5 stats that defined LSU’s loss at Texas A&M in Week 9

These five stats defined LSU’s loss at Texas A&M.

LSU’s second half did not go to plan in College Station on Saturday night. Texas A&M turned to dual-threat QB Marcel Reed and the LSU defense had no response.

On the other side of the ball, LSU’s failure to run the ball put too much on the passing game and QB [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] made a series of mistakes that let the game get away from LSU.

LSU was a slight underdog and playing on the road in the SEC is never easy, but A&M flat-out beat LSU in the second half. ESPN play-by-play man Chris Fowler called it a Texas A&M avalanche. It’s hard to find a better way to describe it.

Texas A&M looked like a playoff team over the final two quarters while LSU looked like a team unprepared for the moment. Mistakes in all phases of the game cost LSU on Saturday night. Anything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

Here are five stats that defined LSU’s loss.

LSU’s 1.9 yards per carry

At first, that reads like a typo. LSU averaged 1.9 yards per carry — not what’s expected from an SEC team with future NFL linemen and blue-chip running backs.

[autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] ran it 11 times for 15 yards while Josh Williams got seven carries for 23 yards. Together, they combined for a -8.33 EPA on the ground.

LSU’s offensive line couldn’t get any push or create space. Durham and Williams were constantly met by Texas A&M defenders at the line of scrimmage.

Just 19% of LSU’s runs went for 4+ yards. A&M’s mark was at 60%.

“We spent a lot of time on our run game. We should be better there,” [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said.

Garrett Nussmeier: Three interceptions

After Week 9, [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] leads the SEC with nine picks on the year. We knew Nussmeier was a “gunslinger” who would put the ball in jeopardy at times, but three picks on Saturday allowed the game to unravel for LSU.

Throwing three picks in a half isn’t a recipe for success. The turnovers came on LSU’s end of the field and set A&M up for a touchdown drive of eight yards and 26 yards. The third pick led to a field goal. Combined, A&M scored 17 points off the Nussmeier turnovers.

You could feel the momentum swing after the first interception. That’s where the game was lost for LSU. The Tigers weren’t able to settle down after that and the floodgates opened.

LSU special teams: -5.02 EPA

LSU’s field goal unit struggled on Saturday. A poor hold led to [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] missing a field goal late in the first quarter. In the second, LSU missed another one.

Long snapper [autotag]Slade Roy[/autotag] and holder [autotag]Peyton Todd[/autotag] weren’t on the same page and it led to a bungled snap in the third quarter. That’s nine points left on the board.

With the way A&M controlled the game in the second half, it’s hard to say the nine points were the difference, but the second half looks different if LSU is playing with a bigger lead.

When you send the field goal unit out there three times, you don’t want to come away empty on all three attempts.

LSU’s EPA without explosive plays: -36.29

LSU’s offense had a few explosive plays on Saturday night, including a 76-yard catch and run from [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] and some third-down conversions to [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag].

Outside of that, LSU struggled to get anything going on offense. Without the explosive plays, LSU’s EPA was -36.29. LSU’s worst mark of the year.

With the run game not providing anything, it was hard to establish down-to-down consistency. That allowed A&M to tee up blitzes on Nussmeier and showcase some disguised coverages.

Nussmeier was feeling the pressure and knew the only way LSU could score was a big play through the air. Kelly said LSU is putting too much on its quarterback and that was evident on Saturday.

Mason Taylor and Kyren Lacy: 8 catches on 16 targets

This stat may feel a little nitpicky, but LSU only completed half of its targets to its most reliable receivers.

LSU turns to Taylor and Lacy when it needs a conversion — they’re Nussmeier’s go-to guys.

This is related to LSU’s lack of down-to-down efficiency. Part of LSU becoming a better situational football team means consistently completing passes to the dependable pass catchers.

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Instant Analysis: LSU collapses in second half, suffers first SEC loss against Texas A&M

It was a tale of two halves for the Tigers in Saturday night’s frustrating loss to Texas A&M.

It was a tale of two halves for LSU on Saturday night against Texas A&M.

The Tigers dominated the first half and looked like they were on the way to a statement win on the road. But TAMU completely reversed the script in the second half, outscoring them 31-6 as it ultimately pulled away to win 38-23 and hand coach Brian Kelly’s team its first SEC loss as well as a severe blow to its College Football Playoff hopes.

LSU captured the early momentum on the road, taking a 3-0 lead before a fumble from star Aggies running back Le’Veon Moss deep in their own territory set it up with excellent field position. The Tigers’ offense cashed in with an excellent throw and catch from [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] to [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] to extend the lead to 10-0.

However, Texas A&M responded with an impressive drive to get on the board as Moss made up for the fumble with a touchdown to get on the board.

LSU had a chance to push its lead back up to 10, but a dropped touchdown from [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag], who mistimed his attempt to high-point a ball in the endzone in his first target of the season, brought out the field goal unit. From 48 yards out, [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] missed just to the right as the Tigers wasted a scoring opportunity.

However, they wouldn’t waste their next possession. After starting at the 10, Nussmeier found [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] on a quick slant, and he did the rest as he hit a gap and found paydirt 75 yards later, outrunning the entire Aggie secondary.

LSU had the momentum entering the second half but missed some opportunities. Ramos missed another long field goal before halftime, and early in the third quarter, [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] threw an ugly interception to set the Aggies up with excellent field position.

After a 6 of 18 start for Conner Weigman, Mike Elko opted for a quarterback change to the more mobile Marcel Reed, and they quickly capitalized and cut the deficit to three. LSU had a chance to answer on the ensuing drive, but more special teams mishaps cost it as an early snap ruined the timing on Ramos’ kick, which couldn’t even be attempted.

TAMU responded with a quick touchdown drive led and capped off by Reed, giving it its first lead of the game. Things went from bad to worse as Nussmeier, who was excellent in the first half, tossed his second interception to give the Aggies great field position again. Though a penalty took a touchdown off the board, Texas A&M ultimately found the end zone to extend the lead to 11.

With their backs against the wall, the Tigers had to respond. Nussmeier made a few gutsy throws to lead them down the field, and after a touchdown pass to [autotag]Trey’Dez Green[/autotag] was ruled short at the one, Nussmeier did it himself on a sneak to cut the deficit back to one score. However, the two-point conversion attempt to cut it to three was no good, and LSU still faced a five-point deficit.

However, it ultimately didn’t matter. Once Reed entered the game, the Tiger defense couldn’t get off the field. On the following drive, Reed connected with Noah Thomas for a 54-yard gain, and Moss quickly scored again to push the lead to 12, the biggest lead of the game to that point for either team.

The offense got the ball back, but a well-read check down was intercepted, Nussmeier’s third of the game, and while Texas A&M couldn’t quite deliver the dagger, it hit a field goal to push the lead to 15 and make things difficult for the Tigers.

LSU turned the ball over on downs, officially ending any hope of a comeback. After dominating the first half, Nussmeier was just 11 of 24 in the second along with his three turnovers. He was also sacked twice and faced the most pressure he has all season, though he still managed 405 yards on 50 attempts with 50% completion.

Nussmeier had to lead the way on offense as there was no ground game to speak of. LSU totaled just 24 yards on 23 carries.

Defensively, it was a disastrous second half. The Tigers allowed 229 yards in the final two quarters and 376 overall. The Aggies ran for 242 yards and five touchdowns, with Reed accounting for 62 of those yards and three of those touchdowns.

It’s an ugly loss for an LSU team that seemed to have turned the corner in recent weeks. Now, it will have the week off to refocus before hosting Alabama in what has become a must-win game.

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Pair of LSU players receive SEC weekly honors after win over Arkansas

Emery Jones Jr. and Damian Ramos were honored by the SEC this week.

LSU went on the road and handled a tough SEC opponent coming into the game with momentum as it dispatched Arkansas 34-10 to take back the Golden Boot for the third year in a row.

There were several standouts from the win, and two of them have received weekly honors from the SEC league office. Offensive tackle [autotag]Emery Jones Jr.[/autotag] has been named the Co-SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, while placekicker [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] has been named the Special Teams Player of the Week.

Jones helped anchor an offensive line that allowed LSU to rack up 384 yards, including 158 on the ground — the second-highest total of the season. Ramos, meanwhile, was 4 of 4 on field goals including kicks from 47 and 48 yards out.

Those kicks proved to be clutch as three of them came in the first half when the game was still in doubt and helped the Tigers pull away. Ramos received the game ball from coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] for his efforts.

LSU is 6-1 on the year with momentum on its side as it prepares to face Texas A&M with sole possession of first place in the SEC on the line in Week 9.

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5 stats that defined LSU’s Week 8 win over Arkansas

These five numbers defined LSU’s 34-10 win over Arkansas.

LSU fans are accustomed to anxiety filled battles with Arkansas. That wasn’t the case on Saturday night with LSU securing a 34-10 win in Fayetteville.

Brian Kelly said it after the game — LSU played to its standard for four quarters.

LSU was inconsistent to begin the year. The Tigers dropped the opener to USC and struggled to pull away from FCS Nicholls State in Week 2. In Week 3, LSU had to scratch and claw to get a win vs. South Carolina. The following week, LSU let a bad UCLA team hang around in Tiger Stadium.

Then LSU figured some things out. It played a complete game against South Alabama before upsetting No. 9 Ole Miss. The win on Saturday was further proof of this team’s upward trend.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said this is a good time to be getting better and it looks like LSU is doing just that.

Here are five numbers that defined LSU’s win over Arkansas.

Whit Weeks: 5 pressures and a sack

[autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] is turning into a star at linebacker for LSU. He’s taken a huge leap under first-year defensive coordinator [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] and proven to be critical for LSU’s defensive turnaround.

Weeks balled out again in week seven, notching five pressures, a sack, and a pick. Weeks is becoming a guy who opposing offenses have to circle.

He made five stops in the run game too and his 37 stops on the year lead all SEC linebackers.

Arkansas: -0.40 EPA/rush

The game plan for LSU was simple: stop Arkansas’ run game.

The Razorbacks’ identity over the first half of the year relied on creating explosive plays on the ground, whether it was QB Taylen Green scrambling for first downs or RB Ja’Quinden Jackson breaking tackles.

LSU neutralized the rushing attack, holding Arkansas to -0.40 EPA/rush, a number that put the Razorbacks in the fourth percentile.

Green was one of the SEC’s most explosive rushers entering the week but ended with three carries for 14 yards.

Nussmeier: 22/33 through the air

Nussmeier wasn’t explosive in this one, but he protected the ball and took what the defense gave him. You can’t go broke making a profit and LSU made a profit through the air on Saturday night.

Nussmeier’s week eight completion rate of 66.7%, the second-best of any SEC QB.

It was needed after Nussmeier’s shaky performance against Ole Miss. He looked comfortable from start to finish against Arkansas, a positive sign for LSU moving forward.

Caden Durham: 101 yards and three touchdowns

[autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] continued his emergence against Arkansas. Durham wasn’t a rotational piece — he was the feature back. His 21 carries were a career-high, well over his previous mark of 12.

Durham averaged 4.8 yards per carry and scored three times. With LSU behind the chains on its first drive, Durham ripped off a 22-yard touchdown run to put LSU on the board. That’s the element LSU was missing to start the year.

LSU’s run game remains a work in progress, but Durham has it pointing up.

LSU offense: 89% of available yards

LSU’s average starting field position was its own 42-yard line. That fact along with LSU picking up 89% of its available yards allowed the Tigers to control the game.

LSU remained on schedule and moved the ball all night long. LSU didn’t always cash in for a touchdown, but kicker [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] did a good job of ensuring LSU got points.

The Arkansas defense didn’t have many answers as LSU averaged over 50 yards per drive.

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Instant analysis from LSU’s thrilling overtime win over Ole Miss

The Tigers survived to win an instant classic against Ole Miss in overtime.

Ole Miss entered Saturday night’s game looking for its first win at Tiger Stadium since 2008. After a wild game that couldn’t be decided after four quarters, the Rebels are still searching for that win as LSU survived an instant classic thanks to a dart from [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] to [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] to win the game in overtime, 29-26.

It was a rough start offensively for the Tigers. They couldn’t run the ball, totaling just 33 yards on 13 carries in the first half while [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] completed just 11 of 26 passes with an unlucky interception on a tip drill.

Ole Miss had its own issues capitalizing, coming away with zero points on two early red zone trips after a missed field goal and failed fourth-down conversion. But the Rebels still managed to move the ball and jumped out to a 10-0 lead.

LSU would get on the board with a nice drive capped off by a touchdown pass to [autotag]Trey’Dez Green[/autotag], and though Ole Miss scored again to push its lead back to 10, the Tigers had a chance late in the second quarter but a touchdown pass to [autotag]Zavion Thomas[/autotag] was called back as LSU settled for a field goal.

It got another chance on an Ole Miss fumble in the final minute but once again had to settle for a [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] field goal as it went into the locker room facing a 17-13 deficit.

LSU got into scoring position early in the third quarter on a big pass play to [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag], but the drive stalled and Ramos missed a kick. The Rebels responded with a field goal drive of their own, but LSU would answer with another Ramos kick to cut it to 20-16 with just over a minute left in the third quarter.

The teams traded interceptions in the fourth quarter, and Ole Miss was ultimately able to extend its lead to seven in the final minutes.

Facing a do-or-die drive, Nussmeier came up clutch. On fourth and five from the 23-yard line, he found Anderson with the game on the line for a game-tying touchdown with 27 seconds to play. That forced overtime after a [autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] sack on a Hail Mary attempt halted Ole Miss’ potential game-winner.

After some procedural penalties to start the overtime period, Ole Miss had to settle for a field goal. The Tigers took over knowing a touchdown would win it, and it took only one play for Nussmeier to deliver just that, finding Lacy in the end zone in one-on-one coverage for the game-winner.

It wasn’t the most efficient game for Nussmeier, who completed just 22 of 51 passes with a pair of interceptions. But he also threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns, including the decisive score in overtime. Lacy finished with 111 yards and a score on five catches.

It wasn’t a banner day for the defense, which allowed 464 yards, but the Tigers managed to keep the Rebels from scoring touchdowns, giving the offense a chance. Twelve penalties for more than 100 yards and two turnovers of its own didn’t help the Ole Miss cause.

The win keeps LSU’s College Football Playoff hopes alive, and the Tigers will look to keep the momentum going when they travel to face Arkansas next weekend.

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Grading LSU’s special teams in 2024 after Week 5

LSU special teams under Brian Kelly are a mixed bag. How is the 2024 unit?

Special teams were an issue in Brian Kelly’s first year at LSU. 2022 was filled with blunders in the third phase of the game and the Tigers finished the year ranked 92nd in special teams. The result led to staff changes, including the exit of special teams coordinator [autotag]Brian Polian[/autotag].

In 2023, LSU took a committee coaching approach to its special teams. LSU finished the season ranking 82nd in the SP+ special teams metric. This is an improvement from 2022, but not where LSU aims to be.

2024 has come with another jump for the special teams unit, with the Tigers up to 59th in SP+ special teams. If this continues, it’ll be LSU’s first above-average special teams unit under [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag].

LSU’s strong kick return unit is the place to start. Returner [autotag]Zavion Thomas[/autotag] leads the SEC in kick return yards with 242 and the Tigers rank above average nationally in FEI’s kick return efficiency.

Thomas’ special teams impact was a big factor in LSU’s decision to recruit him out of the portal and it’s making a difference so far.

On the other side, LSU’s fared well with kickoffs too. Kickoff specialist [autotag]Aeron Burrell[/autotag] has kicked off 25 times and 24 have been touchbacks. That’ll do.

An area of concern entering the year was the punt team. It remains a concern five games in. Punter Peyton Todd’s punting grade ranks last among qualified SEC punters, according to PFF. [autotag]Blake Ochsendorf[/autotag] hasn’t proven to be that effective either, but he has a small sample size with just three punts on the year.

Hopefully for LSU, an effective offense will limit the punt team’s exposure, but if LSU gets in a field position battle, questions arise about LSU’s ability to compete.

The most obvious aspect of any special teams unit is the kicker. [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] is in his third year with the Tigers and continues to provide a competent presence there. Ramos is 5/6 on the year and is yet to miss an extra point. Just one of those field goals was for 40+ yards, but it was a make.

After the last two years, it’s hard to complain about LSU’s special teams unit. Outside of the punt team, this can be one of the stronger groups in the SEC.

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5 takeaways from LSU’s win over Nicholls State in Week 2

LSU is in the win column in 2024. Here are five takeaways from the Tigers win over Nicholls.

LSU football got its first win of the 2024 campaign as the Tigers returned home to host Nicholls State on Saturday night. Brian Kelly’s group took some time to find their footing, but LSU pulled away in the second half for a final score of 44-21.

It was the opening night for Tiger Stadium’s 100th anniversary season and Tiger fans were treated to a brand new video board, new LED lights, and an improved sound system.

On the field, LSU QB [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] led the way with six touchdowns. Three of those went to WR [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], who paired the scores with five catches for 65 yards.

LSU is still waiting for its run game to wake up, with [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaleb Jackson[/autotag] pacing the team with just 19 yards apiece.

It was a thrilling day around the sport, but luckily for Tiger fans, LSU avoided the chaos.

The win should help stabilize LSU as it opens conference play against South Carolina next week. Here are five takeaways from LSU’s win over Nicholls State.

Sloppy start for the Tigers

LSU expects to have its way with an FCS opponent. That’s not what happened in the first half and it was another sloppy start for the Tigers.

LSU picked up a first down but failed to score on the first drive. The offense eventually picked it up, but it wasn’t smooth sailing the first two quarters.

The bigger concern was on the defensive side of the ball. Nicholls was more physical than LSU up front, methodically moving down the field and controlling the football.

Nicholls didn’t throw a single incompletion in the first half and LSU didn’t do much to make the Colonels uncomfortable.

The first half was capped with a special teams error as [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] pushed a field goal right.

A few injury scares

You want to exit these buy games healthy, but LSU had a few scares on Saturday night.

Nussmeier and Lacy both left the game to receive attention from the trainers. Both players returned, but seeing two key pieces on the sideline wasn’t a welcome sight for LSU fans.

The bigger concern is defensive tackle [autotag]Jacobian Guillory[/autotag], who left the game and was later seen in a cast and wheelchair.

LSU is already thin at defensive tackle and Guillory is the only proven DT on the roster. If LSU is without Guillory for an extended period of time, it changes the outlook for LSU up front.

Ju’Juan Johnson makes his RB debut

[autotag]Ju’Juan Johnson[/autotag] has played running back for just a few days, but you wouldn’t know that if you saw him on the field Saturday.

Johnson was a QB in high school and recruited as a DB, but with LSU’s RB growing thin, the Tigers are giving Johnson a shot. He was involved early on Saturday night, getting his first touch on LSU’s second drive.

Later in the half, Johnson caught a pass and made a few defenders miss. Not long after that, Nussmeier found Johnson for a score.

Johnson is no stranger to having the ball in his hands. He was a star quarterback at the high school level, after all.

We’ll get a better idea of LSU’s plans for Johnson next week. Were the Tigers just using an FCS opponent to get him some reps or does he factor into LSU’s rotation in conference play?

Aaron Anderson continues to emerge

We knew Lacy, [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] would factor into this offense, but there was suspense surrounding LSU’s fourth receiver.

[autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag] was the obvious candidate, but he’s missed the first two games with an injury. In Hilton’s absence, [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] has stepped up,

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said the redshirt sophomore had a breakout game last week and Anderson produced again on Saturday night. The numbers weren’t gaudy, but Anderson caught five passes for 63 yards.

LSU doesn’t need Anderson to be a gamebreaker, but he’s on pace for a 762 yard season after two games. That’ll do.

Questions remain entering conference play

LSU got it together in the second half, but there will be anxiety entering conference play. LSU’s SEC schedule gets underway with a road trip to South Carolina next week. The Gamecocks impressed on Saturday with an emphatic win over Kentucky.

If South Carolina repeats that performance and LSU comes out flat again, LSU won’t like the result next week.

LSU should feel good about its passing game, but health at receiver is a minor concern. The run game is the biggest question on LSU’s offense. The depth at RB is worth monitoring and LSU’s offensive line will be tested again next week after it struggled against USC.

On defense, LSU is still working out its rotation in the secondary. LSU likes what it has with [autotag]Ashton Stamps[/autotag] and [autotag]PJ Woodland[/autotag] at corner, but both are young and mistakes are inevitable.

Up front, the Guillory injury complicates things even further.

LSU’s ceiling is still the College Football Playoff, but its impossible not to ask a few questions after LSU’s 1-1 start.

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ESPN lists LSU-Arkansas among top 100 college football games of 2023

The Tigers had to overcome a double-digit deficit to beat the Hogs in September.

ESPN’s Bill Connelly recently released the first half of his top 100 games in 2023, and one of LSU’s victories made the cut.

On Sept. 23, the Tigers hosted Arkansas for a night game at Death Valley. They found themselves trailing early in the contest and had to overcome a 13-3 deficit.

LSU avoided taking an early season loss as eventual Heisman winner Jayden Daniels and the offense sparked a comeback with a 21-3 run. The Tigers ultimately won the game 34-31 with a last-second [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] field goal as coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] moved to 2-0 against the Razorbacks in his tenure.

Here’s what Connelly said about the game, which he ranked No. 77.

These teams were both 2-1 when Arkansas visited Baton Rouge. We didn’t yet know that Jayden Daniels was on his way to the Heisman (and Arkansas was on its way to 4-8). All we knew at the time was that this game was wild. Arkansas led 13-3 early, but three Daniels touchdown passes keyed a 21-3 run and set up a back-and-forth fourth quarter. Arkansas twice tied the score late, but Damian Ramos’ 20-yard field goal with five seconds left gave the Tigers the last laugh.

We’ll have to wait and see if any other LSU games made the cut when Connelly releases the top 50.

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10 Tigers crack LSWA’s All-Louisiana college football team

LSU is the preeminent program in Louisiana, and it dominates the all-state selections.

LSU is the premier football program in the state of Louisiana, and after a 9-3 season that saw the team deliver one of the most prolific offensive campaigns in recent college football memory, its players litter the LWSA All-Louisiana Team.

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] is the headliner having also been named the LWSA’s Offensive Player of the Year. He’s a first-teamer and is joined by his receiving duo of [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], as well as offensive tackles [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag].

LSU added four more players on the Second Team with center [autotag]Charles Turner[/autotag] on offense and linebacker [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag] and safety Andre Sam on defense. Kicker [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] was also named to the Second Team.

The Tigers will look to cap off the season with win No. 10 as they take on Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Monday morning.

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Where LSU stands in ESPN’s college football power rankings after Week 4

The Tigers still sit outside the top 10 in ESPN’s latest power rankings after a tight win over Arkansas.

The Tigers had a scare on Saturday night against the Arkansas Razorbacks, needing a last-second field goal from [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] to avoid overtime in a game they entered as three-score favorites.

But a win is a win in the SEC West, and LSU moves to 2-0 in conference play as it prepares to hit the road to take on an Ole Miss team that’s still licking its wounds after a 24-10 loss at Alabama on Saturday.

Following the win over Arkansas, LSU sits at No. 13 in ESPN’s college football power rankings, two spots behind the Crimson Tide.

Here’s what ESPN’s Chris Low said about the Tigers.

There were a lot of sighs of relief coming out of Tiger Stadium on Saturday night. LSU flirted with its second loss of the season, but Damian Ramos kicked a 20-yard field goal with five seconds to play in a 34-31 win over Arkansas. It was the kind of game you’ve come to expect in the SEC, one team getting down but fighting to hang around. Arkansas and KJ Jefferson wouldn’t go away, but LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels showed his experience and poise when it counted. He engineered the game-winning 72-yard drive and finished with 420 passing yards and four touchdowns. Had it not been for LSU’s red zone defense, the Tigers could have really been in trouble. They forced the Hogs to kick two short field goals in the first half.

LSU will have plenty of opportunities to move up these rankings in the next few weeks with tough upcoming matchups against the Rebels and a Missouri team that seems to be at least somewhat dangerous.

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