Five takeaways | LSU football falls to Houston in Kinder's Texas Bowl

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LSU football fell to Houston in the Kinder's Texas Bowl, bringing the Tigers' disappointing 2025 to a close. LSU finished 7-6 after begining the year with CFP expectations. The lackluster season led to the firing of head coach Brian Kelly in late October, and with the season now over, the Lane Kiffin era has officially begun.

But before we look ahead to the next era of LSU football, we'll recap what happened on Saturday night.

LSU was short-handed and it showed, especially on the defensive side of the ball. LSU scored 35 points, the most it has vs. an FBS defense all year. If you had told me LSU was going to score 35 in this one, I would have thought LSU won the game. But the defense, playing without CB Mansoor Delane, AJ Haulcy, Whit and West Weeks, and Jack Pyburn, struggled to get stops and surrendered 38 points to an average Houston offense.

A late 35-yard touchdown run from Houston RB Dean Connors but the Cougars up 10, and the hole was too big for LSU to dig out of.

Here are five takeaways from LSU's loss to Houston.

1. LSU's depth was tested on defense

LSU's defensive depth was tested — the answers weren't enough.

LSU was without star CB Mansoor Delane and Houston QB Connor Weigman tossed four touchdowns. PJ Woodland and DJ Pickett made for a fine cornerback duo, but Pickett surrendered five catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. Delane's abscence had a chance to benefit Pickett if Houston saw the true freshman as LSU's best corner and opted to stay away, but Houston wasn't intimidated and threw Pickett's way seven times.

At linebacker, the Weeks' brothers and Perkins were missed. Dahvon Keys played well; Tylen Singleton was a mixed bag. At the STAR position, Jardin Gilbert and CJ Jimcoily didn't offer the upside of Perkins.

Without Jack Pyburn at defensive end, we saw youngsters CJ Jackson, Damien Shanklin, and Kolaj Cobbins hit the field.

2. LSU's offense scores more than 25 points vs an FBS opponent

For the first time this year, LSU scored more than 25 points vs. an FBS opponent. Few stats tell the story of LSU's 2025 season better than that one. LSU's offense was among the worst in the Power Four, ranking No. 90 in ESPN's SP+ rankings.

Prior to Saturday, LSU's season high vs. an FBS defense was 25 points vs. Texas A&M. And LSU needed some garbage time points vs. the Aggies to reach that mark.

LSU fell short of getting the win, however, the offense made some strides with a few weeks of bowl practice. It won't matter much, though. The entire staff and personnel will look different with Kiffin taking over.

3. LSU gets a boost from special teams

LSU began the game with a bang — Barion Brown returned a kick for a touchdown to give LSU an early lead. Brown arrived at LSU hoping to make an impact on offense and special teams. The Kentucky transfer was viewed as one of the top portal additions of the offseason and already had five kick return touchdowns to his name in Lexington.

LSU could have used a special teams spark from Brown in the regular season, especially with the offense underperforming. Brown put that speed to work on Saturday night, finding a crease and taking it to the house.

Not long after Brown's first kick return, he took another one out to midfield. Houston avoided kicking to Brown for the rest of the game.

4. LSU blows lead

LSU led 14-0. The Tigers quickly answered any questions about how much they wanted to be there. After Brown returned the kick for a touchdown, LSU forced a quick punt and capped the next drive off with a Trey'Dez Green touchdown.

It looked like LSU was on the way to finishing the year on a high note. Then Houston found some momentum and LSU blew a 14-point lead for the first time since 2008.

Last time LSU blew a lead that big, George W. Bush was still President of the United States. It's been a while.

5. Houston was efficient vs. the LSU defense

Houston didn't rely on one single element to move the ball vs. LSU — it was a good all-around performance from the Cougars' offense.

Houston averaged 0.46 EPA/dropback, a mark that put the Cougars in the 89th percentile. Houston was good on third downs, with a 54% third-down success rate. The Cougars stayed on schedule and were explosive too, creating nine explosive plays on the night.

LSU's defense did its best to help Houston with penalties, but Weigman and the Cougars' offense took advantage. It was a good night for Houston OC Slade Nagle, who was LSU's tight ends coach in 2024.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Five takeaways | LSU football falls to Houston in Kinder's Texas Bowl

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