The defense for LSU football lived up to its billing through the first five games of 2026. Against Kentucky, the Tigers couldn't generate pressure from the front seven to make quarterback Kenny Minchey uncomfortable. He powered the Wildcats to a 35-34 overtime win.
Kentucky relies on its trench strength to give Minchey plenty of time in the pocket and execute its script. Against a stacked LSU front, the Wildcats' offensive line stayed strong. The Tigers got home for just one sack, three tackles for loss, and four quarterback hurries.
As a unit, LSU's pass rush win rate coming into Week 6 was 12.7%, according to PFF. Against Kentucky, it was 4.5%. The Tigers struggled to break through the Wildcats' offensive line, which forced its secondary to play
a near-perfect game in coverage for extended periods.
In LSU's first two SEC games, Jordan Ross and Deuce Geralds combined for 11 tackles, including a sack and two tackles for loss. Against Kentucky, PFF says the pair went 0 for 59 on their pass-rush reps. The Tigers cannot expect to contend with SEC powers like Alabama and Texas in the coming weeks if they cannot generate pressure on the opposing passers.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football's pass rush struggles in loss to Kentucky
