:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65805078/usa_today_13734776.0.jpg)
Last year’s seven-overtime loss to Texas A&M may be one of Joe Burrow’s most painful memories as an LSU quarterback.
But Saturday night’s 50-7 trouncing of the Aggies in Tiger Stadium in Burrow’s last regular season college football game in Baton Rouge may be one of the sweetest.
Burrow was already 12-for-18 passing for 231 yards with two touchdowns at the half, as LSU maintained a comfortable 31-0 lead heading into the locker room.
By the end of the game, he had broken the single-season SEC passing yards record, previously held by Kentucky’s Tim Couch (4,275).
A “Joe for Heisman” chant rang clearly through the crowd during the game, and it’s hard to think of anyone else who should surpass him as a front runner for the trophy at this point.
Burrow was met with a standing ovation as LSU took a timeout during the fourth quarter, and Myles Brennan was sent in with just under 12 minutes remaining in the game.
He finished the night 23-of-32 passing for 352 yards and three touchdowns by the end of the contest — a solid final stat line for any quarterback at the end of a game, but an especially impressive one for a player who didn’t even play a full four quarters of action.
The quarterback also showed his appreciation of the culture of the state, swapping his ‘Burrow’ jersey for a ‘Burreaux’ jersey.
“It came to me early in the week, and I went to our equipment guys to see if they could get it done,” he said after the game. “I thought it would be a good tribute to the university and the state of Louisiana. I thought it would be awesome to wear it for senior night.”
It’s been a long road for Joe Burrow, the quarterback hardly anyone outside of Ohio State knew about before he came off the Buckeyes’ bench and transferred.
But that’s what makes Burrow who he is, and makes the Tigers who they are as a team.
“I fought through a lot of adversity, and so did a lot of players on this team. Lloyd (Cushenberry) was the last guy signed, Thad (Moss) was a transfer, Justin (Jefferson) was a two-star guy, Clyde (Edwards-Helaire) was always too short, and so many other guys have fought through adversity. Coach O was fired from two places and I think that’s really helped us become who we are.”
Burrow has posted 4,366 passing yards with 44 touchdowns and six interceptions on the season, and will look to stay hot as the Tigers face the Georgia Bulldogs at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.