It won’t take a Las Vegas oddsmaker to figure out what LSU will run on its first offensive possession of the 2010 season.
Logic says there is a 50 percent chance for a running play and a 50 percent chance for a pass when LSU takes the field in four days against North Carolina.
But beyond that, all bets are off.
The running game has always been LSU’s bread and butter, but after last season’s offensive woes, the jury is still out on its offensive identity.  
After the Tigers finished in the bottom tier in both major statistical categories — 90th in rushing yards per game and 97th in passing yards per game — LSU coach Les Miles insists he wants to return to a smash-mouth style of play.
“[The running game] is a tremendous priority,” he said. “It has been since last spring, and I’m sure we’ll continue to do that.”
LSU struggled to consistently run the ball down
opponents’ throats last season as it’s done in the past. Former running backs Charles Scott and Keiland Williams were both banged up, not to mention senior Richard Murphy’s season-ending injury in the second game of the season.
The depleted backfield was the primary reason the Tigers finished with 122.8 rushing yards per game, its lowest total since an 82.5 average in 1999.
Junior Stevan Ridley and a healthy Murphy return to the backfield, complimented by redshirt freshman Michael Ford.
“[Ridley and Murphy’s] goal is to be the most successful running back tandem that we’ve had, but I think that’s a great challenge to them,” Miles said. “Certainly I’d like to see them be that.”
The last time LSU threw the football more times than it rushed was in 1999 when the Tigers attempted 405 passes and handed it off 308 times.
The offense was relatively balanced last season, as shown by the 435 rush attempts versus the 336 pass attempts. In comparison, during LSU’s national championship seasons in 2003 and 2007, the margin was much greater. In 2007, the team rushed 612 times and passed 442 times, while recording 593 rush attempts and 401 pass attempts in 2003.
The balance did have its downfalls last season. LSU primarily came out in either the I-formation or three and five wide receiver sets, both with little variation. The Tigers have made a habit of running the ball on first down in the past, and Miles reiterated that trend will continue this season.
“On first and 10, I like to be a little bit more run than pass, but I like for them to have to defend both,” he said.
In the Tigers’ defense, the simplified offensive attack was installed last year because of quarterback Jordan Jefferson’s inexperience.
“The throws were a little shorter with a little play action,” said offensive coordinator Gary Crowton. “We sort of cut the field in half and in doing that, our turnovers were way down.”
Crowton said it succeeded as Jefferson only had seven interceptions, but it failed to translate into points or wins.
This season will be the third in which Crowton and Jefferson have worked together. The development process may have been a slow one, but Crowton has spent enough time with Jefferson to maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses.
Crowton hopes the added year of experience to Jefferson’s resume will naturally help open up the offense.
“We want to be an aggressive offense and be an attacking offense, and I think that’s what we’re going to do,” Crowton said.
An aggressive offense, and specifically an aggressive passing attack, may also be in store because of the addition of new receivers coach Billy Gonzales. The former Florida Gators coach of the same position has a plethora of talent to work with in senior Terrence Toliver and sophomores Rueben Randle and Russell Shepard.
Regardless, the players understand Miles’ old-school rushing approach.
“For the most part we’re going to play LSU football, and that’s smash-nose running football and sending them deep,” Shepard said. “The game of football really is simple.”
 
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Contact Sean Isabella at [email protected]