Everything felt different heading into last fall. If you spent any time in Baton Rouge last August, the air wasn't just humid—it was heavy with the expectation that Brian Kelly was finally going to kick the door down. We had Garrett Nussmeier waiting in the wings for years, a defense that couldn't possibly be worse than the 2023 disaster, and a schedule that looked like a gauntlet designed for a playoff run.
But man, college football has a funny way of punching you in the mouth.
The louisiana state university football schedule 2024 was supposed to be the year the Tigers returned to the big stage. Instead, it turned into a roller coaster that left a lot of fans feeling like they’d been through a 12-round fight. It started with a glittery trip to Las Vegas and ended with a Texas Bowl trophy, which, let’s be honest, wasn't exactly the hardware anyone was dreaming about in July.
That Vegas Heartbreak and the Mid-Season Surge
The season kicked off at Allegiant Stadium against USC. It was a standalone Sunday night game. All eyes were on the Tigers. Nussmeier looked the part, throwing for 304 yards, and Kyren Lacy looked like a legitimate WR1. But that 27-20 loss felt like a recurring nightmare. It was the third straight year LSU dropped a high-profile season opener under Kelly.
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"We're sitting here again talking about the same things," Kelly famously said after the game, slamming his hand on the table. He was angry. The fans were angrier.
Then, things actually got pretty good for a while.
LSU rattled off six straight wins. They survived a massive scare in Columbia against South Carolina, winning 36-33 after trailing 17-0. They handled UCLA and South Alabama. But the peak? That was the overtime thriller against Ole Miss in Death Valley. When Nussmeier found Lacy for the winning touchdown in the corner of the end zone, Tiger Stadium literally shook. At 6-1, the playoff talk wasn't just talk—it felt like a certainty.
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The November Collapse Nobody Saw Coming
If you want to know what happened to the louisiana state university football schedule 2024 dreams, look at the three-week stretch starting in late October.
- Texas A&M: LSU led at halftime in College Station. Then Marcel Reed came in at quarterback for the Aggies and the Tigers' defense looked like they were playing on ice. A 38-23 loss that sucked the air out of the room.
- Alabama: This was the "Playoff Elimination Game." At home. Under the lights. It wasn't even close. Jalen Milroe ran through the LSU defense like it wasn't there. A 42-13 blowout that left Tiger Stadium half-empty by the fourth quarter.
- Florida: Losing to a struggling Gators team in Gainesville (27-16) was the final nail. The Tigers went from playoff contenders to unranked in the blink of an eye.
It's kinda wild how fast a season can turn. One minute you're planning a trip to the SEC Championship, the next you're looking at flight prices to Houston for a mid-tier bowl game.
Breaking Down the 2024 Results
Honestly, looking at the final record of 9-4, it looks better on paper than it felt in the moment. The Tigers did manage to steady the ship at the end. They beat Vanderbilt in a close one and then put together a really solid performance against Oklahoma to close out the regular season with a 37-17 win.
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The Texas Bowl against Baylor was actually a blast to watch. Nussmeier put up huge numbers, and the Tigers walked away with a 44-31 victory. It meant three straight bowl wins for Kelly, and it gave the team a little bit of "moose" (momentum) going into the offseason.
Key Lessons from the 2024 Slate
The biggest takeaway? The defense improved under Blake Baker, but it wasn't enough to stop the elite mobile quarterbacks. When things got physical against A&M and Bama, the Tigers folded. Also, the lack of a consistent run game was a massive problem. LSU became one-dimensional, and while Nussmeier is great, you can't ask him to throw 50 times a game against the best defenses in the SEC and expect to win every time.
Expectations for 2025 are already sky-high because of the recruiting classes Kelly is bringing in. But if the louisiana state university football schedule 2024 taught us anything, it’s that talent doesn't always equal a playoff spot. You have to finish. You have to win the openers. And you absolutely cannot fall apart in November.
Actionable Next Steps for LSU Fans:
- Watch the Tape: If you want to see where the 2025 defense is headed, re-watch the Oklahoma game from November 30. That was the most complete defensive performance of the year.
- Track the Portal: Keep an eye on defensive tackle depth. The 2024 season proved that without a push up front, the secondary is hung out to dry.
- Secure 2025 Tickets Early: With the playoff expanding and the schedule shifting, home games in Death Valley are going to be even harder to get into next season.