The bye week couldn't come at a better time for Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers after their loss to Ole Miss. The Tigers started the season riding high jumping out to a 3-0 record but, the way they got there wasn't all that impressive as the offense was never able to click aside from their game against Southeastern Louisiana.
Against Ole Miss, the offense couldn't put together any sustained drives leaving the defense on the field to defend Ole Miss' tempo offense for 50 plays in the first half to the offenses 24 plays. Aside from the fact that the Tigers seemingly can't run the ball again which has been a staple of Brian Kelly's teams, Garrett Nussmeier hasn't looked healthy.
Coming into the season, the expectation was that Garrett Nussmeier would be in the Heisman Trophy race while looking to make himself the 1st overall pick in the NFL Draft. This season, Nussmeier is missing on throws we saw him make with ease last season as he doesn't look healthy.
During LSU camp, Garrett Nussmeier suffered a knee injury but, ended up okay while a torso injury has him playing through even more pain. On the deep passes Garrett Nussmeier has tried, it looks clear that he's not healthy.
The speculation that Garrett Nussmeier is playing through injury appears to be valid
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) September 28, 2025
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Brian Kelly has an impossible decision to make at quarterback
The LSU Tigers have invested a ton into this roster and now with a loss on their resume, the pressure builds as another loss will push them to the brink when it comes to the College Football Playoff race. Brian Kelly and Garrett Nussmeier continue to say the injury isn't the reason for the struggles but, at some point they may have to address it as he's clearly not playing like himself.
This offseason, LSU went out and added transfer quarterback Michael Van Buren from Mississippi State giving them a talented backup quarterback with SEC experience. If Garrett Nussmeier is better suited by getting healthy, Van Buren should be able to give the team a spark on offense with his rushing ability while he's a more than capable passer.
This weekend, the Tigers are on the bye week which should help as it'll give Garrett Nussmeier a weekend to recover. From there, LSU faces a South Carolina team that has made teams pay creating turnovers and if Nussmeier isn't at 100%, it could cost LSU in both the short and long term.
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