The play wasn’t preceded by 12 consecutive rushing attempts this time, but the end result was the same — a tight end in the back end zone with the ball in his hands.
In fact, sophomore quarterback Brandon Harris’ play-action rollout and one-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Colin Jeter on Saturday against Auburn was almost identical to the game-winning touchdown pass from then-sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings to former Tiger tight end Logan Stokes in LSU’s 10-7 win against Ole Miss last season.
Well, to everyone but Stokes.
“[Stokes] is actually here, and we’ve been talking a little trash back and forth about it,” Jeter said jokingly at the indoor practice facility on Monday. “He claims his was two yards deeper. He’s been giving me crap about it.”
Stokes’ reception, the only of his LSU career, was actually two yards longer, but Jeter’s role in the 2015 offense may be larger than that of one of his predecessors. Alongside junior tight end DeSean Smith, Jeter emerged as a reliable pass catcher and serviceable run blocker through the first two games of the season.
In LSU’s run-heavy offense, LSU coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron have been known to use tight ends, especially senior tight end Dillon Gordon, as extra offensive linemen. But Smith and Jeter proved they are capable of stretching the field, making the LSU offense more deceptive than it once was.
“That’s the advantage of running [the] ball so much and having these big ol’ tight ends in,” said redshirt freshman guard William Clapp. “Safeties, corners and linebackers forget that they are a threat in the passing game. Slip somebody out, thinking they are going to block, and then they run whatever type of route. All of sudden, they are wide open.”
Talk of an increased role for tight ends in the passing game was the buzz in the offseason, but it really started last season with Smith hauling in four receptions for 66 yards in the Tigers’ 31-28 loss to Notre Dame in the Music City Bowl.
Neither Smith nor Jeter have particularly gaudy numbers thus far, as the two have combined for just four receptions. At least one reception from each, though, proved to be crucial in the early portion of the first two games.
On a third-and-11 in a scoreless first quarter against Mississippi State, Harris hit Smith on a 23-yard strike, putting LSU in position to punch in a one-yard touchdown dive from sophomore running back Leonard Fournette laterin the drive.
Then, Jeter’s touchdown this weekend was the first and only touchdown reception by a Tiger thus far. Even with a limited number of passing attempts for Harris, Jeter joked the tight ends may have room for a little playful trash talking to receivers.
Even more important, though, is Harris’ ability to spread the ball around, Jeter said.
“He’s not afraid to throw it to any guy,” Jeter said. “As long as you have his confidence and his respect, he’s going to trust you with the ball.”
While Jeter did take a blow to the ribs on a pass he nearly came down with later against Auburn, he returned and helped produce a 411-yard outing from Fournette, Harris and the LSU rushing attack. The offensive line, including Southeastern Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week Vadal Alexander, will receive much of the praise for paving the way for ball carriers.
But when Gordon went down with an achilles injury early in the game, Jeter, Smith and freshman tight end Foster Moreau provided the extra bodies Fournette and others needed to get to the second level.
“To tell you the truth, [the tight ends] are like a miniature one of us,” said junior offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins. “They take pride in blocking and everything they do, especially when it deals with us convoying together. They love it. From Jeter to DeSean and especially Dillon, they all love it.”