Sunday, September 2, 2018 07:30 PM (ET)

Defense carries No. 25 LSU in pounding of No. 8 Miami

Field Level Media
Sep 2, 2018

Jacob Phillips returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown to cap a dominant first half, and No. 25 LSU's defense stymied No. 8 Miami 33-17 in the season opener for both teams Sunday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The Tigers led 27-3 at the half, upped it to 33-3 after the third quarter and then held on in the fourth. John Battle added a third-quarter interception of Malik Rosier, allowing LSU to kick its second field of the quarter for its final points of the game.

LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, a graduate transfer from Ohio State making his first collegiate start, was efficient (11 of 24 for 140 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions), but the way the Tigers defense played, he wasn't asked to do much.

After the teams traded field goals to open the scoring, LSU took a 10-3 lead when Nick Brossette ran 50 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter.

It was the first career touchdown for the senior, who holds the Louisiana high school record for touchdowns with 141.

Brossette scored again, this time from 1 yard out, for a 17-3 LSU lead little more than five minutes into the second quarter. He finished with 125 yards on 22 carries.

Cole Tracy made his second field goal, a 21-yarder, with five minutes left in the half before Phillips' interception of Rosier and subsequent touchdown increased the lead to 27-3 at halftime.

Tracy, the top Division II kicker at Assumption College a season ago before transferring, added field goals of 21 and 54 yards in the third quarter. The 54-yarder tied the school record.

The Hurricanes finally reached the end zone on Rosier's 3-yard run early in the fourth quarter. Rosier added a 32-yard touchdown pass to Brian Hightower midway through the fourth quarter. Rosier completed 15 of 35 passes for 259 yards with the one touchdown and two interceptions.

The yardage totals weren't indicative of how the game went as Miami outgained LSU 342-296, but Burrow and the Tigers took better care of the football than did Rosier and the Hurricanes.

Miami also hurt itself with penalties, committing 11 for 85 yards, while LSU committed six for 62 yards. Hurricanes defensive back Trajan Bandy was ejected in the first quarter for targeting.

--Field Level Media

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