The loss of Left Guard Garrett Dellinger has helped derail the LSU offense

We often talk about the Most Valuable Player on the team as they're the one's who get the most attention for a team's success or failure. We often overlook the guys that a team simply can't afford to lose and we don't realize their full impact until they leave the lineup. For the LSU Football team, they lost Harold Perkins, Kyle Parker, Jacobian Guillory, and John Emery Jr to injury and the Tigers seemingly survived all of those losses.

The injury that derailed this LSU Football team however was the loss of Left Guard Garrett Dellinger. The Tigers were up on Texas A&M when Garrett Dellinger before he suffered his ankle injury and left the game. The ankle injury required tightrope surgery and LSU didn't get him back that game or against Alabama and Florida.

Paul Mubenga replaced Garrett Dellinger and while he is far from the only problem, he isn't what Garrett Dellinger was for this group.

Since losing Garrett Dellinger, the Tigers have given up 11 sacks six of which came in the second half of the game against Florida. In that same span the Tigers have given up 22 tackles for a loss further showing that LSU is getting beat up front.

Opposing defenses are creating a ton of pressures right at the point of attack beating LSU up the middle. When pressure comes from the edges, the quarterback is at least able to step up in the pocket but, when it comes up the middle against an immobile quarterback like Garrett Nussmeier there's no where he can go.

DJ Chester has looked worse over this span as he was getting a ton of help from Garrett Dellinger and with Paul Mubenga in at Guard he's not getting as much help as he has gotten.

In the last ten quarters which has been how long Garrett Dellinger has missed, LSU has been outscored 100 to 35. On their last 27 drives LSU has scored just three touchdowns which is including the touchdown the offense scored against Alabama's backup.

The loss of Garrett Dellinger has taken away LSU's explosive plays

The pressure constantly getting to Garrett Nussmeier has forced the Tigers to turn toward the quick game. LSU's receivers struggling to separate has also hurt Garrett Nussmeier but, the lack of protection up front has also given the receivers less time to get open. When the Tigers offense can't create explosive plays in the passing game the offense can't overcome the mistakes they make in the quick game.

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