ESPN College Gameday’s Kirk Herbstreit hammered the LSU Tigers defense after a dismal showing in the Tigers season-opening 38-27 upset loss to UCLA.
“Last year, they’re a 5-5 football team, gave up 35 points a game, one of the worst defenses we’ve seen at LSU,” Herbstreit said on ESPN College Gameday on Saturday. “And then they’re going to come out, here we go 2021, and they’re going to try to get off to a quick start and you kind of see the same stuff.
Herbstreit was particularly disappointed in the Tigers’ effort.
“New defensive coordinator. The missed tackles,” Herbstreit said. “I mean, there were 13 missed tackles (against UCLA), and I think that’s being generous. When you watch it, it’s not just missed tackles. It’s effort. It’s effort. You cannot believe that’s the LSU uniform when you watch this game, and I like UCLA. I liked them all year.”
Herbstreit concerns were well-documented in LSU’s loss to UCLA. The Tigers’ defense allowed 470 total yards to the Bruins. UCLA gashed the Tiger defense on the ground, outgunning LSU 210 yards to just 49 yards on the ground. Michigan running back transfer Zach Charbonnet had 117 yards and one touchdown alone. UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw for 260 yards and three interceptions.
LSU replaced former defensive coordinator Bo Pelini this offseason with Daronte Jones, who most recently was the Minnesota Vikings cornerbacks coach in 2020.
The Tigers defense has struggled since the departure of defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, who took the head coach role at Baylor after LSU’s national championship season in 2019.
Last season, LSU’s defense finished 123rd in the FBS in total yards per game, good for second-worst in the SEC only behind Ole Miss. The Tigers were third-worst in the league in yards allowed per play, a far cry from the defensive performances LSU fans expect.
“I just wonder what Patrick Peterson and Devin White and Booger McFarland, Tyrann Mathieu and all these LSU players,” Herbstreit said. “Because the standard — say whatever you want about LSU, they’re gonna win games, lose games — the defensive standard when it comes to effort, and attitude, and want-to and love for each other and love for the game and want to compete, I would say LSU was off the charts compared to almost anybody in the country year after year after year.”
LSU has produced a number of talented defenders. In recent memory, LSU has seen talent like Jamal Adams, Devin White, Grant Delpit, K’Lavon Chaisson, Patrick Queen and Greedy Williams, among many others, come through Baton Rouge.
“And then last year, and now this year, it’s some — I can’t watch it,” Herbstreit said. “I can’t watch LSU play defense like that.”
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