Ed Orgeron has repeatedly pushed back on the idea that LSU had nothing to play for, because the games are important to them -- dead-end season or not.
And that was exactly what the Tigers showed in a gritty, exhilarating 27-24 victory over Texas A&M that featured a go-ahead touchdown with 20 seconds remaining. The Tigers improve to 6-6 (3-5 SEC) and are now officially bowl eligible.
With that in mind, here are my three quick takeaways from a wild night at Tiger Stadium, and Orgeron's final one as LSU's head football coach.
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QUICK STARTERS
Say what you want about this LSU squad, they've been at their best early in games this season. How they've finished? That's a topic for another day.
But with a 3-0 lead after the first quarter against A&M, they've now officially been tied or ahead in 10 of their 12 games this season. The only games they've trailed came in a blowout on the road against Kentucky (7-0), and what had previously been their biggest win of the season against Florida (6-0).
LSU held a lead after the first quarter in tight losses to Auburn, Ole Miss and Alabama, and they were tied in what turned into an OT loss to Arkansas. The second half hasn't been friendly, but the hot starts have resulted in a lot of close games, even if they finished in frustration.
In those losses to Ole Miss and Alabama, the good start flipped before halftime, with deficits of 17-7 and 14-7, respectively. That wasn't the case in the second quarter against A&M, with a long touchdown by Tre Palmer handing the Tigers a 17-7 lead at the break. But things did bog down in the second half, with LSU managing just a field goal in the third quarter and forcing its defense to keep coming up with the answers. It had them more often than not, and it's clear this defense deserves a much better record than the overall performance has allowed.
Just like what happened in a loss to Auburn, the Tigers offense simply couldn't seem to get it figured out and surrendered a 10-point lead entering the 4th quarter. It failed on multiple chances for a go-ahead drive. But when it desperately needed it, Max Johnson stood in the pocket, accepted a big hit and found Jenkins again for a 28-yard, go-ahead touchdown to Jaray Jenkins with 20 seconds remaining.
With a lame-duck coaching staff and wholesale changes coming after the season, there won't be silver linings for the program in any of these results. But if this Tigers squad had the type of consistency throughout the season that they showed against A&M, we might be having a different conversation heading into bowl season.
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LSU (AND YES, ED ORGERON) STILL HAVE STAR POWER
Ed Orgeron and LSU have earned themselves another game, but the scene in Baton Rouge Saturday was still a notable one.
The victory meant LSU avoided its first losing season in more than three decades, and as LSU's players celebrated their senior day, they did it in front of former LSU legends including Glen Dorsey and Shaquille O'Neal. In an interview during the ESPN broadcast, Shaq said he wanted to pay his respects to Orgeron as his LSU tenure comes to an end.
While there are a lot of good reasons the program has chosen to move on from its head coach, it isn't for a lack of love from the program or its alums. Orgeron's buyout includes a clause that he will remain an ambassador for the program even after this season. You don't do that for a coach unless his name resonates, and loudly.
Orgeron hasn't led the Tigers to the heights they wanted and need to reach for a coach to keep his job. But Ed O still loves the program, and the program still loves him back. When it's all said and done, I think he'll be remembered fondly by the fans for his time at LSU.
It's wild I have to write that sentence at all about a guy who built and led what I believe is the greatest team in college football history, but here we are.
We don't know what Orgeron's future will hold, but I can say with certainty he won't be forgotten any time soon.
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HAS MAX JOHNSON DONE ENOUGH?
Before writing anything more about Max Johnson, an important note: It's impossible to say whether he'll even get the chance to be LSU's starter next season.
That'll depend on the head coach. It'll depend on the system. It'll depend on the offense. It'll depend on Johnson himself. Will he follow Myles Brennan into the transfer portal? It'd certainly not be the first time a head coaching change led to a wave of transfers.
For example: What if Spencer Rattler comes calling? What if LSU hires Lincoln Riley, a man who isn't exactly a stranger to a season-altering QB transfer. Remember that guy named Jalen Hurts?
But for the purposes here, we'll consider the full regular season Johnson has now completed.
THE STATS
MYLES BRENNAN (2021/sophomore)
- PASSING: 225-373 (60.3%)
- YARDS/YPA: 2,814/7.5
- TD/INT: 27-6
- QBR: 143.6
- RECORD: 6-6 (3-5 SEC)
For reference, here's what Joe Burrow did in the 2018 season, before he emerged as a no-brainer Heisman winner and No. 1 overall pick.
JOE BURROW (2018/junior)
- PASSING: 219-379 (57.8%)
- YARDS/YPA: 2,894/7.5
- TD/INT: 16/5
- QBR: 143.5
- RECORD: 10-3 (5-3 SEC)
There's obviously a lot more that goes into being an effective college quarterback than some basic, raw numbers. But they paint a pretty clear picture of where Burrow was before things clicked and he went full supernova. Can Johnson see a similar leap in Year 2 as a full-time starter? That's debatable. But the numbers, and results, are similar in their first go-arounds.
The completion percentage has been disappointing, and the numbers don't show some of the slow decision-making that's hampered his efficiency in several games. But what can't be overstated: The kid has a nose for the big play. We saw a perfect example of that against Texas A&M. LSU's first two touchdowns came on pass plays of 45 yards (Jaray Jenkins) and 62 yards (Tre Palmer), though the speedster did most of the work to break the quick screen.
For an offense that wanted to strike quickly, that can't be ignored. He has undeniable chemistry with star WR Kayshon Boutte, who was lost for the season to an ankle injury. That alone would make a solid case for him to retain the job. Freshman Garrett Nussmeier showed he's still got some growth necessary before he can be considered a viable starting option, but maybe a full offseason and a new staff can create that growth. Or ... maybe he transfers. It's impossible to know right now.
At the end of his freshman season, Johnson used a pair of upsets to put himself in prime position to take the starting job. He never had to truly compete for it with an injury to Brennan. Will leading LSU to a victory over A&M in breathtaking fashion and in spite of a roster destroyed by injuries be enough to earn another shot?
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