There was no shame in LSU losing by one possession to a Top 10 opponent on the road in a hostile environment.
But after reviewing the film from Saturday night’s 32-24 loss to Ole Miss, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin said the Tigers came away with a frustrating realization: better execution could have produced a much different result.
“Those are really hard ones to struggle with when you really go back and look and see how many ways that we came all the way back and should have won the game,” Kiffin said Monday. “It was tough on them. There are some games you get outplayed, outcoached and you go, okay, back to the drawing board. But that one they really struggled seeing.”
On the Tigers’ final two offensive possessions, they drove inside the Ole Miss 10-yard line but managed just three points.
LSU has now scored touchdowns on 11 of its 18 trips to the red zone, which is not a great percentage.
Kiffin said missed assignments played a major role in the Tigers’ inability to finish those drives.
On LSU’s final possession, quarterback Sam Leavitt missed a wide-open Zach Grace at the goal line. The tight end had no defender near him, but Leavitt’s pass sailed out of his reach.
On the Tigers final offensive play of the game, Roman Mothershed was open in the end zone, but his pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage and intercepted.
Leavitt finished 16-of-27 for 158 yards, one touchdown and one interception against Ole Miss.
Through three games, Leavitt has completed 62% of his passes, which ranks 80th nationally. His passing efficiency rating ranks 87th.
Kiffin said LSU needs more consistent production from its passing game and fewer “dead plays.”
But the coach also pointed to problems in pass protection, saying there have been too many breakdowns in one-on-one matchups.
The constant pressure has put additional stress on Leavitt. He was pressured 16 times last Saturday.
Kiffin said the pressure Leavitt faced early in the game affected him.
“Confidence is fragile at every position, but especially at quarterback, because it is one position you got to do your job with potentially getting hit from all over,” Kiffin said. “A lot of the plays he was having success was taking off on his own and doing things, so it’s hard to stay in there when that’s how the game was going, but he knows he’s got to do a better job of that.”
Kiffin said the biggest challenge now is making sure LSU learns from the loss without allowing it to linger.
“We got to move on, because we can’t let that missed opportunity have to do with us losing another game,” Kiffin said.
The Tigers will try to do that Saturday night when they host No. 23 Texas A&M.
The Aggies will also be looking to bounce back after suffering a 31-21 upset loss to Kentucky at home.
LSU is expected to be without one of its top offensive weapons. Tight end Trey’Dez Green, who was injured against Ole Miss, is expected to miss an undetermined amount of time.
Texas A&M will also be without one of its top playmakers. Wide receiver and kick returner Terry Bussey will miss the rest of the season with a lower-body injury suffered while returning the opening kickoff against Kentucky.
Saturday’s game is a critical one for both teams.
An 0-2 start in SEC play would put LSU or A&M in a difficult position in its pursuit of a College Football Playoff berth.
