BATON ROUGE, La. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle that defied pregame projections, LSU escaped Tiger Stadium with a 13-10 victory over a resilient Western Kentucky team on Saturday, November 22, 2025.

The game, characterized by stifling defenses and offensive miscues, was a far cry from the high-scoring affair most anticipated. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of LSU 38, Western Kentucky 23, and its ELO system gave the Tigers a 95.70 percent probability to win. Instead, the Hilltoppers’ defense kept them in the game until the final moments.

Western Kentucky struck first, capitalizing on their opening drive. A methodical series, fueled by a 16-yard run from M. Parrish and an 18-yard reception by Moussa Barry, moved the Hilltoppers deep into LSU territory. The drive stalled at the 18-yard line, but J. Cannon connected on a 36-yard field goal to give Western Kentucky a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

The Hilltoppers had a golden opportunity to extend their lead early in the second quarter. A drive that began at the LSU 45-yard line advanced all the way to the Tigers’ 4-yard line. However, the LSU defense stiffened, stopping Western Kentucky on four consecutive plays, including a trick play pass that fell incomplete, to force a turnover on downs.

LSU’s offense, which sputtered for most of the first half, finally found a rhythm just before the break. Quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. engineered a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in the final two minutes. The key play was an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Trey’Dez Green on a short middle route with 1:32 remaining in the half. Damian Ramos’ extra point gave the Tigers a 7-3 lead heading into halftime.

The Tigers added to their lead on their first possession of the second half. A 16-yard scramble by Van Buren Jr. set up a first-and-goal, but the Western Kentucky defense again held firm, forcing LSU to settle for a 22-yard field goal from Ramos, making the score 10-3.

LSU extended its lead to 13-3 early in the fourth quarter with another Ramos field goal, this time from 29 yards out. The drive was kept alive by an 11-yard reception from backup quarterback Bauer Sharp on a trick play.

Western Kentucky, which had struggled to move the ball against a relentless LSU pass rush, finally broke through late. With just over a minute remaining, a fumble by LSU was scooped up by Western Kentucky’s Dylan Flowers, who returned it 71 yards for a touchdown. Cannon’s extra point cut the deficit to 13-10 with 1:05 left on the clock.

The Hilltoppers’ ensuing onside kick attempt was recovered by LSU, allowing the Tigers to run out the clock and secure the narrow victory.

Defense dominated the day. LSU’s defense sacked Western Kentucky quarterback Rodney Tisdale Jr. six times, with Jimari Butler recording two sacks and DJ Pickett and West Weeks each adding one. Pickett also snagged a crucial interception. For Western Kentucky, linebackers Jaylen Wester and Jaylen Lewis were everywhere, recording 17 and 15 tackles, respectively.

Offensively, LSU was led by running back Harlem Berry, who rushed for 80 yards on 18 carries. Van Buren Jr. finished 25 of 42 for 202 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Tisdale Jr. was held to 128 passing yards on 20-of-39 attempts for the Hilltoppers.

With the win, LSU improves to 7-4 overall and will travel to face Oklahoma next Saturday. Western Kentucky falls to 8-3 and will visit Jacksonville State next Saturday.