Freshman purple team quarterback Russell Shepard showed flashes of success fans hoped for in LSU’s annual spring game, but two mistakes proved costly in the purple team’s 27-0 loss to the white team Saturday.
Shepard finished 7-of-12 with 70 yards passing and rushed eight times for 16 net yards, but a fumble and an interception made him “look like a young quarterback,” coach Les Miles said.
“When you evaluate a guy like Russell Shepard on a day, you have to see some of the things he did positive and negative,” Miles said. “He has a very athletic body and needs reps to develop throws. He can be a quarterback who has the ability to both run and pass.”
Sophomore Jordan Jefferson started for the white team at quarterback, and he completed 8-of-10 passes for 97 yards with no turnovers. He said he feels more confident with the way the offense runs, and he said he sees great promise for Shepard.
“This year I understand the playbook more, and I’m able to bring more to the table than last year,” Jefferson said. “Russell did well – he made all the right reads and is good with his feet. We’re going to use him to his full ability.”
But the running backs stole the show in LSU’s spring game Saturday, as senior Charles Scott and junior Richard Murphy accounted for the offensive touchdowns in the white team’s win.
Scott led the white team in all-purpose yards with 70 on the ground, and his touchdowns came from 3 yards and 1 yard in the first half.
Murphy, who switched from the purple team to the white team in the second half, said he feels a good chemistry has developed among the running backs in the spring.
“Charles and I felt really comfortable together,” Murphy said. “The offense opened up because you never knew who was getting the ball out with me, Charles or
Keiland [Williams] rotating in and out – Keiland could be at fullback and Charles at tailback, or Charles at fullback and Keiland at tailback. We opened up all our options.”
Senior wide receiver Brandon LaFell led all receivers with 59 yards on five receptions, and he gave his effort Saturday a “B-plus.”
“I started off slow after my back injury in the [Chick-fil-A] bowl game last year,” LaFell said. “I caught balls but I had one drop. That drop around here, that’s a lot, especially for a guy with a history of dropped balls.”
More praise for Shepard came from LaFell, who spurned the NFL draft to return to LSU for his senior season.
“Shepard can throw the ball. He just needs to learn control and go through his reads before just running,” LaFell said. “He’s a special kid.”
On defense, senior Harry Coleman played significant minutes at linebacker in the spring game. Miles said Coleman proved Saturday he can make the transition from safety to linebacker easily.
“We need another greater athlete at that perimeter spot, and Coleman can be that guy,” Miles said.
Miles also praised the performance of punter Derek Helton.
“I really enjoyed seeing [Helton] punt the ball,” Miles said. “He punted with great hangtime and in the direction just where we needed him to have it. He’s a newcomer to our campus, and it was a key piece to the day.”
 
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