How It Happened: No. 16 LSU Football Handles Business in 34-17 Win Over UCLA

Brian Kelly and Co. get the job done in Death Valley, come out swinging in the second half to earn the victory.

BATON ROUGE, LA – No. 16 LSU outscored UCLA 17-0 in the second half to power past the Bruins, 34-17, on a hot mid-September afternoon in Tiger Stadium.

The Tigers, now 3-1 overall, return to Death Valley next Saturday for a 6:30 p.m. CT kick against South Alabama on the SEC Network.

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who finished 32-of-44 for 352 yards passing and three touchdowns, didn’t waste any time on the opening drive, finding junior receiver Kyren Lacy on the first play of the game for a 17-yard pickup over the middle of the field to the LSU 42-yard line. Two plays later, Nussmeier found redshirt sophomore receiver Aaron Anderson for a 21-yard completion to the Bruins 33.

Sixth-year senior Josh Williams continued the momentum of the drive with a 23-yard rush over the middle of the field, bringing the football down the the UCLA 5. On the next play, Nussmeier pitched it forward to Zavion Thomas for a five-yard touchdown pass, capping off a 75-yard drive that spanned six plays and two minutes and 41 seconds.

On 3rd-and-4 from the Bruin 31, quarterback Ethan Garbers was pressured, but found Keegan Jones for a completion of 28 yards to the LSU 41. The drive would continue as UCLA elected to go for it on 4th-and-2, converting with a 13-yard completion to the LSU 20. Garbers would take advantage on the next play, throwing a touchdown pass to Jack Pederson for a 20-yard score. The game was tied 7-7 with 8:10 to play in the first quarter.

On 3rd-and-6 from the UCLA 46, Garbers found Devin Kirkwood for a 29-yard completion to the LSU 25. After getting a few stops, Bruins had another 3rd-and-7 from the LSU 22, but Garbers was sacked by Paris Shand for a loss of seven yards. Bhaghani’s 47-yard attempt was good, giving UCLA the 10-7 advantage with 17 seconds to play in the quarter.

The Tigers opened their next drive with a 15-yard gain after a pass attempt from Nussmeier to Lacy drew a flag for pass interference, moving the ball from the LSU 25 to the LSU 40. On the first play of the second quarter, Nussmeier found Mason Taylor for a 4-yard pickup and another first down. LSU retook the lead after Nussmeier connected with redshirt freshman Kyle Parker on a beautiful 45-yard touchdown pass, making it 14-10 Tigers with 13:57 to play in the half.

The Tigers would get a much needed stop on the next drive as senior defensive end Bradyn Swinson would pick up where he left off a week ago by sacking Garber for a loss of 11, forcing the first UCLA punt of the game.

Swinson made his presence felt again with 6:48 to play in the second quarter, forcing a fumble of Garber, which was recovered by Saivion Jones at the UCLA 38. The Tigers would work quick as Nussmeier found CJ Daniels over the middle of the field for a pickup of 23, however, the drive would only end with three points. On 4th-and-5, Damian Ramos’ 22-yard attempt was good, extending the LSU lead to 17-10 with 3:45 remaining in the first half.

The Bruins would add points before the half after Garber would find Kwazi Gilmer for a 32-yard completion to the LSU 3. On 3rd-and-11, Garbers would find Logan Loya for an 11-yard touchdown completion with two seconds remaining in the half. The game was tied 17 all.

Nussmeier found Taylor to start the second half with a big 43-yard reception, moving the ball to the UCLA 48 with 10:26 to play. On 3rd-and-5 from the UCLA 43, Josh Williams moved the chains with a shifty 8-yard gain to the Bruin 35. 

After a couple of positive pickups and a pass interference call on UCLA, the Tigers were able to cash in as Williams punched in a 2-yard touchdown run with 6:11 to play in the third quarter, giving LSU the lead back, 24-17. It was a 96-yard scoring drive that spanned 14 plays and six minutes and 43 seconds. It marked the Tigers’ longest drive of the season and the longest drive in Death Valley since 10/8/2022 vs. Tennessee (also 96 yards).

On the drive, Taylor became the all-time leader for receiving yards (990) by a tight end in LSU history. Taylor already holds the record for most receptions all-time for an LSU tight end.

On the next offensive possession, Nussmeier found Caden Durham – the freshman running back who emerged as a star last week in Columbia – in the flat for a 35-yard touchdown reception, extending the Tiger lead to 31-17 with 11:15 to play in the contest.

The defense forced another takeaway as a QB hurry from Jones caused Garber to throw an interception to Jardin Gilbert, giving LSU the ball back at the UCLA 45. The Tigers would add points with a 35-yard field goal from Ramos, extending the lead to 34-17 with 5:48 to play.

More LSU News:

The Caden Durham Show: How the True Freshman Running Back Led LSU to Victory

The Game Plan: A Look Into How LSU Will Utilize Whit Weeks Alongside Harold Perkins

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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