on the field on the Tigers’ next possession and, after picking up a couple first downs on short passes, hit Chris Hilton Jr. for a 40-yard strike to the right sideline of the end zone. Hilton adjusted in the air, twisting away from a defender and securing the catch in bounds for his first touchdown of the season. The play pushed LSU ahead at the half, 24-17, following the subsequent extra-point kick and also served as an encouraging moment for the former Zachary star, who missed much of the season recovering from injury and had been out-of-sync in his timing in his first four weeks back.
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Running it back, taking control
The Nussmeier-to-Hilton connection worked so nicely to wrap up the second quarter, the Tigers went right back to the well to open the third. LSU’s defense allowed Oklahoma one first down on the opening possession of the half before forcing a quick punt. And when the offense got the ball back across midfield, Nussmeier led Hilton deep down the middle of the field for the 45-yard touchdown. The Tigers doubled their lead to 31-17 and began effectively taking control, as well as their defense was keeping the Sooners in check. Hilton finished with two catches for a career-high 85 yards and the first multi-score game of his college career.
Defense snatches OU’s attempted answer
Oklahoma was working its way down the field for a potential answer when LSU abruptly halted the 39-yard drive, the Sooners’ third-longest of the night, with a takeaway. Sophomore cornerback Ashton Stamps quickly snuffed out a double-pass play, hurried and nearly tackled tight end Bauer Sharp before he could sail an ill-advised loft into the secondary. Junior safety Sage Ryan fielded the ball like an easy pop-fly for his first college interception and ran it back 16 yards to set the Tigers’ offense up at its own 42-yard line. LSU held Oklahoma to just 277 yards on the night, including 4-for-11 on third downs, with only one of the Sooners’ two touchdowns coming on offense.
Pushing the margin
Three plays after the takeaway, LSU was faced with a quick fourth-and-1 after a Nussmeier scramble out to the right was ruled just shy of the chains. The Tigers sent their offense back to the line with minimal hesitation for the play, and veteran running back Josh Williams powered his way behind the offensive line for 3 yards and a drama-free conversion. Nussmeier hit Ka’Morreun Pimpton for 42 yards — the longest gain thus far of the freshman tight end’s career — the next play to set up an eventual Ramos field goal. Rather than immediately return possession to Oklahoma, the Tigers ate a couple minutes off the clock and stretched the lead out to 34-17 early in the fourth quarter. The three-possession advantage effectively closed the door on a Sooners squad struggling to move the ball against LSU.
