Five stats that define LSU’s historic offense
The LSU offense is putting up some big numbers.
The numbers don’t just stand out this year, but they’re among the best we’ve seen in some time.
LSU sits at 9-3 thanks to a struggling defense, but that shouldn’t stop us from recognizing what we’re seeing on the offensive side.
Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers are chasing the Heisman and Biletnikoff, respectively, as they attempt to set numerous program records too.
The Tigers are dominant in the run game and pass game, remaining efficient while generating some explosive plays.
Here are five stats that demonstrate just how good this unit is.
20+ yard play rate is 92% above average
Through 11 games, 13% of LSU’s plays are going for 20+ yards.
That leads the country by an entire 3% and is 92% better than the national average of 6.8%.
The difference between LSU and USC in second place, is the same difference between USC and Louisville in second and 21st place.
Perhaps the most impressive element here is LSU leading the country in 20+ yard passing and rushing rate. Quarterback Jayden Daniels deserves a lot of the credit here. He has pushed the ball down the field with his arm along with being one of the most explosive rushers in the country.
Jayden Daniels has 2nd best EPA/play in QBR history
According to ESPN’s QBR, Jayden Daniels is currently posting the second best EPA/play in QBR history.
At .256 EPA/play, Daniels trails only Kyler Murray’s .258 EPA/play in 2018. Murray won the Heisman that year and went on to be the No. 1 overall pick.
From a pure production standpoint, Daniels is having one of the best years the sport has seen.
Daniels total QBR is 94.9, more than four points better than J.J McCarthy in second place. No matter what metric you look at, its hard to find any player with a better statistical profile than Daniels.
Daniels leads nation in yards per pass and rush
Jayden Daniels is already a 3,000 yard passer and 1,000 yard runner. Joining Johnny Manziel as only two players in SEC history to accomplish that feat.
But Daniels isn’t just doing it with volume; he’s incredibly efficient. Daniels leads the country with 11.8 yards per pass and 8.2 yards per run.
This has made Daniels a nightmare for DC’s all year. If they load the box, Daniels will throw it over the top. If they sit back on the deep ball, there aren’t enough defenders to contain Daniels’ scrambles.
Daniels is completing a ridiculous 64.7% of his throws that travel 20+ air yards and ranks sixth nationally in 10+ yard runs. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen a QB this consistently explosive at this volume.
LSU leads country in EPA/play and success rate
According to the numbers at CollegeFootballData, LSU leads the country in EPA/PPA and success rate.
If this holds, LSU would be the first offense to pull off this feat since Joe Burrow’s unit at LSU in 2019.
2023 LSU leads the country in EPA/pass and EPA/run. This combination of dominance and balance has made this unit impossible to stop.
LSU’s averaged .35 EPA/play in 10 of its 11 games this year and crossed the .40 EPA/play mark in nine of those games.
LSU leads country in offensive line yards
While Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers have gotten most of the attention, LSU’s offensive line is among the nation’s best.
The Tigers lead the country in offensive line yards, a stat that measures rushing yards attributed to the OL’s performance. LSU ranks third in stuff rate allowed, meaning this OL is getting a strong initial push and preventing TFLs.
The performance up front has resulted in four LSU running backs averaging 5+ yards a carry and that doesn’t include Noah Cain, who averages 4.9.
LSU’s solid in pass protection, too. The Tigers rank ninth in the Power 5 in pass blocking efficiency according to PFF.
