The Joe Burrow Touchdown Bracket: Day 29

Let’s hear it for Justin Jefferson, and the Jefferson family as a whole. It would have been perfectly understandable for Rickey and Justin to play college ball somewhere besides LSU after the way the Jordan era ended. That whole family bleeds purple and gold and I’m probably not the only one hoping there’s a fourth Jefferson brother out there somewhere getting ready to play for the Tigers. By the way Justin Jefferson decided he wants to wear 18 for the Vikings. How awesome is that?

Anyway, on to today’s vote.

No. 4: Jefferson’s 42-yard go route vs. Oklahoma

The context:

One trait that all great quarterbacks have in common is recognizing when a back up defensive back checks into the game and exposes the weak link. I vividly remember Peyton Manning doing that to the Saints in Super Bowl 44, when he exposed Usama Young and hit Pierre Garcon to put the Colts up 10-0.

Joe Burrow does something similar here. Two plays after Oklahoma’s Brendan Radley-Hines was ejected for targeting Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Burrow sees that Jefferson is being covered by Woody Washington, who just checked into the game, and drops a bomb on him. I kinda feel for Washington. He didn’t throw the cheap shot, he was just the poor soul who had to take the payback.

No. 13: Terrace Marshall’s 8-yard vs. Oklahoma

The context:

Remember how Oklahoma had tied the game at seven and we thought okay maybe this will be a game? That immediately went out the window the next time LSU touched the ball. In fact, LSU responded to Oklahoma’s touchdown with SEVEN straight touchdown drives. One minute it’s 7-7, the next it’s 56-14. As the kids say, life comes at you fast.

This play to Marshall was what got that streak of touchdowns going. And remember, this is on the same drive where Marshall lands on his head after an 8-yard completion and he has to be out of the game for a few plays. This was also the drive where Clyde Edwards-Helaire let us all know his hamstring was okay by running over a Sooner safety and picking up 14 yards.

Burrow gets flushed out of the pocket and rolls left. Marshall, who’s running an underneath crossing route doesn’t give up on the play and just keeps working his way into Burrow’s peripheral and, with a defensive back draped all over him no less, Marshall comes away with the ball and puts LSU up 14-7. While there was technically 4:24 left in the first quarter, the game was by all means over with at that moment.