LSU sacks, runs over Louisville in 29-9 Citrus Bowl win

ORLANDO, Florida — Louisville Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson did not have a wing or a prayer as he suffered eight sacks in a 29-9 loss to LSU in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl Saturday in front of 46,063 at Camping World Stadium.

LSU's "Sackson Jackson" defense ended up one short of the school-record nine sacks set against Tulane in 1994 and kept Jackson frustrated throughout the morning and afternoon after the 10 a.m. kickoff. Jackson, averaging 410 yards of total offense a game for second in the nation entering the game, was held to 33 net rushing yards on 26 carries and to 10-of-27 passing for 153 yards. LSU defensive end Tashawn Bower led the No. 20 Tigers (8-4) with three sacks, and defensive end Arden Key had two, including one for a safety and 16-3 lead late in the second quarter. He later got his 12th sack of the season for the school record.

Jackson had minus-24 net rushing yards in the first half on 12 carries and five sacks was 2-of-10 passing for 62 yards as the Tigers led 16-6 at the half. Through three quarters, he had 21 net yards rushing on 22 carries and was 5-of-17 passing for 97 yards.

"I couldn't really tell you about that. LSU's just got a great defense," Jackson said.

"We knew they were a great defense," Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said. "Great, big front seven and great cover guys. When you're going backwards, it's hard to get first downs. Our defense was on the field too long. We got run down and worn out."

Guilbeau: 

Aranda hacked Louisville like he had help in Citrus win

No. 13 Louisville (9-4) lost for the third straight time after reaching No. 3 in the nation. LSU also held Louisville without a touchdown for the first time since a 20-3 loss to Pittsburgh in 2010.

"We didn't really attack today," said Jackson, who was under attack all day by a myriad of blitzes and changing defenses from defensive coordinator Dave Aranda.

"It was a dominating performance," said LSU coach Ed Orgeron, who won his first game as the Tigers' full-time coach after going 6-2 as the interim coach. "We didn't blitz a lot during the season. I thought it was brilliant on Dave's part. I could just tell by the way he was talking a few weeks ago that he knew what he could do against the Louisville offense. Dave answered the call. "

Meanwhile, LSU tailback Derrius Guice was blitzing Louisville's defense to the tune of a game-high 138 yards on 26 carries with a 70-yard touchdown run in the third quarter for a 23-6 lead. Guice won the bowl most valuable player award, filling in for star tailback Leonard Fournette, who missed his second straight game with a season-long ankle injury and has declared for the 2017 NFL Draft a year early as a junior.

"LSU is Running Back U., so if one of us goes down, the next one has to step up," said Guice, who also returned a kickoff 50 yards and ran over kicker Blanton Creque in Fournette style in the process. Guice gained 91 of his 138 yards in the second half on nine carries.

"You have to be patient. You can't look for the long touchdown run every play," Guice said.

"I said Leonard Fournette was the best player in America this season," Orgeron said. "Derrius Guice stepped in and didn't blink an eye. I fully expect him to be the best player in America next year."

LSU quarterback Danny Etling finished 16 of 29 for 217 yards with a pair of 1-yard touchdown passes — the first to tight end Colin Jeter in the first quarter for a 7-3 lead and the second to Guice in the second quarter for a 14-3 lead. Wide receiver Malachi Dupre caught a career high seven passes, including a nifty one-hander, for a career-high 139 yards

Etling misfired on an attempted throw away late in the first half, and cornerback Zykiesis Cannon intercepted at the LSU 33-yard line to set up a 47-yard field goal by Blanton Creque as time expired for the 16-6 halftime score.

The Tigers went up 26-6 on a 42-yard field goal by Colby Delahoussaye with 3:04 to go in the third quarter. Louisville got within 26-9 early in the fourth quarter on a 30-yard field goal by Creque before Delahoussaye booted a 25 yarder for the 29-9 lead.

"We thought we were better than they were," Orgeron said.

Key's second sack of the game came in the third quarter and was his 12th of the season to set the school record for sacks in a season. The record was held by Gabe Northern with 11 in the 1994 season. LSU's media guide mistakenly lists Oliver Lawrence with the school record of 12 sacks, but, upon further review, LSU's sports information office discovered recently that those were tackles for losses. 

Jackson mustered minus-6 yards rushing on five carries in the first quarter as he was sacked by freshman linebacker Devin White for a 19-yard loss. Jackson completed 1 of 5 passes for 53 yards in the opening period. That was to wide receiver James Quick to the Tigers' 9-yard line. But LSU's defense held and forced a 24-yard field goal by Creque for a 3-0 Louisville lead with 7:14 to go in the first quarter.

LSU drove 52 yards in seven plays for a touchdown for the 7-3 lead in the first quarter. Etling hit Dupre for 18 yards and Guice for 12 yards. Etling finished the quarter 4 of 7 for 92 yards. Guice led all rushers with 40 yards on 10 carries in the first quarter and had 47 on 17 carries at half. The Tigers drove 79 yards in 13 plays for the second touchdown and 14-3 lead. LSU could have led by more, but Delahoussaye missed a 39-yard field goal on the Tigers' first possession.

LSU's defense held Louisville's offense, which entered the game No. 2 in the nation in total offense with 558.8 yards a game, to 220 yards.

"I'm happy for the team," Orgeron said. "Interim coach, full-time coach  it doesn't really matter. It's an honor to be LSU's coach. We've got work to do. We're building a championship team."

Guice said he was happy Orgeron was hired.

"He just gives us a lot of energy. He just keeps us pumped up and ready to kill everybody," he said. "I can't wait for next year."

Glenn Guilbeau covers LSU sports for the USA Today Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter at @LSUBeatTweet. Coverage of LSU and commentary by Guilbeau supported by Hebert’s Town & Country Automobile Dealer in Shreveport located at 1155 East Bert Kouns Loop. Research your next Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or Ram at http://hebertstandc.com/.)