The 2018 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University during the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and competed in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by second-year head coach Ed Orgeron.
The Tigers, coming off a 9–4 season in Orgeron's first full season, began the year ranked 25th in the preseason AP Poll. In the first game of the year, the team defeated No. 8 Miami (FL) in the Advocare Classic played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. LSU won its next four games, including on the road against then-No. 7 Auburn, and rose to fifth in the AP Poll, before falling on the road to Florida. The team rebounded with wins over No. 2 Georgia and No. 22 Mississippi State before being shutout by eventual SEC champions Alabama. In the last game of the regular season, LSU lost on the road against Texas A&M in an FBS record-tying seven overtimes. The final score of the game, 74–72, set the FBS record for combined points in a single game (146). The team finished the regular season tied for second in the SEC's West Division and was invited to the Fiesta Bowl to play UCF, which the Tigers won by a score of 40–32 to end UCF's active win streak of 25 games. LSU finished the season with an overall record of 10–3 and was ranked 6th in the final AP Poll.
The team's defense featured three consensus All-Americans in defensive backs Grant Delpit and Greedy Williams, and linebacker Devin White, who was awarded the Dick Butkus Award as the nation's best linebacker. On offense, the Tigers were led by redshirt junior quarterback Joe Burrow, who finished with 2,894 passing yards and 23 total touchdowns (16 passing and 7 rushing). Senior running back Nick Brossette led the team in rushing with 1,039 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Recruiting
Recruits
The Tigers signed a total of 22 recruits.
Preseason
Award watch lists Listed in the order that they were released Lott TrophyDevin WhiteLBJRChuck Bednarik AwardDevin WhiteLBJRGreedy WilliamsCBSOFred Biletnikoff AwardJonathan GilesWRJRJohn Mackey AwardFoster MoreauTESRButkus AwardDevin WhiteLBJRJim Thorpe AwardGreedy WilliamsCBSOWuerffel TrophyBlake FergusonLSJRWalter Camp AwardGreedy WilliamsCBSO
SEC media poll The SEC media poll was released on July 20, 2018 with the Tigers selected to finish in fifth place in the West Division.
Preseason All-SEC teams The Tigers had five players selected to the preseason all-SEC teams.
Offense
2nd team
Garrett Brumfield – OL
Defense
1st team
Devin White – LB
Greedy Williams – DB
3rd team
Rashard Lawrence – DL
Specialists
Zach Von Rosenberg – P
Schedule
Roster
Game summaries
vs Miami (FL)
Southeastern Louisiana
At Auburn
Louisiana Tech
Ole Miss
At Florida
Georgia
Mississippi State
Alabama
At Arkansas
Rice
At Texas A&M
Highest scoring game in FBS History
Vs. UCF (Fiesta Bowl)
Rankings
Players drafted into the NFL
1 5 Devin White LB Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2 46 Greedy Williams CB Cleveland Browns 4 137 Foster Moreau TE Oakland Raiders
References