LSU LOSE TO HOUSTON 38-35, FINISH 2025 SEASON WITH 7 WINS

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By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

In a season that began with College Football Playoff expectations, a near $20 million dollar transfer portal haul, Brian Kelly as the Head Coach, Garrett Nussmeier as the expected Heisman contender, LSU ended the season with half of that portal haul opting out of the final game, Brian Kelly's firing, Lane Kiffin's hiring, Frank Wilson's interim leadership, a 7-6 record capped off by the team's 3rd Texas Bowl appearance in 5 seasons, and transfer Michael Van Buren at quarterback in lieu of an injury-ravaged Garrett Nussmeier....

In the current fast paced, head-spinning NIL/transfer portal/coaching carousel world of college football, 3 months can equal 3 years...

On a night where LSU took the field missing a litany of players, including key starters on both sides of the ball, it was no wonder Frank Wilson's side could only produce a spirited, but completely outmatched effort in the Texas Bowl vs Houston, losing a sloppy display 38-35 inside the hometown of their opponent as interim Head Coach Wilson says a fond, but fractured farewell to his beloved Tigers program.

In a microcosm of their own 7 win season, the 2025 Tigers did what they did best vs Houston: supplied another catastrophic outing on offense (usually a strong opening followed by absolutely nothing for the following 55 minutes), threw away a double digit lead, couldn't sustain a running game or protect their quarterback, committed disastrous turnovers at the worst times, generated very little through the air outside of (Trey'Dez Green), while tonight may just be the poorest defensive display all year given the opponent, although the circumstances (missing AJ Haulcy, Mansoor Delane, both Weeks brothers, and Harold Perkins) definitely played their role....

The 1st half started as well as it possibly could....and ended how in the worst conceivable fashion:

LSU opened the game with two touchdowns in quick succession, first a 99 yard kickoff return by Barion Brown on the first snap (Brown now holds the all time SEC record for most kickoff return touchdowns with 6, while his incendiary 99 yard scamper was the first LSU kickoff scored on an opening play since 1978), followed by Trey'Dez Green's 6th touchdown catch of 2025, but after that, the offense reverted back to type, Blake Baker's defense committed a bunch of critical 15 yard penalties, DJ Pickett allowed his first touchdown of the year, and LSU gave up 21 unanswered points to end the 1st half, allowing A&M throwaway QB Connor Weigman to dictate terms.

Though the 2nd half would prove to be more back and forth between LSU and Houston, Weigman and Co pulled away late, killing off any hope of a comeback (despite a late LSU touchdown and onside kick to make it 38-35).

In what was a dire setting and scenario, as so many looked upon the 2025 Texas Bowl with disgust, wanting little more than to get past the game and troubling season, there were still a few Tigers who fought on the NRG Stadium field for 4 quarters:

Trey'Dez Green showcased true imperious desire, piling up 80 yards from 4 catches and 2 TDs (finishing his sophomore year with 7 total), including a ridiculous one handed scoring snag, while also throwing WR Zavion Thomas over the goal-line as the final seconds ticked away.

Sophomore linebacker Davhon Keys supplied a team-leading 14 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 PBU and 1 QB hit, showing up everywhere, from sideline to sideline, lighting up the backfield or holding it down over the middle.

Barion Brown caught 1 pass for 37 yards but cleaned up royally in the return game, producing 145 return yards (a dazzling, Globetrotting 2nd return of 46 yards) alongside the aforementioned opening 99 yard return score.

Kyle Parker registered 68 yards from 7 grabs, in his final appearance as a Tiger, Chris Hilton Jr rattled off a season-high of 67 (falling a centimeter shy from scoring his only touchdown of the season...a play that was called a touchdown on the field before agonizingly taken away upon review); elsewhere QB Michael Van Buren put together a solid outing with 3 TD passes....

....but truthfully, after the 1st quarter, this was an anonymous, listless performance by a team caught in a wild moment of transition....

....we all just watched a game where the Head Coach was only temporary, most of the position coaches knew they were on their way out, most of the starters were missing in action, more than half of LSU's starting offensive line have already announced their own departures, and every Tiger understood everyone wanted to turn the page on what was a catastrophic campaign....because of these factors, it's hard to really put this game in any context, historical or otherwise.

For LSU fans, the main event was more about the visiting new Head Coach, rocking a peanut butter-colored leather jacket, constantly checking his exploding cell phone (bombarded from NIL scores and Twitter check-ins), while sporting a whole lot of swagger to usher in the next LSU Tigers era....

Good riddance 2025 LSU season!!!

On to 2026 and what looks to be a bright future at LSU Football, despite the hard lessons and harsh realities of the disappointing, delirious, rollercoaster ride of drama that turned out to be LSU's 2025 season.

WATCH OUR LIVE SHOW TOMORROW AS WE GEAUX OVER THE GAME FILM FROM THE TEXAS BOWL

By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

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