In LSU’s first game after making a coaching change, the Tigers ended up making a quarterback change as they benched Garrett Nussmeier for Michael Van Buren Jr. during a 20–9 loss to Alabama.
Nussmeier was benched in the third quarter after going 18-for-21 for 121 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per attempt. Van Buren came in, but was unable to create a spark for the Tigers as he went 5-for-11 for 52 yards with one fumble.
After the game, LSU interim coach Frank Wilson indicated that Nussmeier was benched for tactical reasons due to Van Buren’s abilities as a runner.
“As we discussed as a staff, we knew there could opportunities in the quarterback run game and then at the back end as they tried to bring closure to it, they would make it difficult to just sit in the pocket. We wanted to move them around and do some things and we thought he gave us a chance to do those things so that went into the thought of it,” Wilson told reporters.
Frank Wilson on LSU’s quarterbacks and sitting Garrett Nussmeier: pic.twitter.com/SwvrQmlNAV
— Wilson Alexander (@whalexander_) November 9, 2025
“I thought he was solid,” Wilson added of Van Buren. “There was some things that were obvious: pushing the pocket, stepping up, delivering passes escaping, extended plays and picking up first downs with his legs. I’d like him to have two hands on the ball in the pocket so we don’t get that last one swatted away, but I thought he did a good job.”
As for Nussmeier, Wilson said: “I thought he did some good things early on. We moved him out of the pocket and I thought he started the game off extremely well. As we went into the depth of the game we just thought it was an opportunity for us to change up to throw their defense off, so he went with the change. I don’t know if it’s necessarily something that he did so bad, we just thought it would be an advantage in the things that Michael could give us."
While Wilson did not say Nussmeier played poorly, he certainly would not have been benched if he was playing well and putting LSU in position to win the game The benching just adds to the disappointment of this 2025 season for Nussmeier, who was expected to emerge as a top draft prospect by this point of the season. Instead, he headed to the sidelines as the Tigers sustained their third straight loss.
Wilson said he has not decided on who will start for the Tigers next week. LSU has three games remaining this season, with matchups looming against Arkansas, Western Kentucky and No. 12 Oklahoma.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as LSU Interim Coach Explains Why He Benched Garrett Nussmeier During Loss to Alabama.
