LSU football was defeated by Florida State on Sunday by a score of 24-23. It was a heartbreaking loss for the Tigers, who showed so much heart to come back in the fourth quarter with adversity staring them in the face. While there were many things to improve on in the game, there were also a lot of positives to take away from Brian Kelly’s first game in charge.
The offense put together a couple of masterfully-orchestrated drives in crunch time. The defense bent—but didn’t break—throughout most of the game. Even though things didn’t always click at the right time, there were a plethora of encouraging signs from each position group. This is highlighted by the fact that, even though everything that could’ve gone wrong on the evening did, LSU was still able to put itself in a position to win at the end. These positive performances must be appreciated amidst all of the negativity flying around social media post-game.
Which LSU football players earned their stripes against Florida State?
Following each one of the Tigers’ games this season, I will be handing out awards to the best individual performers from the previous contest. These players will “earn their stripes” for their positive play on the field, regardless of the overall result. I will select three of the team’s players who I believed played the best games and talk a bit more about why they were chosen.
Here are three LSU players who earned their stripes in the loss to the Seminoles:
Major Burns (S)
A lot of the talk about the secondary heading into the season focused on safety Jay Ward and the transfer cornerbacks. Very little was said about Major Burns in the build-up to the Florida State game, but his name became one for ESPN’s Joe Tessitore spoke often on Sunday.
Simply put, Burns was everywhere against the Seminoles. The Georgia transfer was the joint-leader (alongside Ward) for tackles on the Tigers’ defense with eight in total (six solo tackles). He also registered two tackles for loss, which led the team. Sunday night may have raised some questions in a couple of key position, but both of LSU’s safety positions are locked up with some solid defensive backs. Is that really a surprise though? After all, it’s DBU we’re talking about.
Jayden Daniels (QB)
If you were active on social media at any point during Sunday night’s game—which Death Valley Voice is every week—you’d have seen fans crying to replace starting QB Jayden Daniels. After beating out Garrett Nussmeier for the title of QB1 in camp, the Arizona State transfer didn’t exactly get off to the greatest start against the Seminoles.
After going back and watching the Allstate Louisiana Kickoff again though, many realized that Daniels was the only person keeping LSU afloat on offense. He was running for his life as his young offensive line struggled to keep Florida State’s pass rush out of its backfield. Daniels ended up carrying the ball 16 times for 114 yards—many of which resulted in a first down.
It may have taken Daniels a little while to get going in the passing game, but he finished the night 26 of 35 with 209 yards and two passing touchdowns. Despite a couple of bad snaps from redshirt freshman center Garrett Dellinger, the Tigers’ new No. 5 made mature decisions under pressure. LSU’s No. 1 quarterback put in an incredibly mature performance that saw him fail to even come close to giving up the football on the ground or through the air.
Perhaps the most important contribution of Daniels’ on the night was when he marched the Tigers 99 yards down the field in less than a minute-and-a-half to end the game. It was one of the more impressive offensive series we’ve seen from an LSU signal caller not named Joe Burrow in the last decade. For all intents and purposes, Daniels played one helluva game.
Yet, he still faced more than his fair share of critics. Many fans were left feeling disinterested about the future of Mike Denbrock’s offense under Daniels. I, on the other hand, am excited to see how the Tigers can build from this performance going forward.
LSU has one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC in Daniels, and it’s easy to see why he was given the starting nod by Kelly leading into the Florida State match-up. He earned his stripes and then some in New Orleans. Now, it’s time for Daniels to take the bull by the horns and lead this offense to success in the remaining 11 games of the season.
Mason Taylor (TE)
The LSU offense got a lot of love heading into the 2022 season. There were so many weapons that either Daniels or Nussmeier would be able to utilize, especially in the receiving core. Jack Bech, Kayshon Boutte, Jaray Jenkins, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. chief amongst them. Even at running back the Tigers had notable names in Noah Cain and John Emery Jr.
The one position nobody was talking about, large in part due to the uncertainty and lack of “sexy names” at the position, was tight end. All of that being said, many of us (myself included) look silly in hindsight for not paying more attention to the talent at that position.
Freshman Mason Taylor emerged as the early front runner for the starting job on Sunday night. He racked up 42 yards on five catches in the game, which was third and joint-first in each respective category. Those numbers understandably don’t jump off the page, but given that the passing game didn’t get going until late in the second half, it’s fairly impressive.
Taylor made his name known to the nation when he set up the potential game-tying touchdown inside five seconds. He’s now got all of the tools—at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds with great hands—to succeed in an offense where he’s quickly emerging as one of Daniels’ favorite targets.
Taylor wowed spectators inside the Superdome on Sunday in his first collegiate game. The son of NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor earned his stripes against the Seminoles, now it’s time for him to wear them with pride as he continues to excel.
Honorable mention: Malik Nabers (WR)
The first honorable mention goes to Nabers, although many will likely have an issue with that. The true sophomore had an abysmal night on special teams, as he notably muffed two punts at crucial points in the game. If not for Florida State‘s goal-line blunder with a minute to go, Nabers would’ve cost the Tigers a chance to tie the game at the death.
However, earning your stripes is about a lot more than just two plays—regardless of the result.
Nabers showed determination and maturity on the Tigers’ last drive as, after his second special teams mistake, he trotted back out to try to redeem himself. No. 8’s catches in the final seconds may be forgettable in hindsight, but they were incredibly important in getting LSU down the field. Nabers tallied five catches out of the slot on the evening, tied for a team high.
The Youngsville, Louisiana native had a night to forget on the field, but he earned his stripes by showing fans what a stand-up character he has underneath the uniform. Nabers has shown that he is a mature individual who possesses true leadership qualities. In a team full of new and young players, the receiver can have a huge impact on the locker room.
There will be those who continue to doubt his abilities after Sunday’s showing, but me? I’ll be backing Nabers to have a breakout year in 2022.
Honorable mention: Mekhi Wingo (DT)
There aren’t many people who knew the name Mekhi Wingo outside of Columbia, Missouri before last weekend. Wingo came to LSU as a transfer from Mizzou after enjoying a breakout season in the black and gold. He wasn’t expected to have a huge part to play this year as he was listed behind Maason Smith—one of the nation’s best—on the depth chart.
Unfortunately, Smith suffered a torn ACL early on against Florida State, and Wingo was there to spring into action. He put his “next man up” mentality on display against the Seminoles as he became an absolute force to be reckoned with on the night.
The sophomore defensive tackle came off the bench to tally as many total tackles as the likes of Mekhi Garner and BJ Ojulari. Wingo recorded the fourth-most tackles on the Tigers’ defense, only trailing Greg Penn III, Burns and Ward. His biggest contribution of all though was coming up with the fumble on the goal-line in the fourth quarter that gave LSU the opportunity to tie the game toward the end of regulation.
Wingo is going to have to step up in lieu of Smith’s season-ending injury. If Sunday was any indication though, he looks more than ready to handle the spotlight alongside Gaye, Ojulari and Jaquelin Roy on the defensive line.