Catching footballs is a natural exercise for LSU sophomore receiver Malachi Dupre, who is usually left blocking for the potent LSU rushing attack.
Dupre can make the difficult catch look easy, and he expects nothing less. Like junior Travin Dural and redshirt sophomore John Diarse, Dupre was recruited by LSU because of what he can do with the ball in his hands, even in a typically run-heavy offense. So making receptions, the physical part of their position, isn’t the hard part.
But sports are only half physical. As the late Yogi Berra would say, the other 90 percent — the mental aspect — is usually the difference. On Saturday against Eastern Michigan University, mental lapses led to physical miscues for Dural and Dupre.
“I think our wide receivers expect more of themselves,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “I think several guys played really hard and played really fast. I think there were times when energy to the ball didn’t match their ability, capabilities.”
A week before, against Syracuse University, Diarse was the culprit of two dropped passes on consecutive plays in the fourth quarter. With sophomore quarterback Brandon Harris still struggling to find his groove in the passing game, the past two weeks were uncharacteristic performances in the receivers’ minds.
Miles said he’s looking into adjusting the lineup, but Diarse and Dupre said a bad day at the office isn’t something they will get used to. For Dupre, it’s time to “flush it down the toilet.”
“Whoever would have thought I would dropped a pass as easy as the one I had and Travin also in the same game,” Dupre said. “I don’t want to say it’s good that it had versus a team like that, but you don’t want things like that to happen versus an SEC opponent or in a big game. It’s definitely not one thing I will harp on or dwell on moving forward.”
Saturday may have been an aberration in Dupre and Diarse’s minds, but it looked glaring due to offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s effort to pass early and often. Thirteen of Harris’ 15 attempts were in the first half, including seven on first down.
While three of Harris’ deep balls drew pass interference penalties, including two on first down, in the first half, he completed just four total passes in the first 30 minutes. That ended up as his total for the night.
With at least one pass to Dupre and one pass to Dural was dropped with the wide receiver wide open, the top-two pass catchers certainly didn’t help their quarterback get in rhythm.
Even with a partial deflection on the drop in the back of the end zone, Dupre knows it’s a play he makes routinely in practice.
“The linebacker got a hand on it,” Dupre said. “It took the trajectory off the ball. The linebacker had his hand very close to me, so it was last minute. It changed its trajectory of the ball when it got close to me. But that’s a catch I have to make. It hit me, went straight through. That’s the type of pass I’m in the game to make, and I just have to catch it.”
Though the passing game hasn’t been the Tigers’ focus, especially with sophomore running back Leonard Fournette prone to break a long run on any carry, both Dupre and Diarse suggested more opportunities will come as the season goes on.
The receivers might not catch many passes, but LSU is still undefeated. They are just focused on making the plays when opportunity presents itself.
“Last week, they just let Leonard do what Leonard does,” Diarse said. “We have to be an understanding group that [know] it’s working. So if it’s working, we got to continue to do it. But in the same process, continue to build your craft, continue to focus on what it is you need to do, just in case your number is called.
“Even if we do throw it sporadically, that sporadic play may be the play we need to win the game.”