Well, that was certainly exhilarating!
LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was the highlight of the night as LSU defeated Ole Miss, 53-48, as he set an LSU record on a game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter of a 53-48 victory over Ole Miss to close out the 2020 season in a steady rainstorm in Baton Rouge.
Although LSU’s season comes to a disappointing end a year after winning it all, the Tigers offered a perfect balance of why there should be optimism for the 2021 season and a reminder of the pitfalls that cost them on the field in 2020.
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The offense had one of its finest performances of the season. Quarterback Max Johnson passed for 435 yards and three touchdowns, with Boutte breaking the single-game school record with 308 receiving yards.
Boutte became the first receiver in LSU history with 300 receiving yards, passing Josh Reed against Alabama in 2001 (293 yards). The running game also had an effective night when needed. A week after putting 37 points on the scoreboard against Florida, LSU hit the 40-point mark for the fourth time this season.
Final stat line on QBs:
Max Johnson, #LSU: 27-for-51, 435 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT, 45 rushing yds, 2 rush TD
Matt Corral, Ole Miss: 15-of-27, 251 yds, 3 TD, 5 INT, 158 rushing yds, 1 rush TD
— Crissy Froyd (@crissy_froyd) December 20, 2020
More importantly, LSU’s offense took advantage of opportunities created by the defense. LSU forced five turnovers against the Rebels, and the Tigers scored 27 points off of those turnovers (including a pick-six on defense). But one of those turnovers gave LSU the football inside the red zone, and LSU was limited to a field goal just before halftime.
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But that leads to one of the negatives to take from this game. LSU forced six turnovers, scored 27 points off of those turnovers, and still needed a late touchdown and a final forced turnover to secure the win.
How does that happen? How CAN it happen? Do you pin the blame on the offense for not doing enough? After one of its finer offensive performances of the season, that is a difficult sell.
Instead, the blame will once again be shouldered on the defense, starting with defensive coordinator Bo Pelini. The LSU defense was shredded for over 500 yards of offense, including 307 yards on the ground. But, for one night at least, the defense can celebrate with the rest of the team.
Everybody did something to contribute to a win to close out the year, and officially avoid going down in the record books with a losing record. Say what you will about the 2020 season for the LSU Tigers, but it finished on a winning note.
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Bring on 2021.
What does LSU football’s bowl game history look like over the past 20 years?