LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier left the game against Oklahoma with a shoulder injury

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has had a rollercoaster season for the Bayou Bengals in 2024, remaining one of the most productive signal-callers in the SEC despite rough patches.

Ahead of the Bayou Bengals’ regular season finale, all eyes were on how Nussmeier would use his momentum from last Saturday’s win over the Vanderbilt Commodores.

The excitement was short-lived after Nussmeier left the Southeastern Conference game with an apparent shoulder injury.

In the second quarter of the game, LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell allowed a sack, which resulted in Nussmeier being sidelined with injury.

Nussmeier went straight to the medical tent, where the coaching staff removed his jersey and shoulder pads to examine the injury.

Shortly afterward, Nussmeier jogged toward the locker room with members of the LSU medical staff on his shoulder.

LSU will now rely on Vanderbilt transfer AJ Swann while Nussmeier is evaluated.

He was 10 of 15 for 87 yards and a touchdown over a quarter and a half.

Protection has been an issue for the Tigers in 2024. Nussmeier continues to get beat up in the backfield; even in the final game of the regular season.

*7:15 p.m. CT update: LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has returned to the sideline with his pads on and is throwing the football.

*7:31 p.m. CT. Update: LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is back in action for the LSU Tigers. After the two-minute warning in the first half, Nussmeier and Co. are tied with the Sooners at 17:17.

No quarterback controversy in Baton Rouge, Nussmeier is the guy

“When a coach gives a definitive answer like that, everyone looks up and says, ‘Oh, he’s just sticking his feet in.’ He gives us the best chance to be successful. We have to do a better job for him, and we believe in him as we continue to grow as a first-year starter to give us the best chance to succeed.

“Nevertheless, you can understand what we are working on. You don’t have to have a degree in football to know that we can’t continue to make the mistakes we’ve been making on offense.”

Fundamental improvement

“If we don’t see things the way we need to, then we’re doing too much. In more than 30 years as a trainer, my experience has always been that if it doesn’t appeal, you have to do less. “Then there’s always a place to start,” Kelly said. “It’s not about the interception, it’s about where do we start? In general, it’s the basics, the basics. We’re going back to basics. Can we make things easier from a coaching perspective? This allows us to continually be competent to a level of unconscious competence where I don’t have to think about it, I know it so well, that’s what we want to achieve.

Working on the mechanics

“That’s certainly part of it. Last year we had a situation with Jayden (Daniels) where the footwork had to be better to get the ball out on time. The footwork sometimes forces you to make the right decisions,” Kelly said. “It forces you to be where you need to be at the right time, and I think Garrett would tell you that’s the number one thing he hears from me the most. We continue to work on these little things mechanically and of course get through his progress.”

Nussmeier’s “Diligent Listening”.

“He heard a lot about it, he was great to work with and he pushed himself every week to be the best version of himself,” Kelly said.

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers on SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.