LSU has spent much of the 2026 season demonstrating that it can compete with some of the best teams in college football. The Tigers have moved the ball against elite defenses, generated pressure against opposing quarterbacks and repeatedly put themselves in position to win important SEC games. Unfortunately, one area continues to undermine those efforts: special teams.
The numbers are difficult to ignore. LSU entered the final stretch of the regular season ranked near the bottom of the SEC in net punting, surrendered a punt return touchdown in a one point loss to Kentucky, allowed another significant punt return against Alabama and missed a 38 yard field goal in Saturday’s 22–21 defeat against Texas. No single unit is responsible for every LSU loss, but special teams have contributed to a frustrating pattern of missed opportunities.
Kentucky: A Special Teams Touchdown That Changed Everything
The most damaging special teams mistake of LSU’s season came October 10 against Kentucky. In a game eventually decided by one point in overtime, the Tigers surrendered a 55 yard punt return touchdown to Brock Coffman during the second quarter.
That touchdown gave Kentucky a 14–10 lead without its offense having to take the field. The Wildcats ultimately defeated LSU 35–34 in overtime, making the punt return one of the most consequential plays of the game.
The broader punting statistics were equally concerning. LSU punted three times for a 43 yard gross average, but its net punting average was just 22.7 yards. Kentucky returned two punts for 61 yards, while LSU managed only 16 yards on its lone punt return.
That represents an enormous field position disadvantage. While Kentucky was gaining valuable yards and scoring points through special teams, LSU was struggling to generate comparable production.
The Tigers had other opportunities to win, including late in regulation and overtime. Nevertheless, surrendering seven points on a punt return in a one point loss is precisely the kind of mistake that can separate winning teams from those left wondering what went wrong.
Alabama: Another Punt Return and Another Missed Opportunity
The November 7 loss to Alabama exposed additional shortcomings. LSU outgained the Crimson Tide 457 to 285 yards but lost 31–13, largely because the offense failed to convert opportunities into points.
Special teams did little to help.
Alabama returned one punt for 32 yards, while LSU managed just six yards on three returns. The Crimson Tide also averaged 49.8 yards on five punts, compared with LSU’s single punt of 46 yards.
Scott Starzyk connected on field goals of 23 and 41 yards, accounting for six of LSU’s 13 points. He also missed a 56 yard attempt in the second quarter.
A miss from 56 yards is not the same as missing a routine field goal, and it would be unfair to treat it as an automatic three points lost. However, the difference in punt return production illustrates a larger issue. Alabama gained 32 yards from one return, while LSU produced virtually nothing from three opportunities.
That imbalance matters because field position affects nearly every offensive possession. An opponent beginning closer to midfield has less ground to cover, while LSU repeatedly must manufacture its own opportunities without significant assistance from the return game.
Texas: A 38 Yard Miss in a One Point Defeat
If the Kentucky loss demonstrated the damage caused by poor punt coverage, Saturday’s defeat against Texas demonstrated how costly one missed kick can become.
With LSU leading 14–10 late in the second quarter, Starzyk attempted a 38 yard field goal as time expired. The kick sailed wide right, leaving three potential points on the field.
LSU eventually lost 22–21.
The missed field goal did not singlehandedly cost LSU the game. Sam Leavitt threw three interceptions, the offense failed to score in the fourth quarter and Texas converted three critical third downs during its winning possession. Those mistakes all contributed to the outcome.
Nevertheless, a successful 38 yard field goal would have given LSU three additional points at halftime. In a game decided by one point, that opportunity cannot be dismissed.
The punting performance was also disappointing. Grant Chadwick averaged just 37.2 yards on four punts, with a longest punt of 42 yards and none downed inside the Texas 20. Texas punter Mac Chiumento averaged 40.7 yards and placed two of his three punts inside LSU’s 20 yard line.
Neither team recorded a punt return, meaning the punting comparison was not distorted by return yardage. Texas simply produced better results in that phase of the game.
The field position consequences became particularly important during the fourth quarter. LSU’s struggling offense was unable to sustain drives, and the Tigers repeatedly returned possession to a Texas team desperately trying to overcome a double digit deficit.
The Punting Numbers Reveal a Bigger Problem
LSU’s punting struggles are not isolated to the last three games. The Tigers ranked 122nd nationally in net punting in LSU’s October 22 statistical comparison, averaging just 36.15 net yards per punt.
That was the worst ranking in the SEC at the time.
The Tigers also ranked 103rd nationally in punt return defense, allowing an average of 11 yards per return. Their kickoff return defense ranked 73rd nationally, while kickoff returns ranked 82nd.
Those statistics reveal a program that was struggling to generate favorable field position through multiple aspects of special teams.
Chadwick entered the season with a strong résumé, having earned third team All-SEC honors in 2025 after averaging 45.7 yards per punt. His production this season has fallen considerably below that standard, with a 40.55 yard gross average through LSU’s October 18 statistical review.
Punting is not simply about distance. Hang time, directional control, coverage discipline and the ability to pin opponents deep in their own territory all matter. However, when both gross and net punting production lag behind the competition, the entire operation deserves examination.
LSU has not consistently received the field position advantages it should expect from a high level SEC special teams unit.
The Return Game Has Provided Too Little Help
LSU’s return units have also struggled to generate explosive plays. Through the October 22 statistical comparison, the Tigers averaged 19 yards per kickoff return and 9.83 yards per punt return.
Neither figure represents the kind of production that regularly changes games.
The Alabama matchup demonstrated the disparity clearly. Three LSU punt returns generated six combined yards, while one Alabama return produced 32. Against Kentucky, the Wildcats scored directly from the punt return unit while LSU managed only 16 return yards.
Not every return needs to produce a touchdown, but successful special teams create opportunities for the offense. A well executed return can turn a long field into a manageable drive, generate momentum or force an opponent to defend a short field.
LSU has not consistently received those advantages, leaving its offense responsible for manufacturing lengthy drives without much assistance.
Starzyk Has Been Productive, but Consistency Matters
It would be inaccurate to describe every part of LSU’s kicking operation as a failure.
Starzyk entered the latter part of the season having converted all 35 of his extra point attempts and eight of 10 field goals through the October 18 statistical review. He also produced 41 touchbacks on 50 kickoffs, limiting opportunities for opposing return specialists.
Those numbers demonstrate that LSU has received dependable production in certain areas, particularly extra points and kickoff distance.
However, recent misses have come at particularly costly moments. Starzyk missed from 56 yards against Alabama and from 38 against Texas. The Texas miss carries greater significance because the distance was much more manageable and the final margin was only one point.
The issue is not whether Starzyk can make field goals. His record demonstrates that he can. The concern is whether LSU’s overall kicking operation can deliver consistently when a game hangs in the balance.
Championship caliber teams cannot expect every difficult kick to be successful, but they need reliable execution on routine opportunities.
Special Teams Have Become a Coaching Problem
Special teams failures are rarely attributable to a single player. Punt coverage requires coordinated blocking, lane discipline and reliable tackling. Effective punting depends on the snap, protection, operation time, placement and coverage. Field goal execution requires the snapper, holder, kicker and protection unit to operate together.
When problems appear in several areas throughout a season, the coaching staff must take responsibility for identifying and correcting them.
Lane Kiffin and LSU’s staff have already seen the consequences. A punt return touchdown contributed to the Kentucky defeat, weak return production provided little assistance against Alabama, and a missed field goal became a significant factor against Texas.
LSU must evaluate the complete operation rather than treating each mistake as an unrelated incident. That means reviewing personnel assignments, coverage techniques, kicking mechanics, punt placement and the decision making surrounding field position.
The objective should be simple: special teams must stop putting LSU at a disadvantage and begin creating opportunities to win games.
LSU Cannot Keep Giving Away the Hidden Yards
There is a reason coaches frequently describe special teams as the third phase of football. Those plays can determine where drives begin, whether offenses need to travel 80 yards or 50, and whether promising possessions finish with points.
LSU’s recent losses have demonstrated the importance of those margins.
Kentucky scored seven points on a punt return. Alabama enjoyed a substantial advantage in punting and return production. Texas received better field position from its punting game and watched LSU miss a field goal that could have changed the final margin.
None of those observations excuses LSU’s offensive turnovers, poor fourth quarter execution or occasional defensive breakdowns. But they demonstrate that special teams have repeatedly made difficult games even harder.
The Tigers have enough talent on offense and defense to compete against highly ranked opponents. What they cannot continue doing is surrendering field position, allowing explosive returns and failing to convert manageable kicking opportunities.
The Bottom Line: LSU Needs More Than an Average Special Teams Unit
LSU’s special teams have not been uniformly terrible. Starzyk’s extra point accuracy and kickoff touchbacks have been genuine strengths, and there have been games in which the kicking operation performed adequately.
But the weaknesses are serious, documented and increasingly costly.
A team that ranked 122nd nationally in net punting, allowed a punt return touchdown in a one point defeat and missed a 38 yard field goal in another one point loss has an obvious problem that requires attention.
The Tigers have now lost consecutive games to Alabama and Texas despite outgaining both opponents. Their defense has demonstrated the ability to disrupt elite quarterbacks, while their offense has repeatedly produced enough yardage to compete.
LSU cannot afford for special teams to remain an afterthought.
The Tigers do not need special teams to win every game for them. They need special teams to stop making winning games harder than they should be.
Sources
- LSU Athletics: 2026 Football Statistics and Game Notes
- LSU Athletics: Football Falls to Kentucky in Overtime, 35–34
- Kentucky vs. LSU: October 10 Official Game Statistics
- Alabama Athletics: LSU vs. Alabama, November 7 Box Score
- Texas Athletics: LSU vs. Texas, November 14 Box Score
- LSU Football Report: Where the Tigers Rank in the SEC, October 18
- Sports Illustrated: Lane Kiffin Points to LSU’s Special Teams in Frustrating Losses
