Nobody can string out a quarterback controversy like LSU coach Les Miles.
Seven weeks into the season, sophomore Anthony Jennings and freshman Brandon Harris are still locked in a seesaw battle for the starting spot. Before the season began, Miles said he would name a permanent starter “when one separates himself from the other,” but that has already happened.
Jennings started six of the Tigers’ seven games, but Harris nipped at his heels despite infrequent playing time. Though Miles will probably continue giving Jennings the reins of the offense, Harris has done enough to overtake his sophomore counterpart by doing more with less.
Harris has thrown 70 fewer passes than Jennings while accumulating just as many touchdowns. The freshman has a 183.6 passer rating and completed 73 percent of his passes before his poor showing at Auburn on Oct. 4.
Speaking of Auburn, please excuse Harris for struggling through his first start that came against a top-5 team in front of 87,000 hostile fans. Harris looked flustered and missed most of his throws as a result, but most freshmen would fold under similar conditions.
At least he didn’t play as poorly as Jennings did in Tiger Stadium against Sun Belt cellar-dweller New Mexico State.
That game served as Harris’ coming-out party and propelled him into the starting role. After Jennings fumbled and threw two interceptions in the first quarter, again, against New Mexico State at home, Harris entered the game and led the Tigers on seven straight touchdown drives.
The freshman scored five of those touchdowns, including two rushing scores. Mobility is another area in which Harris has outstripped Jennings — he’s accumulated nearly twice as many rushing yards as Jennings on less than half of his carries.
That performance came a week after Harris nearly engineered a fourth-quarter comeback against Mississippi State. He went 6-for-9 with 140 yards and two touchdown strikes in the final four minutes of the contest, reigniting the dormant quarterback conversation.
Harris faced a defense comprised mostly of backups, but he made plays with his feet and precise passing. He also exuded confidence and competence while executing the offense, something Jennings lacks.
But Miles continued playing Jennings until the boos and “We want Harris” chants were too loud to ignore, a decision I actually agree with.
A two-quarterback system can be toxic on and off the field. Different quarterbacks use different cadences, have different tendencies in the pocket and usually have play calls tailored to fit their skill sets, and these varying factors throw off the offense’s rhythm. Not having a clear leader can cause a schism in the locker room, which often results in disaster — see the 2011 LSU football team.
That’s all the more reason Miles should have stuck with Harris after the freshman dethroned Jennings. Instead, he continued a dangerous precedent of flip-flopping quarterbacks every week while potentially shattering Harris’ confidence in the process.
Harris left the Auburn contest with an ankle injury but practiced leading up to last weekend’s showdown at Florida. The freshman didn’t play a snap, watching from the sideline as Jennings managed the game with a 10-of-21 passing clip for 110 yards and a touchdown.
I’ll acknowledge LSU can win with a game manager if it builds on its 195-yard rushing performance, which was a statistical anomaly considering Florida’s stout defense and how poorly the Tigers rushed the ball up to that point in the season.
But if LSU reverts back to its inability to run the ball against Southeastern Conference opponents, the Tigers will need an explosive quarterback to generate offense. Judging from Harris’ small sample size, he dwarfs Jennings in big-play potential, whether he’s passing or running.
Despite Harris failing in his first start, the freshman is LSU’s quarterback of the future. Harris is more athletic and appears more confident and comfortable running the offense than Jennings, who has been in offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s system a year longer.
Miles may not listen to outside opinion, but Harris is who the fans want at quarterback. He has outperformed Jennings statistically, exhibited an infectious swagger and showed his maturity and level-headedness when he owned up to his mistakes following the loss to Auburn.
Harris has separated himself from Jennings, and now Miles needs to deliver on his preseason promise. Harris’ upside and explosiveness make him the better choice at quarterback, and gaining experience this year will pay off in the coming seasons.
Marcus Rodrigue is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Thibodaux, Louisiana. You can reach Marcus on Twitter @rodrigue_TDR.