The LSU Tigers fell short against Houston by the score of 38-35 in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl. Although the scoreboard reflected offensive improvement, the same issues that plagued LSU all year were prominent in the loss. Ultimately, offensive line play and penalties wouldn’t allow the Tigers to overcome their personnel losses.
LSU Loses to Houston in the Texas Bowl
Hot Start, Cold Finish
LSU couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game, as Barion Brown returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. After stopping Houston on its first possession, LSU went on to achieve a feat even more shocking – complete a touchdown drive. A big run by Harlem Berry set up a touchdown pass from Michael Van Buren to Trey’Dez Green to put the Tigers up 14-0.
Unfortunately, the Tiger offense quickly went back to normal after the early lead. Houston turned up the pressure and sacked Van Buren three times in the first half. The LSU defense contributed to all three of Houston’s scoring drives with pass interference, facemask, and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Houston took a 21-14 lead going into the half, and we had to wonder if LSU could find enough offense to get the win at that point.
The revitalized Tiger offense stormed back to tie the game in the second half, but stops were tough to come by. Houston’s best NFL prospect, Tanner Koziol, was a constant headache for LSU at the tight end position. Houston eventually went up by 10 points after a Dean Conner touchdown run. That score essentially put the game away, despite a touchdown drive by LSU late in the fourth quarter.
The season-long issues of a shockingly bad run game, penalties, pass protection, and vulnerability against tight ends continued to haunt LSU. Houston outgained LSU 201-77 in rushing yards. LSU had 66 more penalty yards than Houston. The Tigers didn’t get any sacks, but Houston had four. Continuing the run of tight end dominance against LSU, Tanner Koziol had nine catches for 76 yards.
The Future is Bright
While a win would’ve been great for LSU, there were still positives to take away from the game. Young players made their mark as upcoming stars and contributors for the program. Tight end Trey’Dez Green was unstoppable on his way to scoring two touchdowns and averaging 20 yards per catch. Sophomore Kyle Parker was a force at wide receiver, leading the team in catches.
Defensively, sophomore linebacker Davhon Keys led the team with 14 tackles, while freshman linebacker Tylen Singleton was a well-rounded defender against the run and the pass. The biggest improvement in play came at the most important position with Van Buren. Van Buren passed for 267 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Beyond the numbers, he made better reads and was more accurate as a passer. He appeared to be much more comfortable after getting more time to prepare. It’s unclear if head coach Lane Kiffin has plans to keep Van Buren on board as a backup, but his play in the Texas Bowl was encouraging.
It’s important to keep in mind that next year’s Tigers will look vastly different after the transfer window, where LSU is sure to target quarterbacks, offensive linemen, and edge rushers. LSU’s inability to get to the quarterback without blitzing was once again a factor in the loss against Houston. Expect the Tigers to also go after a dominant outside receiver to complement Green at tight end. LSU scored more points against an FBS opponent than it had scored all year, but it’s a safe bet that the new regime won’t allow the Tiger offense to be the inept liability that it’s been this year.
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