Tigers End Final Home Game on Top with 13–10 Win Over WKU

Photo By: Bayou State Media Staff: Sam Becker Rodriguez

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In Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, LSU didn’t light up the scoreboard — it squeezed the life out of Western Kentucky instead. Behind a suffocating defense led by freshman corner DJ Pickett and a timely connection from Michael Van Buren Jr. to Trey’Dez Green, the Tigers gutted out a 13–10 win in their final home game of the 2025 season.

The victory moves LSU to 7–4 overall, setting up a regular-season finale at Oklahoma next Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. It wasn’t pretty. It was old-school, bend-but-don’t-break football, and it was enough.

First Quarter – Hilltoppers Strike First

LSU won the toss and deferred, handing the ball to Western Kentucky to open the game.

Quarterback Rodney Tisdale and the Hilltoppers came out sharp, mixing runs by Marvis Parrish and short, efficient throws to march 57 yards on nine plays. The Tigers stiffened in the red zone, but John Cannon drilled a 36-yard field goal to give WKU a 3–0 lead with 11:47 left in the first quarter.

LSU’s offense, meanwhile, struggled to find rhythm. Freshman back Harlem Berry and Caden Durham picked up small chunks on the ground, and Van Buren connected with Barion Brown and Zavion Thomas on short passes, but three straight drives ended in punts.

End of 1st: Western Kentucky 3, LSU 0.

Second Quarter – Green Breaks Through

Early in the second quarter, LSU seemed ready to flip the script.Van Buren led the Tigers into Western Kentucky territory, but on 2nd-and-19 from the WKU 45, his pass was intercepted by corner Harper Holloman, who returned it to midfield. The Hilltoppers again drove deep into LSU territory and faced 4th-and-goal from the 4, but Tisdale’s pass fell incomplete in the back of the end zone, a huge red-zone stand for the Tiger defense.

After another defensive stop on downs at the LSU 38, Van Buren finally caught fire.

Starting at their own 38 with 3:15 left in the half, the Tigers went 62 yards in eight plays, leaning heavily on tight end Trey’Dez Green. Van Buren found Green four times on the drive, including a key 23-yard strike to Kyle Parker and multiple intermediate completions that moved the chains.

With 1:36 remaining, Van Buren hit Green on an 11-yard touchdown in the middle of the end zone, giving LSU its first lead of the night. Damian Ramos added the extra point.

Halftime: LSU 7, Western Kentucky 3.

Third Quarter – Pickett Takes Over

LSU opened the second half with the ball but again stalled near midfield, punting after a short drive. That’s when DJ Pickett took control of the game.

Pinned at their own 11-yard line, Western Kentucky tried to throw out of trouble. On 3rd-and-10, Tisdale dropped back and was drilled in the end zone area by Pickett for a sack back at the 2-yard line, forcing a punt and flipping field position.On the next defensive series, Pickett struck again.

With the Hilltoppers backed up at their own 15, Tisdale tried a quick throw over the middle, and Pickett jumped it, intercepting the pass at the WKU 25 and returning it to the 22. Three plays later, Van Buren scrambled 16 yards down to the 4-yard line, but LSU stalled at the goal line.

Ramos calmly converted an 18-yard field goal, extending LSU’s lead to 10–3 with 5:59 left in the third quarter.

Later in the quarter, PJ Woodland added to the Tigers’ defensive dominance with an interception at the LSU 45, snatching away another WKU possession and preserving the 7-point advantage.

End of 3rd: LSU 10, Western Kentucky 3.

Fourth Quarter – Hanging On Late

Nursing a one-score lead, LSU turned to its ground game and short passing attack to chew clock in the fourth quarter.

Early in the quarter, the Tigers put together a 10-play, 40-yard drive highlighted by runs from Ju’Jan Johnson and Berry, plus a key 11-yard completion from Van Buren to tight end Bauer Sharp. The drive stalled at the WKU 19, but Ramos drilled a 29-yard field goal to make it 13–3 with 11:19 to play.

From there, LSU’s defense continued to suffocate the Hilltoppers. Tisdale was sacked multiple times, including big hits from Whit Weeks and Jacobian Butler — and Western Kentucky was forced into a string of three-and-out punts.

With under seven minutes left, it looked like LSU was ready to fully close the door. Berry ripped off a 25-yard run to midfield, and the Tigers methodically drove into WKU territory, but a turnover on downs at the 22 gave the Hilltoppers one last lifeline.

The defense answered again, forcing another turnover on downs at the WKU 37 with 2:38 remaining.Only then did things get dramatic.

Protecting a 10-point lead and trying to run out the clock, LSU gave the ball to Berry again. After gaining 8 yards to the WKU 29, Berry fumbled on the next play. Western Kentucky’s Darrion Flowers scooped the ball and raced 71 yards the other way for a defensive touchdown, cutting the lead to 13–10 with just 1:05 remaining.

Cannon’s extra point was good — but the Hilltoppers never saw the ball again.

On the ensuing onside kick, linebacker DaShawn Keys secured the recovery near midfield. Two quarterback kneels later, LSU had survived.

Final: LSU 13, Western Kentucky 10.

By the Numbers

• Final Score: LSU 13, Western Kentucky 10

• Halftime: LSU 7, WKU 3

• Key Drive: 8-play, 62-yard TD drive late in the second quarter, capped by an 11-yard TD pass from Michael Van Buren Jr. to Trey’Dez Green.

• Damian Ramos: 2-for-2 FGs (18, 29 yards), 1 PAT

• Takeaways: 2 LSU interceptions (DJ Pickett, PJ Woodland)

• Sacks: At least 5 Tiger sacks, including two by Jacobian Butler and one each from Pickett, Whit Weeks, and Jack Pyburn/Alexis Breaux.

  
  

Defensive Statement in the Home Finale

This wasn’t the explosive LSU offense fans saw in past seasons, it was a throwback.

The Tigers forced multiple turnovers on downs inside their own 40, created two interceptions, and consistently harassed Tisdale with pressure from all levels of the defense.

Freshman corner DJ Pickett emerged as the tone-setter, delivering a sack, an interception, and several key tackles as he helped lock down the Hilltopper passing game.

Offensively, Van Buren weathered early inconsistency and found his rhythm when it mattered, leaning on tight end Trey’Dez Green as a mismatch down the seams and along the sideline.

What’s Next

• LSU (7–4) heads to Norman for a regular-season finale at Oklahoma next Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC, looking to close out the year with back-to-back wins and build momentum heading into bowl season.

• Western Kentucky (record not specified) returns to conference play needing to regroup after letting multiple red-zone chances slip away in Baton Rouge.

  
  

Final Thoughts

It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t comfortable. But it was resilient. LSU’s defense carried the night, the freshmen made game-changing plays, and the Tigers found just enough offense to send the home crowd out with a win in the final game in Tiger Stadium this season.

The scoreline was tight. The margins were thin. But the result was clear:

The lights went out on 2025 in Death Valley with the Tigers on top, and the fight, once again, firmly back in Baton Rouge.

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