Two freshmen, one pass and a play that forever enshrined a young quarterback-wide receiver duo into LSU lore.
When true freshman Anthony Jennings connected on a 49-yard pass to redshirt freshman wideout Travin Dural down the sidelines with 1:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, it was a moment that not only solidified the present for the Tiger faithful — it was a glimpse into the future of the offense.
Not just the single play, but the entire drive itself proved to be a coming-of-age event.
Prior to being thrust into Friday’s 31-27 win against Arkansas, Jennings had only thrown two passes and rushed 14 times for LSU. He had to grow up quickly after senior starter Zach Mettenberger limped off the field.
And after Arkansas junior punter Sam Irwin-Hill pinned the Tigers on the 1-yard line with 3:04 remaining in the game, Jennings then had to face what seemed to be an improbable task — pull off the storybook ending.
“I’m kind of the designated sneaker, but being on the 1-yard line had nothing to do with what I was going to do,” Jennings said. “I felt like we could go 99 yards and score. I had confidence in my teammates and in my coaches to call the right plays.”
Jennings, who was named the backup quarterback during fall camp, had seen limited playing time in short-yardage situations throughout the 2013 campaign. The Marietta, Ga., native saw his most important game action when he carried twice for 4 yards and a touchdown in a 17-6 win against Florida in early October.
With Mettenberger throwing for 3,000 yards, the need for the dual-threat Jennings simply wasn’t there.
When the time came, though, Jennings proved why he won the backup job months ago. According to Dural, the LSU quarterback handled his nerves well.
“He was calm. He was in a bigger spot than me,” Dural said. “Being that he was calm and very collected in the huddle made me relaxed, because it made me feel like he was going to deliver a good ball regardless if he threw it to me, [junior wide receiver Jarvis Landry] or [senior wide receiver Kadron Boone].”
Jennings said he had only one message for his offense before taking the snap a yard from his own end zone.
“I said, ‘Let’s go,’” Jennings said. “It’s time to go 99 yards. There was no doubt in my mind I was going to do that.”
The player who caught his final pass of the game had his own maturing moment.
Dural, who fought with Boone for the No. 3 receiver spot in fall camp, entered the season looking to make an impact after missing the entire 2012 campaign with a knee injury. After redshirting, the Breaux Bridge, La., native returned to a corps that would end up being one of the elite units in the nation.
Dural, though, wasn’t a primary contributor until recently.
He caught his first touchdown pass against Alabama in early November, his sixth reception of the season.
His seventh would be his second touchdown.
“Don’t drop it,” Dural said. “Just don’t drop it. That was the biggest play of my career so far. I’ve been waiting on this all my life. I had to step up and make a play.”
Like Jennings, Dural was also thrown into the fire on Friday after junior wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. left with an injury in the first quarter. With Landry, Boone and Dural being the three primary options, Dural had to make his presence felt.
He did just that before ending his regular season.
Moving forward, the offense could lose all of its current passing game to the 2014 NFL Draft. Mettenberger and Boone are seniors, and Beckham and Landry will likely be intriguing prospects for NFL squads to fight over in May.
So if that final drive, or even just that final play, did anything for LSU fans, it may have given them the glimpse of something good to come after the prolific weapons from the 2013 season have left Tiger Stadium.
“It’s just a sign that good things are coming from this offense,” Dural said.