LSU football struggled mightily on both sides of the ball in its 49-25 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday. Despite holding a halftime lead, the Tigers fell at home to the Aggies for the first time since 1994.
The only points of the second half for LSU came with 59 seconds left. Michael Van Buren found Kyle Parker for a touchdown. In the critical third quarter, LSU totaled just 14 points and one first down.
Is it time to fire offensive coordinator Joe Sloan? The Tigers’ offense struggled to move the ball efficiently for much of the season but saw improvements last week against Vanderbilt and in Saturday’s first half. However, old problems emerged as LSU was stagnant in its own territory.
Success with the run game opened things up on the outside in the first half for LSU. Harlem Berry and Caden Durham both averaged over six yards per carry but saw just 14 touches combined. Mismanaged red zone situations also put a damper on LSU’s offensive outing, calling offensive coordinator Joe Sloan’s job security into question.
If LSU plans to oust Sloan, this is the week to do so. It has the week off before heading to Alabama for another matchup against a top-five team, giving the Tigers more time to adjust to a new play caller.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
LSU head coach Brian Kelly didn’t speak highly of the offense after the loss.
“We were not effective enough offensively to sustain any kind of a rhythm,” Kelly said.
Kelly didn’t get into details on any potential changes, but said he has to evaluate everything from the top down.
“This is much more about the football end of things,” Kelly said, “And that involves making those decisions that will allow this football team to play at a higher level. So I have to do some work on that and come up with the solutions.”
The Tigers’ run game coordinator Alex Atkins would likely take on the role based on his coordinator experience at Florida State and Charlotte.