Coaches impressed with quarterbacks
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With an always-moving mind that helps him make a living as a football coach, LSU offensive coordinator Gary Crowton is always thinking of things from every conceivable angle.
That helps explain why his offensive scheme is so adept at keeping opposing defenses guessing.
So that might be why he was ready to consider Saturday’s performance by the Tigers’ two young quarterbacks a qualified success regardless of what the outcome happened to be on the scoreboard.
Crowton caught himself quickly, though, and came as close as he will to basking in the glow of Jarrett Lee’s second-half offensive performance Saturday that lifted the Tigers to a stirring 26-21 triumph and gives LSU more optimism at the quarterback position as the season moves on.
“Regardless of whether we won or lost — which I’m so glad we won — the development of the quarterbacks was going to be very big in this type of environment,” Crowton said after Lee triggered an LSU comeback with 182 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns passes, including the game-winner to Brandon LaFell with 1:07 to play.
“Now, winning, with that kind of pressure and not really playing great in that kind of environment is really going to help them. Now when the focus comes and I say ‘You’re going to have to get rid of it quicker,’ they’re going to know they have to get rid of it quicker.”
The emergence of Lee in the second half after Andrew Hatch was rendered wobbly after a short scramble may give Crowton and head coach Les Miles cause to juggle the approach they have taken with the QB position since fall camp began.
Hatch has started all three games and played the first four series of each half until Saturday when he was helped off the field after getting his bell rung and his head and neck twisted.
Miles said Hatch “got his facemask yanked and was kind of stunned,” but should be fine. He said Sunday that Hatch “could not go back in” Saturday and miss today’s light practice but should be ready for the rest of the week.
Hatch ran 10 times for 40 yards, absorbing several aggressive, hard hits. Miles said he and Crowton would like the sophomore to avoid taking hits like the one that KO’d him Saturday.
“Heck yeah, he’s not a fullback, he’s a quarterback,” Miles said. “That’s taking it on a little too much.”
Whether Hatch is ready to return against Mississippi State this week (6:30 p.m. Saturday/ESPN2), there was a strong hint — but not an official statement — that LSU’s primary quarterbacks have swapped places in the pecking order.
In the afterglow of Saturday’s Lee-engineered rally, Miles seemed to lean toward tabbing Lee as the starter.
“Obviously football is merit-based and (Lee) had a hell of a game,” Miles said.
Miles said Sunday there’s a “responsibility to play the best player.”
Asked if Lee had supplanted Hatch as the starter, Miles said “We haven’t made any of those decisions at this point. We certainly liked how Hatch played at times and how Lee played at times. He had a great second half and showed leadership and did some very significant things.”
Indeed, Lee’s play was solid enough to give Crowton and Miles enough confidence with the game on the line to allow the redshirt freshman to put the ball in the air with the Tigers well within Colt David field-goal range.
Crowton said there was a plan to open up the offense more in the second half because the raucous sellout crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium had calmed down after spending the first 30 minutes at a constant roar, that it “was time to start pushing the ball.”
“Both Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch have a lot of character,” Crowton aid. “They’re very tough, they’re growing and I expect we’re going to grow in that position as the season goes on.”
Lee’s growth was apparent Saturday when he zipped a short strike to LaFell, who did the rest by beating two Auburn defensive backs the final 11 yards for a TD. Crowton called it a “very safe pass” that Lee delivered low and away.
“I thought we had a chance to make a play out on the edge,” Crowton said. “Brandon LaFell made it, the line protected well and the quarterback threw it right there.
“We’ve got to give those guys confidence because we’re going to play a tough schedule. Those guys have to be in position to help us win those close games.”
Barring the injury, it’s hard to imagine Hatch wouldn’t have been at the controls of the LSU offense for most of the second half. Lee sputtered in his three-first half series, throwing an interception that was taken back for a touchdown.
Miles said the only advice he offered Lee after the ill-advised pass was to “throw it into the seats” the next time.
“The great thing about competitive people is that it’s not the last play they remember it’s the next play they think about,” he said.
On the throw to LaFell, Miles said he was comfortable about the risk factor. He pointed out that Lee had already completed several key throws to get the Tigers back in the game, including a 39-yard peg to Chris Mitchell when he was drilled by two Auburn defenders as he released the pass.
“I held my breath on that one,” Miles said with a smile. “You knew he was going there and he made it a really nice throw.”
That helps explain why his offensive scheme is so adept at keeping opposing defenses guessing.
So that might be why he was ready to consider Saturday’s performance by the Tigers’ two young quarterbacks a qualified success regardless of what the outcome happened to be on the scoreboard.
Crowton caught himself quickly, though, and came as close as he will to basking in the glow of Jarrett Lee’s second-half offensive performance Saturday that lifted the Tigers to a stirring 26-21 triumph and gives LSU more optimism at the quarterback position as the season moves on.
“Regardless of whether we won or lost — which I’m so glad we won — the development of the quarterbacks was going to be very big in this type of environment,” Crowton said after Lee triggered an LSU comeback with 182 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns passes, including the game-winner to Brandon LaFell with 1:07 to play.
“Now, winning, with that kind of pressure and not really playing great in that kind of environment is really going to help them. Now when the focus comes and I say ‘You’re going to have to get rid of it quicker,’ they’re going to know they have to get rid of it quicker.”
The emergence of Lee in the second half after Andrew Hatch was rendered wobbly after a short scramble may give Crowton and head coach Les Miles cause to juggle the approach they have taken with the QB position since fall camp began.
Hatch has started all three games and played the first four series of each half until Saturday when he was helped off the field after getting his bell rung and his head and neck twisted.
Miles said Hatch “got his facemask yanked and was kind of stunned,” but should be fine. He said Sunday that Hatch “could not go back in” Saturday and miss today’s light practice but should be ready for the rest of the week.
Hatch ran 10 times for 40 yards, absorbing several aggressive, hard hits. Miles said he and Crowton would like the sophomore to avoid taking hits like the one that KO’d him Saturday.
“Heck yeah, he’s not a fullback, he’s a quarterback,” Miles said. “That’s taking it on a little too much.”
Whether Hatch is ready to return against Mississippi State this week (6:30 p.m. Saturday/ESPN2), there was a strong hint — but not an official statement — that LSU’s primary quarterbacks have swapped places in the pecking order.
In the afterglow of Saturday’s Lee-engineered rally, Miles seemed to lean toward tabbing Lee as the starter.
“Obviously football is merit-based and (Lee) had a hell of a game,” Miles said.
Miles said Sunday there’s a “responsibility to play the best player.”
Asked if Lee had supplanted Hatch as the starter, Miles said “We haven’t made any of those decisions at this point. We certainly liked how Hatch played at times and how Lee played at times. He had a great second half and showed leadership and did some very significant things.”
Indeed, Lee’s play was solid enough to give Crowton and Miles enough confidence with the game on the line to allow the redshirt freshman to put the ball in the air with the Tigers well within Colt David field-goal range.
Crowton said there was a plan to open up the offense more in the second half because the raucous sellout crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium had calmed down after spending the first 30 minutes at a constant roar, that it “was time to start pushing the ball.”
“Both Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch have a lot of character,” Crowton aid. “They’re very tough, they’re growing and I expect we’re going to grow in that position as the season goes on.”
Lee’s growth was apparent Saturday when he zipped a short strike to LaFell, who did the rest by beating two Auburn defensive backs the final 11 yards for a TD. Crowton called it a “very safe pass” that Lee delivered low and away.
“I thought we had a chance to make a play out on the edge,” Crowton said. “Brandon LaFell made it, the line protected well and the quarterback threw it right there.
“We’ve got to give those guys confidence because we’re going to play a tough schedule. Those guys have to be in position to help us win those close games.”
Barring the injury, it’s hard to imagine Hatch wouldn’t have been at the controls of the LSU offense for most of the second half. Lee sputtered in his three-first half series, throwing an interception that was taken back for a touchdown.
Miles said the only advice he offered Lee after the ill-advised pass was to “throw it into the seats” the next time.
“The great thing about competitive people is that it’s not the last play they remember it’s the next play they think about,” he said.
On the throw to LaFell, Miles said he was comfortable about the risk factor. He pointed out that Lee had already completed several key throws to get the Tigers back in the game, including a 39-yard peg to Chris Mitchell when he was drilled by two Auburn defenders as he released the pass.
“I held my breath on that one,” Miles said with a smile. “You knew he was going there and he made it a really nice throw.”
| LSU QB passing stats | |||||
| Here is a comparison of LSU’s two primary quarterbacks through the first three games of the season: | |||||
| Player | Att. | Cmp. | Yds. | TD | Int. |
| Hatch | 37 | 19 | 218 | 1 | 1 |
| Lee | 50 | 27 | 382 | 4 | 2 |
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