Max Johnson threw two touchdown passes and ran for one as LSU held off Louisiana-Monroe 27-14 in a nonconference game Saturday night in Baton Rouge, La.
Johnson completed 22 of 33 passes for 319 yards as the Tigers (5-6) ended a three-game losing streak. Malik Nabers caught four of Johnson's passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. Brian Thomas Jr. caught the other touchdown pass and finished with 61 receiving yards.
Rhett Rodriguez completed 12 of 22 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown for the Warhawks (4-7), who won't be bowl eligible but have improved significantly from their 0-10 record last season under first-year head coach Terry Bowden.
LSU had an opportunity to increase its 17-7 lead on the first possession of the third quarter, but Johnson threw an incompletion on fourth-and-3 from the ULM 14.
On the Tigers' next possession, Johnson threw a 42-yard touchdown to Thomas to increase the lead to 24-7 at the end of the third quarter.
Quarterback Chandler Rogers threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Zach Rasmussen for the Warhawks before LSU's Cade York kicked a 50-yard field goal to complete the scoring with 46 seconds remaining.
On LSU's first possession, Johnson threw a 48-yard completion to Nabers, setting up Johnson's three-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 lead.
The Tigers drove 73 yards in 12 plays before stalling and York missed a 44-yard field-goal attempt, leaving the Tigers with a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Rodriguez was intercepted by Jay Ward at the ULM 28, leading to York's 27-yard field goal and a 10-0 lead.
Johnson and Nabers teamed on a 67-yard touchdown that increased the lead to 17-0.
LSU tried a fake punt from its 39 and Avery Atkins' pass was intercepted by Josh Newton, who returned it to the Tigers' 28.
Two plays later Rodriguez threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Boogie Knight to cut the lead to 17-7 at halftime.
--Field Level Media
UL Monroe | Louisiana State | |
Malik Jackson | Player | Tyrion Davis-Price |
21 | Attempts | 21 |
78 | Yards | 82 |
3.7 | Avg Yards | 3.9 |
0 | Touchdowns | 0 |
0 | Long | 0 |
UL Monroe | Louisiana State | |
Boogie Knight | Player | Malik Nabers |
5 | Receptions | 4 |
57 | Yards | 143 |
11.4 | Avg Yards | 35.8 |
1 | Touchdowns | 1 |
0 | Long | 0 |
Yards | Scoring | Defense | ||||||
Team | Tot | Rus | Pas | TD | FG | INT | Sck | FF |
UL Monroe | 311 | 118 | 193 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3.0 | 0 |
Louisiana State | 411 | 92 | 319 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 |