LSU’s offense this past season was synonymous for big passing plays, using three weapons that eventually were drafted in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft.
This season, the Tigers have returned to pounding the ball.
“Last year, we had three first round picks at receiver and quarterback,” said senior running back Jacob Hester. “When you have something like that, you are going to use it. This year we are establishing the run game early and often.”
The Tigers have found success on the ground this season, gaining 1,794 yards and rushing for 22 touchdowns through eight games. In the same span during the 2006 season, the Tigers mustered 1,265 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. LSU is on pace to shatter this past season’s marks of 2,155 rushing yards and 25 rushing scores the team accumulated during the 2006 season.
The arrival of offensive coordinator Gary Crowton brought new schemes to jump-start the run.
“He is a spread coordinator,” Hester said. “But he likes to run out of the spread, and of course [LSU coach Les Miles], coming form the Big Ten [conference], loves to run the ball. Us as running backs are defiantly not going to complain.”
Hester led the team in individual rushing yards this past season with 424 yards. He has eclipsed that mark with 552 yards already, while sharing carries with sophomore running backs Keiland Williams and Charles Scott and freshman Richard Murphy.
“We have four guys who can carry the ball at any school in the nation, if you ask me,” Scott said. “When you have guys like that, you are going to tend to lean on the run. We just make big plays sometimes.”
While the committee of running backs forces defenses to adjust, senior offensive tackle Carnell Stewart said the line still blocks the same.
“Whatever running backs are back there, we still have to block the same way,” Stewart said. “It is not a big adjustment. We are just more aggressive than we were last year.”
LSU is averaging just 211 yards passing this season, down from the 251 yards passing in 2006. Passing attempts are up from 28.3 to 29.3 a game this season.
Senior receiver Early Doucet suffered an injury against Virginia Tech, and the passing game suffered. With his return, the Tigers gained a season-high 319 passing yards.
“Early is a big time playmaker,” Williams said. “You want to get the ball in his hands.”
The Tigers have controlled the ball well this season. The team’s time of possession is up from 30:10 in 2006 to 32:08 a game in 2007.
“[Rushing] is something that [Miles] and Jimbo [Fisher] tried to do last year,” Williams said. “With those two great receivers, it was kind of hard not to throw it to them. But we definitely try to get the ball in the [backs] hands, and try to eat some of the clock away.”
The decrease in passing yards has not meant a decrease in opportunities. For example, this season sophomore tight end Richard Dickson has caught 16 balls for 162 yards, which is eight more grabs and 38 more yards than all the Tigers’ tight ends accumulated in 2006. “There are more designed plays, and the quarterbacks now have confidence in us,” Dickson said. “They don’t have to worry about what’s going on everywhere else. They have more confidence to come back to us if he needs to.”
The quarterbacks have also increased their run production. LSU’s quarterbacks have rushed for a combined 488 yards this season.
Senior quarterback Matt Flynn has rushed for 247 yards, just 35 shy of overtaking JaMarcus Russell’s total of 282 he compiled during the 2006 season.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Ryan Perrilloux has rushed for 214 yards, most of which have come from the option play.
The option is a new addition to the offense, a play senior offensive lineman Will Arnold said took time to adjust to.
“During camp and the beginning of the season, we had never seen [the option]. But the more they run it, it becomes part of our offense,” Arnold said. “Just like anything repetition helps you get better.”
—-Contact Amos Morale at [email protected]