The 2025 season was one of the most volatile ever for the LSU Tigers football program.
An explosive and disliked head coach partnered with a mysterious injury took down the team that was poised to make the College Football Playoff for the first time since the historic 2019 season.
Many of the important moments of the 2025 season were impactful because of the butterfly effect it had on the year, not necessarily the immediate impact. Let's take a trip down memory lane and examine the most important moments in a year that changed LSU football .
Garrett Nussmeier celebrates after LSU defeats Clemson in 2025 | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
You have to have hope for it to be taken away. For the first time since 2019, LSU won a season opening game.
At the time, it was a top 10 matchup that looked to have major playoff implications. LSU got first place votes after this game, but would then finish the season 7-6. It was important for what it stood for in the moment but also for the facade it represented.
LSU's defense was tremendous, and the offense kept up just enough. It unknowingly set a precedent for what the year was to become. The one thing it didn't set a precedent for? LSU winning big games.
The Tigers' biggest win of the year was one of the most important moments, as the fall from grace wouldn't have been as massive if it wasn't for this game.
The first questioned posed to the head coach after LSU's 20-10 win was about the offensive issues, including third-down offense and the run game. Kelly went on a diatribe.
"It's one game," Kelly said. "You're looking at this from the wrong perspective. LSU won the football game. Won the game. I don't know what you want from me. What do you want? You want us to win 70-0 against Florida to keep you happy?"
Kelly had still not gained the most favor from Tiger fans but this moment made sure that it would become a lot more difficult.
Unlike what Kelly said, it was not just one game. The offense didn't score more than 25 points against an FBS opponent until the Texas Bowl against Houston , when Kelly was not the coach. It had started to become more clear after this rant that Kelly was not the coach that would lead LSU to a fifth national championship.
DJ Pickett runs out of bounds after intercepting Florida quarterback DJ Lagway | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
For an SEC team to win seven games in a season, it can't all be negative. The defense, especially the secondary, was phenomenal in 2025, and revived LSU's claim to be DBU.
In that same Florida game that led Kelly to explode, the defense had it's best game of the year, intercepting Lagway five times, with one being returned for a touchdown.
Tamarcus Cooley (twice), A.J. Haulcy , Dashawn Spears and DJ Pickett all had turnovers. It showcased the dominance of defensive coordinator Blake Baker 's staff, and that the Tiger defense would be strong in the future.
LSU only allowed 30+ points three times in 2025. And now in 2026, all of the intercepting backs except Haulcy will be with the Tigers again. DBU is back, and this game is what proved that to be true.
Nussmeier threw for over 4,000 yards in 2024, which was the second best passing season behind Joe Burrow 's legendary 2019 campaign. Nussmeier was projected to be in New York for the Heisman ceremony and in Pittsburgh hearing his name called at the top of the 2026 draft.
Instead, he was hurt on the second day of fall camp. It was obvious on the field that he did not look comfortable throwing downfield, yet Kelly and Nussmeier both denied any injury.
Nussmeier's injury was the worst kept secret in Baton Rouge, with the only secretive part being when it happened. That would only be found out at the NFL combine in February.
It laid way for the depleting trust in Kelly and his staff, and the ability that LSU would be able to live up to its preseason expectations.
Marcel Reed signals for first down against LSU | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
LSU led No. 3 Texas A&M at halftime of a game that had the chance to turn the season around. The Aggies then scored 35 unanswered points and emptied Tiger Stadium excpet for the fans that travelled from College Station.
Texas A&M sang its fight song with its fans, who were basically the only ones still in the stands once the clock hit zero. It was a hostile takeover.
This moment led way to Kelly's firing the next evening, and LSU soon parting ways with athletic director Scott Woodward. Kelly's dismissal probably wouldn't have happened at all during the season if LSU won the game or at least kept it close.
The ripple effect that LSU's second half collapse had on the season and program is one that will never be forgotten.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/lsu as These Were The 5 Most Important Moments of LSU Football's 2025 Season .
