After roaring out to a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter, the LSU Tigers and QB Garrett Nussmeier have struggled to gain a rhythm vs. the Ole Miss Rebels. Did something happen to the projected first-round signal-caller, and if not, why has the offense stalled?
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier’s Struggles Under Pressure in Critical SEC Showdown With Ole Miss
Heading into the fourth quarter, Nussmeier completed 16 of 25 passes for 144 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. While far from exciting numbers, the Tigers are only down 17-13, with a quarter remaining to bounce back.
One of the primary issues for the offense has been the lack of a running game with star RB Caden Durham out with an ankle injury. In his stead, LSU has handed the ball off to five different players (none with more than four carries), with the group combining for just 40 yards on 13 carries.
As a result, the pressure has mounted on Nussmeier and the passing game to deliver results, which it has struggled to do — although the opportunities have been there.
Sitting at Ole Miss’ 29-yard line, Nussmeier completely missed a roaming defensive back under his target, resulting in a crushing pick.
Nussmeier INT on the last LSU drive pic.twitter.com/4ruWKqopeK
— Im not a fan of your favorite team (@fsh733) September 27, 2025
Outside of the INT, he also missed a walk-in TD, failing to get enough power behind the ball to reach his WR, which allowed the DB to break up the pass.
Despite many heralding him as a top prosecpt in the 2026 NFL Draft, Nussmeier has struggled to produce this season. He entered Week 5 with a 78.5 QBi grade, according to PFSN. To put that into perspective, his counterpart this week, Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss, held an 89.0 grade, good for sixth in the country.
To be fair to Nussmeier, he hasn’t had the cleanest start to the year health-wise, and pressure has affected his ability to be comfortable in the pocket, especially against Ole Miss.
In early August, head coach Brian Kelly revealed his star QB was dealing with patellar tendinitis in his knee. Then, on Sept. 15, Kelly said Nussmeier developed a torso injury from throwing so much in the preseason, forcing the training staff to limit work in practice.
“He’s been slowed a little bit with a torso injury, and he’s fighting through it, and he’s getting better,” Kelly told reporters. “He’s not going to be able to shut it down until the bye week.”
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Injured or not, Nussmeier hasn’t produced to the level most expected from him this season. Entering Week 5, he completed 68.6% of his passes for 962 yards, six TDs, two INTs, and took six sacks. He lacks the mobility the NFL covets at the position, and he’s also flashed poor decision-making, attempting to complete passes his arm simply can’t.
The bottom line is that Nussmeier’s struggles against Ole Miss highlight bigger concerns about his draft stock and LSU’s offensive identity. While the injury issues provide some context for his underwhelming performances, Nussmeier simply hasn’t improved from last year’s tape.
If he can’t turn things around quickly, both his draft projections and LSU’s season could be in serious jeopardy.
