LSU vs Florida report card: Opportunistic defense steals the show

The LSU Tigers moved to 3-0 with a 20-10 win over Florida in the SEC opener on Saturday night. Brian Kelly's squad has a matchup against Southeastern Louisiana this weekend before playing their first conference road game of the season at Ole Miss on Sept. 27. Before the Tigers battle the Lions, here are our grades for LSU's Week 3 performance against the Gators.

Offense: C-

For the third straight week, the LSU offense struggled to find consistency. The running game couldn't get going, Garrett Nussmeier wasn't accurate, and the Tigers couldn't come up with big plays down the field. Instead, they tried to dink and dunk early on, which wasn't effective. LSU went three-and-out on each of its first three drives of the game, and mustered up just 45 yards of offense in the first quarter. The lack of first quarter offense so far this season is a serious problem. Through three games so far this season, LSU has scored just seven total points in the first quarter.

The LSU defense came up with five interceptions and continuously put the offense in a solid position to do damage. However, the Tigers scored just one offensive touchdown on the night and managed just 13 points. Nussmeier made some questionable decisions, and was picked off on a throw across his body that a fifth year QB shouldn't be making. When asked about the offense after the game, Brian Kelly gave a heated response and emphasized that the win was what is most important.

While true, Tiger fans expect more from the offense. LSU managed just 10 first downs against the Gators, and went 4-for-14 on third down. The LSU rushing attack posted a measly 1.8 yards per carry before Caden Durham ripped off a 51-yard run late in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice. On Monday, Kelly stated that Nussmeier is dealing with a torso injury, which could perhaps be causing a hindrance on his ability. Hopefully, Nussmeier and company get things in order this week against Southeastern Louisiana before heading to Ole Miss on Sept. 27.

Defense: A+

It's hard for the LSU defense to play much better than it did against Florida. Blake Baker's defense had DJ Lagway and company in a blender all night long. LSU picked off Lagway a whopping five times, and held the Gators to just 10 points despite being on the field for the vast majority of the game. Florida controlled time of possession 37:46-22:14, but it ultimately didn't matter.

Dashawn Spears was the star, as he put together a breakout performance that featured his first career interception as well as his first career pick six. AJ Haulcy, Tamarcus Cooley, and DJ Pickett also collected interceptions against Lagway.

Mansoor Delane put together another lock-down performance as well. He was on the field for 57 coverage snaps and was targeted just six times and allowed just 11 yards.

The LSU run defense was also stout, holding the Gators to just 79 rushing yards and 2.9 yards per carry on the night. Through three weeks, there's not much debate about LSU's new-look defense being among the best in the country.

Special teams: A

Damian Ramos went 2-for-2 on field goal attempts with conversions from 47 and 45 yards. He is now 6-for-8 field goals attempts and 6-for-6 on extra points on the season.

Middle Tennessee State transfer Grant Chadwick has been a great addition for LSU. The sophomore punter put on a clinic on Saturday night over his seven punts. Chadwick averaged 50.4 yards per punt with a long of 58. He had four punts go inside Florida's 20-yard line, with punts downed at Florida's 2, 6, 14, and 15 yard lines. He is turning into a real weapon for the Tigers.

Coaching: B+

Blake Baker deserves a ton of credit for the turnaround of this LSU defense. Year 2 under Baker is yielding tremendous results thus far, and Tiger fans are excited to see the defense continue to be elite. Things haven't been as pretty on the offensive side of the ball, and the adjustments Joe Sloan has made haven't been effective. Nussmeier's lingering torso injury could be playing a part in that, but that doesn't help explain the struggles of the running game. Going up against a high-powered Ole Miss offense in two weeks, the Tigers need to figure things out quickly.