LSU’s Passing Attack Shines in Final Scrimmage Before Spring Break

LSU reached the halfway point in spring practice and capped it off with its second scrimmage of the spring on Thursday.

LSU coach Ed Orgeron said the offense had a “marked improvement” in what was a situational scrimmage.

“I thought the quarterbacks made tremendous improvement today, and it was due to the protection on the offensive line,” Orgeron said. “I thought the offensive line did a lot better job of protecting. It wasn’t perfect, but we made tremendous improvement.”

Sophomore quarterback Myles Brennan finished the scrimmage 12-of-16 for 224 yards and two touchdowns in what Orgeron described as his best day. Overall, the quarterbacks were 25-of-45 for 431 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

Orgeron said the first-team repetitions were between the quarterbacks seem to have been spread out evenly between the quarterbacks and that decision on the starter will likely not come until fall camp unless there is a clear winner.

Another position that stood out in the scrimmage was the wide receivers, a group that new offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger called the team’s strength. LSU is replacing both of its starters from last season, but the Tigers plan to use an array of receivers in multiple receiver sets.

“I think that those guys are going to continue to make improvements [under passing game coordinator Jerry Sullivan], and they should be viable players for us,” Orgeron said. “So, we are going to go three, four wide receiver sets. We have to alternate our guys, they have to play for us,”

Two receivers that Orgeron mentioned by name were junior Drake Davis and sophomore Justin Jefferson. Both received sparse playing time in 2017, and Davis was the only one of the two to catch a pass last season.

Despite that, Orgeron has high hopes for Jefferson going into the season and compared him to former receiver DJ Chark, who came to LSU as an unheralded prospect but worked his way into the lineup.

“I think he is going to start if he continues to do what he’s doing,” Orgeron said of Jefferson. “Jerry likes him a lot, he’s electric, makes a lot of plays.”

Stats (*ed. note: scrimmages are situational — these should always be taken with a grain of salt.)

Myles Brennan 12-16, 224 yards, 2 TDs, long of 80

Justin McMillan 7-15, 169 yards, 1 TD, long of 75

Lowell Narcisse 6-14, 38 yards, long of 15

Racey McMath 6 catches, 169 yards, 1 TD

Drake Davis 4 catches, 102 yards

Justin Jefferson 4 catches, 54 yards

Stephen Sullivan 2 catches, 51 yards

Nick Brossette 23 carries, 58 yards, 5 TDs *mainly goal line*

Clyde Edwards-Helaire 15 carries, 86 yards, 1 TD

Tae Provens 7 carries, 29 yards

Neil Farrell 10 tackles, 5 TFLs, 2 sacks

John Battle 7 tackles

K’Lavon Chaisson 6 tackles, 1 sack