Under coordinator Matt Canada, LSU’s offense is based around shifts and misdirection.
Against BYU, the Tigers rotated multiple skill players, keeping both the receivers and running backs fresh.
For most of the game, LSU’s offense was run through junior running back Derrius Guice, but eight other players would run or catch the ball throughout the game.
The Tigers got the ball to its playmakers in space, and racked up 479 yards of offense.
“Fantastic,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said regarding Canada’s play calling. “He was on fire tonight. You saw how good our defense was tonight, there are some days where we cannot stop him. I know he has more things he wants to get better at.”
LSU’s offensive line dominated BYU in the trenches, rushing for 294 yards on 57 attempts with 5.2 yards a carry.
Besides Guice, senior running back Darrel Williams looked more explosive than he did last season. Williams cut his weight from 233 to 229 in the offseason after gaining the nickname “Fat Darrel.”
The slimmer Williams displayed his ability to break tackles and make cuts up field throughout the game.
“I thought Darrel played great,” Orgeron said. “I thought the offensive line played great.”
The wide receivers were also featured in the run game through the jet sweep. LSU handed the ball off ten times on the sweep to six different rushers.
The Tigers used the jet sweep to set up most of its inside runs and spread out the defense. LSU handed the ball of to its receivers six times in the game against BYU, which almost half of the amount of carries (13) the position group had last year.
The receivers also came up with some big catches in key situations throughout the game.
Senior quarterback Danny Etling was able to connect with sophomore receiver Derrick Dillon twice on third and long for a first down. Dillon’s first two career catches are what Orgeron believes was the difference in the first half for the Tigers.
“It was basically the 2015 scout team out there tonight,” Etling said. “Derrick was on the scout team with me and D.J. [Derrick] is someone who has really worked hard the past two years, and I have seen the growth he’s made.”
Etling also connected with senior receivers D.J. Chark and Russell Gage for gains of 52 and 32 yards respectively. The two big plays came off of play-action fakes, allowing the receivers to get behind the BYU defense.
The Tiger offense still has more to show according to Orgeron. He said that Canada “might have used 10 percent of his call sheet.”
“There is a little bit more,” Etling said. “Obviously we found what plays we liked, and stuck with those. We will probably change it up next week, and just see whatever the defense gives us.”
LSU senior running back Darrel Williams (28) rushes the BYU end-zone during LSU's 27-0 win against BYU on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
