Oklahoma at LSU: Everything You Need to Know

The Sooners wrapped up an historic 2024 regular season with a forgettable performance in Baton Rouge against the Tigers.

Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

BATON ROUGE, LA — Oklahoma seemed to have LSU right where they wanted them.

The Sooners got a defensive touchdown, hit a 50-yard pass and even made a long field goal — all somewhat on the rare side this season.

Well, maybe not the defensive TD. 

The Oklahoma defense also knocked starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier out of the game in the first half with a shoulder injury. 

For a few minutes, it looked dire for the home team.

But Nussmeier came back, and so did LSU.

The Tigers rallied at the end of the first half and poured it on in the second, handling the Sooners 37-17.

OU ends the regular season at 6-6 overall and 2-6 in conference play — OU’s worst conference record since going 1-4 in 1931.

LSU improved to 8-4 and 5-3

LSU scored first, but OU tied it when Gracen Halton sacked Nussmeier deep in Tiger territory and R Mason Thomas scooped it up for his first career touchdown.

After LSU took a 10-7 lead with a field goal, the Sooners struck back in a big way.

The energy in the stadium changed dramatically as Nussmeier went down with an apparent right shoulder injury, and Oklahoma struck almost immediately with a 50-yard completion from Jackson Arnold to J.J. Hester and a 28-yard run by Arnold to set up Xavier Robinson’s 1-yard TD plunge that put OU up 14-10. 

But it changed back when Nussmeier returned from the locker room and warmed up on the sideline. Maybe it was Nussmeier, or maybe it was just bad kick coverage by the Sooners, but Aaron Anderson’s 100-yard kickoff return injected life back into the Tigers’ offense  and put LSU back up 17-14.

After OU responded with a drive and a 44-yard Zach Schmit field goal, Nussmeier came back and directed a six-play touchdown drive, capped off by his perfect throw of a 40-yard bomb to Chris Hilton with 45 seconds to play before halftime.

Thomas’ touchdown was Oklahoma’s fourth defensive score this season: two pick-sixes by LB Kip Lewis (at Auburn and vs. Alabama), a fumble returned for a TD by DB Billy Bowman Jr. (at Missouri) and Thomas’ fumble return tonight. The Sooners also scored a TD on a fumble return by LB Jaren Kanak in punt coverage in the season opener vs. Temple.

LSU came into Saturday having won 18 of its last 20 games at Tiger Stadium, including a 14-1 record at night under coach Brian Kelly.

This year’s matchup was just the fourth in history between LSU and OU. They had met three times in bowl games, including once for the BCS National Championship (2003) and once in the College Football Playoff (2019), both LSU wins. In the 1949-50 Sugar Bowl, the Sooners won 35-0.

OU now awaits its bowl announcement on Dec. 8.

Tonight’s Stars

Gracen Halton and R Mason Thomas had a dominant performance on the defensive line in the first half. Read more on them below. … 

Play of the Game

LSU won the football game because they were the better team all around. But Aaron Anderson’s 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and Garrett Nussmeier’s return from a shoulder injury to lead a touchdown drive right before halftime sparked LSU from a 14-10 deficit to a 37-17 victory.

Stock Report

QB Jackson Arnold: UP (a little) — Arnold completed 6 of 10 passes for 84 yards and led the team with 52 rushing yards on six carries in the first half. His 28-yard run set up the Sooners’ second touchdown that put OU on top 14-10 in the second quarter. He finished 14-of-21 for 110 yards and ran 17 times for 75 yards.

RB Xavier Robinson: DOWN —  Robinson made his first career start but didn’t have near the production he did last week in relief against Alabama. After going for 107 and two TDs against the Crimson Tide, Robinson only had 20 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries as LSU appeared to key on him. He finished with 10 carries for 20 yards and three catches for 20 yards with the one TD.

TE Bauer Sharp: DOWN — Right after making his first catch of the night for a 4-yard gain, Sharp came in motion behind the formation and caught a lateral pass from Arnold. The play was a double pass, but he was immediately pressured by Ashton Stamps. Instead of taking the loss or throwing it out of bounds, he spun around and launched it up the field, where three LSU defenders waited. Sage Ryan snagged it and ran it back 16 yards.

WR J.J. Hester: UP — Caught a 50-yard pass in the second quarter to spark a touchdown drive.

DT Gracen Halton: UP — With his game-high six tackles in the first half, Halton has already surpassed his previous career high of four tackles, which was set at Ole Miss on Oct. 26.

DE R. Mason Thomas: UP —  Thomas notched his first career touchdown on a 9-yard return of the fumble forced by Halton. It was Thomas’ second career fumble recovery (both this season). Thomas notched two tackles, a sack and a QB hurry in the first half.

CB Eli Bowen: DOWN — Bowen’s star has certainly risen in the back half of the season, but it fell dramatically at Tiger Stadium. Bowen missed a tackle at the line of scrimmage to allow Caden Durham to pick up 16 yards, and although his coverage was tight on Chris Hilton’s 40-yard touchdown catch at the end of the first half, he was beaten badly on deep post for a 45-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter that put LSU cup 31-17.

PK Zach Schmit: UP — Schmit drilled a 44-yard field goal late in the first half to force a 17-17 tie, and he showed some real speed on Aaron Anderson’s 100-yard kickoff return touchdown. It looked like he was going to catch Anderson short of the end zone, but he was blocked to the ground at the last moment.

Injury Report

RB Jovantae Barnes and wide receiver Brenen Thompson were cleared on Friday on the SEC Availability Report, but neither played. 

Both could have made a huge defense for an offense that labored to move the football against an LSU defense that isn’t a dominant unit.

DE Caiden Woullard suffered a knee injury last week against Alabama and missed Saturday’s trip to LSU.

The same four offensive linemen — OG Geirean Hatchett, OT Jacob Sexton, OT Jake Taylor and C Joshua Bates — were also unavailable. 

Same for the receiver corps of Deion Burks, Jalil Farooq, Andrel Anthony, Nic Anderson and Jayden Gibson, who were joined this week by TE Kade McIntyre.

Crazy Stat

Oklahoma’s dynamic duo of Jackson Arnold and Xavier Robinson ran the football a combined 42 times last week against Alabama. This time, they combined for just 20 carries before the game got out of hand in the third quarter.