LSU does not need another week of proving it can move the football. It needs a week devoted to making that movement matter. The Tigers piled up 457 yards against Alabama and still lost 31–13, leaving a painful reminder that production between the goal lines means little when possessions repeatedly end without points.
Texas visits Tiger Stadium on Saturday, November 14, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. Central on ABC. For Lane Kiffin’s team, the preparation needs to address specific failures from the Alabama game, beginning with an offense that created opportunities and repeatedly failed to finish them.
The first priority is the red zone. LSU made four trips inside Alabama’s 20 and came away with one touchdown and one field goal. That demands a focused practice plan built around the compressed field: identifying leverage before the snap, creating separation quickly, and giving Sam Leavitt a clear answer when his first option is covered.
There is already something useful to build on. Dilin Jones scored LSU’s lone touchdown on a five yard run from an I formation look, showing the Tigers could change their presentation near the goal line. That should encourage Kiffin to develop complementary calls from that formation, with a credible run threat and a play action answer rather than treating the successful look as a one time wrinkle.
Texas makes those corrections urgent. The Longhorns have allowed nine touchdowns on 23 opponent red zone possessions this season, a touchdown rate of about 39 percent. LSU should enter Saturday with a small group of thoroughly rehearsed scoring plays, including answers against pressure and tight coverage, instead of assuming its regular passing production will carry into the end zone.
The next priority is making third and fourth down work together. LSU converted five of 14 third downs and failed on all four fourth down attempts against Alabama. Kiffin needs to establish when he intends to use four downs and let that decision shape the preceding play, especially when a manageable gain can create a much better conversion opportunity.
The receivers share responsibility for that improvement. Routes need to threaten the first down marker, and Leavitt needs to know where the immediate conversion opportunity should appear. A short completion can be useful, but the offense cannot keep depending on a receiver to beat a defender after the catch just to extend a possession.
LSU also needs a dependable way to gain a yard on the ground. Jones finished with 56 yards on 17 carries against Alabama, and the Tigers were stopped on third and one from their own 16 in the fourth quarter. That failure forced the punt that helped swing the game, making the running game problem much more consequential than a disappointing rushing total.
The work should start with blocking assignments, movement at the point of attack, and a short yardage package the players trust. Motion and formation changes can help create better angles, but LSU needs a call it can execute when the defense expects a run. The goal this week should be reliability on necessary carries.
Pass protection belongs beside that work. Alabama sacked Leavitt four times, and the damage included a sack before his interception late in the first half and another on fourth and 10 from LSU’s 25 in the fourth quarter. Protection failures became especially costly when LSU needed to preserve a scoring chance or keep the game within reach.
The response should involve the entire offense. Leavitt, the line, and the backs need clear pressure identifications and quick answers, while the receivers must be ready for those throws. Kiffin should also build in help for difficult protection matchups instead of repeatedly asking every eligible receiver to release into a route.
That preparation matters against a Texas defense allowing just 4.1 yards per play. The Longhorns have also held opponents to 2.9 yards per rush. LSU needs efficient early downs and a credible mix of calls, because repeatedly arriving at obvious passing situations would make an already difficult matchup harder.
Leavitt’s decision making needs attention as well. His interception against Alabama came after LSU had reached the Tide’s 27 before a sack pushed the offense backward. Once the possession changed, the priority needed to change with it: protect the remaining scoring opportunity and avoid forcing a throw because the previous play went badly.
Special teams require a full review of operation, coverage, and ball security. LSU took a delay of game penalty before its fourth quarter punt, then allowed Ryan Coleman-Williams to return the kick 32 yards to the Tigers’ 25. Alabama scored on the next play, turning a four point deficit into a much more difficult chase.
Coverage lanes, tackling angles, and getting the punt unit organized on time should be priorities this week. Texas provided its own warning at Missouri, where Jonathan Cunningham blocked a punt before halftime. LSU needs clean protection and communication on every kick, along with a field goal plan that accounts for distance, field position, and the alternatives.
The defense has corrections to make, too, even after limiting Alabama to 285 yards and three conversions on 11 third downs. After Jones put LSU ahead 13–10 late in the third quarter, the Tide answered with a 75 yard touchdown drive. That response erased the advantage before the quarter ended.
The details of that possession should receive particular attention. Rico Scott gained 57 yards on the opening play, and Keelon Russell later scrambled for a first down on third and nine. LSU needs better control of explosive gains and more disciplined rush lanes, with coverage holding up when the quarterback extends a play.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning arrives after throwing for 297 yards and three touchdowns in a 34–20 victory at Missouri. Two of those touchdown passes went to running backs, including the decisive fourth quarter throw to Raleek Brown. LSU’s linebackers and safeties need clear responsibilities when backs release into routes, particularly when pressure changes who must pick them up.
There is an opportunity for LSU’s pass rush: Texas has allowed 27 sacks through nine games. The Tigers should work to exploit that protection, but pressure needs to remain coordinated. Making Manning uncomfortable will matter much more if LSU also closes escape routes and tackles the outlet receiver.
Finally, LSU needs to practice responding when a close game starts turning against it. Alabama scored the final 21 points, while Texas outscored Missouri 14–0 in the fourth quarter. Sudden change possessions, backed up offense, and the first defensive series after an LSU touchdown all deserve deliberate attention this week.
The Tigers have enough offensive ability and defensive strength to make Saturday competitive. Their preparation now needs to turn those strengths into dependable execution: finish a scoring drive, convert the necessary yard, protect a possession, cover a punt, and get the stop that preserves a lead. Those are the plays LSU must make if Texas week is going to end differently.
Sources: Official LSU–Alabama game book, Alabama box score and play by play, Texas season statistics, and Texas’s Missouri recap.
