BATON ROUGE, La. — Garrett Nussmeier's college career has been a lesson in patience, whether it’s been waiting for his chance to lead LSU's offense or enduring one of his toughest performances on Saturday night.
He understands that as long as there’s time on the clock, there’s still a chance to turn things around for himself and his team. With LSU's defense giving him one last shot to score against No. 9 Ole Miss, Nussmeier seized the opportunity, ultimately leading his team to an unexpected victory in overtime.
The quarterback took full advantage of his opportunities as LSU claimed its first and only lead of the game when Nussmeier connected with Kyren Lacy in the end zone, sealing a thrilling 29-26 victory and igniting a field storm at Tiger Stadium. Nussmeier, who stepped in as LSU's starting quarterback after replacing Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 NFL draft pick Jayden Daniels, completed 22 of 51 passes—marking the third-highest number of attempts in team history—while throwing two interceptions. However, his late-game performance kept the 13th-ranked Tigers undefeated in SEC play and firmly in contention for the College Football Playoff. LSU also celebrated its eighth consecutive home victory against Ole Miss.
"I probably had one of the worst games of my career tonight," Nussmeier admitted. "The best part about that is I get to learn from it, and we secured the win. I'm eager to get into the film room, correct my mistakes, and grow from this experience."
Head Coach Brian Kelly is optimistic about Nussmeier's development following Saturday night’s win, recognizing the significant strides he made despite the frustrations that arose over the first three quarters.
"He grew more today than at any other time since he’s been here," Kelly stated. "This was a growth game for him, and you may see it differently, but from a coaching perspective, the growth he exhibited throughout the game and especially at the end will benefit him greatly."
LSU struggled early, failing to score on its first five drives and only reaching Ole Miss territory once. However, after a 75-yard touchdown drive, the Tigers managed to penetrate inside the Rebels’ 30-yard line four times, yielding just three field goals and a missed attempt.
"It would have been easy for us to get frustrated, as those watching the game could see, but Garrett remained composed," Kelly noted. "What we witnessed at the end was why I considered it a great growth game; he made the crucial plays when it mattered most."
Following the game-winning touchdown, Nussmeier embraced Lacy near the 15-yard line. Nussmeier targeted Lacy a game-high 16 times, connecting five times for 111 yards. He also found Aaron Anderson on a crucial fourth-and-5 for a 23-yard touchdown with just 27 seconds left in regulation, concluding another 75-yard scoring drive.
"Nuss played a hell of a game," Lacy said. "He comes in every day and never cuts corners in the weight room; he keeps me accountable too. We've got each other's backs, no matter what. ... I love my brother."
Nussmeier and Lacy's heroics wouldn’t have been possible without a defense that rebounded after a historically poor showing against Ole Miss last year, where LSU surrendered 55 points and 706 yards. Although the Tigers implemented a new defensive scheme this season under coordinator Blake Baker, several of the same defenders and Ole Miss offensive stars from 2023, including quarterback Jaxson Dart and wide receiver Tre Harris, faced off on Saturday.
"We've been looking forward to this game," cornerback Zy Alexander said, who intercepted a Dart pass early in the fourth quarter to halt one of Ole Miss's promising drives. "Once we got the calendar out, we marked Ole Miss; we knew we had to be ready."
After allowing 21 points in the fourth quarter last year, LSU did not yield a touchdown in the second half this time. With standout performances from Bradyn Swinson and Major Burns, the Tigers recorded six sacks—an achievement under Kelly—while linebacker Whit Weeks tallied 18 tackles and a forced fumble.
"We haven’t mentioned last year at all, but it was on our minds as a defense," Weeks reflected. "We knew we had to come out and play much better football, and we did just that."
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin lamented that his team "should've won that game," while Kelly felt LSU was "always one step behind." Nevertheless, LSU, having let a previous season opener against USC slip away, rose to the occasion, making pivotal plays in crucial moments.
"At the beginning of the year, our preparation was outstanding, but we weren’t seeing it translate into performances," Kelly remarked. "They weren’t as sharp as I expected. Now, it’s starting to come together better."
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