Rapid Reaction: Another successful, encouraging, victorious night for LSU
By Les East
Published:
LSU got what it needed from its home opener against Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday night.
Sure, the defense was great, Nick Brossette was really good and the special teams were improved in the opening victory against Miami.
But what about Joe Burrow and the passing game?
He was brought in as a graduate transfer from Ohio State to upgrade the passing game.
He was given the keys to new offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger’s new scheme, one that was going to use a bevy of playmakers among the wide receivers.
But as good as the opening performance was, it didn’t demonstrate that the passing game can do what it’s supposed to do.
That didn’t mean it can’t be what it’s supposed to be, it just meant that the jury was still out after one game. It’s still out after the 31-0 victory against outmanned Southeastern Louisiana, but there were more positive signs Saturday.
A week earlier, Burrow was making his first college start against a really good Miami defense, and the even better LSU defense didn’t require much production or risk-taking from Burrow and the passing game.
But the SEC opener at Auburn next week is probably going to require Burrow and the receivers to make some key plays, under duress, in a hostile environment.
The game against SLU in Tiger Stadium wasn’t going to simulate any of that, but it was going to provide an opportunity for Burrow and the passing game to be bolder than it was against Miami, knowing that the chances of the opponent making a big sack or a big interception that could lead to a defeat were virtually non-existent.
So Ensminger and passing game coordinator Jerry Sullivan had an opportunity to ask more of Burrow and the wide receivers under game conditions to see what they could do, knowing that any mistakes would be teachable moments and not game-turning disasters.
The game’s outcome was never really in doubt, thanks to Dave Aranda’s defense just as the outcome of the opener was settled unexpectedly early because of that defense.
Burrow was able to operate comfortably and he wound up throwing two touchdown passes – and running for a third – as the Tigers methodically built a 24-0 halftime lead.
He threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase, a freshman who’s one of the reasons why Ensminger plans to lean on the receivers so much.
At the end of the half, after the offense had stagnated for a few series, Burrow launched a 40-yard Hail Mary that Stephen Sullivan came down with in the end zone. That completed a 96-yard drive.
In the end LSU again didn’t need to ask Burrow to do a whole lot, but he ably handled what they asked of him within the context of a relatively conservative approach to a lopsided victory.
Against Miami, Burrow’s biggest asset was his poise as he calmly withstood the Hurricanes’ pass rush, bought time when necessary, made wise decisions in a turnover-free performance and made enough plays to help the Tigers pull away.
Against SLU, he showed that he can operate more efficiently when given more time, that he can make plays down the field when asked to do so.
LSU entered the season as a preseason No. 25 that was already considered an SEC also-ran.
We’ll learn more about how they might stack up in the SEC when they go toe-to-toe with Auburn.
But after two weeks, the Tigers have given signs that they will be much better than that preseason projection. The modest expectations were largely a result of their quarterback being an unknown commodity.
That’s still true to a large degree, but so far he has been able to do enough to help LSU win easily. Soon we’ll find out if he’s able to help the Tigers win when it’s not so easy.
But so far virtually everything has been positive.
The biggest negative coming out of the win against Miami was the season-ending knee injury suffered by linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson.
But Chaisson’s replacement, Andre Anthony recovered a fumble that was caused by fellow linebacker Devin White on the Lions’ first possession of the game. That doesn’t mean there won’t be a drop-off in Chaisson’s absence, but it is consistent with the notion that LSU has sufficient depth to mitigate the loss.
Five plays after the fumble recovery Burrow teamed with Chase for a touchdown.
Moments later, on a 3rd-and-8 from the SLU 21, Burrow ran 13 yards and three plays later he ran 1 yard for a touchdown, showing the dual-threat ability that had been touted when he transferred.
Later Cole Tracy, the new kicker who was 4 for 4 against Miami, nailed a 50-yarder. Then came the Hail Mary, then Brossette went over 100 yards again and rout No. 2 was on. Brossette finished with 137 yards, resetting the career-high he established in the opener. Clyde Edwards-Helaire finished the romp with his first career touchdown.
All in all, another successful and encouraging night for LSU, though it’s still unclear just how good Burrow is or how good the Tigers are.
Les East is a New Orleans-based football writer who covers LSU for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow him on Twitter @Les_East.
