The Joe Burrow Touchdown Bracket: Day 16

I feel good for every single member of the 2019 LSU football team. Those boys worked hard and absolutely deserve to be part of the greatest college football team that ever was. I feel good for Joe Burrow who had to wait his turn all those years to be a starting quarterback and then won literally all the awards. I feel good for Clyde Edwards-Helaire who was always thought to be too small and would get overtaken by a pair of impressive freshmen running backs. I feel good for seniors like Rashard Lawrence who get to leave the LSU program on the highest of high notes.

But I think I feel best for Terrace Marshall Jr. Marshall was one of the top wide receiver prospects coming out of high school, but his senior year was cut short by a gruesome broken leg and dislocated ankle injury. Marshall’s leg healed up and he was able to play in all 13 games during the 2018 season, but it was obvious he was still working his way back from that serious leg injury.

It all came together for Marshall in 2019 who caught three touchdowns in the opening game against Georgia Southern. Marshall would find the end zone three more times in September but had another injury, fracturing his foot in the Vanderbilt game and missing the Utah State, Florida and Mississippi State games. Unsurprisingly, those were the three games the LSU offense didn’t quite look the same. But Marshall came back in time for the Auburn game, catching a touchdown against the Other Tigers and against Alabama, and caught five touchdowns when postseason play began.

Today we’re voting between a pair of Marshall touchdowns. While Justin Jefferson led the team in catches and Ja’Marr Chase won the Bilentikoff award, I think it’s safe to say the LSU offense isn’t the fully realized Death Star without No. 6.

No. 7: Marshall’s 26-yard post vs. Texas

The context:

This was the opening score in a quarter that featured 39 combined points by LSU and Texas. In fact, it was the very first play of the fourth quarter. After Texas made it a 23-21 game, Burrow and the offense take over with 2:36 to play in the third and the drive is 99 percent Burrow.

After short gains on the ground by Burrow and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU is facing a third and five at its own 30. Burrow finds Chase for 30 and Chase gets the Tigers into Texas territory. Two plays later Burrow hits Marshall on a deep post and Marshall uses his imposing stature to box out the defender and put LSU up nine.

No. 10: Marshall’s 20-yard fade vs. Auburn

The context:

This was Marshall’s first game back after his foot injury and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Auburn draws first blood in the game and keeps LSU off the scoreboard for the entire first quarter. But the 2019 LSU offense, like Thanos, is inevitable. Dread it, run from it, destiny (in this case the LSU offense) still arrives. Auburn’s Noah Igbinoghene can’t jam Marshall at the line. Marshall beats the attempted press coverage and even with Igbinoghene committing pass interference, he still comes down with the ball and finally puts LSU on the scoreboard.