OXFORD, Miss. – It was evident in LSU’s season opener that the Matt Flynn-Early Doucet combination had the potential to be extremely productive. In a 45-0 LSU victory against Mississippi State, Flynn completed 12 passes for 128 yards. Nine of those passes and 78 of those yards were to Doucet. The chemistry between the two took a hit when Doucet injured his groin during practice the week before LSU’s third game of the season against Middle Tennessee, causing Doucet to miss four straight games. Doucet was used as a decoy for one play in the Tigers’ 43-37, triple overtime loss to Kentucky but returned to the lineup full time the next week against Auburn and caught seven passes for 93 yards. The timing between Flynn and Doucet has slowly improved since Doucet’s return, and the two seniors were in a groove for most of LSU’s Saturday afternoon win against Ole Miss. “[The chemistry] is just going to continue to get better each week,” Flynn said. “It obviously set us back a little bit, him being out for a little while, but I think we’ve picked it up. He’s a big part of this offense.” Flynn, who finished the Ole Miss game 17-of-25 for 168 yards, completed seven of his first 11 passes to Doucet. That stretch included five straight completions to Doucet, spanning from the end of the first quarter to the beginning of the third. “This is really the first game I’m playing without any nagging injuries,” said Doucet, who led the Tigers with eight catches and 58 yards. “I think that just gives Matt that much more confidence to be able to look for me and know that I’m going to be there when he needs me. Our chemistry is starting to come back.” Flynn found other receivers a bit more as the game progressed but came back to the St. Martinville native when it mattered most. When the Rebels cut the Tigers’ lead to 27-17 in the fourth quarter, Flynn found Doucet for a 6-yard reception in the red zone. The catch set up two Jacob Hester runs, the second of which resulted in an LSU touchdown. “[Flynn] knows that I’m a reliable guy,” Doucet said. “When things break down he can look for me, and, nine times out of 10, I’m gonna be there to make the catch. Just to have that assurance and be comfortable with a guy makes it that much easier for him as a quarterback.” Flynn said he did not make a conscious effort to get the football to Doucet more often, but the way the Rebels were defending the Tigers played to Doucet’s strengths. “He was running a lot of short routes, and [the Rebels] were taking away the deep ball,” Flynn said. “I had to work underneath a little bit, and Early is as good as there is at working underneath, running option routes and stuff.” Flynn’s longest completion to Doucet was 12 yards. “Doucet makes a tremendous difference to our offense,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “He has the potential to make big plays any number of ways.” With three games left in the season, including the Tigers’ probable bowl game, Doucet said there are several small things he can do to make himself an even more viable target for Flynn. “[I can be] more precise in my routes and letting him know when I’m coming in and out of my breaks,” Doucet said. “There’s always room for improvement, and we know that.”
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