Is Garrett Nussmeier the reason for LSU’s lackluster season? With the Tigers sitting at 6-4 after three back-t0-back-to-back brutal losses, fans didn’t wait to point fingers at the young quarterback. His debacle began against No.15 Texas A&M Aggies, spiraled further against No.7 ranked Alabama Crimson Roll Tide, and now against the struggling 5-5 Florida Gators. As LSU fights to thrive the season, questions around Nussmeier’s performance have only grown more intense. But the LSU head coach Brian Kelly isn’t backing down from support.

Brian Kelly’s defense of his quarterback is unwavering, almost stubbornly so. “I thought he was extremely intentional about his actions,” Kelly said, reflecting on Nussmeier’s commitment. Speaking as if echoing his QB’s mindset, he added, “You know in terms of taking care of the football, maybe I could’ve done this, but I was very intentional about making sure we took great care of the football.” Right because nothing says ball security like multiple interceptions.

The Problem is, Nussmeier’s been anything but comfortable with the ball. It all started in Week 10 against the Aggie, when he had three 3 picks, hit only 50% of his passes, and looked as uncomfortable as a cat in water. LSU got smacked 38-23.

By Week 11, it didn’t get any better. Nussmeier looked way off his game against Alabama, throwing completing 27 out of 42 passes for 239 yards, two more interceptions, and just one touchdown in a 42-13 blowout.

Yet, Kelly is very optimistic about his quarterback. “look he’s in the midst of this continuous improvement in the pocket…. he wants to get better at this first year of being a starter, and I’m excited about coaching him.” Basically saying Nussmeier’s still learning, and sure, it’s been rough. But the guy’s committed to improving, and Kelly seems genuinely excited to help him grow. With much going wrong for LSU, Kelly has taken a call.

The situation has led to LSU coach Brian Kelly getting more involved in the offense’s operation. “has led to LSU coach Brian Kelly getting more involved in the offense’s operation.That’s not to say I don’t have full faith and trust in my staff, I do, but the buck stops with me. When we lose a game, I have to be able to look at the reasons why and I feel as though with my background and how I was developed as as coach, I feel like it’s (time to) get involved. So yes, I’ve been more involved in everything that we’re doing,” Kelly said after Saturday’s game.

Well, we can not blame him. Explosive plays are quintessential in winning football games. If you can manage more chunk plays than your opponent, you have a good shot. Last year, LSU’s offense was one of the most explosive in college football history. Jayden Daniels, along with Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr, were big plays waiting to happen.

But that level of big-play threat from LSU is not happening in 2024 and that is one of the key reasons for LSU’s three-game losing streak. With an explosive play rate of 8.13%, LSU is closer to the bottom of the list. Also, that is nearly five points below LSU’s mark from 2023.

The impact is more than visible. The lack of explosive plays is putting pressure on LSU to execute perfectly down after down in the red zone, something this offense isn’t capable of doing. Simultaneously, it has also forced LSU to be near perfect on third down. LSU has excelled in that, but relying on third and long conversions does not look like a sustainable proposition. But what was his take on Nussmeier against the Gators?

Brian Kelly on Nussmeier Taking Hits Against Florida Gators

But come on, let’s be real. The game against Florida Gators was a complete disaster. The Gators practically lived in LSU’s backfield, sacking Nussmeier 7 times. It wasn’t just rough— it was ugly. Kelly admitted the beating was concerning. “Some of it, we’re concerned to the point that we want to keep our quarterback clean.” No kidding, Coach. But he wasn’t about to pin it all on Nussmeier. “We have to look at it in its entirety,” Kelly added, trying to remind everyone that it’s a team sport.

Brian Kelly then jumped into analysis mode, pointing out that it’s not all about Nussmeier’s decisions. “Did the ball come out when it needed to? Did we protect the way we needed to?” He sounded like a coach dissecting game film for the hundredth time, looking for any glimmer of hope. “Any time the quarterback gets knocked down, everyone is going to have to look at what did we do and what can we do better?” In other words, the blame game is alive and well.

So, what’s now for LSU? Kelly’s loyalty to Nussmeier is rock solid, but fans are running out of patience. This season was supposed to be something special, but the way things went, it’s turning into a headache. The Tigers are clearly out of the playoff picture now. The Tigers find a way to turn things around for the next. All the “intentional” actions in the world won’t mean squat. Because, in college football, wins are the only thing that counts.