Garrett Nussmeier threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns, coming back from a first-half injury to lead LSU to a 37-17 win over Oklahoma on Saturday in Baton Rouge, La.
The Tigers (8-4, 5-3 SEC) finished the regular season with a two-game winning streak after dropping three consecutive games.
The Sooners (6-6, 2-6) couldn’t maintain their momentum from last week’s stunning home upset of Alabama.
Nussmeier was knocked from the game early in the second quarter, when he was hit from the blindside by R. Mason Thomas on a sack.
But after X-rays to his clavicle were negative, Nussmeier returned with the game tied late in the second quarter and quickly made an impact.
He hit four consecutive passes, the final one a 40-yard touchdown to Chris Hilton Jr. to put the Tigers ahead at the break.
Then Nussmeier directed a nine-play, 88-yard touchdown drive on LSU’s first drive of the third quarter, capped by a 45-yard touchdown to Hilton.
Hilton, who had been limited due to injury for much of the season, did not have a touchdown this season going into the game.
LSU struck first, on Kyren Lacy’s 18-yard touchdown reception from Nussmeier about eight minutes into the game.
Thomas helped the Sooners tie it two drives later.
Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton broke through the line of scrimmage and knocked the ball loose from Nussmeier.
Thomas scooped it up and returned it 9 yards for a touchdown.
It was the Sooners’ third consecutive game with a defensive touchdown and their fourth of the season.
Oklahoma took its only lead of the game midway through the second quarter on Xavier Robinson’s 2-yard run to cap a quick three-play, 75-yard scoring drive.
But that lead was extremely short-lived, as Aaron Anderson returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
The Sooners tied the game 17-17 on a field goal with 2:13 left in the first half before Nussmeier returned to orchestrate the drive that turned the tide toward LSU for good.
LSU outgained Oklahoma 395-277 and held the Sooners to just 4 of 11 on third downs.
Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold ran for 75 yards and was 14 of 21 for 110 yards through the air.
Freshman running back Caden Durham, a one-time Sooners commit, had 11 carries for 80 yards and four catches for 32 yards.
–Field Level Media
