Advocate: LSU Still Running Into Problems

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LSU has a lot to fix, particularly on the offensive side, to win those games. First, let’s review how the problems contributed to the loss against Auburn.

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Run game non-existent

Johnson said LSU had a plan to run the football Saturday night, but the running backs had three carries at halftime. Tyrion Davis-Price, Corey Kiner, Armoni Goodwin and Josh Williams finished with a combined 13 carries for 46 yards.

Auburn gave LSU a favorable defensive look. It often dropped eight defenders into coverage and used three linemen. Even as LSU approached the end zone at one point in the first half, Auburn didn’t bother defending the run on second-and-10. It deployed three safeties.

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ESPN’s crew said coach Ed Orgeron and first-year offensive coordinator Jake Peetz told them LSU doesn’t have confidence in the running game because of uncertainty at left tackle — LSU started redshirt sophomore Anthony Bradford, its fourth different left tackle, against Auburn — and the lack of cohesion along the front.

"I’m really disappointed in that," Orgeron said when asked later about LSU's blocking. "We have two guys on that offensive line that won a national championship. I thought that would be one of the strengths of our football team, but it’s not. We’ve got to continue to look at it and improve."
The inability to run showed up most in the red zone, where LSU’s pass offense struggled with a smaller field. The Tigers kicked four field goals as a result, and then when they needed to sustain drives in the fourth quarter with a two-point lead, they couldn’t drain the clock.

Over its last 18 plays, LSU ran the ball once.

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Offensive tempo stalls

Tempo has been an issue for LSU. The team often spends too much time making pre-snap adjustments, which lets defenses attack, and then the offense stalls. Orgeron has said LSU needs to run a play instead of trying to find the perfect call. He has wanted to see less look-overs before the snap.
On Saturday night, the look-overs made LSU burn four timeouts as Johnson checked with coaches on the sideline. Every time, Orgeron had to call a timeout to avoid a delay of game penalty.

One of them happened on LSU’s third drive. The Tigers faced fourth-and-1 from the 3-yard line. Johnson looked to the sideline with three seconds on the play clock. Orgeron had to call his third timeout. Johnson pleaded to go faster as he returned to the sideline.

“We’ve just got to figure it out,” Johnson said. “There’s one play being called, and then based on their coverage, we’re calling a different play. I’m getting that play with five seconds and I’m trying to change the protection. Then we have to burn a timeout because of that.”

Later, LSU wasted a timeout at the beginning of its final possession. Auburn had just taken the 24-19 lead. LSU had three minutes to mount a game-winning drive. Johnson looked over with nine seconds on the play clock. He stepped forward to change protection and point out a defender with two. Orgeron called his second timeout of the half.

The home fans booed their team.

“Sometimes we’re changing the play,” Orgeron said. “Sometimes it’s coming in late, and we’re trying to change the protections. There’s not enough time. There’s no excuse for that. We should not be at that point.”

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Bo Nix evades sacks

Auburn hadn’t scored. Down 13-0, it faced fourth-and-2 from LSU’s 24-yard line. Nix rolled to his right. LSU set the edge and rushed up field. Nix broke one tackle, then two more as he reversed field. He shook linebacker Micah Baskerville off his shoulders near the sideline. He stepped back to evade another sack. Finally, he saw tight end Tyler Fromm and threw a touchdown.

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The five missed sacks on one play exemplified how much LSU struggled to tackle Nix. Then on the next drive, Auburn faced another fourth-and-2 with a minute left in the first half. LSU covered every route. Nix scrambled out of the pocket. Three defensive linemen chased him 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

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Nix’s two fourth down scrambles resulted in 10 points. Others extended drives, carrying Auburn through a comeback.

Orgeron said the problem stemmed from lack of containment and getting out of the proper lanes. LSU tried to bull rush with its defensive tackles, use a spy after the second quarter and implement a cage rush to keep Nix in the pocket.

The defense covered well. It stopped the run, allowing Auburn’s heralded running back tandem to gain 92 yards. In some ways, LSU's defense played one of its best games this season. It just couldn’t tackle Nix.

“There comes a point where you’ve got to tackle,” Orgeron said.

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Three defining stats:

33

Unable to run the ball or committed to trying, LSU gained 33 net yards rushing on 25 carries, an average of 1.32 yards per rush. LSU has now rushed for less than 35 yards against Auburn in back-to-back seasons. It lost both games.

0

After entering the game tied for the most sacks in the country, LSU finished with zero, a season-low. LSU had plenty of chances, but Nix’s ability to evade pressure left players whiffing on opportunities.

12

LSU gained 12 yards over three trips to the red zone as its offense struggled with a condensed field because of its inability to run the ball. The game would have looked much different if LSU scored touchdowns instead of kicking field goals.

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