LSU
LSU is 6-3, No. 21 in the CFP rankings, and No. 3 of 138 in the machine's ratings, 25.8 points better than an average FBS team. Last game: lost 31-13 vs Alabama in Week 10. The machine gives LSU a 66% chance to make the playoff.
Week 11: vs Texas, Saturday, Nov 14: the matchup, unit by unit
Why LSU is No. 3
- LSU's rating is 25.8: the machine's estimate that LSU is 25.8 points better than an average FBS team on a neutral field. That is No. 3 of 138. For scale, 0 is an average FBS team: right now the closest to it is No. 68 Arizona State (0.2).
- It started the season at 20.0, ESPN's preseason Football Power Index from July. Its results since have moved it up 5.8.
- The biggest weekly moves: +6.4 after Week 1 (W 51-10 vs Clemson) and +2.4 after Week 4 (W 35-6 vs Texas A&M).
- Its record is 6-3. The 3 losses were to No. 2 Alabama, No. 8 Ole Miss, No. 33 Kentucky, by 9.0 points on average. The 6 wins came by 33.7 points on average; the best was over No. 14 Texas A&M. The rating weighs how much a team won or lost by and against whom, not just the win-loss count.
- Its FBS opponents so far average No. 32 in the machine's ratings.
- Just above is No. 2 Alabama (26.7); just below is No. 4 Texas (25.7).
The rating, week by week
Strengths and weak spots
Head coach
Lane Kiffin is in his 1st season at LSU. This season: 6-3.
Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.
Team stats
Season totals and averages over 9 games, each with its national rank among 138 FBS teams (No. 1 = best). The game-by-game story is in the season, week by week.
Passing
| Completions-attempts | 237-347 |
|---|---|
| Passing yards | 2922 |
| Touchdowns-interceptions | 19-9 |
| Yards per attempt* | 8.4No. 25 of 138 |
| Explosive pass rate | 10.6%No. 68 of 138 |
| Sacks allowed (rate) | 4.4%No. 45 of 138 |
Rushing
| Carries-yards | 370-1615 |
|---|---|
| Yards per carry | 4.4No. 64 of 138 |
| 10-plus-yard runs (rate) | 13.9%No. 68 of 138 |
| Stuffed at or behind the line (rate) | 16.8%No. 59 of 138 |
Scoring
| Points per game | 37.1No. 18 of 138 |
|---|---|
| Yards per play | 6.37No. 31 of 138 |
| Third-down rate | 50.0%No. 13 of 138 |
| Red-zone TD rate | 66.7%No. 40 of 138 |
| Giveaways | 13No. 96 of 138 |
Defense
| Points allowed per game | 17.7No. 20 of 138 |
|---|---|
| Yards per play allowed | 4.43No. 9 of 138 |
| Yards per pass attempt allowed | 6.2No. 22 of 138 |
| Yards per carry allowed | 2.7No. 7 of 138 |
| Sack rate | 11.6%No. 2 of 138 |
| Takeaways | 9No. 100 of 138 |
| Third-down rate allowed | 30.4%No. 12 of 138 |
Totals are the official box score. * Yards per attempt and the rates come from the play-by-play, where passing yards count on completions only, so they can differ from the box score by a play or two.
Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.
Player leaders
The top 3 in each category over the same games. Passing yards count every completion (official box score).
Passing
- Sam Leavitt215-303, 2551 yds, 17 TD, 9 INT
- Landen Clark14-32, 235 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
- Husan Longstreet7-10, 95 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT
Rushing
- Dilin Jones166 carries, 715 yds, 7 TD
- Sam Leavitt87 carries, 340 yds, 8 TD
- Harlem Berry33 carries, 202 yds, 1 TD
Receiving
- Jackson Harris47 catches, 800 yds, 7 TD
- Winston Watkins39 catches, 498 yds, 2 TD
- Trey'Dez Green29 catches, 357 yds, 2 TD
Tackles
- TJ Dottery69
- Davhon Keys50
- Ty Benefield40
Sacks
- Princewill Umanmielen8.5
- Jordan Ross4.5
- Deuce Geralds3
Interceptions
- Tamarcus Cooley2
- DJ Pickett1
- Ja'Keem Jackson1
Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.
Who's playing
Based on who has actually played this season, from the box scores, not the team's published depth chart. Each bar is that player's share of the team's attempts, carries (quarterbacks left out), catches or tackles. The box score lists no positions, so there is no offensive line here.
Throwing
- Sam LeavittMost passes in the last game9 games303 attempts87%
- Landen Clark5 games32 attempts9%
- Husan Longstreet2 games10 attempts3%
Carrying
- Dilin Jones9 games166 carries66%
- Harlem Berry7 games33 carries13%
- Stacy Gage4 games21 carries8%
- Caden Durham4 games12 carries5%
Catching
- Jackson Harris9 games47 catches20%
- Winston Watkins9 games39 catches16%
- Dilin Jones9 games37 catches16%
- Eugene Wilson9 games30 catches13%
Tackling
- TJ Dottery9 games69 tackles13%
- Davhon Keys9 games50 tackles9%
- Ty Benefield9 games40 tackles7%
- Princewill Umanmielen9 games36 tackles7%
Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.
The season, week by week
- Week 1 W 51–10 vs Clemson. The run defense was the strength: Clemson got 1.5 yards a carry, 2.6 under what it usually gains. Its most yards a carry of the season.
- Week 2 W 45–14 vs Louisiana Tech. The run defense was the strength: Louisiana Tech got -0.1 yards a carry, 4.0 under what it usually gains. The defense had 7 sacks.
- Week 3 L 24–32 at Ole Miss. The run defense was the strength: Ole Miss got 2.5 yards a carry, 2.1 under what it usually gains. Its fewest yards an attempt of the season.
- Week 4 W 35–6 vs Texas A&M. The passing game was the strength: 11.1 yards an attempt, 3.4 more than Texas A&M usually allows. Its most yards an attempt of the season.
- Week 5 W 63–14 vs McNeese. McNeese is an FCS team, so there is no FBS baseline to grade this one against.
- Week 6 L 34–35 at Kentucky. The passing game was the strength: 9.0 yards an attempt, 2.5 more than Kentucky usually allows. The machine had LSU by 15.0 (82%), so this was a loss it did not see coming; LSU lost the turnover battle by 2.
- Week 7 W 31–0 vs Mississippi State. The pass defense was the strength: Mississippi State got 4.7 yards an attempt, 3.3 under what it usually gains.
- Week 8 W 38–17 at Auburn. The run defense was the strength: Auburn got 1.9 yards a carry, 2.6 under what it usually gains. The defense had 7 sacks.
- Week 10 L 13–31 vs Alabama. The run defense was the strength: Alabama got 2.7 yards a carry, 1.7 under what it usually gains. The machine had LSU by 5.5 (64%), so this was a loss it did not see coming; LSU lost the turnover battle by 2.