By GLENN GUILBEAU
Tiger Rag Editor
Remember when LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell spelled out the season-long game plan for the Tigers the week of the season opener?
Basically, it sounded like, run, run, run, and ask questions later.
“We’re going to run the ball,” Campbell said before the loss to USC. “That’s not something we’re hiding or trying to keep quiet. I’m telling everybody right now, we are going to run the football. You can take what you want with that.”
So far, it has been mostly pass in both games, however. Through two games, LSU is passing 62 percent of the time to running on 38 percent of the plays. LSU sits 116th in the nation in rushing yards per game at 88.5 on 46 rushes for 177 yards. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, meanwhile, is 14th nationally with 305 passing yards a game. He is 57 of 76 for 610 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception.
“This has to do with how teams have wanted to defend us,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said at his press conference Monday. “And that is they don’t want us to run the football.”
And Kelly and offensive coordinator Joe Sloan will take that.
“I told Joe, ‘I do not want this to be about, well, we have to run it to show everybody that we’re big and bad, and we have an offensive line,'” Kelly said. “If we protect like we have, and we haven’t given up a sack in two games, we’ll let Garrett throw the ball against Cover 1. We have great receivers, and we’ll beat you that way.”
Kelly wants balance first and foremost.
“I built my career on wanting to be equally as good,” he said. “Balance to me is being equally as good at running it as throwing it. Now, if South Carolina comes out in three down and plays Cover 2, I guarantee you we’re running the football. But when you’re loaded in there (on defense), and there’s eight guys on the line of scrimmage and you block them all, what sense does it make really in those situations. We’ll pick our spots.”
Still, good offenses run the ball effectively even when the defense expects a run and has the blockers outnumbered.
“There is going to be times that you’re going to have to make a guy miss, or run a guy over, which we did on several occasions,” Kelly said. “This has everything to do with the way teams have wanted to play us. And it’s been in much more with a loaded front, and that’s going to cause us to throw the football.”
JACOBIAN GUILLORY INSIDE PRESENCE TO BE MISSED
Kelly confirmed the reports Monday that senior starting defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory is out for the season with what he called a “ruptured Achilles tendon,” suffered in the first quarter of LSU’s 44-21 win over Nicholls State on Saturday night. He had surgery Monday.
“He was a stalwart for us – big, physical, point-of-attack guy,” he said. “We have other guys who are going to have to step up. Jacobian was very technically sound, strong player. You know what you’re losing. But we know what he wasn’t as well. He was not a dynamic pass rusher, and he would be the first to tell you that. You’re losing a very strong inside presence. You try to do some other things differently.”
GAME PLANS FOR HURRICANE FRANCINE
Tropical Storm Francine is expected to be a hurricane soon and is headed to Louisiana. No. 16 LSU (1-1) plays at South Carolina (2-0) Saturday (11 a.m. central, ABC) with thunderstorms expected there.
“We have plans over plans when it comes to people talking about hurricanes,” Kelly said. “We’re clear on a plan for Wednesday, Thursday, when it’s imminent. And then the next stage is thunderstorms on Saturday, and then (possible) disruption of the game. We met with the strength staff, nutrition staff, so it’s been a long morning on hurricanes and thunderstorms. We’re already on top of that.”
INJURY REPORT
LSU starting left guard Garrett Dellenger has been cleared to practice on Tuesday after missing the Nicholls State game with an upper body injury and is expected to play at South Carolina Saturday.
“He’ll be ready to go,” Kelly said.
Wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. is day to day with a bone bruise in his ankle. “It’s about what can he tolerate?,” Kelly said. He has not played this season.
Wide receiver Kyle Parker (pinched nerve in elbow) is questionable. He also did not play Saturday.
“He’ll probably be ready by the end of the week,” Kelly said.
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