LSU fans got the quarterback change they asked for.
After No. 21 LSU went three-and-out on its first two possessions with a 1-4, 8-yard performance from junior quarterback Brandon Harris, junior quarterback Danny Etling took over as signal caller on LSU’s (0-1) first possession of the second quarter against Jacksonville State.
Etling ignited LSU’s offense, and the Tigers defeated Jacksonville State (1-1), 34-13, as he led three consecutive touchdown drives and posted a 6-for-14, 100-yard performance with two touchdowns, one of which came on the ground, and an interception.
“We went a couple of series and felt like [Harris] was not comfortable,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “[Etling] was effective almost right away, so we decided to leave him. He was not perfect by any means … but that was his first playing time and he certainly performed well.”
Junior running back Leonard Fournette was held out of the game with an ankle injury suffered last Saturday against Wisconsin, and Derrius Guice made his first career start in Fournette’s place, rushing for 155 yards and one touchdown.
Jacksonville State couldn’t match the 502 yards it posted in its season-opening victory after eclipsing 7,000 total yards last season against LSU’s defense. Senior quarterback Eli Jenkins threw for 248 yards and added another 82 on the ground, but the Gamecocks managed just one touchdown with 368 total offensive yards.
“Eli Jenkins is an All-American,” Miles said. “That offense was a real offense. Did you see the size of the receivers that were catching balls? They looked like a big, strong team that could play in any league.”
With LSU’s offense stalling out on its first two possessions, the Gamecocks (1-0) got on the board first with a 30-yard field goal on the second quarter’s first play.
Sophomore cornerback Donte Jackson responded immediately, returning the kickoff for a touchdown, however a holding penalty negated the play. He later picked off a pass from Jenkins and again displayed his dynamism with the ball in his hands, returning it 40 yards and setting LSU up in Jacksonville State territory.
But first came Etling.
On his first career drive in purple and gold, Etling orchestrated a six play, 70-yard touchdown drive, finishing 3-for-5 with 65 yards and a 46-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end DeSean Smith.
He led two more touchdown drives in the first half before senior cornerback Tre’Davious White punctuated a 27-point quarter. Fielding a punt at the 40-yard line, White backtracked 20 yards while evading Gamecock defenders, eventually finding green space and returning the punt 60 yards to the house, his third such punt return for a touchdown.
“We wanted to kick away from him,” said Jacksonville State coach John Grass.
“I just wanted to make a play,” White said. “I knew that going back wasn’t the best thing to do, but once I was able to beat the guys to the sideline, I knew that I had a wall set up for me and it was a lot of green grass.”
Sandwiched between LSU scores, Jenkins found sophomore wide receiver Krenwic Sanders wide open for a 76-yard touchdown on the drive’s first play.
Etling tempered his hype in the second half, completing zero of six attempts with an interception on a bomb to junior wide receiver Malachi Dupre. He also lost a fumble on a sack.
Without completing a pass in the second half, LSU scored just once more on a two-yard rush by Etling, who walked into the end zone after rolling out and finding no open receivers.
Jacksonville State managed another field goal, this time splitting the uprights from 33 yards out. Sophomore kicker Cade Stinnett finished a perfect two-for-two on the night.
Second-year freshman Justin McMillan finished the game at quarterback for the Tigers, throwing one pass for 19 yards to freshman wide receiver Drake Davis.
Senior Kendell Beckwith and Rickey Jefferson led LSU’s defensive attack with 10 and nine tackles, respectively.
Miles said he expects an intense quarterback competition this week leading up to LSU’s matchup against Mississippi State on Saturday.
“We’ve got to get [Harris] comfortable and settled down,” Miles said. “I don’t that it will happen. It just depends on how this quarterback competition plays out.”
Quarterback change sparks LSU’s 34-13 victory against Jacksonville State
September 10, 2016
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