LSU’s defense shouldn’t be this bad. It doesn’t make sense.
The unit reached a new low on Saturday night, allowing over 700 yards and 55 points to Ole Miss.
The Rebel offense is good, and Lane Kiffin is one of the best playcallers in the country. But it’s an offense that only scored 10 points the week prior. Not unstoppable by any means.
So, how did LSU, a defense filled with four and five-star recruits, allow 700 yards?
This is a unit that finished last year ranked as the 26th-best defense in the nation, according to ESPN’s SP+ metric.
Plenty of the guys that made that happen returned.[autotag] Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] was an All-American, and [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] was talked about with the best defenders in America.
Talented transfers were added too, from linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] to cornerback [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag].
Sure, there were losses. LSU lost both starting defensive ends and its top corners. But the returning talent was supposed to overshadow the losses.
Through five games, LSU’s 115th in scoring defense and 116th in yards/play. The Tigers rank outside the top 115 in late down and red zone defense too. It’s hard to imagine it getting any worse.
Defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] was being considered for head coaching jobs last year. Now LSU fans are calling for his job.
While the offense has taken off, the defense has regressed.
It doesn’t get any easier this week. LSU’s set to face Missouri and the SEC’s leading receiver, Luther Burden. Missouri ranks 20th in yards per play and fourth in yards per pass.
If LSU doesn’t figure things out this week, what happened in Oxford could happen in Missouri.
[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] reaffirmed his trust in House and offered a reminder that nobody else is walking through that door. LSU has to work with what they have now.
You would think that should be enough. Again, this is the same talent that led LSU to a top-30 defense last year.
Maybe this defense hears all the noise and decides to come out and play the best game of its life. Who knows at this point?
Kelly and House know what the expectation is. Kelly said it himself on Monday.
LSU reaching a NY6 at this point isn’t out of the question even if its playoff hopes are all but dead.
If the defense figures it out, LSU can reenter the national discussion, but it needs to be figured out soon or Kelly’s going to feel the pressure to make a change at DC.
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