LSU football is never just a game. It is a mood. If you were looking for the quick answer to what was the score for lsu in their most recent outing, here is the short version: LSU lost to Houston 38-35 in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl.
It happened on December 27, 2025. NRG Stadium was loud. Honestly, it was one of those games where the box score doesn't even come close to telling the story of how chaotic things got in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers finished their 2025 season with a 7-6 record. That is not what people in Baton Rouge expect, but the transition under the new coaching staff has been... well, let's call it a "work in progress."
The Texas Bowl Breakdown: How 38-35 Happened
If you just look at the final score, it looks like a close, competitive game. It was. But it was also a heartbreaker. LSU entered the bowl game with a lot of questions, specifically about their defense, which had been leaky all through November.
Houston, ranked No. 21 at the time, really exploited those gaps.
The Tigers' offense actually put up some serious numbers. Quarterback Bryce Underwood (who many fans were watching closely as the future of the program) showed flashes of absolute brilliance. He connected with Tyree Adams for two big touchdowns that kept LSU in it. But in the end, the defense couldn't get the stop they needed when Houston was marching down the field in the final two minutes.
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- Final Score: Houston 38, LSU 35
- Venue: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
- The Vibe: High-scoring, frantic, and ultimately frustrating for the Tiger faithful.
What’s wild is that LSU had the lead late. They were up 35-31 after a massive 45-yard touchdown strike. You could feel the momentum shifting. Then, the Cougars just dinked and dived their way down the field, milking the clock and scoring with almost no time left.
A Look Back at the 2025 Season Scores
To understand why that Texas Bowl score mattered so much, you have to look at how the rest of the year went. It was a rollercoaster. One week they’re beating a top-5 Clemson team on the road, and the next, they’re struggling to keep up with Vanderbilt.
Here is how the scores shook out during the meat of the season:
The High Points
The season started with a bang. LSU went into Death Valley (the South Carolina one) and took down No. 4 Clemson 17-10. It was a defensive masterclass. Then they handled Florida 20-10. At that point, people were thinking "Playoff."
The Mid-Season Slump
Then reality hit. The SEC is a meat grinder. They lost a close one to Ole Miss 24-19, which really hurt. But the real blow was the Texas A&M game on October 25. LSU got hammered 49-25. That was a game where nothing went right. The score for LSU that night felt like a wake-up call that the roster still had major holes.
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The Gritty November Finish
November was about survival.
- Alabama: A 20-9 loss in Tuscaloosa. The defense actually played great, but the offense vanished.
- Arkansas: A narrow 23-22 win. One point. That’s it.
- Western Kentucky: A 13-10 struggle. Not pretty, but a win.
- Oklahoma: A 17-13 loss to end the regular season.
By the time the Houston game rolled around, the Tigers were beat up.
Why the Score for LSU Looks Different in 2026
If you are checking the score right now because you heard LSU won something recently, you might be thinking of a different sport.
As of mid-January 2026, the LSU Men’s Basketball team is right in the thick of SEC play. On January 14, they played an absolute nail-biter against Kentucky. The score? LSU lost 75-74. Talk about a heartbreaker—losing by one point at home to the Wildcats.
And if you’re a tennis fan, the news is better. On January 16, 2026, the LSU men’s tennis team took down No. 25 Clemson with a score of 4-3. Rudy Ceccon clinched it in a third-set tiebreaker. It was electric.
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What is Next for the Tigers?
The 2025 football season is in the rearview mirror, and the "score" everyone is watching now is in the transfer portal.
Lane Kiffin is now at the helm, and he has been busy. LSU currently has the No. 1 transfer portal class in the country for 2026. They’ve added over 40 players. They just landed Husan Longstreet, a 5-star QB transfer from USC, and a massive haul of defensive linemen.
Basically, the 38-35 loss to Houston was the end of an era. The scores you see next September are likely to look a lot different with the "Portal King" running the show in Baton Rouge.
If you're keeping track of the program, the next major date isn't a game—it's the Spring Game in April. That’s when we’ll see if this massive roster overhaul actually translates to points on the scoreboard.
For now, the most important thing to remember is that while the 2025 scores were a bit of a letdown, the 2026 roster is being rebuilt at a record pace. If you're a fan, you’re probably looking at the recruiting rankings more than the box scores right now.
Keep an eye on the basketball schedule for the rest of January, especially the upcoming road games, as that one-point loss to Kentucky showed this team can play with anyone when the shots are falling.