LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase cooled down against Utah State following a 10-catch, 229-yard, four-touchdown performance against Vanderbilt.
He was targeted six times but only hauled in half of those targets for 54 yards and a touchdown in LSU’s (5-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) 42-6 win over the Aggies.
Chase looks to get back on track in a big, home matchup against No. 7 Florida (6-0, 3-0 SEC) on Saturday. Although the Gators have only allowed 281.5 yards per game, they gave up 407 yards of offense to Kentucky in their only road game this season.
As for the game this weekend, Chase did not harp on Florida, who he once committed to before signing with LSU in February 2018. He appeared locked in as LSU’s schedule begins to ramp up in SEC play.
“I don’t really have anything to say about Florida right now,” Chase said. “I’m just ready to practice for them.”
Chase will likely see a good amount of targets and remain a pivotal part of the offense against the Gators. He has been going against freshman cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. in practice, which is a matchup that coach Orgeron says he loves to see.
“It’s the first thing I watch when I come in,” Orgeron said. “Those guys compete every day. One day Ja’Marr will win, one day Derek will win. That’s what makes them better.”
With the way LSU quarterback Joe Burrow has been able to pick apart opposing defenses, it is no surprise he remains a top candidate in the current Heisman Trophy race. As a receiver, having a quarterback like Burrow pays dividends and is a testament to the success of LSU’s offense this season.
“I think that Joe Burrow is the perfect quarterback for us at this point in time,” Orgeron said. “He’s smart, he’s a champ, he’s going to stay in the pocket, he’s going to take a hit. And we’ve got outstanding receivers.”
Chase took a back seat against Utah State as LSU spread the ball all over the field. Burrow completed passes to eight different players.
Junior wide receiver Justin Jefferson saw the most action against the Aggies, having a game-high 11 targets. However, both Chase and Jefferson know that either one of them can be the leading receiver on any given week.
In five games, Jefferson has 547 yards and seven touchdowns on 30 receptions, and Chase, who missed the Northwestern State game, has 451 yards and six touchdowns on 23 catches in four games.
“It’s always a competition between us two,” Chase said. “Every time we make a play we’re arguing on the sideline about who can do the next one better.”
