Ranking the 12 best offenses in LSU football history

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LSU football has a complicated relationship with offense. My formative years as a fan were spent watching late-stage Les Miles LSU – an era where scoring points was not a priority. LSU didn’t lack for talent, but the Tigers’ offense refused to evolve with the sport around it.

That changed in 2019. Ed Orgeron brought in pass game coordinator Joe Brady to revolutionize the attack, and Joe Burrow, along with a handful of first-round picks, posted historic numbers on their way to winning a national championship. It was one of the best offenses the sport has ever seen.

Today, we’ll look at the best offenses in LSU football history. Thanks to 2019, it’s easy to pick No. 1. Revealing that doesn’t spoil much. No. 2 might be obvious, as well. But after the top two, it’s an interesting debate.

Comparing offenses in 1945 to the units of the 2010s and 2020s isn't easy. It's a different sport. Of course, the recent offenses have better numbers than any group that played in the 40's, 50's, and 60's. I've tried my best to put each performance in the context of its era.

Here are the 12 best offenses in LSU history.

12. 1936 — The Gus Tinsley year

In 1936, LSU led the nation in scoring and finished No. 2 in the AP Poll. All-American Gus Tinsley led the unit. LSU ranked No. 3 in SR's OSRS and was No. 1 in adjusted points per game. Again, it's hard to compare this unit to LSU's later years, but the 1936 group deserves its flowers.

11. 1958 — Billy Cannon leads loaded backfield

LSU went 11-0 in 1958, finishing the year No. 1 in the AP Poll and claiming the national title. On first glance, this unit should rank higher. LSU ranked No. 6 nationally in Sports Reference's OSRS and second in adjusted points scored. The backfield was loaded, led by Billy Cannon and Johnny Robinson.

But I put this offense at 11 because LSU's defense and special teams were elite and constantly put LSU in a position to score. The offense did its job, taking advantage of short fields. LSU put up gaudy scoring numbers despite only averaging 4.47 yards per play. It's worth noting that offense across the sport was down in 1958, which is why this unit still makes the cut with the weak efficiency numbers.

LSU had a few offensive outbursts during the undefeated season, which included scoring 50 points against a strong Duke defense.

10. 2001 — The Josh Reed year

Until Malik Nabers broke the records in 2023, Josh Reed held most of LSU's career receiving marks. As a junior in 2001, Reed caught 94 passes for 1,740 yards and seven touchdowns on his way to earning All-American honors. Those numbers were unheard of for an LSU wideout at the time.

This was an explosive unit that averaged 451.5 yards per game, ranking No. 5 in LSU history. 2001 was when Nick Saban's LSU officially arrived. The Tigers won 10 games and finished with a Sugar Bowl win.

9. 2013 — Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry

The 2013 LSU team has been remembered for what it didn't do, not what it did do. The offense was loaded with talent and as Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, and Jeremy Hill went on to impress in the NFL, fans looked back at the 2013 LSU offense and wondered how they didn't accomplish more.

Still, all things considered, the group was pretty good. The unit ranked No. 15 nationally in OSRS and No. 9 in adjusted yards per play. With 453.3 yards per game, this group ranked No. 3 in LSU history.

It's hard to argue with the sheer talent of this group. QB Zach Mettenberger was the most prolific of the Les Miles era, surpassing 3,000 yards and throwing for 22 touchdowns. Beckham and Landry are among the best receiving duos in the history of the SEC.

8. 1971 — Bert Jones and Andy Hamilton lead a dynamic passing attack

In 1971, we saw one of the first dynamic passing attacks in LSU history. QB Bert Jones, who went on to be the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, established a connection with wide receiver Andy Hamilton. Hamilton ranked top-10 nationally in yards and touchdowns, and averaged over 18 yards per catch.

In 71, LSU ranked top 10 in OSRS and adjusted points per game. LSU averaged nearly 30 points per game while averaging 387.5 yards per game. Neither number stands out as prolific now, but those were good marks for the era.

7. 1945 — Gene Knight paves the ground attack

LSU averaged 6.01 yards per play in 1945, that stood as a program record until the 80's. LSU ranked No. 6 nationally in OSRS and No. 10 in adjusted points per play. This was a strange era of college football and the game was still rounding into the form we see today, but it's hard to discount the numbers here.

Tailback Gene Knight led the way, averaging 7.8 yards per carry and racking up 691 yards from scrimmage. LSU surpassed the 30-point mark in six of nine games, which included scoring 32 vs Georgia and 31 vs Texas A&M.

6. 2006 — The JaMarcus Russell year

In 2006, LSU ranked No. 5 in the nation with 49.13 adjusted points per game, according to Sports Reference. LSU's adjusted yards per play mark of 7.90 ranked No. 4.

The unit was led by QB JaMarcus Russell, who went on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Russell completed 67.8% of his passes, while throwing for 3,129 yards and 28 scores. He averaged 13.5 yards per completion, which led the conference.

Russell's favorite target was wideout Dwayne Bowe, who led the SEC with 12 touchdown catches. LSU won 11 games and finished the year ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll.

5. 1982 — An underrated Jerry Stovall team

LSU averaged 5.4 yards per play in 1982. At the time, that ranked No. 2 in LSU history, only behind the 1945 unit. Per game, LSU averaged 412.3 yards, only sitting behind LSU's 1977 offense. Quarterback Alan Risher led the SEC with a 146.6 passer rating and tossed 17 touchdowns while averaging over 12 yards per completion.

On the ground, LSU had a two-headed monster in the backfield with running backs Dalton Hilliard and Garry James. Hilliard was a factor in the passing game, too, catching 31 passes for 368 yards. LSU's 33.2 points per game ranked No. 6 nationally.

LSU went 8-3-1 with head coach Jerry Stovall leading the way. LSU earned an Orange Bowl invite, where the Tigers lost to No. 3 Nebraska. LSU's offense was one of just three teams to score 20+ points vs. the Cornhuskers.

4. 1987 — QB Tommy Hodson leads prolific unit

We'll stay in the same era for No. 4, but fast forward a few years to 1987. With a 9.26 OSRS, LSU ranked No. 6 in the country. This was a top-10 offense.

LSU averaged 6.48 yards per play, which still ranks No. 7 in LSU history. That's impressive given the era. LSU didn't surpass that yards per play mark until 2006. Even as offense became easier to play, it took nearly 20 years before we saw a more efficient LSU offense.

This was a complete LSU team that spent the entire year ranked in the AP Top 10, finishing at No. 5. Quarterback Tommy Hodson led the SEC with 2,125 passing yards and a 140.4 passer rating. Wideout Wendell Davis led the conference in receptions and receiving yards. On the ground, Harvey Williams surpassed the 1,000-yard mark.

3. 2007 — Jacob Hester leads national title offense

Defense led the way for LSU in the 2000s, but the offense played a critical role during LSU's 2007 national title campaign. The Tigers ranked No. 5 in OSRS and No. 2 in adjusted points per game.

Matt Flynn delivered solid quarterback play, tossing for 2,407 yards and 21 touchdowns. He had several productive pass catchers to throw to, including Brandon LaFell, Demetrius Byrd, and Early Doucet. But the real star was Jacob Hester, who surpassed the 1,000-yard mark and ran for 1,103 yards. He found the end zone 13 total times and added over 100 receiving yards, too.

2. 2023 — Jayden Daniels wins the Heisman

As I said, the final two were easy. LSU's 2023 offense was a sight to behold. Jayden Daniels was electric at quarterback, going on to win the Heisman Trophy. Daniels threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns. He averaged 11.7 yards per attempt with a passer rating over 200. It's hard to be more efficient than that. Daniels was elite on the ground, too, running for over 1,000 yards.

Catching passes from Daniels were Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr, both of whom went on to be first-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. And on the offensive line, LSU had a future top five pick at left tackle with Will Campbell protecting Daniels' blindside.

LSU led the nation with 45.5 points per game.

1. 2019 — The Joe Burrow year

This wasn't hard — 2019 is the best offense in LSU history, bar none. Joe Burrow was generational at quarterback, throwing for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns. Those are video game numbers. Burrow went on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft without much debate.

Burrow's wide receiver corps was elite. Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase are two of the best receivers in LSU history and Terrace Marshall was pretty good, too. At running back, Clyde Edwards-Helaire was dynamic and could move the ball on the ground or factor into the passing game. Nearly every offensive lineman on this team went on to play in the NFL.

This offense isn't just the best in LSU history, it has an argument to be the best in college football history.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Ranking the 12 best offenses in LSU football history

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