A Look Into the Downfall of the LSU Football Program Since 2019 Win at Alabama

A dive into the downturn at LSU since that 2019 win in Tuscaloosa and Alabama’s continued rise

BATON ROUGE - When LSU won the 2019 National Championship, it scored an average of 48.4 points per game. The offense was so explosive that many consider it to be the best college offense of all-time. On the defensive side of the football, the Tigers also produced a good product, allowing just 21.9 points per game despite opposing teams knowing they needed to score a bunch of points to keep up with Joe Burrow. 

While keeping up with that incredible standard should not be considered rational for the 2020, 2021 or any other LSU team, there’s still something wrong from where the LSU offense was in 2019 as compared to where the Tigers sit today with a 4-4 record and playing as inconsistently as any major program in college football.

There are issues that helped to create the problems the Tigers fans see on the gridiron that are fixable, but there are also two issues that cannot be replaced. Let’s start with those two and move forward.

Two Joes are Better than One

While one was good, both were needed to win it all in 2019. When Joe Burrow came to LSU, he completed just 57.8% of his passes, threw 16 touchdowns and tossed five interceptions in 2018. Just one season later, Burrow threw for an incredible 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.

Burrow would throw in rhythm and complete passes, slide to the perimeter and throw the football right where he needed to, and he also did a fantastic job with play-action passing by throwing deep shots that landed directly into the hands of wide receivers like Justin Jefferson, Terrace Marshall, Jr. and Ja’Marr Chase. Regardless of the situation, Burrow seemed to rise to the occasion within the high-powered passing attack.

What happened to allow such an incredible transformation?

The “second” Joe happened; Joe Brady joined the LSU coaching staff as the passing game coordinator.

Joe Brady’s Impact Cannot be Duplicated

In essence, Burrow did not suddenly learn all of the skills that he now carries with himself as an NFL quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals and prior to that with the LSU Football program. He worked hard between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, yes, but he needed a very unique and special mentor. That person was Coach Brady.

He helped Burrow, as well as the LSU wide receivers, transform everything they did regarding practice, style of play, and of course executing during big games like Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Clemson en route to claiming the 2019 National Championship. It's fair to say that neither would've worked without the other.

With how well Coach Brady helped the skill position talent for the LSU offense, there’s no way to expect the next coaches that replaced him to even come close to what he did. With that in mind, LSU did continue to operate the wide-open passing attack that was installed in the spring of 2019, and it’s been a solid but yet inconsistent offense. Which leads to the last category to discuss.

How Well did the LSU Staff Manage the Offense During the Past Two Seasons?

It’s hard to stay on top. LSU has found a way to be competitive, but certainly not be the juggernaut that it was in 2019. Considering the elite talent that still resides on the LSU roster, however, this LSU coaching staff did not even come close to maximizing what happened while Coach Brady was wearing the purple and gold.

That’s also a big reason that Ed Orgeron will no longer be the LSU head coach come 2022. If the Tigers coaching staff had been able to coach these young men the way they were supposed to, even with a mediocre defense, LSU would likely be sitting at 6-2 or 7-1 right now, and Coach Orgeron would not be stepping down from his dream job.

It’s on the entire LSU offensive staff, not just one or two individuals, for LSU’s offense being inconsistent the past two seasons. There’s no person that does not deserve some form of blame. Despite watching an abundance of talent walk out the door and leave for the riches of the NFL, LSU’s coaching staff still could have helped with basic run blocking techniques, as the Tigers were ranked No. 127 in the nation for rushing earlier in the 2021 season.

Additionally, LSU’s passing game was no place near as balanced as before. Kayshon Boutte was far and away the top LSU pass catcher this season, but there’s still too much talent for other players to not be developed at a higher level. Again, that’s a lack of coaching.

The list could go on and on. Bottom line, LSU’s offensive coaching staff did a poor job of coaching and it was a major reason why the LSU Football program struggled during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Final Thoughts

The 2019 LSU team was the perfect storm. Burrow, Brady, and skill talent all on the same page. Since that magical season, LSU has floundered in mediocrity, literally being a .500 football team by way of going 9-9 since then.

The offense is a big reason why despite a plethora of raw talent for the offensive coaches to work with. One good game, one bad game, and the beat would continue onward.

The next LSU coaching staff will once again be asked to maximize the talents of what will once again be a very talented LSU roster. Hopefully they do a far better job than the current LSU offensive staff.