LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier benched in second half as Tigers lose at No. 4 Alabama
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No. 4 Alabama handed LSU its fourth loss of the season as Tigers QB Garrett Nussmeier watched most of the second half from the sidelines in the 20-9 loss.
Nussmeier was benched in favor of Michael Van Buren after taking a 14-yard sack on LSU’s first possession of the second half. The Tigers trailed 17-3 at halftime and a field goal after Nussmeier’s sack cut the deficit to 11 points.
It was a significant move by interim coach Frank Wilson in his first game in charge of the Tigers. Wilson was appointed interim coach after Brian Kelly was fired less than two weeks ago after LSU fell at home to Texas A&M.
Nussmeier, a fifth-year senior, has been dealing with a torso injury for much of the season. He opened the season as a Heisman favorite but hasn’t lived up to those expectations as LSU’s offense has struggled all season. Before leaving the game on Saturday he was 18-of-21 passing, but those passes went for just 121 yards and he was sacked twice.
Van Buren is a sophomore transfer from Mississippi State. He played in 10 games for the Bulldogs a season ago as a freshman. Van Buren finished 5-of-11 passing for 52 yards.
It wasn’t the most dominating performance for Alabama, though the Tide never felt in serious danger of losing the game. LSU cut Alabama’s lead to eight points in the second half, but Alabama responded two drives later with a field goal to extend the lead back to two possessions.
The Tide then sealed the game when London Simmons recovered a Van Buren fumble with 3:11 to go.
The loss is the third straight for the Tigers and their fourth in the last five games. A season that started so promisingly with a win over Clemson in Week 1 has gone sour in the past month as LSU is on the hook for Brian Kelly's $50 million buyout and needs to find a new coach after athletic director Scott Woodward was fired days after Kelly.
With games remaining against Arkansas, Western Kentucky and Oklahoma, LSU needs to win out to guarantee a winning record in 2025. Will we see Van Buren in the starting lineup against the Razorbacks in Week 12?
Alabama, meanwhile, is now 6-0 in the SEC and tied atop the conference with Texas A&M. The Crimson Tide host No. 12 Oklahoma in Week 12 before visiting Auburn to end the season. Wins in both those games will guarantee Alabama a spot in the SEC title game.
Tide QB Ty Simpson was 21-of-35 passing for 277 yards and a TD, though he also fumbled. While Simpson didn’t have a bad game by any means, his performance likely dropped him to a clear third behind Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza in the Heisman race with three weeks to go in the regular season.
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