LSU Football - Game Notes vs. Georgia State

LSU To Face Georgia State For First Time
LSU (7-3, 5-2 SEC) will play its final non-conference game of the season – and the last night game in Tiger Stadium in 2023 – hosting Georgia State (6-4, 3-4 Sun Belt) at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2 with Roy Philpott (pxp), Roddy Jones (analyst), and Taylor McGregor (sideline) on the call. It’s the first-ever football contest between LSU and Georgia State, who is a member of the Sun Belt Conference. LSU is coming off a 52-35 win over Florida, while Georgia State dropped a 42-14 decision to Appalachian State. Current LSU senior offensive analyst Trent Miles is a former head coach at Georgia State, coaching the Panthers from 2013-16. LSU enters the game ranked No. 15 in both national polls. The Tigers – behind the play of Heisman Trophy candidate QB Jayden Daniels – continue to have the nation’s most high-powered offense attack as LSU leads the country in total offense (560.2 yards per game) and rank No.2 in scoring (45.9) and No. 4 in both rushing (223.9) and passing (336.3) yards per game. The Tigers are the only team in the FBS to rank in the Top 10 in both passing. LSU has topped the 500-yard mark 8 times this year, which includes 701 last week vs. Florida. LSU has gone over the 200-yard mark in rushing for 6 straight games. Daniels leads the nation in total offense with 408.2 per game and he’s coming off an SEC record 606 total yards vs. Florida (234 rush, 372 pass). Daniels is No. 1 in the nation in pass efficiency (202.1 rating), yards per attempt (11.6), passing TDs (30) and rushing yards by a QB (914) and he’s No. 2 nationally in TDs responsible for (38) and passing yards per game (316.4). In 10 games, Daniels has connected on 195-of-273 passes for 3,164 yards, 30 TDs, and only 4 interceptions. LSU’s offense features the nation’s leader in receiving yards (Malik Nabers with 1,284) and receiving TDs (Brian Thomas with 13). Nabers has 72 receptions for 1,284 yards and 10 TDs, while Thomas has 51 catches for 918 yards and 13 scores. LSU RB Logan Diggs is No. 10 in the SEC in rushing at 79.4 yards per game (635 yards, 6 TDs in 8 games).

LSU Coach Brian Kelly: Winningest Active Coach In NCAA Football
Brian Kelly, in his second with the Tigers, has guided LSU to a 17-7 overall mark through 24 games. He’s the winningest active coach in NCAA football (no matter division) with an on-field record of 301-103-2.

After inheriting a roster with only 39 scholarship players, Kelly quickly turned LSU into a 10-win team in his first season in 2022 as the Tigers went 10-4 overall, beat Top 10 teams in Ole Miss and Alabama and won the SEC Western Division. Kelly, the most accomplished hire in LSU football history when he was named to the position in December of 2021, took over the program after 12 years and 113 wins at Notre Dame. His coaching resume includes 11 10-win seasons at the FBS level (7 at Notre Dame, 3 at Cincinnati, 1 at LSU), along with 14 bowl/CFP playoff appearances and 3 National Coach of the Year honors (2009 at Cincinnati, 2012 and 2018 at Notre Dame). Kelly’s record includes a 113-39 mark at Notre Dame, where he's the winningest coach in school history; 34-6 at Cincinnati (4 years), 19-16 at Central Michigan (3 years) and 118-35-2 at Grand Valley State (13 years). He won two Division II National Championships at Grand Valley State.

Quick Notes

-LSU wears a No. 3 decal on its helmet to honor senior captain Greg Brooks, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor the week of the Mississippi State game. Brooks is in Memphis at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital receiving treatment.

-QB Jayden Daniels earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week for the fourth time this year for his play vs. Florida, while C Charles Turner was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week.

-LSU has won 11 straight night games in Tiger Stadium and the Tigers are 9-0 under Brian Kelly in Death Valley at night.

-LSU leads the nation in plays of 20-yards or more with 87. The Tigers had 10 plays of 20+ yards against Florida with QB Jayden Daniels involved in all 10 of those. Daniels had rushes of 85, 38, 27, and 51 yards, and completed passes of 38, 41, 45, 52, 44, and 37 yards.

-LSU has rushed for 200+ yards in 6 straight games and is averaging 223.9 yards on the ground per game. The Tigers are the only team in the FBS to rank in the Top 10 in both rushing and passing yards (336.3) as they sit at No. 4 in both categories.
QB Jayden Daniels has rushed and passed for a TD in the same game 12 times during his 24-game LSU career. The Tigers are 10-2 when Daniels rushes and passes for a TD in same game.

-QB Jayden Daniels leads the nation in total offense (408.2), passing TDs (30), pass efficiency (202.1), and rushing yards by a QB (914), and No.2 in TDs accounted for (38), and passing yards per game (316.2).

-LSU’s offense ranks in the Top 10 nationally in 9 categories: No. 1 in total offense (560.2), pass efficiency (189.4), yards per play (8.4), No. 2 in scoring (45.9), passing TDs (31), first downs (263), and third-down conversions (55.24 pct.), No. 3 in offensive TDs (60), and No.4 passing (336.3), and rushing (223.9).

-Daniels is the only players in FBS history with 12,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards. In his 53-game career, Daniels has thrown for 12,101 yards and rushed for 3,091 yards.

-LSU has featured a 100-yard receiver in 9 straight games with Brian Thomas (150 yards) and Malik Nabers (132 yards) reaching the mark against Florida.

-Daniels has topped the 400-yard mark for total offense 5 times in 2023, joining Joe Burrow in 2019 as the only players in school history to do it at least 4 times in same season. Daniels has 6 games with 400 yards of total offense in his LSU career, tying Burrow, who also did it 6 times.

-Thomas leads the nation in receiving TDs with 13, while Nabers is No. 7 with 10. Thomas and Nabers are the nation’s top receiving duo in terms of yards (2,202) and receiving TDs (23).

-WR Malik Nabers has caught a pass in 28 straight games and leads the nation in receiving yards with 1,284 on 72 receptions. He’s only the second player in LSU history with two 1,000-yard seasons joining Josh Reed, who did it in 2000 and 2001. Nabers had 1,017 yards on 72 receptions in 2022.

-All 5 starters on LSU’s offensive line have at least 20 career starts to their credit with C Charles Turner leading the way with 24. He’s followed by LT Will Campbell (23), RG Miles Frazier (23), RT Emery Jones Jr. (21) and LG Garrett Dellinger (20). The group has combined for 111 career starts.

1 - LSU is only team in nation to rank in Top 10 in both rushing and passing yards per game

11 - Consecutive wins at night in Tiger Stadium

23 - Combined TD receptions for Brian Thomas and Malik Nabers, the most of any duo in the nation

LSU Hosts Georgia State In Final Non-Conference Game of Regular Season
LSU (7-3, 5-2 SEC) hosts Georgia State (6-4, 3-4 SBC) on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Tiger Stadium in the final non-conference matchup of the regular-season for the Tigers. LSU enters the game coming off a 52-35 win over Florida, while Georgia State dropped a 42-14 decision to Appalachian State. It’s the first-ever meeting between the Tigers and Panthers in football. It’s only the third time since 1970 LSU closes out its regular-season with 3 straight home games. In 2001, LSU hosted Middle Tennessee, Alabama and Auburn in its final 3 regular-season games and in 2021, the Tigers welcomed Arkansas, Louisiana-Monroe and Texas A&M to Tiger Stadium for the final 3 games of the year. The 2001 schedule was altered due to 9/11 as the Auburn game was originally scheduled for September 15 and was moved to the final game of the season thus giving LSU 3 consecutive home games to close out the year.

That Kid Jayden is Magnificent with Historic Performance in Win Over Florida
QB Jayden Daniels was magnificent in LSU’s win over Florida last week – setting a SEC record with 606 total yards (234 rushing, 372 passing) and becoming the first player in FBS history with 200 rushing yards and 350 passing yards in the same game. Daniels accounted for 5 TDs in the win, scoring on runs of 85 and 51 yards and throwing TD passes of 37, 7, and 6 yards. He directed an LSU offense that racked up 701 total yards – the most ever given up by a Florida defense.

Later Gator – In 2 Games Against Florida Daniels Accounts for 999 Yards and 11 TDs
In 2 games against Florida, QB Jayden Daniels led an LSU offense that combined to score 97 points and he was single-handedly responsible for 999 total yards and 11 touchdowns. This year in the 52-35 win, Daniels set an SEC record with 606 total yards (234 rushing, 372 passing) and accounted for 5 TDs – he had scoring runs of 85 and 51 yards and threw touchdown passes of 37, 7, and 6 yards. Last year in the 45-35 victory in Gainesville, Daniels had his LSU breakout game as he accounted for 6 TDs (3 rush, 3 pass) and piled up 393 yards of total offense (349 passing, 44 rushing). Daniels became the first player in LSU history to account for 6 TDs in a game decided in regulation as he directed a Tiger offense that rolled up 528 total yards (349 pass, 179 rush). Daniels scored on rushing TDs of 1, 9 and 9 yards and then threw TD passes of 7 (to John Emery), 24 (to Brian Thomas) and 54 (to Jaray Jenkins).

LSU’s Non-Conference Tiger Stadium Winning Streak Stands at 14 Games
LSU has won 14 straight and 63 of its last 64 games against non-conference opponents in Tiger Stadium. LSU’s last loss against a non-conference foe came in 2017 when Troy beat the Tigers, 24-21 on Sept. 30. Prior to that loss, LSU had won 50 straight non-conference games in Tiger Stadium, which ranks as the third-longest streak in college football history, trailing only Harvard (55 from 1890-1895) and Carlisle (54 from 1901-1915). Before the Troy loss in 2017, LSU’s last defeat in Tiger Stadium to a non-conference team came in 2000 against UAB. LSU coach Brian Kelly is 5-0 in non-conference games in Tiger Stadium since taking over the program in 2022.

LSU Is 90-13 vs. Non-Conference Teams – No Matter Location of Game - Dating Back to 2001
Dating back to the 2001 season when LSU captured its first outright SEC title since 1986, the Tigers have done quite well against non-conference opponents, going 90-13 against non-SEC foes during that span. Of the 90 wins, 21 have come against top-25 teams. Of the 13 losses, only six have come during the regular season (2002 at Virginia Tech, 2016 vs. Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, 2017 vs. Troy, 2021 at UCLA, 2022 vs. FSU, and 2023 vs. FSU). The other seven losses came in bowl games (2003 Cotton Bowl vs. Texas; 2005 Capital One Bowl vs. Iowa; 2009 Capital One Bowl vs. Penn State; 2012 Chick-Fil-A Bowl vs. Clemson; 2014 Music City Bowl vs. Notre Dame; 2018 Citrus Bowl vs. Notre Dame; 2022 TaxAct Texas Bowl vs. Kansas State).

Nothing Like A Night Game in Tiger Stadium
There’s not a better setting for college football than a night game in Tiger Stadium. It’s not only the best atmosphere in college football, but it also creates a huge home field advantage for the Tigers. LSU has won 11 straight night games in Death Valley and since the turn of the century (2000-23), LSU is 106-15 in night games in Tiger Stadium. LSU went 49-5 from 2000-09, 43-7 from 2010-19 and is 14-3 in those games since 2020. Of the 15 losses since the start of the 2000 season, 8 have comes to teams ranked in the Top 10 with five of those coming to teams ranked No. 1. LSU has only 2 non-conference losses in night games in Tiger Stadium since 2000 (UAB in 2000; Troy in 2017). Here’s at look at LSU’s night game record in Tiger Stadium by decade since the first game was played under the lights on Oct. 3, 1931 vs. Spring Hill (won, 35-0).

(Release via LSU Athletics)