No. 5 LSU brings improving offense to Florida
LSU’s offense is coming around.
The fifth-ranked Tigers had their most yards of the season, including their most rushing yards and most passing yards, in a 45-18 victory against Ole Miss last Saturday in Tiger Stadium.
In other words, they not only moved the ball more consistently than they had previously, they did so with the best balance they have had.
Quarterback Joe Burrow led the way, literally and figuratively, as he was LSU’s leading rusher (96 yards) in addition to passing for 292 yards. He not only had the fourth-most total yards (388) in school history, he also passed for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth.
“Joe Burrow obviously had a tremendous game,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said Monday at his weekly news conference. “I give all the credit to (offensive coordinator Steve) Ensminger and the development of Joe Burrow. I think Joe is a quarterback that’s very smart. You saw the way he could run the football.”
Burrow is not the most athletic runner, but he is capable and Ensminger seems to have found a way to maximize Burrow as a runner.
“Obviously we would love to run him a little bit more but we only have two quarterbacks so we need to be careful,” Orgeron said. “All those things are coming into play.”
Orgeron said LSU “knew all along” that Burrow, who transferred from Ohio State in the spring, was a capable runner.
“I’m the one that’s a little apprehensive of doing it,” Orgeron said. “I think Coach Ensminger wants to do it a lot more and obviously I want to keep him healthy. But we knew he could do it.”
Nick Brossette and Clyde Edwards-Helaire aren’t Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice, but they have evolved in a solid running-back tandem whose effectiveness can only be boosted by Burrow’s increased effectiveness in the running game.
The Tigers haven’t zeroed in on a primary target for Burrow’s passes, but it seems that each week multiple receivers have had an impact in the passing game, forcing opponents to prepare for a handful of potential weapons.
The Tigers will try to build on their new-found offensive success when they visit No. 22 Florida in an important SEC game Saturday in The Swamp.
LSU has been perhaps the most surprising team in the country thus far, leaping 20 spots from its location in the preseason poll, and beginning SEC play with two victories.
But with home games against No. 2 Georgia, Mississippi State and No. 1 Alabama in succession, a loss to the Gators could trigger a tailspin. And a win would send the Tigers into the game against Georgia with their confidence soaring even higher than it already is.