The Recap: LSU gets blown out by FSU in Week 1

No. 5 LSU entered the 2023 season opener as favorites over FSU, but the Seminoles came away with a win against the Tigers for the second season in a row.

It’s the fourth season opener in a row that resulted in a loss for the Tigers. LSU dropped the 2020 opener to Mississippi State, then lost openers to UCLA in 2021 followed by back-to-back losses to FSU in 2022 and 2023.

LSU went into half with a 17-14 lead, but the Seminoles proved to have the better halftime adjustments and second half execution. Beyond FSU kneeling it out in the final minute, the Seminoles got points on all five drives in the second half – including four touchdowns.

Meanwhile, LSU stumbled mightily on offense. After going to the red-zone five times in the first half, LSU’s offense in the second half was forced into a pair of punts, an interception and a turnover on downs. With a little more than a minute left, the Tigers scored on a 75-yard touchdown pass, but it was too little, too late.

Here’s the rundown on each quarter as the Tigers fall to 0-1 on the season.

FIRST QUARTER

Florida State won the toss and deferred to the second half

LSU took the ball first, and right out of the gates the offense found an explosive play as quarterback Jayden Daniels hit running back Tre Bradford for a short pass that went 55 yards.

After a quick pass to tight end Mason Smith, LSU was on the 5-yard line. That’s when the FSU defensive line turned in a handful of key stops against the run, and a couple of incomplete passes left LSU facing 4th-and-1 on the 1-yard line. The Tigers didn’t turn to the running backs, and Jayden Daniels was sacked for a turnover on downs.

From there, FSU quickly countered – and the Seminoles got points out of it. After hitting on a few early passes, quarterback Jordan Travis found receiver Keon Coleman for a 40-yard touchdown strike. With a coupled missed tackles on the play, the Tigers looked shaky on defense after the first drive.

FSU 7, LSU 0 – 7:53 remaining in first quarter

LSU’s offense turned to receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers to move the chains on the second drive, then it was Kyren Lacy who made a key catch and managed to keep his balance en route to a 33-yard gain down to the 1-yard line.

It was the second time the Tigers had been a yard away from the end zone, but this time it took running back Tre Bradford just one play to punch the ball in.

LSU 7, FSU 7 – 3:48 remaining in first quarter

After an impressive opening drive for FSU, the LSU defense forced a three-and-out on the next drive.

That was a taste of what was to come the rest of the half, with the Tigers forcing three punts and nabbing an interception on the next four drives.

On LSU’s third drive, the FSU defense gave the Tigers plenty of help thanks to personal foul and unsportsmanlike conduct flags on three of the first four snaps.

SECOND QUARTER

After getting back into the red zone for the third time in three drives, running back Josh Williams picked up six yards on 3rd-and-7 to get the Tigers to a 4th-and-1 from the 13-yard line.

Once again, LSU head coach Brian Kelly elected to go for it. And the same result followed, with Daniels being sacked and the Tigers going without points on the turnover on downs.

FSU was forced into a punt on the following drive, but the turn of events continued on the next two plays. First, LSU’s Aaron Anderson muffed the punt and the Seminoles recovered. A year ago, the Tigers had multiple muffed punts for turnovers in the one-point loss to the Seminoles. Then, LSU’s Greg Brooks got FSU quarterback Jordan Travis off-schedule on a quick throw, which resulted in Travis throwing the ball into the chest of LSU cornerback Duce Chestnut for the interception.

The teams traded punts, then Jayden Daniels flashed his legs.

On the first snap of LSU’s fifth drive, Daniels took a designed run into the red zone on a 40-yard gain.

A pass to tight end Mason Taylor got the ball inside the five-yard line, and while FSU’s defense got a couple stops, the Tigers punched the ball in with running back Noah Cain to take the lead.

LSU 14, FSU 7 – 6:02 remaining in the second quarter

After the LSU defense came up with four stops in a row on defense, Daniels and FSU drove down the field for the team’s second touchdown. Once again, it was FSU wide receiver Keon Coleman who hauled in the touchdown catch on an impressive end zone grab from 21 yards out.

LSU 14, FSU 14 – 0:57 remaining in the second quarter

Just when it appeared the Tigers might sit on the ball and head to halftime tied at 14-14, LSU running back Josh Williams took off for 35 yards on a 3rd-and-10 run. Jayden Daniels then found a wide open Brian Thomas for an 18-yard gain, which gave LSU a fifth trip to the red zone across six first-half drives.

The Tigers made a few attempts to inch closer to the end zone, but a throwaway on third down for Daniels resulted in a field goal from kicker Damian Ramos – who hit on his first field goal of the night to give the Tigers the lead as time expired on the half.

HALFTIME: LSU 17, FSU 14

THIRD QUARTER

The Seminoles got the ball first in the second half, and FSU went 69 yards in nine plays to even the score.

A pass interference call on LSU cornerback Duce Chesnut gave the Seminoles an early boost on the drive, which was the first penalty the Tigers had been called for all game.

On 3rd-and-1, FSU went with a quick pass to wide receiver Deuce Spann, who then looked to throw downfield. After his first read was covered, Spann outran both Harold Perkins and Saivion Jones to get enough space to move the chains on a 17-yard throw to Johnny Wilson.

A huge play by LSU defensive end Bradyn Swinson resulted in a six-yard loss on second down, and FSU’s third down pass went short of the sticks. The Seminoles settled for the 33-yard field goal to tie the game.

LSU 17, FSU 17 – 9:19 remaining in the third quarter

The first LSU drive of the half started well. Jayden Daniels picked up 15 yards on a designed run to get things rolling, then passes to Malik Nabers and Mason Taylor got the ball near midfield.

After a run for positive yards by Tre Bradford, the drive ended was an incomplete pass to Nabers before a dropped pass by Kyren Lacy.

And the drop, which would have gone for a first down, proved costly.

The Tigers punted it to the Seminoles, and on the second play Travis hit Coleman again, this time for a 41-yard gain to midfield.

On 4th-and-2, LSU had a chance to get off the field, but FSU answered the bell with dump off pass that went 41 yards and set up a 1st-and-Goal at the 1-yard line. On the next play, quarterback Jordan Travis kept the ball on an option and went in untouched to take the lead.

FSU 24, LSU 17 – 2:40 remaining in the third quarter

LSU came out with a couple positive pass plays by going back to Nabers and Taylor, but a deep ball to wide receiver Brian Thomas on first down from the LSU 48-yard line was broken up.

FOURTH QUARTER

On the first play of the fourth quarter, momentum shifted again.

Jayden Daniels went to Malik Nabers on the sidelines, but Nabers slipped on the route and FSU came away with an easy interception at midfield.

FSU made quick work off of the turnover, gaining yards on a few runs before popping a handful of passes for completions. The dagger: touchdown No. 3 for Louisiana native and FSU wide receiver Keon Coleman.

FSU 31, LSU 17 – 10:18 remaining in the fourth quarter

The LSU offense went backwards right away. First, a five-yard loss by running back Tre Bradford. Then, a seven-yard sack on quarterback Jayden Daniels.

After a three-and-out, the Tigers had to give it back to FSU’s offense.

Three plays later, the Seminoles were back in the end zone by way of a 44 yard pass from Jordan Travis to Raheim Bell.

FSU 38, LSU 17 – 6:56 remaining in the fourth quarter

LSU got a quick first down on a pass to Malik Nabers, but the Tigers went nowhere from there.

On 4th down, a pass short of the sticks turned the ball back over to FSU with less than five minutes to play.

It only got worse from there. FSU only needed six plays for Jaheim Bell to get back into the end zone, this time on a run.

FSU 45, LSU 17 – 1:26 remaining in the fourth quarter

With only one minute left, the Tigers managed to grab a late touchdown on just one play.

The score came on a 75-yard touchdown strike from Daniels to wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who caught the ball on the sidelines and made the defensive backs miss to run untouched for the score.

FSU 45, LSU 24 – 1:14 remaining in the fourth quarter

The Seminoles kneeled it out after recovering the onside kick.

FINAL: FSU 45, LSU 24