When the ball landed in PJ Woodland’s hands, the game should have flipped on a dime.
LSU trailed Ole Miss by a touchdown in the third quarter when the sophomore cornerback snatched his first career interception. LSU was in great position to turn the game in its favor as Woodland returned the errant throw for 31 yards into the Rebels’ side of the field.
But the Tigers couldn’t fully capitalize on quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’ mistake. LSU gained just 16 yards on five plays and settled for a 48-yard field goal.
The kick was good, but a golden opportunity for a game-turning touchdown failed. LSU eventually lost 24-19 in a performance that raised more questions than answers about its offense.
Among those questions is the Tigers’ inability to capitalize on turnovers.
“I think your point is well taken; those (turnovers) have turned into field goals. We need to turn those into touchdowns,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said Monday. “I don’t know that they’ve been empty possessions, but they haven’t been impactful possessions for us offensively.”
LSU has seven interceptions and one fumble recovery through five games, but the Tigers have only 13 points off of those turnovers. Sophomore safety Dashawn Spears’ pick-six against Florida is the only time LSU found the end zone as a result of a turnover this season.
Besides the Woodland interception against Ole Miss, the only other time the offense scored off a turnover was against Florida when fifth-year senior Damian Ramos hit a 45-yard field goal after senior safety AJ Haulcy snatched LSU’s second interception of the night.
The 10 points LSU scored on turnovers proved to be the difference in its win over Florida. Still, LSU won by only 10 despite forcing five interceptions and turning the ball over only once, which could be seen as a big red flag.
“This is about playing more consistent football offensively for four quarters and then taking advantage of your opportunities,” Kelly said, “whether it be special teams, which they have, (or) turnovers, which they have.”
There are a variety of reasons why LSU has struggled to score points, let alone capitalize on turnovers.
Fifth-year senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has dealt with a torso injury since the preseason, an ailment that has affected his ability to push the ball downfield and make tight-window throws.
LSU also has had trouble complementing its passing attack with a strong run game. The Tigers enter this weekend 15th in the Southeastern Conference in yards per rush and rushing yards per game.
“We want to run the ball more efficiently, but I see the signs of that coming together,” Kelly said, “so we expect that to get better and better as the season goes on.”
The defense has done its job through five games. The Tigers looked more vulnerable on that side of the ball against Ole Miss, but overall they are third in the SEC in points allowed per game.
Between forcing stops and creating turnovers, the unit has created ample opportunities for the offense to find its footing and put points on the board. But through the first five games, that hasn’t been the case, even as the likes of Woodland keep snatching balls out of the hands of opposing receivers.
“We just need to play a complete game where our offense complements our defense and special teams,” Kelly said. “That hasn’t shown itself yet. It will.”
