2019 was historic. What can we realistically expect from LSU's offense in 2020?
Editor’s note: This is the 4th in a series previewing every SEC West team’s offense. Next: Mississippi State.
Talk about a tough act to follow.
The 2019 LSU offense was the best in school history. It might well have been the best in NCAA history.
Joe Burrow had the most prolific passing season in college football history and the Tigers could throw the ball, run the ball and score points in a manner that was nearly unstoppable.
Nearly all of the key contributors to that historic CFP championship season have moved on, so there are question marks all over the place.
But the cupboard is far from bare.
Personnel
OK, let’s get this out of the way. Burrow, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, wide receiver Justin Jefferson, tight end Thaddeus Moss, offensive linemen Lloyd Cushenberry III, Saahdiq Charles, Damien Lewis and Adrian Magee and passing game coordinator Joe Brady are gone.
That’s probably the largest collective hole that LSU has ever had to fill on either side of the ball.
The only key contributors from last year’s offense who return are wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase (the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner) and Terrace Marshall Jr. as well as tackle Austin Deculus.
That’s not a lot of pieces, but it’s three good ones, and there are numerous talented players who seem poised to handle expanded roles.
Passing offense
LSU is still going to throw the ball a lot and it expects to still throw it very effectively.
Sure, Brady, who won the assistant coaches’ version of the Heisman Trophy, and Burrow, who won the actual Heisman Trophy by a record margin, set the bar higher than any other passing offense is likely to reach in the foreseeable future. Remember, LSU threw 61 TD passes last season. That’s 2 more than the 4 previous Tigers teams threw combined.
But head coach Ed Orgeron went out and got a proven NFL offensive guru in Scott Linehan, whose résumé is much more impressive than the one Brady brought with him a year ago. Linehan, a former head coach of the St. Louis Rams, has more than 20 years’ experience as an offensive coordinator at the college and NFL levels.
And let’s not forget that Steve Ensminger was the actual offensive coordinator last season and will be again this season.
The biggest uncertainty, of course, is how effective Myles Brennan will be as he succeeds Burrow. No one knows because Brennan hasn’t played much (70 career passes), but it is reasonable to expect Brennan to be one of the more effective quarterbacks in the SEC.
The redshirt junior was highly accomplished and acclaimed coming out of high school and he has spent 3 years studying, getting stronger and maturing in preparation for this opportunity.
He was at Burrow’s side every step of the way for the past 2 years, but most significantly last year as Burrow blossomed in Brady’s system and as a leader in his actions and words.
Brennan is talented and well prepared. The coaches and players believe in him. We won’t know exactly what that leads to until the Tigers start playing games. We do know that he is the only quarterback on the roster who has played in a college game.
But with Chase, Marshall, sophomore receiver Trey Palmer, freshman receivers Kayshon Boutte and Koy Moore as well as freshman tight end Arik Gilbert, Brennan will have plenty of talented targets.
Running game
LSU began last season with the expectation that it would use a running back-by-committee approach. But Edwards-Helaire was so good that he quickly demanded the lion’s share of snaps.
The passing game was so good that there were times that the Tigers didn’t even run the ball enough for Edwards-Helaire to need a breather. Edwards-Helaire contributed mightily there, too, though, with 55 catches for 453 yards and a score.
This year might wind up featuring a committee, led by junior Chris Curry, who started and ran well in the Playoff semifinal win against Oklahoma when Edwards-Helaire was limited by a hamstring injury.
Tyrion Davis-Price and John Emery II had a limited impact as freshman because of Edwards-Helaire’s dominance, but both are still highly regarded.
If LSU goes without a committee this season it likely means someone else emerges the way Edwards-Helaire did last season and that would be good news for the Tigers.
Both Brennan and the running game will be operating behind an offensive line that is in transition. Last year’s unit peaked down the stretch as it overcame a revolving door due to injuries and disciplinary action to win the Joe Moore Award as the top offensive line in college football.
But right tackle Deculus is the only regular starter from last year’s line who returns. Guard Ed Ingram was reinstated at midseason last year after missing 2018 and brings experience (probably at left guard) as does center Chasen Hines, who backed up Cushenberry and Magee at left guard after losing a preseason competition with Magee.
Dare Rosenthal provides a big, strong anchor at left tackle. The most competitive position figures to be at right guard where Kardell Thomas, who missed his eagerly anticipated freshman season last year due to a knee injury, Anthony Bradford and Xavier Hill all have a chance to play.
Like much of the offense, the line is far less experienced than last year’s unit but does have the talent to mature into a very good group.
Kicking game
Cade York got off to a shaky start but improved during the season as a true freshman last year. He finished a respectable 21-of-26 on field goals. He has a very strong leg and improved consistency would make him a significant asset for an offense that figures to stall more frequently than last year’s.
Derek Stingley Jr., a freshman All-American as a cornerback last season, is a dynamic return specialist, as is Palmer.
Overall
It’s pretty simple: The LSU offense will be worse this season than it was last season.
Ultimately the Tigers hope a more accurate description winds up being that they’re not quite as good as last season. Matching last season’s historic level of performance, especially with so many changes, is unrealistic.
But if the offense can minimize the drop-off from last season, LSU can still be in the thick of the SEC West race.
How do you not mention graduate transfer Liam Shanahan on the O line? And the only reason to automatically assume the offense “figures to stall more frequently than last year’s” is if you compare the 2 squads, which doesn’t work (for any team) and I’m sure that’s not what LSU is doing – they’re taking what they have this year and figuring out how to make it shine. I don’t think “stall” is in Orgeron’s vocab…replace with “keep your foot on the gas!”
Asked for comment, Orgeron added, “Wesa can not expecten to do as good as wesa did lasten year. Lasten year was liken georgia when daysa had chubb and michel. Dat was a then of once in a lifetime And daysa still didn’t win a natty. It will take us more long den 40 years to getsa an offense liken dat again, and mebbe never again. adden to dat mesa curse an it could besa 80 years or mebbe never again. Me hopen our fans not dumb-dumb and expecten it to ever happenen again. Daysa should getsa over it and stopen lunsa.”
Dude you gotta quit with the JarJar speak…
Asked to elaborate Orgeron said, “Go Tigahs!”
Hahaha GEAUX TIGAHS!
The 2019 offense was probably the best I’ve ever watched,so 2020 will probably slide backwards some but backwards from 2019 still would be very dangerous in 2020.
A decent offense and a struggling defense is what I’m imagining.
No reason the defense should struggle, they’re starting to lose top quality transfers because of depth.
I don’t see the defense struggling. Two highly regarded defenders are leaving because they can’t seem to find playing time at LSU. That means we have plenty of talent.
I just see the defense struggling because it did several times last year and that was with the first and second round picks. I just don’t see it putting up huge numbers, but I think Stingley alone can improve the all around defense.
We had some execution problems on D in the first part of the season last year…tackling was horrible. Obviously it finally came around. We’ve got loads of talent on D this year so much so that top talent is transferring because of depth and competition for playing time. Stingley’s going to be a force.
LSU’s D was hurt most of the year and when they finally all got healthy they were easily a top 10 defense..
LSU is stacked in the secondary.
Not sure about the front 7 but they are usually pretty darn good too.
When I think about LSU’s “Magical 2019 Season”…Somehow I believe that with the Major Shuffling of Players and of coaches….they have to drop off Offensively. How much ? I guess we’ll all see as the Season moves forward.
I agree BamaFan, no doubt they’ll drop off offensively – what team wouldn’t? If Brennan produces and a running back can step up (or the 3 running backs are successful as a “committee”) then we’re in the mix for CFP.
Yeah Linehan has been a long time journeyman but I’m not sure what part of his resume screams “guru”. And then you mention his Rams years as some sort of badge, lmao. He’s not a bad coach per-se, he’s had some decent years here and there and he was an easy hire being unemployed since 2018, but nice job on overselling his actual resume.
Not sure where you’re getting this from Booches? Linehan’s no slouch. Read this article:
How Scott Linehan has created one of the NFL’s most lethal offenses in Dallas
He was only in Dallas for 3 years, about the same he’s been everywhere else. He didn’t build anything there, Dak and Zeke happened in 2016.
Admittedly I’m not an NFL guy, but the press seems to give Linehan credit for a lot of QB success in the NFL in a short amount of time. I also saw some of the passing schemes he’s already setting up for the Tigers, seems to be more of the same as last year. Of course all of us from down in the bayou are hoping he’ll be a adequate replacement for Brady and will mesh with Ensminger. We’ll see….
Yeah, I mean he’s been around a long time and he’ll probably be fine at LSU, but it also seems (at least in the NFL) after about 3 or 4 years either the organization decides it isn’t working and they need to go another direction or the HC who hired him decides he want’s a new direction. Sam Walsh is a guru, Mike Martz is a guru, for example. Those guys really built something new and spectacular that other teams started copying offensively. Like I said, he’s not a horrible coach, I just think calling him an offensive “guru” is using the term way too loosely.
Reasonable take Booches. Besides hearing his name on and off through the years, I only know what I’ve read since LSU hired him. Appreciate the honest analysis.
Also take a look at what he did in Detroit. Certainly has a more credible resume than the previous “pass-game coord”. But the key is LSU will run the same system as last yr with the same guy who called most of the plays from last year using a different set of extremely talented players.
Not likely to be the best offense in the history of CFB like last year, but going against the flawed tms in the SEC, I like our chances at winning gms. And that’s why you play the game.
Hey man, I’m not saying he’s a bad hire. My comment was more calling out the author for trying to way over sell his resume as a “guru”, especially mentioning the Rams where in reality he was awful with guys like Steven Jackson, and Tory Holt. I mean big time offense is bigger now in the NFL than it ever has been, and he was unemployed. Not a guru.
I don’t care what you called his hire. I made a statement. Unless you can disagree with what I wrote ( you can’t) move along.
You’re statement had nothing to do with my original comment. Nothing I posted was even about LSU, or what their offense is going to be like, it was about Linehan basically being a journeyman coach in the NFL, not a “guru”.
And no, he didn’t stick in Detroit any longer than he did anywhere else.
First, I didn’t respond to your idiotic comment.
Second, who cares about him “sticking” very long in one place. You seem ill informed. Let me help you. When a HC is fired, so goes his assts. You can’t deny he had very good offenses. Tms with very good offenses still lose gms which goes to your “sticking” nonsense. In a vacuum, the guy has a long track record of good offenses. Certainly more than our last guy. Again, just move along.
Lots of NFL coaches have “good” offenses, it doesn’t make them a “guru” at it. He’s was no guru, he was a journeyman coach, that’s it. His worst job of coaching was probably the Rams so if his resume was that dam good, the author would have never had to even mention him coaching the Rams good grief.
Dude you have a problem with ONE word used by a writer in an article yet chose to reply to my comment that had nothing to do with you. Enjoy your dumpster fire in como. Carry on.
What does CoMo have to do with any of this? We’re talking about Linehan being a journeyman coach in the NFL as opposed to a legit “guru”.
And I’m talking about Mizzou being a dumpster fire program rather than a relevant program. Why are you responding to my comment that was not about any “guru” bs?
Btw, if you name 5 offensive “gurus” in CFB or NFL, I’ll show you 5 guys who were some combo of been fired for “not sticking” or had tms that weren’t elite offensively.
LSU has elite players, an explosive offensive system and just replaced an unknown pass-gm coord with a proven offensive coach. Unless you disagree with that, move it along. And take ur “guru” bs with you cause I never called anyone that.
I didn’t say LSU wasn’t good. I never said anything about LSU. We’re talking about Linehan in the NFL. He was a journeyman with by and large average offenses, maybe a better than average one here or there every so often, but not a guru.
And I never said anything about any gurus so why respond with me with that nonsense? If you can respond to me with off topic comments, I can respond to you about your dumpster fire program.
Notice you couldn’t name any current offensive “gurus” in CFB or NFL so your idiotic response to me was low key trolling. Move along
Mike Martz is a guru, built and designed the GSOT, Bill Walsh was a guru, Sean Payton was an offensive guru. Linehan isn’t and never has been in the same breath as those guys. Does that mean he’s a bad coach, of course not. It just means the author over sold his NFL resume, Linehan wasn’t an offensive genius or guru in the NFL. He was a decent coach in the NFL but not particularly unique at all. And I’ll move along when I dam well feel like it.
Yea, Martz and Walsh are Current gurus!!! You don’t read so well. Btw, Martz got fired ( didn’t stick) and was seen as less than a guru on more than 1 occasion. The task was to name 5 CURRENT gurus! Do that or move on.
Going against the flawed teams in the SEC you like your chances of winning. That’s funny cause it can most definitely be said you are one of the flawed teams
Linehan wasn’t employed either, Orgeron got him from the unemployment line. The fact still remains, he wasn’t at all a guru in the NFL, just an offensive coach not particularly unique and a journeyman. Martz, Andy Reid, Sean Peyton, Kyle Shanahan, Kingsbury, Bienemy, all coached/coaching more creative offenses than Linehan ever did.
Linehan is the passing game coordinator not the OC. Can you even name other teams passing game coordinators? It’s a pretty strong hire for that position.
^^This^^
I didn’t mention one thing about what kind of hire it was, but I did say he wasn’t necessarily a bad coach. My comment was responding to how overstated the author made his resume sound, especially by calling him a guru and then specifically mentioning his Rams tenure which consisted of 3 years of pitiful offense in particular. Mike Martz is a guru, built and designed the GSOT, Bill Walsh was a guru, Sean Payton was an offensive guru. Linehan isn’t and never has been in the same breath as those guys. Does that mean he’s a bad coach, of course not. It just means the author over sold his NFL resume because he’s wasn’t an offensive genius or guru in the NFL. He was just an offensive coach in the NFL.
If the 2020 LSU offense is better than 2019 then go ahead and claim back to back titles. Of course there will be a drop off but by how much is the question? I would they have a tougher schedule than last year but not by much. It all depends on Brennan and the load/pressure he can handle.
Lol we’re all wishing our offense is as good as last year’s, it would be better being champs for 2 years because we earned it rather than because the season is cancelled. Our schedule is pretty much the same this year as last year except for some of the lesser games, otherwise we have the same big games – Texas, Florida, Auburn, Alabama, and aTm. Only difference is game location, we travel to FLA and AUB this year and host the Tide in BR. Not sure which way is better? But I definitely look forward to the night game in Death Valley against Master Nick come November.
Probably won’t be a night game…
Why do you say that?
CBS only gets one night game a season for SEC games and I believe it will be Bama/UGA…. I expect Bama/LSU to be the 3:30 game…
It could be but I think they learned from their mistake of not putting last years game on there so they’ll put it on there. Guess we’ll know soon enough.
I could be wrong but I would think LSU/AL is more of a prime time draw than UGA/AL. Defending National Champs vs…well, Alabama. Georgia’s good and all, but who matches up with the Tide better? If AL and LSU are both undefeated going into the November game, how can it not be on prime time?
We’ll know before the season starts when the night doubleheader weekend is
Colorado… They decide before the season starts on the prime time matchups So they won’t know if Bama and LSU will be undefeated. It could be their pick I just think they may got with Saban vs Kirby instead.
BT…is there a way to look it up or do we just have to wait and see?
It will get announced and SDS usually posts the article once it’s public.
I’m just waiting for the fantasygod to tell us about how there’s going to of course be a repeat of last year and how the second anyone steps onto LSU’s campus they are magically transformed into top NFL prospects.
But you have to admit, … its great to have those dreams. I’ll bet most programs WISH they could have those dreams have the opportunity to bloom into reality. LOL
Yeah, those aren’t dreams. What I was referring to is called delusion. College players aren’t magically transformed just by being on a particular campus and there’s almost never any certainty that a team is destined to have back-to-back championships.
Quit with your logic nonsense, just quit already. Please don’t discourage Fantasy some of his comments are really entertaining!
LOL my apologies. You are right, the posts are very entertaining.
Hey man I agree with you 100%. Burrows transformation took 2 years of being the starter. Brennan doesn’t have that luxury and neither does your man Newman
I’ll be honest Cojones, I can’t tell if you’re being serious. But assuming you are, why I don’t think that entirely applies to Newman is because Newman has way more experience than Burrow did when he transferred to LSU and obviously more than Brennan. He doesn’t need to develop in the same way they did/do. However, I’m very guarded in my optimism regarding Newman, so I’m not at all projecting he’s going to be a top SEC QB.
I’d bet LSU will be better than a lot are predicting.
They will be good. Need to not compare them, or anyone else to the 2019 squad.
Simply put, they are in transition, but should be good. How quickly they mature will determine a lot. Certainly they are to be in consideration of being in contention.
I’m thinking 10 wins minimum, and another playoff berth wouldn’t surprise me at all.
2019 LSU had Burrow and a ton of great football players who are gone. No team in college football will match LSU’s 2019 offense next season, but LSU can potentially be the second best offense in the West, after Alabama.
What makes me think Brennan can be good, if not great, is that Orgeron did not shop for a transfer quarterback this off-season.
“Orgeron did not shop for a transfer quarterback this off-season.”
I agree, that says it all. There were/are? some qbs to be had in the portal. Total confidence in Brennan.
LSU will definitely have a drop-off in offense, but they could still easily be the best offense in the SEC with a drop-off. It’s all going to fall to how quickly the O-Line can gel. Deculus is solid at RT. Ingram is probably the best OG in the league. They have two very good Sophomores battling for RG and Rosenthal at LT is a lot of potential with his prototype size and athleticism. Hopefully he can translate that into a solid season. For me, the biggest question is at Center. LSU lacks a true OC that is ready to play right now.
I dont have questions about anything else, offensively. LSU will easily have theor second best offense in the past 20 years.
Harvard transfer Liam Shanahan might be at center?
WTH!!! How can you 4get Racey? He’s been making plays off da bench for two years. Get real, Tiga o-line looked great in 19 due to Joe and Clyde’s never give up 3rd down scrambles. O-line 2020 got great potential. Look for Brenner to exceed Joe’s “junior” year. DEFENSE to surprise, line and backfield to dominate, linebacker play to decide championship finish. Running back crew will being back memories of Alfred Blue, Michael Ford group. 11 wins hinging on Brennan’s scrambling ability. Go Tiga’s