Statistically Speaking: The 2024 LSU Defense

By Hunt Palmer

We’ve toured the Tiger offensive statistics. They revealed much of what we already knew. LSU has to run the ball better and more often in 2025. The defense has great strides to make as well. A heavy influx of potential starters are coming in through the transfer portal, and the news that Jacobian Guillory and Harold Perkins will return after season-ending injuries was a welcome development. Let’s jump into what this defense looked like on paper.

(As always, 1st is always best and 16th is always worst even if the better number is lower)

Scoring Defense: 14th, 24.3 points per game

Total Defense: 11th, 364 yards per game

Yards per Play Allowed: 14th, 5.9 yards per play

Tackles for Loss: 13th, 5.2 per game

This is nowhere near playoff contending defense. Texas and Tennessee were in the Top 7 nationally in total defense, and Georgia was 30th playing a brutal schedule. I still contend this was more of a Jimmys and Joes issue as opposed to Xs and Os. There will be more talent on the 2025 defense than the 2024 defense with what appears to be the same coaching staff. We’ll eventually find out.

Rushing Defense: 12th, 140 yards per game

Rushing Attempts Against per Game: 16th (fewest), 32.7 attempts per game

Rushing Yards per Carry Allowed: 13th, 4.3

Rushing Touchdowns Allowed: 16th, 26

I was a little surprised to see that no one saw fewer opposing rushes than LSU. Still, the Tigers did a poor job of stopping the run. Defensive tackle was a known soft spot entering the year. While the guys in the middle did an admirable job based on expectation, it was still among the worst in the SEC statistically. No one allowed more rushing touchdowns. The next great LSU team is going to swallow up the run. This wasn’t that.

Passing Defense: 10th, 224 yards per game

Passing Attempts Against per Game: 5th, 29.2

Yards per Attempt Allowed: 12th, 7.7

Completion Percentage Allowed: 12th, 61.1%

Passing Touchdowns Allowed: 4th, 11

Interceptions: 16th, 6

To me, finishing 12th in completion percentage allowed and dead last in interceptions is personnel issue. LSU just didn’t have guys making plays on the ball nearly enough. Watching the Texas Bowl, LSU didn’t have guys to consistently cover a mediocre Baylor offense with any consistency. Corey Raymond will get this fixed with dudes. I expect a different looking secondary next year, and it’ll be tested right out of the gate with Cade Klubnik.

Sacks: 7th, 2.6 per game

The Ole Miss game was a highlight for the pass rush. They got home to Jaxson Dart six times and helped win that game. Outside of that and the South Carolina game, the pass rush cooled down a little bit. Bradyn Swinson and Sai’vion Jones move on. The hope is that Gabriel Reliford, Jimari Butler and Patrick Payton really give this pass rush a shot of life.

20+ Yard Plays: 13th, 58 (4.5 per game)

10+ Yard Rushes: 12th, 57 (4.4 per game)

20+ Yard Passes: 10th, 40 (3.1 per game)

50+ Yard Passes: T8th, 3

Explosive runs were a massive problem early with Nicholls and South Carolina. Ole Miss popped one, too. It got cleaned up for a couple of weeks, and then Jalen Milroe showed up. To me, a lot of this is on safety play and busted assignments by the LSU linebackers. There were issues in both places all year long.

3rd Down Percentage Allowed: 14th, 40%

4th Down Percentage: 3rd, 33%

Red Zone Touchdown Percentage: 14th, 58.6%

When you give up more rushing touchdowns than anyone in the league, the red zone numbers aren’t going to look too good. And visa-versa. That’s not nearly good enough on third downs, either. Better coverage and a better pass rush are very much needed. Call me Vince Lombardi for that analysis.

OVERVIEW

Of the 22 stats I just laid out, LSU finished 10th or worse in 17 of them and in the Top 3 in one–4th down defense. That dog won’t hunt. In fact, that dog won’t eat a cookie off the floor. That dog is asleep. You can look at recruiting rankings and transfer portal statistics and realize that LSU didn’t have Michael Brockers, Glen Dorsey, Bennie Logan, K’Lavon Chaisson, Patrick Peterson, Jamal Adams and Derek Stingley out there. I really believe that’s the biggest difference. It sounds simple, but I believe it to be true. The question is, what does next year look like? Are Ja’Keem Jackson, DJ Pickett, Harold Perkins, Patrick Peyton, Whit Weeks and Dominick McKinley All-SEC guys? Are there two first round picks in that group? If so, I think LSU is in business. If not, there will be trouble.