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Leading up to LSU’s matchup against Southeastern Louisiana, LSU’s star quarterback didn’t look like himself. Garrett Nussmeier entered the season as a Heisman trophy favorite, with fans more concerned about whether the defense could support him enough for the Tigers to win games than about Nussmeier’s performance.
Through three weeks, that narrative was turned upside down. The run game was abysmal, Nussmeier looked timid, and the defense looked like the best in the country.
Against Southeastern Louisiana, the defense maintained its reputation. Meanwhile, the offense found its groove, gaining 530 yards and scoring 56 points. That surge was largely due to Nussmeier looking healthy for the first time all season, after head coach Brian Kelly told fans that he had been dealing with a “torso” injury during the first three weeks.
Kelly later explained that Nussmeier looked the healthiest he’d seen him in practice last week, which was confirmed by Nussmeier’s performance Saturday night.
He looked more comfortable in the pocket, was more accurate, and his arm seemed back to its typically explosive self. This was reflected on the stat sheet, with his big-time throw rate jumping from an average of 6.53% to 12.5% against the Lions, per PFF.
Below is one of those big-time throws, showing Nussmeier’s ability to drive the ball and place it precisely where only his receiver could catch it, two aspects of his game that had been off through three weeks.
This is a throw that transcends the opponent—even though LSU is playing Southeastern Louisiana, the ball is thrown high and away from the nearest defender, with enough velocity and anticipation that the safety can’t disrupt the play. This is a throw Nussmeier will need in his toolkit against teams like Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Alabama, and it’s good to see it back in the bag.
Head coach Brian Kelly agreed that this change was encouraging to see, saying Nussmeier’s mechanics were “so much smoother.”
Kelly added that this healthy version of Nussmeier is something Tigers fans should expect to see for the rest of the season.
“We had talked during the week that he was on the other side of the injury and he felt really good,” Kelly explained. “ And that’s why we actually ran him a little bit. He felt good running the football. And we knew during the week that he was healthy just by the way he was throwing the football. So, yeah, I would say that’s the version you’ll get for the rest of the year.”
Nussmeier being healthy for the rest of the year is great news, especially with the Tigers’ upcoming schedule. This week they’ll face 11th-ranked Ole Miss, which has scored an average of 44.8 points per game, the 11th-most in the country.
Although LSU’s top-ranked defense probably won’t allow them to maintain that average, this game will still require LSU’s best offensive performance of the season to keep up. With LSU’s struggles on the ground seeming unlikely to improve, the offense’s success will rest squarely on Nussmeier’s now-healthy shoulders.
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