# 2023 LSU Tigers football team

The 2023 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University (LSU) in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers were led by Brian Kelly in his second year as LSU's head coach. Quarterback Jayden Daniels won the Heisman Trophy and several other awards for the season after scoring 50 total touchdowns, leading the NCAA with nearly 5,000 total yards, and setting the FBS single-season passer rating record.
LSU's football team played its home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This was the final year for the West division as Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC in 2024. The LSU Tigers football team drew an average home attendance of 100,742 in 2023.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 3, 2023 | 6:30 p.m. | vs. No. 8 Florida State* | No. 5 | Camping World StadiumOrlando, FL (Camping World Kickoff) | ABC | L 24–45 | 65,429 |
| September 9 | 6:30 p.m. | Grambling State* | No. 14 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA | SECN+, ESPN+ | W 72–10 | 97,735 |
| September 16 | 11:00 a.m. | at Mississippi State | No. 14 | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS (rivalry, SEC Nation) | ESPN | W 41–14 | 60,084 |
| September 23 | 6:00 p.m. | Arkansas | No. 12 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA (rivalry) | ESPN | W 34–31 | 99,648 |
| September 30 | 5:00 p.m. | at No. 20 Ole Miss | No. 13 | Vaught–Hemingway StadiumOxford, MS (Magnolia Bowl) | ESPN | L 49–55 | 66,703 |
| October 7 | 11:00 a.m. | at No. 21 Missouri | No. 23 | Faurot FieldColumbia, MO | ESPN | W 49–39 | 62,621 |
| October 14 | 6:00 p.m. | Auburn | No. 22 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA (rivalry) | ESPN | W 48–18 | 102,321 |
| October 21 | 6:30 p.m. | Army* | No. 19 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA | SECN | W 62–0 | 101,776 |
| November 4 | 6:45 p.m. | at No. 8 Alabama | No. 14 | Bryant–Denny StadiumTuscaloosa, AL (rivalry, College GameDay) | CBS | L 28–42 | 100,077 |
| November 11 | 6:30 p.m. | Florida | No. 19 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA (rivalry) | SECN | W 52–35 | 102,321 |
| November 18 | 7:00 p.m. | Georgia State* | No. 15 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA | ESPN2 | W 56–14 | 100,212 |
| November 25 | 11:00 a.m. | Texas A&M | No. 14 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA (rivalry) | ESPN | W 42–30 | 101,178 |
| January 1, 2024 | 11:00 a.m. | vs. Wisconsin* | No. 13 | Raymond James StadiumTampa, FL (ReliaQuest Bowl) | ESPN2 | W 35–31 | 31,424 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after October 31) – Released prior to gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### at Mississippi State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 LSU | 10 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 41 |
| Mississippi State | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, MS
* Date: Saturday, September 16, 2023
* Game time: 11:00 a.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 81 °F (27 °C)
* Game attendance: 60,084
* Referee: Jason Autrey
* TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Jesse Palmer (analyst), Katie George (sideline)
| Statistics | LSU | MSST |
| First downs | 26 | 10 |
| Total yards | 76–530 | 50–201 |
| Rushing yards | 39–163 | 21–94 |
| Passing yards | 367 | 107 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 31–37–0 | 12–29–0 |
| Time of possession | 38:39 | 21:21 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| LSU | Passing | Jayden Daniels | 30/34, 361 yards, 2 TD |
| LSU | Rushing | Jayden Daniels | 15 carries, 64 yards, 2 TD |
| LSU | Receiving | Malik Nabers | 13 receptions, 239 yards, 2 TD |
| Mississippi State | Passing | Will Rogers | 11/28, 103 yards |
| Mississippi State | Rushing | Jo'Quavious Marks | 8 carries, 75 yards |
| Mississippi State | Receiving | Zavion Thomas | 3 receptions, 52 yards |

### at No. 20 Ole Miss (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 13 Tigers | 7 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 49 |
| No. 20 Rebels | 21 | 10 | 3 | 21 | 55 |
at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS
* Date: Saturday, September 30, 2023
* Game time: 5:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: sunny • Temperature: 88 °F (31 °C)
* Game attendance: *66,703
* Referee: David Smith
* TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), Kris Budden (sideline)
* Pregame line: LSU −3 • O/U: 67
*New Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Attendance Record
| Statistics | LSU | Ole Miss |
| First downs | 33 | 32 |
| Total yards | 637 | *706 |
| Passing yards | 414 | 389 |
| Rushes/yards | 37/223 | 49/317 |
| Penalties/yards | 6/35 | 11/121 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 29:17 | 30:43 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| LSU | Passing | Jayden Daniels | 27/36, 414 yards, 4 TD |
| LSU | Rushing | Logan Diggs | 19 carries, 101 yards, 2 TD |
| LSU | Receiving | Brian Thomas, Jr. | 8 receptions, 124 yards, 3 TD |
| Ole Miss | Passing | Jaxson Dart | 26/39, 389 yards, 4 TD |
| Ole Miss | Rushing | Quinshon Judkins | 33 carries, 177 yards, 1 TD |
| Ole Miss | Receiving | Tre Harris | 8 receptions, 153 yards, 1 TD |
*The most total yards ever to be gained against an LSU football team in history

### at No. 21 Missouri

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 23 LSU | 7 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 49 |
| No. 21 Missouri | 15 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 39 |
at Faurot Field • Columbia, Missouri
* Date: Saturday, October 7, 2023
* Game time: 11:00 a.m. CST
* Game weather: –
* Game attendance: 62,621
* Referee: –
* TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), Kris Budden (sideline)
| Statistics | LSU | MIZZ |
| First downs | 25 | 23 |
| Total yards | 66–533 | 68–527 |
| Rushing yards | 43–274 | 21–116 |
| Passing yards | 259 | 411 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 15–23–0 | 30–47–2 |
| Time of possession | 32:26 | 27:34 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| LSU | Passing | Jayden Daniels | 15/21, 259 yards, 3 TD |
| LSU | Rushing | Jayden Daniels | 24 carries, 134 yards, TD |
| LSU | Receiving | Malik Nabers | 6 receptions, 146 yards, TD |
| Missouri | Passing | Brady Cook | 30/47, 411 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Missouri | Rushing | Cody Schrader | 13 carries, 114 yards, 3 TD |
| Missouri | Receiving | Luther Burden III | 11 receptions, 149 yards |

### vs Auburn (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Auburn | 0 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 18 |
| No. 22 LSU | 17 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 48 |
at Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* Date: Saturday, October 14, 2023
* Game time: 6:10 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: NW 9 mph
* Game attendance: 102,321
* Referee: Kyle Olson
* TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Jesse Palmer (analyst), Katie George (sideline reporter)
| Statistics | AUB | LSU |
| First downs | 18 | 25 |
| Total yards | 61–293 | 66–563 |
| Rushing yards | 34–139 | 39–238 |
| Passing yards | 154 | 325 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 15–27–0 | 20–27–1 |
| Time of possession | 25:47 | 34:13 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Auburn | Passing | Payton Thorne | 12/23, 102 yards |
| Auburn | Rushing | Jeremiah Cobb | 10 carries, 69 yards |
| Auburn | Receiving | Brandon Frazier | 3 receptions, 52 yards, TD |
| LSU | Passing | Jayden Daniels | 20/27, 325 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| LSU | Rushing | Logan Diggs | 18 carries, 97 yards, TD |
| LSU | Receiving | Malik Nabers | 6 receptions, 89 yards, TD |

### vs Army

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Black Knights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 19 Tigers | 14 | 24 | 10 | 14 | 62 |
at Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* Date: October 21, 2023
* Game time: 6:30 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Temperature: 84 °F (29 °C) • Wind: SE 4 mph • Weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 101,776
* Referee: Jason Autrey
* TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (analyst) & Cole Cubelic (sideline)
* ESPN – Jayden Daniels throws for 3 TDs, runs for another score as No. 19 LSU routs Army 62–0 /// Box Score, Army at No. 19 LSU /// Army Pregame Notes /// LSU Pregame Notes /// Postgame Notes
| Statistics | ARMY | LSU |
| First downs | 12 | 23 |
| Total yards | 58–193 | 60–570 |
| Rushing yards | 43–151 | 33–201 |
| Passing yards | 42 | 369 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 6–15–3 | 18–27–0 |
| Time of possession | 31:49 | 28:11 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Army | Passing | Champ Harris | 4/9, 22 yards, INT |
| Army | Rushing | Kanye Udoh | 21 carries, 108 yards |
| Army | Receiving | Casey Reynolds | 4 receptions, 26 yards |
| LSU | Passing | Jayden Daniels | 11/15, 279 yards, 3 TD |
| LSU | Rushing | Trey Holly | 6 carries, 91 yards, TD |
| LSU | Receiving | Brian Thomas Jr. | 3 receptions, 122 yards, 2 TD |

### at No. 8 Alabama (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 LSU | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| No. 8 Alabama | 14 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 42 |
at Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama
* Date: Saturday, November 4, 2023
* Game time: 6:45 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 63, Clear, Wind NE @ 1 mph
* Game attendance: 100,077
* Referee: Daniel Gautreaux
* TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (color), and Jenny Dell (sideline)
| Statistics | LSU | ALA |
| First downs | 21 | 28 |
| Total yards | 478 | 507 |
| Rushing yards | 206 | 288 |
| Passing yards | 272 | 219 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | | |
| Time of possession | 26:27 | 33:33 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| LSU | Passing | Jayden Daniels | 15/24, 219 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| LSU | Rushing | Jayden Daniels | 11 carries, 163 yards, 1 TD |
| LSU | Receiving | Malik Nabers | 10 receptions, 171 yards, 1 TD |
| Alabama | Passing | Jalen Milroe | 15/23, 219 yards |
| Alabama | Rushing | Jalen Milroe | 20 carries, 155 yards, 4 TD |
| Alabama | Receiving | Isaiah Bond | 5 receptions, 60 yards |

### vs Florida (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Florida | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
| No. 19 LSU | 7 | 10 | 21 | 14 | 52 |
at Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* Date: Saturday, November 11, 2023
* Game time: 6:39 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Temperature: 64 °F (18 °C) • Wind: NE at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) • Weather: cloudy
* Game attendance: 102,321
* Referee: Steve Marlowe
* TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Cole Cubelic (analyst), Alyssa Lang (sideline reporter)
| Statistics | FLA | LSU |
| First downs | 27 | 25 |
| Total yards | 80–488 | 61–701 |
| Rushing yards | 42–177 | 35–329 |
| Passing yards | 311 | 372 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 23–38–0 | 17–26–0 |
| Time of possession | 34:24 | 25:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Florida | Passing | Graham Mertz | 26/38 yards, 311 yards, 1 TD |
| Florida | Rushing | Trevor Etienne | 18 carries, 99 yards, 3 TD |
| Florida | Receiving | Ricky Pearsall | 7 receptions, 103 yards |
| LSU | Passing | Jayden Daniels | 17/26, 372 yards, 3 TD |
| LSU | Rushing | Jayden Daniels | 12 carries, 234 yards, 2 TD |
| LSU | Receiving | Brian Thomas Jr. | 6 receptions, 150 yards, 2 TD |

### vs Georgia State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Georgia State | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| No. 15 LSU | 14 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 56 |
at Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: –
* Game attendance: 100,212
* Referee: –
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Roddy Jones (analyst)
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Georgia State | Passing |
| Georgia State | Rushing |
| Georgia State | Receiving |
| LSU | Passing |
| LSU | Rushing |
| LSU | Receiving |

### vs Texas A&M (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texas A&M | 0 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 30 |
| No. 14 LSU | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
at Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* Date: Saturday, November 25, 2023
* Game time: 11:00 a.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 101,178
* Referee: Matt Loeffler
* TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen, Robert Griffin III, and Kris Budden

#### First quarter

** LSU – Logan Diggs 1-yard run (Damian Ramos kick), 7:52. Tigers 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:04.

#### Second quarter

** TAMU – Le'Veon Moss 2-yard run (Randy Bond kick), 13:43. Tied 7–7. Drive: 17 plays, 67 yards, 9:02.
** TAMU – Randy Bond 48-yard field goal, 8:17. Aggies 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, 4:05.
** LSU – Malik Nabers 6-yard pass from Jayden Daniels (Damian Ramos kick), 5:04. Tigers 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:13.
** TAMU – Jake Johnson 14-yard pass from Jaylen Henderson (Randy Bond kick), 0:14. Aggies 17–14. Drive: 13 plays, 78 yards, 4:45.

#### Third quarter

** TAMU – Mark Nabou Jr. 1-yard run (Randy Bond kick), 11:04. Aggies 24–14. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:56.
** LSU – Josh Williams 1-yard run (Damian Ramos kick), 7:51. Aggies 24–21. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 3:09.

#### Fourth quarter

** LSU – Brian Thomas Jr. 23-yard pass from Jayden Daniels (Damian Ramos kick), 11:52. Tigers 28–24. Drive: 3 plays, 61 yards, 0:59.
** LSU – Malik Nabers 21-yard pass from Jayden Daniels (Damian Ramos kick), 8:25. Tigers 35–24. Drive: 4 plays, 53 yards, 1:19.
** TAMU – Maw Wright 51-yard pass from Jaylen Henderson (pass failed), 7:20. Tigers 35–30. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 1:01.
** LSU – Kyren Lacy 15-yard pass from Jayden Daniels (Damian Ramos kick), 4:19. Tigers 42–30. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:01.
| Statistics | TXAM | LSU |
| First downs | 22 | 21 |
| Total yards | 390 | 389 |
| Rushing yards | 96 | 154 |
| Passing yards | 294 | 235 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 25–35–1 | 16–24–0 |
| Time of possession | 36:39 | 23:21 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Texas A&M | Passing | Jaylen Henderson | 25/35, 294 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Texas A&M | Rushing | Le'Veon Moss | 9 rushes, 45 yards, TD |
| Texas A&M | Receiving | Jahdae Walker | 4 receptions, 80 yards |
| LSU | Passing | Jayden Daniels | 16/24, 235 yards, 4 TD |
| LSU | Rushing | Jayden Daniels | 11 rushes, 120 yards |
| LSU | Receiving | Malik Nabers | 6 receptions, 122 yards, 2 TD |

### vs Wisconsin (ReliaQuest Bowl)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Badgers | 14 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 31 |
| No. 13 Tigers | 0 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
at Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, Florida
* Date: Monday January 1st, 2024
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 65 °F (18 °C) • Wind: 2 mph (3.2 km/h) N
* Game attendance: 31,424
* Referee: Mark Durry
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Brian Custer (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst), and Lauren Sisler (sideline)
* Box score
| Statistics | Wisconsin | No. 13 LSU |
| First downs | 22 | 26 |
| Total yards | 506 | 492 |
| Rushing yards | 128 | 97 |
| Passing yards | 378 | 395 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 27–40–0 | 31–45–1 |
| Time of possession | 31:00 | 29:00 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Wisconsin | Passing | Tanner Mordecai | 27/40, 378 yards, 3 TD |
| Wisconsin | Rushing | Jackson Acker | 14 rushes, 86 yards, 1 TD |
| Wisconsin | Receiving | Will Pauling | 8 receptions, 143 yards, 2 TD |
| No. 13 LSU | Passing | Garrett Nussmeier | 31/45, 395 yards, 3 TD |
| No. 13 LSU | Rushing | Josh Williams | 12 rushes, 51 yards |
| No. 13 LSU | Receiving | Brian Thomas Jr. | 8 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 5 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
| Coaches | 5 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 19 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 14 | 19 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | Not released |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
| 1 | 2 | Jayden Daniels | QB | Washington Commanders |
| 1 | 6 | Malik Nabers | WR | New York Giants |
| 1 | 23 | Brian Thomas Jr. | WR | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 2 | 48 | Maason Smith | DT | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 4 | 116 | Jordan Jefferson | DT | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 6 | 189 | Mekhi Wingo | DT | Detroit Lions |
Source: