BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Michael Van Buren threw a touchdown pass, Damian Ramos kicked two field goals, and LSU beat Western Kentucky 13-10 on Saturday night.
LSU (7-4) took a 7-3 lead when Michael Van Buren connected with tight end Trey’Daz Green for an 11-yard touchdown with 1:32 left in the first half.
The Tigers, who finished with 328 total yards, relied on a 18-yard field goal by Ramos late in the third quarter and a 29-yarder early in the fourth quarter to take a 10-point lead.
Dylann Flowers scooped up a fumble by Harlem Berry and returned it 71 yards for a TD to cut WKU’s deficit to 13-10 with 1:05 to play.
“It took us a moment to really settle in but once we did and the game got into the second half, we were absolutely dominant defensively,” LSU interim coach Frank Wilson said. “I thought our defense played lights out.”
Making his second start for LSU, Van Buren completed 25 of 42 passes for 202 yards. Berry had 80 yards rushing on 18 carries.
LSU was 3 of 15 on third-down conversions and committed nine penalties for 69 yards.
Western Kentucky (8-3) was held to 2.3 yards per play and finished with a season-low 152 total yards.
“I thought we did enough to find a way to win the football game,” Wilson said. “I told the team when we got into the locker room that it is hard to win in November. As the late Al Davis said, ‘Just win baby.’ Just find a way to win. We aren’t going to sulk and we aren’t going to put our head down.”
The Hilltoppers drove 57 yards in nine plays to open the contest, culminating with a 35-yard field goal by John Cannon to make it 3-0.
Rodney Tisdale Jr. was 20-of-39 passing for 128 yards.
“We played a very good defense today and, LSU, obviously they controlled us offensively,” Western Kentucky coach Tyson Helton said. “I felt like I could have done a better job to position us offensively and our offensive staff and I am part of that. Against a very good LSU defense, we have to find a way. We didn’t do that.”
The takeaway
Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers lost their ninth consecutive game against power conference opponents, dating to 2019 against Arkansas.
LSU: The offensive struggles continue for LSU. The Tigers, for the 10th time this season, failed to score more than 25 points and LSU has scored just 45 points in the last three games combined.
Brotherly trio
For the first time this season, all three of LSU’s Weeks brothers were on the field at the same time. During Western Kentucky’s last possession of the first quarter, graduate senior West Weeks, junior Whit Weeks and freshman Zach Weeks were all on the field at linebacker for the Tigers.
Up next
Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers play at Jacksonville State on Saturday.
LSU: The Tigers visit Oklahoma on Saturday.
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By DAVID FOLSE II
The Associated Press
