LSU Football

Nussmeier shines in LSU Spring Game as offense ties defense 34-34

By Preston Guy

April 13, 2024

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After suffering a season of historically bad defense, LSU fans were anticipating seeing an improved defense with a revamped coaching staff.

And that’s exactly what fans got in the National L Club Spring Game - that is - except for when starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier took the field.

“The long approach to this is just look who's on campus - who we're recruiting’” said of improving LSU defense with a new coaching staff. “I've had a lot of players in front of me over the last three months since we've hired those two (LSU corners coach Corey Raymond and LSU defensive tackles coach Bo Davis). That's a really good thing."

In a game that featured a special scoring system where the defense collectively earned points for valuable plays such as sacks or pass breakups, both units ended the game in a tie at 34 points. However in a Spring Game exhibition, the score can sometimes be the least useful bit of information.

Nussmeier didn’t seem to miss a beat stepping in for the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. He completed all seven of his passes for 187 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Nussmeier led touchdowns on all three drives he participated in with LSU running back breaking off a 32-yard touchdown.

Jackson was LSU’s leading rusher with 67 yards on 14 carries.

As for the heated backup quarterback battle, it does appear Baton Rouge native Rickie Collins took a small step ahead of Vanderbilt transfer AJ Swann.

Collins got the first reps with the second-team offense and the first reps with the first-team offense once LSU coach Brian Kelly had decided Nussmeier’s day was finished.

Collins completed six of twelve passes for 52 yards with no interceptions or touchdowns. Swann completed four of nine passes for 55 yards.

“Those guys didn’t get very comfortable in the pocket,” Kelly said. “It didn’t appear to me standing back there they were very efficient. We got some work to do there.”

Notably, the defense stepped up quite a bit when Nussmeier was not in the game. Outside of Nussmeier, offenses score only one touchdown. That score came from LSU true freshman quarterback Colin Hurley late in the fourth quarter for 64 yards to receiver Khai Prean.

That catch was good enough to make Prean the leading receiver as the Tigers ensured to spread the ball around to 14 different receivers.

Hurley finished his day going four for six for 77 yards and the aforementioned score.

In all LSU’s offense had 440 yards on 68 plays.

Defensively, LSU was able to dial up seven sacks including two from true freshman defensive edge rusher Gabriel Reliford.

“We’re going to have to take Gabe (Reliford), and get him some reps against Will Campbell and Emery Jones,” Kelly said of Reiford. “We’re going to see how he does against those guys.”

LSU backup safety Austin Ausberry was LSU’s leading tacklers with seven tackles.

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