The LSU offense has been a big talking point in the college football world so far this season. The unit has been good enough to win some close games thus far, but if LSU is going to contend for an SEC title and a National Championship, Brian Kelly knows his offense has to be better.
The Tiger head coach defended his offense in a fiery way following the Florida win, and has stated that Garrett Nussmeier's lingering torso injury hasn't impacted LSU's play-calling thus far. Playing through the injury, Nussmeier is off to a relatively slow start, but his head coach has given the veteran gunslinger a high vote of confidence heading into Week 4.
Brian Kelly has plenty of faith in Nussmeier
Kelly said that this has been Nussmeier's best week of practice so far this season. Many fans wondered if Nussmeier would even play against FCS Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday, and instead opt to start backup QB Michael Van Buren Jr.
The rest would give Nussmeier the chance to get as healthy as possible before a massive tilt at No. 13 Ole Miss next week. But Kelly said Nussmeier can't shut it down until the bye week, and expects Nussmeier to be good to go against the Lions on Saturday.
. @LSUfootball Brian Kelly Thursday evening on why Garrett Nussmeier will play against the Southeastern Lions and what kind of condition Nussmeier is in. https://t.co/ZDRXUiycwp #LSU pic.twitter.com/FHCqiXYnkS
— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) September 18, 2025
"He's coming to practice feeling good and getting into a good rhythm. This was his best week of practice. So we want him to go and play the game at a level where he's comfortable. To hold him back at this point would not be a good thing for him. "Brian Kelly
Kelly says Nussmeier will start on Saturday, but it would be surprising to see him play the whole game. In an ideal world, the Tigers race out to a big lead and can afford to rest Nussmeier - as well as other starters - in the second half. A fast start would certainly be a welcome sight to Tiger fans, as a huge matchup at No. 13 Ole Miss looms next week. The Rebels have scored 44.7 points per game so far this season, so getting the offense ironed out against SLU will be very beneficial for the Tigers.
Plus, giving Van Buren Jr. some playing time could be beneficial for LSU. If Van Buren Jr. is needed down the road, the Tigers need to know what they are working with when his name is called. Saturday would be a great time to find out.