LSU, Nussmeier show resilience in comeback win in Tampa

Brian Kelly could sense the uncertainty in the room in Tampa on Monday afternoon. LSU trailed Wisconsin 21-14 in a game that clearly meant something to the Tigers, but there wasn’t a clear path forward.

As LSU’s defense continued to struggle and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier navigated his first ever start at LSU, the feeling of excitement quickly faded. Now, it was about finding a way to win after putting so much into this game over the past month.

“It was probably one of the lowest points all season,” Kelly said.

The second half started and before Nussmeier could even take the field, Wisconsin had retaken a 14-point lead, going 75 yards in less than three minutes.

From then on, LSU outscored Wisconsin 21-3 as the Tigers became more aggressive throwing the ball down the field , opening up the offense to the tune of 8.7 yards per play in the second half. Simultaneously, the defense finally figured out the Badgers’ offense and Wisconsin’s next five drives scored just three points and just 123 yards in 34 plays.

“There’s different pieces of a program and one of them is having consistency in your performance,” Kelly said of the comeback. “You have to keep playing. It’s one play at a time. If you just keep playing and trust your process, eventually it’s going to come together for you. They just just played one play at a time and the tide started turning for them.”

Without Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, it was redshirt sophomore Garrett Nussmeier who all eyes turned to in need of game-changing plays. With 6:10 left in the game and the ball on his own two-yard line, Nussmeier stepped up to the challenge. 

Big-time throws to Kyren Lacy, then Chris Hilton, then Brian Thomas got the Tigers in the endzone and in front on the scoreboard.

“Wisconsin did a great job of changing their coverages on [Nussmeier],” Kelly said. “Once he got a sense of what was going on and the speed of the game, later in the game, he made some really good checks and protections and it took time for him to get there. I knew eventually he would get there, but we had to slow them down on defense and eventually we did and he was able to get our offense going. The 98-yard drive was the big one. That’s what he can do. He can get the ball down the field.”

The big picture for LSU

The outing shows the resilience and overall buy-in of LSU’s program at this point under Brian Kelly. It was a rollercoaster year with an elite offense paired with a struggling defense, but just like it did against Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas A&M, this team found a way to win.

However, this time LSU was without a fifth-year Heisman Trophy winning quarterback at the helm. Instead, it was Nussmeier showing what he’s capable of entering 2024.

“I take pride in always being confident and always being ready,” Nussmeier said. “It’s huge for our offense to have this type of game. Scoring 35 points, it took us a minute, but we got rolling and it gives us a great chance to build over the offseason and heading to Las Vegas.”

For Kelly, it serves as a landmark as he ends year two in Baton Rouge. It marks the end of the Jayden Daniels era and the beginning of year three, a pivotal season for his program’s long-term outlook.

“I can’t underestimate how important this win was for him and our entire offense and our defense,” Kelly said. “They needed some confidence and they made some key stops. All of this builds confidence and allows us to evaluate what we have on offense and defense to see what we have to win a championship.”