Joe Burrow was the story Saturday night.
No doubt about it.
He passed for 471 yards and 4 touchdowns to lead No. 6 LSU to a 45-38 victory against No. 9 Texas in Austin, Texas.
It was the 2nd-most passing yards by any LSU quarterback. Ever.
It enabled the Tigers to claim their first victory against a top 10 nonconference opponent on the road.
It was an historic night for LSU.
It was an historic night for Burrow.
It’s easy to wonder how many school records Burrow might break this season.
It’s easy to speculate on whether Burrow is now a candidate for the Heisman Trophy.
But none of that really matters.
Here’s what matters: Burrow can make all the throws necessary to carve up the pass defense of a top 10 team.
Burrow is athletic enough to buy time from the pass rush like he did on LSU’s final touchdown.
Burrow is smart and after two games has demonstrated complete command of a new passing game instituted by first-year passing game coordinator Joe Brady and used by offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger.
Burrow is accurate and sophomores Terrace Marshall Jr. and Ja’Marr Chase have earned his confidence at a level comparable to that which Justin Jefferson earned last season.
Burrow can operate effectively when under pressure as he had to early in Saturday’s game and he can operate at an elite level as he did when the pass rush abated.
Burrow can put points up at fast pace as he has in the first two games (100 points) even without a consistent run game, which the Tigers have not had in either of the first two games.
Burrow can put together touchdown drive after touchdown drive if he has to – as he did against Texas when the Tigers defense had an uncharacteristically poor performance.
So far it seems Burrow can do whatever the Tigers need him to do under any circumstance, at least as many as two games have been able to provide.
“The kid’s a baller,” LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said. “He lives for that moment.”
There will be a lot more big moments for Burrow and the Tigers.
And there were plenty of big ones Saturday night. Five times in the second half Texas got within one score of the Tigers.
But the Longhorns never caught up because Burrow kept responding with points except on the final possession when LSU merely had to kneel out the clock after a Texas onside kick failed.
“When I have time back there,” Burrow said, “our wide receivers and myself have enough talent to make things happen.”
For the first time in school history the Tigers had three 100-yard receivers in the same game as Jefferson, Marshall and Chase all reached the milestone.
The multitude of receiving threats makes Burrow that much more dangerous.
On its final drive LSU attacked the way it had attacked the whole game. Texas had closed within six and the Tigers began the possession with left.
Ensminger and Brady didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to the clock. In fact in seemed as though the only thing they focused on was the Texas end zone.
“We felt like we had to score another touchdown,” Orgeron said.
A touchdown seemed unlikely and the Tigers’ aggressive approach seemed suspect after an incompletion and a sack left Burrow facing a third-and-17 with 2:38 still left on the clock.
But Burrow bought just enough time against a strong pass rush to unleash the ball while moving, released the ball just before being hit, and got the ball to Jefferson for a 61-yard touchdown.
“You guys aren’t used to that one, huh?” Burrow replied when asked about LSU’s aggressiveness on that drive.
Correct.
This Tigers passing game is taking some getting used to.
Les East is a New Orleans-based football writer who covers LSU for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow him on Twitter @Les_East.
