LSU wide receiver Early Doucet said he received a little surprise from the coaching staff Saturday against Tulane. The junior from St. Martinville scored all three of his touchdowns in the first half and said he did not expect the coaches to call on him to make plays that soon in the game. “We kind of have a few plays that are scripted that we go through,” Doucet said. “And some of the plays for me came kind of early.” Two of Doucet’s touchdowns against Tulane were receptions while the other score came from an end-around play, which showcased Doucet’s ability to be used in multiple positions on offense. LSU coach Les Miles said though the end-around play was designed for Doucet, Doucet’s other catches were from his individual effort. “The throw for the touchdown was based on the guy who was open,” Miles said. Miles said Doucet’s experience as a high school quarterback shows in his performance on the field. “When he gets the ball in his hands, he runs a little bit more like a running back,” Miles said. “[He is] a little more athletic [and] goes up and gets the ball in the air as well as anybody.” Doucet has caught 13 passes this season for 201 yards with an average of 50 receiving yards per game. “Early, I think, is the complete package,” said safety Craig Steltz. “He’s got speed, and he’s got size too. I think you can put him anywhere on the field, and he’d make plays.” Junior defensive back Jonathan Zenon said he can relate to the struggles of opposing defenses who try to scheme and cover Doucet and LSU’s other receivers. “I truly believe we have the No. 1 receiving crop in the nation,” Zenon said. “It’s very hard to defend those guys.” Steltz and Zenon both said they feel the same way about Doucet, and Steltz added that practicing against players like Doucet help slow the game down a little come game day. “Running with those guys all week long – it makes it that much easier in the game,” Steltz said. “The whole wide receiving corps – I think that’s the greatest corps in the country.” Zenon said during each practice the defensive backs and wide receivers engage in some harmless betting of who is going to beat whom during their workouts on the field. “It’s like we have one-on-ones, and we might play a little friendly bet,” Zenon said. “Like, ‘We bet a million dollars that you can’t beat me today.'” So, who wins? “We always win – defensive backs,” Zenon said jokingly. Doucet had the same high remarks for the LSU secondary and said practicing against the No. 1 scoring defense in the nation has made him a better receiver. With other talented receivers on the team such as senior wide receivers Craig Davis and Dwayne Bowe and freshman Brandon LaFell, Doucet said he feels like he has the best ability to make a play after the catch. “I would say I’m more of a runner – a run after the catch guy,” Doucet said.
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