The LSU Tigers ended the 2025 season with a 17-13 loss to the 8th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers fought hard, but ultimately couldn't muster up enough offense against one of the top defenses in all of college football. The offensive woes were a common theme all season long for the Tigers, who end the regular season with a 7-5 overall record and a 3-5 mark in SEC play.
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The Tiger offense struggled all season long, especially early in games. Through the 12-game regular season, LSU did not score a single touchdown on an opening drive. That's a stat that is almost hard to believe, but it unfortunately rings true for the 2025 Tigers.
There it is. #LSU goes all 12 regular season games without scoring a TD on its opening drive. A remarkable feat.
— Preston Guy (@PGuy77) November 29, 2025
LSU's lack of 1st quarter success doomed the Tigers throughout 2025
The lack of offensive success early on in games put the Tigers in tough spots all season long. Most notably, it put too much pressure on the defense to perform at an elite level at all times. The Tiger defense was great throughout the season, but Blake Baker's unit was simply asked to do too much.
That was evident once again in the season finale against Oklahoma. Down the stretch of the season, LSU went on the road to hold Alabama to 20 points and Oklahoma to 17 points only to lose both games.
Before his firing, Brian Kelly had emphasized the importance of playing complimentary football, but that is something that never materialized in 2025. The offensive line was shaky, the running game couldn't get going, and the downfield passing game didn't pose a threat. Garrett Nussmeier was battling an abdominal injury all season long, and missed LSU's last three games. But it was clear that LSU's offensive woes were not solely on Nussmeier.
LSU's offensive struggles continued beyond the 1st quarter. The Tigers failed to score more than 25 points in a game against an FBS opponent this season, which is simply unacceptable. In the end, it was a rough season for the Tigers, and the defense played too well to finish 7-5.