On the very first play of LSU’s 2023 campaign, quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] found running back [autotag]Tre Bradford[/autotag] on a brilliantly designed wheel route for a 55-yard gain.
One play later, Daniels connected with tight end [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] on a 15-yard gain to bring the Tigers to Florida State’s 5-yard line, and coach Brian Kelly’s team was in business.
But the drive stalled from there, and a failed fourth-down conversion squandered the opportunity for LSU to start the game with a scoring drive. Those missed opportunities ultimately cost the No. 5 Tigers against the No. 8 Seminoles on Sunday night in Orlando.
Despite taking a 17-14 lead to the locker room, Florida State dominated the final two quarters, keeping LSU off the scoreboard until the final two minutes en route to a statement 45-24 win.
LSU’s defensive front mostly lived up to the hype, holding a talented Seminoles rushing attack in check for much of the game. But the Tigers’ new-look secondary didn’t have the best day.
The team struggled to contain Florida State receivers Keon Coleman (9 catches, 122 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Johnny Wilson (7 catches, 104 yards), and quarterback Jordan Travis delivered a gem.
He wasn’t prolific with his legs, though he did finish with 38 yards and a rushing touchdown. But he was very efficient with his arm, completing 23 of 31 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns, though he did toss one interception to [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag].
LSU struggled to get the Seminoles off the field, and they were an impressive 9 of 14 on third downs.
It wasn’t exactly a bad night for Daniels and the offense, but it wasn’t a particularly efficient one, either. He totaled 411 yards (347 passing, 64 rushing), but he also threw a pretty bad interception when the margin was still at seven in the fourth quarter, which led to a touchdown.
Outside of Daniels’ contributions and a 35-yard run from [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag], the trio of Williams, Noah Cain and Bradford totaled 14 yards on just 11 carries. [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] and Taylor had moderate production in the passing game, but there were some drop issues from the receiver group, as well.
Thomas was the only one of the three to find the end zone, scoring in garbage time.
It was a disappointing way to start a season that began with high expectations, and after a three-score loss, the team will hit the drawing board once again as it prepares to host Grambling for its home opener in Week 2.
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