LSU Football: Tigers end 25-game UCF winning streak in Fiesta Bowl

1. Joe Burrow got blasted, but that only woke him up for LSU

Through the first half of the first quarter, Joe Burrow looked like just another LSU quarterback coming up short on the big stage. With 6:39 remaining in the opening period, Burrow threw an interception that Brandon Moore returned 93 yards for a touchdown. Along the way, Burrow got blasted on a legal but brutal block from Joey Connors that left him bleeding from the mouth and the neck.

At that point, Burrow was 2-of-6 for 31 yards and an interception. It was the type of hit that made one think he might not return to the field. Instead, it seemed to knock something into place for Burrow as he suddenly morphed into an unbeatable quarterback for the Tigers.

From that point onward, everything clicked into place for Burrow. The Ohio State graduate transfer threw touchdown strikes of 22, 49, 33, and 32 yards as he finished the game 21-of-34 for 394 yards. That Moore pick-six proved the only turnover gained by the Knights defense, which played a solid first half but was unable to keep up with Tigers receivers once they started going more vertical.

From looking like potentially the biggest liability for the LSU offense to becoming the Fiesta Bowl offensive MVP, Burrow apparently needed a jolt to redirect his focus and bring out his top-level performance. Burrow gained a load of confidence that could translate to SEC contention in 2019 if he keeps it up in his redshirt senior season.