Just how good has LSU's offense been through four weeks?
LSU's offense has been on an absolute tear through four games this season. The Tigers rank in the tops of the SEC in almost every offensive category. Jayden Daniels and company have quietly been putting together one of the best offensive seasons we've seen from an LSU team that didn't have Joe Burrow under center.
Today, we're going to go stat-by-stat and see how LSU compares to other teams in the SEC and across the country.
Total Offense
Starting with total offense, LSU averages exactly 530 yards per game. They are currently No. 1 in the SEC and average 34 more yards than the reigning two time national champs, Georgia and are over 60 yards per game above everyone else.
Rank | Team | Total Yards |
---|---|---|
1 |
LSU |
530.0 |
2 |
Georgia |
496.5 |
3 |
Ole Miss |
470.25 |
4 |
Tennessee |
463.5 |
5 |
Texas A&M |
450.75 |
Nationally, the Tigers also rank 7th in total offense behind offensive juggernauts such as Washington, USC and Oregon.
Passing Offense
When Jayden Daniels came to LSU last year, many saw him as a run first quarterback. In his first season, he did seem to run the ball a lot, totaling over 800-yards on the ground and less than 3,000 through the air. But this year, Daniels has taken great strides as a passer.
Through four weeks of football, Daniels ranks third in the SEC in passing yards behind just Spencer Rattler and AJ Swann, who are both more traditional pocket passers than Daniels.
Daniels would be second in the SEC behind only Rattler, but Swann has played an extra game because of their week zero matchup with Hawaii. In terms of yards per game, Daniels and the Tigers rank second in the SEC.
Rank | Team | Passing YPG |
---|---|---|
1 |
South Carolina |
340.0 |
2 |
LSU |
338.25 |
3 |
Georgia |
337.5 |
4 |
Ole Miss |
323.5 |
5 |
Texas A&M |
301.25 |
LSU ranks 10th in the nation with 338.25 passing yards per game.
Rushing Yards
Despite it seeming like LSU's run game is still finding its footing, the Tigers still rank third in the SEC in rush yards per game. Their 191.75 yards per game is just six shy of No. 2 Auburn and over 25 yards more than No. 4 Florida.
Rank | Team | Rush YPG |
---|---|---|
1 |
Tennessee |
229.5 |
2 |
Auburn |
197.75 |
3 |
LSU |
191.75 |
4 |
Florida |
164.75 |
5 |
Alabama |
161.5 |
The Tigers rank 37th nationally in rush yards per game, but I expect them to rise in the rankings as their run game continues to improve each week.
Points Per Game
The Tigers once again find themselves at the top of the SEC, but this time in points per game. Their 42.75 PPG beats out the likes of Ole Miss, Georgia and Texas A&M. The Tigers have also played two SEC games compared to one for most other schools on this list.
For those who are curious, Alabama is 12th in the SEC averaging 30.25 PPG.
Rank | Team | PPG |
---|---|---|
1 |
LSU |
42.75 |
2 |
Ole Miss |
42.0 |
3 |
Georgia |
41.5 |
4 |
Texas A&M |
39.75 |
5 |
Kentucky |
38.0 |
LSU also finds themselves back in the top ten in points per game, and is three PPG shy of being top five.
3rd down conversion percentage
Currently, LSU is also the number one offense in the SEC at converting third downs. Their staggering 58% conversion rate is miles above anyone else in the conference. Extending drives is one reason why this offense has been so good and was one of the reasons LSU was able to take down Arkansas last week.
Rank | Team | 3rd down conversion % |
---|---|---|
1 |
LSU |
58% |
2 |
Georgia |
52.9% |
3 |
Texas A&M |
49% |
4 |
Kentucky |
48.7% |
5 |
Alabama |
47.3% |
LSU's 58% conversion rate is good for fifth in the nation behind Kansas (60.5), Washington State (59.6), Air Force (58.8) and Oklahoma (58.5).
Passing TDs
Let's dive into some individual stats while we're at it.
Jayden Daniels has thrown 12 passing touchdowns through four games, which tops AJ Swann's 11 for No. 1 in the SEC (remember, Swann has played five games). The next closest SEC QB who has only played in four games is Devin Leary and KJ Jefferson with 9 a piece.
Daniels is on pace to throw for 36 touchdowns, which would be second in LSU history by eight touchdowns.
Rank | QB | Passing TDs |
---|---|---|
1 |
Jayden Daniels |
12 |
2 |
AJ Swann |
11 |
3 |
KJ Jefferson |
9 |
4 |
Devin Leary |
9 |
5 |
Joe Milton |
8 |
Daniels also ranks 5th in the nation in passing touchdowns, trailing Michael Penix Jr. (16), Caleb Williams (15), Sam Hartman (14) and Cameron Ward (14).
Receiving Yards
The Tigers have two of the top four leaders in terms of receiving yards in the SEC. Malik Nabers was always going to be one of the SEC's best receivers, but Brian Thomas Jr. has slowly worked his way into the top-5 with his 133 yard game against Arkansas.
Rank | WR | Receiving yards |
---|---|---|
1 |
Xavier Lagette |
556 |
2 |
Malik Nabers |
523 |
3 |
Luther Burden III |
504 |
4 |
Brian Thomas Jr. |
413 |
5 |
Lideatrick Griffin |
388 |
Nationally, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas are both in the top-15. Nabers ranks third with his 523 yards behind Xavier Lagette and Rome Odunze (544). Brian Thomas comes in at exactly 15th and makes LSU one of two schools with two receivers in the top 15 in terms of yards.
Needless to say, this Tigers offense is rolling through four games. They have a balanced attack that is going to be hard for anyone to stop. If the defense can improve and cut down on the number of explosive plays allowed, this team could get really dangerous.