Late in 2013, then-freshman quarterback Anthony Jennings became the starting quarterback for the LSU football team. Ever since, he’s had things only taken away.
First, it was a plethora of receivers and running backs headed to the NFL. Then it was the faith of many LSU fans throughout the season, and at one point it was his starting position.
But Jennings weathered through everything, something he’s learned to do in his first year as a starter.
“You just have to continue to push through even when things go astray,” Jennings said. “You can’t let anyone shake your confidence. I need to get better in practice, continue to talk to coaches and see what I need to improve on.”
Jennings takes what he’s learned with him into Nashville, Tennessee, as the No. 22 Tigers (8-4, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) take on Notre Dame in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl on Tuesday afternoon. It’s the Tigers’ first appearance in the Music City Bowl and the first time they’ve played the Irish (7-5) since the 2007 Sugar Bowl.
The bowl game concludes what has been a perplexing and up-and-down season for LSU and Jennings. The Tigers’ large wins were cancelled out with disheartening losses, and Jennings has shouldered a large portion of the blame.
Jennings is 8-3 as a starter, but he’s thrown for more than 150 yards in only three games this season, including only one SEC game. The lack of production has brought heavy criticism and requests for the Marietta, Georgia, native to be replaced.
The vitriol peaked when Jennings received death threats on Twitter from angry LSU fans after the Tigers’ final defeat of the season, a 17-0 loss against unranked Arkansas. Senior offensive tackle Evan Washington said threats like the ones Jennings received don’t just go unnoticed.
“You don’t want it to get to you, but it’s still a notification on your phone, so you’ll still see it,” Washington said. “You have to see it, but you just have to let it slide.”
Despite struggling in some games, Jennings claims his confidence has never wavered and that he remains concentrated on winning. Teammates like Washington and senior running back Terrence Magee agreed, claiming Jennings is like a boxer – taking his punches but always getting up.
Jennings’ confidence could come in handy against a Notre Dame secondary ranked No. 88 in the country in pass defense. The Irish secondary is allowed 22 passing touchdowns and 239.8 yards per game this season, a large reason the team lost five of its last five games.
Sophomore receiver Travin Dural said Jennings and the offense can exploit the Irish secondary by staying disciplined and executing.
“We just have to do what we do. We have to run good routes, use good technique and just execute like in practice,” Dural said. “For me it would be using my speed, but it’s whatever you do best that’s what you have to use.”
The biggest difference Jennings made all year came in the final game of the season in a 23-17 win at Texas A&M. Jennings began running the ball himself more, picking up 119 yards on 14 carries, both season highs. His performance was part of an LSU rushing attack that dominated time of possession and punished A&M for 384 yards on the ground.
Jennings said he enjoys keeping the ball and doesn’t mind doing it again on against Notre Dame. With freshman running back Leonard Fournette improving and senior running back Kenny Hilliard returning from injury, Jennings is adamant about complementing LSU’s stables of backs.
If the Tigers want to find success on the ground, they need to find a way to contain sophomore linebacker Jaylon Smith. The Second-Team All-American tallied 102 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 2014.
Cold weather is expected for the game, which may bring up bad memories for LSU fans — the Tigers lost the Razorbacks on Nov. 15 in similarly frigid conditions. It was Jennings’ worst game of the season and the for which he received threats on Twitter.
Those memories won’t affect Jennings’ mindset before the game Tuesday. He knows his role in the Tigers’ offense, and all he wants is a win to end a tumultuous season.
“I’m the leader of this offense and I think all the guys around me know that,” Jennings said. “I just have to continue improving every day, and the coaches have the confidence to keep me out there. I just have to keep getting better throughout practice, and we’re going to get the W.”