LSUDad Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Two LSU offensive heads better than one? Welcome to the Steve & Joe Show First-year LSU passing game coordinator/receivers coach Joe Brady spoke to media extensively for the first time on Monday (Ron Higgins) Ron Higgins • TigerDetails @RonHigg You wonder how it’s going to work, a 60-year old offensive play caller meshing with a wunderkind passing game coordinator whiz half his age. “What about the Joe Brady hire?” a questioner asked veteran LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger when he met with media during the Tigers’ coaching caravan stop Monday afternoon at Walk-On’s in Metairie. Ensminger recognized the voice from behind him, so his swift response was tongue-in-cheek. “I told Coach O (LSU coach Ed Orgeron) it’s the worst thing he’s ever done in his life,” Ensminger replied with a straight face he couldn’t hold for long since the questioner was none other than Brady, who roared with laughter before walking away In words, deeds and actions, the copecetic public persona presented by Ensminger and former New Orleans Saints assistant Brady seems to be the balance of personalities and offensive philosophies Orgeron has sought since he became LSU’s permanent head coach in late November 2016. “Steve is like John Wayne when he walks in – tough, hard-nosed, doesn’t say much,” Orgeron said, “Joe is energetic. They work well together.” And that’s despite a three-decade age difference since Ensminger, a former LSU starting quarterback in the late 1970s, was already an offensive coordinator when Brady was born on a college football Saturday in September 1989. Ensminger turns 61 on Sept. 15, Brady hits 30 eight days later. “I’ve enjoyed him from the day he showed up,” Ensminger said of Brady. “We brought him here to help us in the passing game and I told Joe that. I said, `Look, take it over. You present it. We’ll discuss it. If I think it fits, it goes.' “He throws it up on the wall, we agree with it or we throw it off. It has been that that type of relationship, a `what do you think?’ ” Brady said the kibitzing with Ensminger formulating the simple offensive scheme of getting the Tigers’ best athletes the ball in open space has been a blast. “Every day you sit in the office, you never know what’s going to come out of his mouth,” Brady said. “The one thing I know is that Steve Ensminger loves LSU. All he wants is for LSU to have success. “He makes the final decision but he listens to everybody’s thoughts. So, when you work for a guy that doesn’t feel my way is the only way, you enjoy that interaction every single day.” Ensminger is all about winning. It’s why he never felt threatened when Orgeron approached him in the off-season about the next step LSU’s offense needed to take if the Tigers wanted to compete for national championships. “Before we hired Joe, I told Steve we had to go to the spread offense,” Orgeron said. “He said,`I agree.’ I said `Let’s get somebody that knows it and let them put it in.’ “Joe puts in a lot of plays, Steve is still the boss. I want Steve to call the plays. Joe has the next play ready. If Steve wants it, he takes it. If Steve wants to call his own play, he calls his own play. “There’s no ego there, those guys work great together. I think that is going to be a big plus for us." Brady had glowing recommendations from Saints’ coach Sean Payton and Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead, who was Penn State’s offensive coordinator when Brady was a Nittany Lions’ graduate assistant in 2015-16. When Brady was hired by Orgeron in late January, he hit the ground running. “Finding out what we did as an offense last year and getting with Coach Ensminger in terms of what we’re trying to do,” Brady said, “I think we did a good job of putting together an identity of what we’re looking for. “At the end of the day, we want speed in space. We believe we have the athletes in our building that if we get them one-on-one situations, they’re going to make us look good and themselves look good. The more one-on-one matchups we get, the better.” A year ago, LSU’s offensive philosophy was TBA. In the 2018 spring game, it looked DOA. “We didn’t even know who we were,” Ensminger said. “We didn’t have Joe (Burrow) there, we didn’t know who our quarterback was. We didn’t know who our center was. None of the receivers had really played. We didn’t know who the starting running back was. There were a lot of questions to answer.” Burrow’s decision last May to join LSU as a graduate transfer from Ohio State can’t be understated. In the face of dire preseason predictions based on the Tigers’ nondescript spring, Burrow was the catalyst of a 10-3 season that flipped the perception of program desperately needing positive shockwaves to emanate into recruiting. Burrow was entrusted with more offensive responsibility as his relationship with Ensminger progressed. By season’s end, Burrow proved he had the makings of a prototype run-pass-option quarterback, another reason why Orgeron hired Brady who also has expertise in that area. Now, with the Ensminger, Brady and Burrow triumvirate, LSU is a season of proven offensive success away from becoming an annual major player in national recruiting fights for blue-chip prep quarterbacks. Just this past weekend at LSU’s elite camp, the lineup of four-star underclassmen quarterbacks from across the country, including Tigers’ Class of 2020 commits Max Johnson and TJ Finley, was astonishing. “This was the best camp I’ve been a part of with quarterback prospects,” Orgeron said. It’s because those QBs know that LSU is headed on a fast track away from just three years ago when head coach Les Miles was fired four games into the 2016 season for clinging to his archaic I-formation, run-heavy offense. Ensminger and Brady are selling an offensive style that sells itself. “They had a chance to come in before spring and visit on campus,” Ensminger said of LSU’s recruiting targets. “Then, they had a chance to come in after and see what we did. We sat down with them and showed (practice) film of RPOs, or four and five-wide (receiver set) practices. I think it piqued their interest.” Now, all that’s left is for the Tigers is to take the Ensminger/Brady or Brady/Ensminger offense from the chalkboard to the practice field to end zones with great frequency this fall. “I know sometimes it’s like `is it Steve’s offense, is it Joe’s offense?’,” Brady said. “This is our offense. We put it together and it is something we’re confident in.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutriaitch Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 3 hours ago, LSUDad said: “Before we hired Joe, I told Steve we had to go to the spread offense,” Orgeron said. “He said,`I agree.’ I said `Let’s get somebody that knows it and let them put it in.’ so now, not only do we have a head coach that doesn’t actually coach (one of his own selling points during the campaign), but now we also have an OC that doesn’t actually C the O. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted June 25, 2019 Author Share Posted June 25, 2019 More: Can Joe Brady save LSU's offense? New coach opens up on his vision -- and no more huddling BY SCOTT RABALAIS | SPORTS COLUMNIST JUN 24, 2019 - 9:29 PM Buy Now Joe Brady talks to media at the LSU Coaches Caravan in Metairie on June 24 Screenshot from video Joe Brady Screenshot from a video Buy Now LSU passing game coordinator Joe Brady provides instruction in a drill during spring practice, Thursday, March 14, 2019, at LSU's indoor practice facility in Baton Rouge, La. Advocate staff photo by HILARY SCHEINUK Scott Rabalais If they had been charging admission to the LSU Coaches Caravan stop at the Metairie Walk-On’s restaurant Monday, it would have been new passing game coordinator Joe Brady that folks would have paid to see. There was coach Ed Orgeron, of course, the gregarious Coach O who fills the room with his special brand of South Louisiana charm. There was the bookish defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, The Professor, who makes you hang on every word but increases your football IQ while doing it. There was hometown hero Mickey Joseph, LSU’s wide receivers coach, and of course folksy Steve Ensminger, the former Tigers quarterback turned offensive coordinator, the bridge between LSU’s past and future. Orgeron said he went to Ensminger in the offseason and said, “We’ve got to go to the spread. He said, ‘I agree. Let’s get somebody who knows it and let them put it in.’ ” Enter Brady, 29, the bespectacled wunderkind of this year’s LSU coaching staff. Brady arrived at LSU bearing the run-pass option knowledge he gleaned from Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead when he was offensive coordinator at Penn State and the passing game savant tactics he picked up the past two seasons under New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton. “Joe put in a lot of plays,” Orgeron said, while stressing that it is still Ensminger’s offense to call. Can't see video below? Click here. Play Video Ensminger, about as unpretentious a character as you will find, welcomed this May-December melding of offensive thoughts. “I’ve enjoyed it since he showed up,” Ensminger said. "I have no ego. I want help.” For LSU fans who have watched for years and years as their Tigers won but employed horse and buggy thinking on offense while other programs installed warp drive engines, Brady is seen as something of a savior. The Zion Williamson of LSU’s offensive strategy, if you will. It is easy to imagine that Orgeron lured Brady away from the Saints with the carrot that if things work out productively for the Tigers that he may be the offensive coordinator in waiting when Ensminger, who turns 61 in September, closes his playbook for the last time. Brady, drawing on a reservoir of natural political panache, audibled away from such pressure as he hopes Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow does this fall. “It’s not about me,” Brady said. “I still have the mentality that I’m a graduate assistant, that I’m an offensive assistant. I’m still trying to learn. We’ve got great coaches on our staff, and anything I can pick up from them is only going to make me a better coach.” Still, there is no mistaking that Brady will play a major role in LSU’s offense. Orgeron said Monday that Brady will be with Ensminger in LSU’s booth in the press box, multiplying the brainpower attacking opposing defenses. “Steve’s going to call the plays,” Coach O said. “Joe is going to have the next play ready. If Steve wants it, he takes it. If he wants to call his own play, he’ll call his own play. I think that’s going to be a big plus for us.” It also has the potential to lead to big friction within the LSU offensive meeting room. But if the Tigers play their cards right, this could be the up tempo answer to many of an LSU fan’s frustrated dreams. “Sometimes (people ask), ‘Is it Steve’s offense? Is it Joe’s offense?’ ” Brady said. “This is our offense. We’re all in this together.” And just what kind of offense does Brady think fans will see? To build upon one of his pet phrases, one that has LSU in full popcorn mode. “You’re going to see an up tempo offense that’s going to get our speed in space,” Brady said. “When you can do that, good things are going to happen. When you can get the best players on the field the ball in their hands, we’re sitting back there enjoying and watching. “I say, ‘Get your popcorn.’ When you’re sitting there enjoying a movie and everything is good, that’s what you’re going to be doing when you see this offense this fall.” A big key to that will be a bunch of lightly buttered Tiger receivers and backs slipping through the gaps in defenses spread out from sideline to sideline. Defenses accustomed to stacking the box against LSU offenses bent on overpowering instead of outsmarting the other team. Frankly, after the missionary zeal for the Power-I formation of the Les Miles years and the failed experiment that was the Matt Canada shell game of 2017, belief in true change from LSU’s offense has to be seen to be believed. Until the games start, the only thing to go on are words. Words like these that Brady used to describe Burrow’s leadership chops: “I know we don’t huddle, but he’s that type of quarterback where if he got in a huddle and looked everyone in the eyes they’d be ready to go. Every offensive person would run through the wall for him.” “We don’t huddle,” he said. This LSU offensive definitely bears watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted June 26, 2019 Author Share Posted June 26, 2019 LSU's new offense goes 'as the receivers go,' Joe Brady says; Spread to score points, reduce sacks BY BROOKS KUBENA | STAFF WRITER JUN 25, 2019 - 7:00 PM Buy Now LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson (2) reacts as Central Florida defensive back Rashard Causey (21) keeps him in the second half of the Tigers' 40-32 win over the previously undefeated Knights in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, Tuesday, January 1, 2019, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Az. Pass interference was called on Causey. Advocate staff photo by HILARY SCHEINUK Brooks Kubena Joe Brady said he tells the LSU wide receivers every day "this team is going to go as the receivers go," and when the first-year passing game coordinator spoke about his offensive philosophies Monday evening, that daily phrase seems just about right. In the promised new-look, up-tempo, no-huddle, run-pass option offense, Brady said the base goal is to get the football into a play-maker's hands in space. And in the offense's basic form during April's spring game, nine receivers had at least two catches for more than 20 yards receiving, showcasing the long-promised proliferation of slant routes and four- and five-wide receiver sets. But aside from boosting LSU's point totals and yardage, Brady said the Tigers' new spread offense will also help solve the pass protection issues that plagued LSU throughout the 2018 season, when the team ranked tied for 106th nationally with 35 total sacks allowed. The high sack total limited an offense that often used tight ends and running backs as blockers in max pass protection in order to aid an inconsistent offensive line that struggled throughout the season. Brady claimed that statistics have proven that when a team is in five-man protections — meaning only the offensive linemen are blocking — that a team will give up fewer sacks. "(When) you can get the ball out fast, it limits what the defense can do," Brady said at the LSU coaches caravan stop in Metairie. LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said something similar before Brady was hired, back during Fiesta Bowl media day when Aranda was talking about the difficulties of facing run-pass option offenses. Aranda said defenses can't really blitz extra pass rushers because players needed to be prepared to defend the slant. "It limits you some in that way," Aranda said. "You're better off with the (defensive) front of just four guys (with their) hands up, (playing) tight coverage (in the secondary), and (linebackers) seeing the ball and breaking flat. At least, that's how we thought. That really affected us in the middle-half of the season (with) some of the pressure-type stuff." So instead of seeing running backs and tight ends cracking down on blitzers, while a reduced number of receiver options break downfield, Brady wants to break those options loose. "Running backs are here to run the ball and catch passes," said Brady, who signed a three-year contract that pays him $410,000 in his first season. "They're not signed to play at LSU because they're dynamic blockers. That's what offensive linemen are for. Are they going to have to do it? Yes. But the more we can get them in the routes, the more defenses limit the packages they can do and it allows us to do what we have to do." And that's one of the key words now: Routes. No more is any receiver learning a specific position, Brady said. They're learning route concepts, so that every receiver on the roster can be placed anywhere on the field. It's designed to seek out favorable matchups against defensive backs, which Brady said have the advantage when an offense limits its receivers to specific positions. "I feel if people know exactly where people are going to be, defenses can dictate what they want to do and take guys out of the game," Brady said. "Now, we're at the advantage." Just how can that impact play out on the field? "Once we find the guy who can't cover, that's who we're going after every play," LSU wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph said. "And it's going to be different guys (who are) going to get it." It's an inherited philosophy. Brady, who previously spent two seasons as an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints, was on staff for the Saints' 45-35 regular season win over the then-undefeated Los Angeles Rams in 2018, when Michael Thomas set a franchise record with 211 receiving yards, most of it coming against Rams corner Marcus Peters. Saints coach Sean Payton said afterward that exploiting Peters was part of the game plan, and it appeared to continue in the rematch in the NFC championship game. Brooks Kubena@BKubena The Saints are literally picking on Marcus Peters. 19 3:43 PM - Jan 20, 2019 · New Orleans, LA But having wide receivers learn concepts instead of specific positions also allows LSU to play toward their receiver's strengths, Joseph said, moving a player around during the course of the game who may run a specific route better than anyone else. Joseph said the new scheme will allow Justin Jefferson, LSU's leading receiver last season (875 yards, six touchdowns), to play inside near the slot in 2019, where he'll have more suitable matchups than when he was playing toward the sideline last year. Can't see video below? Click here. Advertisement: 0:12 "I think he'll be matched up on nickel (safeties)," said Joseph, who signed a two-year, $310,000 per year extension in May, "and I don't know if there's going to be too many nickels that can cover him. So, if he's matched up inside, then they're eventually going to have to take one of their best corners and put him inside.” Maybe you can already track where this is going next. If one of an opponent's best corners gets placed inside to cover Jefferson, that now means that lesser-skilled defender could be placed outside on another LSU receiver, creating yet another potential mismatch to exploit. That LSU receiver, Joseph said, could be any number of a potential six-to-eight receiver rotation. It could be 6-foot-6, 229-pound senior Dee Anderson, a "big body" who Joseph said "can catch BBs in the dark." Perhaps the 5-foot-11, 184-pound Derrick Dillon, whom Joseph said has returned from the offseason hip surgery that held him out of spring practice. Or maybe it'll be 6-foot-1, 205-pound sophomore Ja'Marr Chase, who had 10 catches for 169 yards and a touchdown in his final three games last season. But the receiver who has shown the most improvement, Joseph said, is Terrace Marshall. The 6-foot-4, 209-pound sophomore didn't break out during his true freshman year, Joseph said, because the recovery from a broken fibula he suffered in high school was still stunting his breakaway speed. Joseph said Marshall, a former five-star recruit at Parkway High, has fully recovered. "He can catch the deep ball better than anybody I've seen," Joseph said. That sets a high expectation in Baton Rouge, which has seen NFL receivers like Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry and DJ Chark. But there's already pressure on the LSU receivers, remember? Brady tells them every day that the LSU offense now runs through them. "There's not a day we can take off," said Brady, a former wide receiver at William & Mary. "I want them to have that mentality. I'll be damned if the receivers (that came) before us turn on the games on Saturday and don't see that physicality and mentality from this wide receiver unit." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houtiger Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 I didn't know about Marshall's prior injury slowing him down. I'm not glad he had an injury, but I'm glad there is a logical explanation for why he didn't break out his freshman year. I still like JaMarr Chase and thought he played like a Jarvis Landry freshman (better than a true freshman), and I would be happy to see Marshall join Chase and break out this year. And I'd like to see the upper classmen have good seasons. That's expecting a lot more from our passing attack that we've gotten the last 5 or 10 years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutriaitch Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 20 hours ago, houtiger said: I'm glad there is a logical explanation for why he didn't break out his freshman year. Because the entire offense sucked stagnant ditch water the vast minority’s of the season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houtiger Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 4 hours ago, Nutriaitch said: Because the entire offense sucked stagnant ditch water the vast minority’s of the season? The offense had its moments, played a good game against Ga. and we had good wins against Miss. St and Auburn. Still a kid like JaMarr Chase came in as a true frosh and I thought he played very well. If the ball was in the air and JaMarr and a DB both went for it, JaMarr came down with it usually. He showed he could track the ball in the air, time his leap well, and he had good hands that are strong. I hope to see improvement from him for his Soph year because he could be a dandy. I'd also like to see Terrace break out this year, he came in as a 5*. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted June 28, 2019 Author Share Posted June 28, 2019 A little more detailed: LSU rebuilding into spread offense based around talents of Joe Burrow, mind of Joe Brady Brandon Adam | @badam___ Jun 26, 2019 Updated Jun 26, 2019 LSU senior quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws the ball during the Tigers' spring football game in Tiger Stadium on Saturday, April 6, 2019. Mitchell Scaglione LSU fans have been sold a bill of goods on a new offensive juggernaut each spring for pretty much a decade. By the sound of players and coaches, LSU’s offense is “The Greatest Show on Turf” each spring. But at the end of each season the talk gets replaced by results, and the results haven’t been pretty. The self-proclaimed juggernaut offense instead turns out to be mediocre and uninspiring. The offense gets by lesser teams with overwhelming physicality and sheer talent, but when those two aspects are matched, things get ugly quickly. In the 11 seasons following LSU’s last national title in 2007, the Tigers’ offense has averaged 30.5 points per game. The number isn’t awful, but in the same time span, LSU has scored 142 points in 12 tries against Alabama, an average of 11.8 points, which is far below the season average. The number looks even more bleak when considering 69 of those points were scored in four games from 2008 to 2011, and the other 73 points have come in the last eight games, three of which were shutouts. So to whom does LSU turn to sell the new offense heading into 2019? The answer is Joe Brady, who was playing wide receiver at the College of William & Mary the last time LSU beat Alabama. Since then though, the 29-year-old Brady worked his way through the coaching profession and comes to LSU from the New Orleans Saints, where he spent two years as an offensive assistant. Brady’s title at LSU is passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. He acts as the right-hand man of offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger. Ensminger took steps to revitalize LSU’s offense the same way he did as interim in 2016 and shifted from an old-school, power offense to a more modern offense. He tried to incorporate many more three and four wide receiver formations, but the offense was maligned by other issues outside of scheme. The offensive line was constantly banged up and injured, the tight end position was solely manned Foster Moreau outside of the rare help from wide receiver Racey McMath and fullback Tory Carter, and the wide receivers had barely any experience. Then in the backfield, quarterback Joe Burrow had only been on campus for two months before the season started, and for the first time in the longest time, LSU was unusually thin on depth at running back. In comes Brady to help Ensminger install a full-time spread offense. The two have spent the spring working on designing and installing a brand new offense around Burrow and a rotation of six to eight receivers anchored by junior Justin Jefferson and sophomores Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall. “We were trying to put together a system that was easy for the guys to implement in the run game, but the formations matched up in the pass game,” said Brady at a TAF Coaches Caravan stop on Monday. He equated the progress of LSU’s offense in the spring to going through college classes. First came the 100, 200-level classes, and the fall will be for classes 300 and up. “From a system standpoint, we were just trying to find a way to put our speed in space and how we can get our offense to make the defense play with 11 players. If we can get our running backs, our tight ends involved and our quarterbacks involved in the run game.” Brady even let it slip that LSU will not be huddling for the most part in 2019. The players will now get to the line and look to the sideline for the play call in an effort to stay up tempo. He talked about abandoning max and seven-man protections in favor of going to a five-man protection to keep defenses spread out and accountable for every man on the field. “A lot of people think when you’re getting a lot of pressure you need to bring the box in and bring max protection, seven-man protection, but I think you go five-man protection you get the ball out faster and it limits what defenses can do. “As an offense we want to get the running backs out in the routes. Running backs at the end of the day are here to run the ball and catch passes. They're not signed to play at LSU because they’re dynamic blockers that’s what offensive linemen are for.” The man behind the offensive line will be the biggest key for LSU’s offense. Burrow threw for 2894 yards and 16 touchdowns while adding 399 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground in his first year at LSU. Heading into his senior season, Burrow has finally been able to acclimate to the coaches and wide receivers. He’s been given input into the offense heading into the season, and during spring practice he said it was an offense that is second nature to him and similar to what he ran in high school and at Ohio State. The emphasis has been on four and five-wide sets, and Ensminger said LSU had two practices dedicated strictly to five-wide formations along with more designed quarterback runs. “There’s so many things we can do with Joe [Burrow],” Orgeron said. “This offense is tailor made for Joe. Last year we couldn’t run Joe as much because Myles [Brennan] had a stress fracture.” The guys Burrow will be throwing to will also be more varied this season. Last year LSU kept the wide receivers in one role and position. Players like senior Derrick Dillon only played the slot, and other receivers like Jefferson, Chase and Marshall played as the strong or weak-side receivers. Now, all the receivers will be expected to be able to play multiple roles and know what each other is doing. Brady said they are no longer teaching roles, but concepts and route combinations, leading to more diversity in the offense. But the main goal isn’t to just get the ball to the best player with a simple handoff or chuck it 40 yards downfield off of play action anymore. LSU is going to isolate its playmakers and put them in space in advantageous situations to make plays. “We’re attentive to details in the things we do, but at the same time we’re not going to coach the athletes out of our football players,” Brady said. “We’re going to allow them to have fun and do what they do best.” Those are similar words heard before from LSU coaches, but the groundwork from what Ensminger did in 2018 is there. It’s now up to Brady and Ensminger to deliver even further, and the comradery between the two shows. Brady stepped into Enmsinger’s interview with the media and asked the offensive coordinator thought of his hire. Ensminger was quick to reply. “I told Coach O it was the worst thing he’s ever done in his life,” he said jokingly. If the two coaches can finally build the long awaited juggernaut offense, Brady’s hire might be the best thing Orgeron has ever done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted June 28, 2019 Author Share Posted June 28, 2019 We finally have a little depth on both sides of the ball. A low number of Sr’s. A good year, we could have a number of Jr’s leave early. With the ease of the Transfer Portal, you have to recruit players over again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dachsie Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 WAIT - I thought O wanted a pro-style offense. Nw we are doing a spread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houtiger Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 On 6/28/2019 at 10:38 AM, LSUDad said: We finally have a little depth on both sides of the ball. A low number of Sr’s. A good year, we could have a number of Jr’s leave early. With the ease of the Transfer Portal, you have to recruit players over again. What about the desired qualities for offensive linemen in this style offense. We know Les was not good at recruiting true offensive tackles and we are trying to get to a longer, leaner, more athletic tackle that can handle outside speed rushers like our K'Lavon Chaisson. What about guards and center? Do we have to look for newer characteristics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted June 30, 2019 Author Share Posted June 30, 2019 1 hour ago, houtiger said: What about the desired qualities for offensive linemen in this style offense. We know Les was not good at recruiting true offensive tackles and we are trying to get to a longer, leaner, more athletic tackle that can handle outside speed rushers like our K'Lavon Chaisson. What about guards and center? Do we have to look for newer characteristics. From what I understand, they are somewhat happy with what they have on the roster. Getting the ball out quickly, helps a lineman. Remember this, Les leaves, two true Freshmen start on the OL, been a long time since we seen this. Someone will train at center, not counting the player coming in. Remember this, Cush was a two star, the lowest rated player in his class. What they did with his transformation, from Spring to the Miami game was unreal. They will look at doing the same with another player. Having a number of players that have started on the line last year, we will have experience along the line. Only three Sr’s help. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted June 30, 2019 Author Share Posted June 30, 2019 (edited) On 6/30/2019 at 7:58 AM, dachsie said: WAIT - I thought O wanted a pro-style offense. Nw we are doing a spread? Somewhat of a mixture, see what the Saints are doing. They are throwing in a number of things. More to create mismatches. We are very tall at WR, we have speed at TE, we have a number of RB’s that can come out of the backfield. We want the ball in playmakers hands. Steve wanted to do much of this last year, the loss of TE’s dialed back much of this. Foster was it, nothing behind him. McMath was moved over to try and fill that void. Look at what they will do this year, you can try to take a player away, but too many to fill the void. Last year, we had a major drop at RB, what Steve did to get 10 wins was unreal, we were limited, way too much, this year, WFO. They somewhat showed a few things in the Spring, but expected way more in the fall. Edited July 3, 2019 by LSUDad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted July 3, 2019 Author Share Posted July 3, 2019 On 6/30/2019 at 7:58 AM, dachsie said: WAIT - I thought O wanted a pro-style offense. Nw we are doing a spread? Ive been wanting to come back and address this question. Ok, on the Spread: Spread offenses typically place the quarterback in the shotgun formation, and "spread" the defense horizontally using three-, four-, and even five-receiver sets. Many spread offenses also employ a no-huddle approach. Some implementations of the spread also feature wide splits between the offensive linemen. RPO: The RPO is a simple concept that creates complex problems for the defense. As offensive linemen block for a running play, the quarterback reads the reaction of a specified defender — usually a linebacker — to determine whether he will hand off or throw a quick pass. Remember this, most times, you don’t want the QB running. But when the defense starts to get suckered in, an open field will give the QB some yards to makeup. Ok, back to your question, what the Packers and Eagles are running gives you more insight as to what we want from an offense. Spread teams out, allow the ball into the hands of the players. Handoff to the back, or, quick pass. Steve wanted to use the TE more in his offense last year, with Moss and Pettigrew out, having only Foster, he was limited. A good friend of mine coached Brett Farve, who started RPO. https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/111174324 Fast forward, will a high school offense work in college? Work in the Pro’s? Look no further than Brett Farves backup QB, Doug Pederson, he was hired as head football coach of Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport,La. Peterson took this school and won games. But from high school, he signs on with the NFL, in 2017, he’s the head coach of the Super Bowl Champion Eagles. This is more of what Pederson likes to do. I think to answer what LSU will be doing this year. Spread, RPO’s, West Coast, Pro Style, Spread-I, etc. Steve will do a number of things, we will see two TE sets, one TE and you may see the TE in the slot, or spread out wide. A good friend coaching at Rice did much of the same with TE’s, the following year, all three of his TE’s made it into an NFL camp. H-back, tight end, slot receiver, and even as an outside receiver, what the LSU TE, might be positioned in a game. It takes a smart and versatile player to do all that but if a team can find tight ends who both block and run routes well there's no reason they couldn't also move all over the field. When the New England Patriots had Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski they were able to bring a wide variety of formations and tactics, either using their size to bulldoze opposing defenses or their route running to spread them and tear them apart. I said we have height at the WR position. The options are endless as to what we can do this year. We will score points this year and win games. Clyde Helaire will do well in this offense. Looking at the Pederson RPO film above, the Eagles RB is somewhat like Clyde, short and quick. But once the two new Freshmen get use to the offense, a little more power and speed. Down and distance will dictate personnel on the field. Dont know if I answered your main question, but I gave you enough reading and film to see what we are capable of doing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houtiger Posted July 3, 2019 Share Posted July 3, 2019 Excellent stuff Dad! That QB has to be smart and quick. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted August 22, 2019 Author Share Posted August 22, 2019 A nice look into what we want to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted August 22, 2019 Author Share Posted August 22, 2019 Last year, Steve knew what he wanted to do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted August 23, 2019 Author Share Posted August 23, 2019 (edited) Edited August 23, 2019 by LSUDad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted August 26, 2019 Author Share Posted August 26, 2019 Going deep: Here's how LSU's new spread offense will increase explosive pass plays BY BROOKS KUBENA | STAFF WRITER AUG 20, 2019 - 6:00 PM Buy Now LSU wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. (6) pulls in a long pass to set up a tiger field goal during the first half of LSU's game against Georgia in Tiger Stadium Saturiday Oct. 13, 2018, in Baton Rouge, La. ADVOCATE STAFF PHOTO BY BILL FEIG Buy Now LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson (2) pulls in a catch in the end zone for the touchdown in the first half of the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl agains Central Florida, Tuesday, January 1, 2019, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Az. Advocate staff photo by HILARY SCHEINUK LSU wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase dives into the end zone during an NCAA college football game against Southeast Louisiana, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 in Baton Rouge, La. (Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via AP) ORG XMIT: LALAF201 Scott Clause Buy Now LSU wide receiver Trey Palmer (33) lines up in a drill during practice, Tuesday, August 13, 2019, at LSU's outdoor practice facility in Baton Rouge, La. STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK Buy Now LSU wide receiver Devonta Lee (5) makes the catch in a drill as LSU holds its first fall practice, Friday, August 2, 2019, at the Tigers' practice facility on LSU's campus in Baton Rouge, La. STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK Brooks Kubena A new bejeweled 'J' hung from Justin Jefferson's necklace. The LSU wide receiver's mother, Elaine, gifted him the pendant a month ago. 'J' for what? 'J' for "J-Jets." That's what his high school friends nicknamed him back at Destrehan High, when the youngest brother of former LSU stars, Jordan and Rickey, averaged 21.7 yards per catch during his senior season. J-Jets first took flight in Baton Rouge in 2018, catching a 65-yard bomb against Ole Piss for his first career touchdown. The 6-foot-3, 192-pound Jefferson was Joe Burrow's top target by far last season. His 54 catches, 875 yards and six touchdowns were all statistics that were twice as much (or more) than any other LSU receiver. That proportion is expected to change in LSU's re-tooled spread offense this season, when the Tigers debut a passing attack built to uncork the talented receiver depth the program has possessed for several years. Constructed by first-year passing game coordinator Joe Brady and offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger, the new system has invigorated a receiving corps that now expects to make the explosive plays LSU coach Ed Orgeron demanded more of last season. "It's gonna be a big passing year for us," Jefferson said Monday. Those surrounding the LSU football program have long boasted the self-proclaimed title of "DBU," often pointing toward the 46 Tigers defensive backs who have been drafted by NFL franchises since 1966. LSU's wide receiver total (34) isn't too far behind. Seven LSU wide receivers have been drafted since 2012, and four of them — DJ Chark (Jacksonville Jaguars), Odell Beckham (New York Giants), Jarvis Landry (Miami Dolphins), Reuben Randle (Giants) — were drafted within the first two rounds. Only Ohio State (9), Clemson (8), Georgia (8) and Oklahoma (8) have produced more drafted NFL wide receivers in that span. Despite being at the top of the nation in professional production, LSU hasn't been able to produce the same firepower as their peer programs. Last season, Oklahoma (2nd), Ohio State (4th) and Clemson (6th) were among the Top 10 in teams that produced the most passing plays of 30-plus yards. LSU was tied for 39th. Despite a promise to use a more spread out offense, the Tigers mostly maintained a commitment to the run, averaging 43 rushes to 30 passes per game. Georgia, which tied for 61st in 30-plus yard passing plays in 2018, had the same commitment, although the Bulldogs produced two 1,000-yard rushers in D'Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield. LSU's limited passing power stemmed mostly from poor protection, an issue exacerbated by frequent injuries on the offensive line that made for a revolving door of a starting rotation. The Tigers offense first started to shift toward the spread in the Fiesta Bowl, when Ensminger decided that spreading running backs and wide receivers out on pass routes, instead of using them as extra blockers, would alleviate quarterback pressure because Burrow would have multiple, quicker passing options. The decision's effect on the explosive passing game was clear: Burrow threw five passes of 30-plus yards in LSU's 40-32 win over Central Florida, and three of the passes went for touchdowns. Brady has said LSU is expanding more on that spread concept in 2019, when the Tigers will use a heavy rotation of receivers that will be scattered across the field instead of being restrained to specific positions. Jefferson will be playing more near the slot this season, which LSU wide receiver coach Mickey Joseph said could draw opponent cornerbacks inward, creating a mismatch for the other receivers on the outside. And that's where the deep threat options open up: sophomores Ja'Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall, who both had receptions of over 40 yards in 2018, or junior Racey McMath, who Jefferson calls "a big, big massive receiver that can go up and catch the ball." True freshman Trey Palmer caught a long touchdown in Saturday's scrimmage, center Lloyd Cushenberry said, and Devonta Lee has gained a reputation for making crazy catches over LSU defensive backs. Jefferson said Lee made a touchdown catch a few days ago during a red zone drill, when Lee reached over the helmet of a cornerback on a fade route to catch the football. "Too many," Jefferson said. "We have too many deep threats." The updated offense includes another wrinkle: wide receivers will now be reading defensive coverages during plays, which will dictate where their routes will flow. Jefferson said LSU didn't "put that much emphasis on reading the defenses last year," when the receiving corps was partially coached by former long-time NFL wide receiver coach Jerry Sullivan. Reading coverages was left to the quarterbacks, and the receivers relied on routes and technique to get open. Now, Brady is coaching the LSU receivers to notice when they're being defended by a man or a zone coverage, or if a cornerback is pressing them tightly before the snap or giving them space. In certain run-pass option plays, Burrow and the receivers can make a pre-snap decision to throw a quick hitch when a defender is playing off. And with Jefferson near the slot, he said he's reading the linebackers and safeties, "knowing when to turn out, turn in," to find the spot where Burrow can hit him in open space. Sophomore outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson has noticed Jefferson's shiftiness, saying Jefferson probably wins about 70 percent of their one-on-one matches. Mixed in with tight end routes over the middle, Jefferson's threat on the inside can draw enough attention from defensive backs to leave a one-on-one opportunity for wide receivers like Chase or Marshall on the outside. And that's when the downfield bombs fly. "Everybody opens up everything for everybody," junior tight end Thaddeus Moss said. But with the extra responsibility given to receivers, there is now a heightened need for Burrow and the receivers to be on the same page. There's possible volatility where receivers may decide to go one way, when Burrow is anticipating them to go another. Jefferson said all the receivers got together with Burrow every Saturday during the summer at 10 a.m., and they constantly ran through plays and refined communication. "With (Burrow), it's timing," Chase said. "He wants a certain depth on his routes. He wants us to be ready for the ball, 'cause he said he doesn't know who he's throwing it to. So he always wants us to be ready for it." And on deep balls? Jefferson said Brady has taught them to keep their head down and finish their route before looking for the ball, which should already be in the air. Cushenberry watched from the sidelines during Saturday's scrimmage, watching the second team as Palmer executed the deep route technique perfectly, running directly under a Myles Brennan deep ball while on a dead sprint. "I feel like we have the best receiver room in the country," Cushenberry said. "Every one of those guys can go for 1,000 yards this year... It's a lot of speed. It's going to be fun to watch for sure." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted October 15, 2019 Author Share Posted October 15, 2019 A revisit before the seasons start, a look at where this started, where we are now. Anyone enjoy this transformation? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted November 6, 2019 Author Share Posted November 6, 2019 What will the future hold for Joe Brady? Let's discuss a few possibilities for the LSU savior Connor O'Gara | 4 hours ago Enjoy it, LSU fans. Just brace for it, too. The first “it” is this historically dominant version of the Tigers’ offense since Joe Brady left the New Orleans Saints to join Ed Orgeron’s staff as the passing game coordinator/receivers coach/savior. The one that has Joe Burrow as a Heisman Trophy favorite leading the No. 1 Tigers heading into the second weekend of November. 00:03 03:01 00:14 The second “it” is the swarm of teams that are going to pursue the 30-year old offensive assistant whose RPO-based system turned water into wine with the LSU offense. Yes, I realize that LSU fans were hopeful that Brady was going to be the offensive coordinator in waiting until Steve Ensminger’s contract runs out at the end of the 2020 season. Technically, there’s still a chance that could happen. But one thing seems certain — that 3-year deal that paid Brady $400,000 annually is going to look a little different at season’s end. Whether it’s LSU or another team signing those checks remains to be seen. Brady is in for a hefty raise, regardless of if LSU gets over the hump against Alabama or if Burrow wins the Heisman. If he’s making less than 7 figures in 2020, I’ll be stunned. You don’t revamp an offense that dramatically and not cash in. I mean, Tyson Helton was paid $1.2 million to be Tennessee’s offensive coordinator in 2018. There’s zero question that Brady is worth that. There are a few things to consider when it comes to Brady’s future. One is that despite the fact that he has a chance to win the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant, he isn’t a coordinator yet. Most people who are 3 years removed from being a grad assistant aren’t coordinators. LSU is, at the very least, going to make Brady a co-offensive coordinator at season’s end. My guess is that the Tigers would risk Ensminger’s potentially bruised ego if that happened, though given how well he’s handled Brady’s rise, that would be a surprising development. Orgeron’s staff-friendly deal should allow for that type of raise to come Brady’s way. My question is obvious — what will the market look like for Brady? I joked in the midst of Georgia’s slow start against Kentucky that I wonder who would say “no” if the Dawgs offered Brady $10 million to fly on a plane and get to Athens ASAP. I was only half-joking about that. I do think that several Power 5 teams with either defensive-minded head coaches or offensive-minded head coaches who are in need of a spark will make Brady a 7-figure offer. Whether LSU would actually let him make more money as a coordinator elsewhere might be a different discussion. If Georgia’s offense struggles down the stretch, Kirby Smart could fire James Coley and throw the kitchen sink at Brady. Penn State would be an intriguing candidate given Brady’s days as a grad assistant on James Franklin’s staff, though that would probably take current offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne becoming a Group of 5 head coach. If the USC staff is fired, Brady could do wonders working as an offensive coordinator in a quarterback hub like Southern California. He’d get paid a boatload of money to do it, too. I wouldn’t rule out the idea of Florida State’s next head coach, depending on what side of the ball their area expertise is in, making Brady an attractive offer to return to his home state of Florida. Actually, Danny Kanell even wants him to become his alma mater’s next head coach: Danny Kanell ✔@dannykanell This would be my first list of candidates to call for FSU....we discussed right off the top today on @kanellandbell ..here’s the linkhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kanell-bell/id1313451877#episodeGuid=bd921d9a-2a1a-11e9-bee2-133b329d5584 … 149 2:38 PM - Nov 4, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy Can you imagine if Brady got an offer that massive already? It would be an unprecedented rise, but that’s been the Brady story so far. There are probably a few other Power 5 programs who would enter the coaching carousel in need of a splashy offensive coordinator. In all likelihood, the guy is probably going to have head coaching interest. Some might say the inexperience could prevent that from happening for at least another year or two, but all bets are off if LSU continues this historic offensive season to a national title. And there’s the other thing that needs to be considered. How attractive is getting back to the NFL for Brady? He was part of some ridiculously talented offenses with the Saints. The same league that had a team who hired Kliff Kingsbury after his Texas Tech firing would surely have a potential market for Brady. Maybe it’s not as a primary play-caller, but I can’t imagine that his work is going unnoticed at the next level. We could find out that Brady once had dinner with Sean McVay, and he’d suddenly have teams handing him a blank check. Kidding. Kind of. I don’t know what Brady’s next move will be. He might not, either. He might let this process play out and see what/who appeals to him. This is the first time in his young life both as a coach and as a former player that he has everyone coming after him, and rightfully so. The LSU offensive transformation is the type of thing teams dream about but can never actually deliver when they’re selling the program in the offseason. I’m fascinated to see what’s ahead for the LSU assistant, both in the next month and when the season ends. The least likely scenario feels like Brady returning to his same salary and title in Baton Rouge next year. He’s been far too valuable for that to happen, and if there was ever a time to cash in, now is it. For now, Brady’s career is much like his famed RPO system — options galore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted November 6, 2019 Author Share Posted November 6, 2019 How the LSU Tigers' offense completely changed thanks to Joe Brady play Finebaum: 'Alabama must win this game!' (0:40) 9:00 AM CT Alex ScarboroughESPN Staff Writer Joe Brady's name wasn't exactly buzzing around coaching circles this time a year ago. He was part of the New Orleans Saints offensive staff at large for two seasons, sitting in on meetings and breaking down film without coaching a specific position. Before that, he was in a similar off-field role as a graduate assistant at Penn State, living life in the shadows of the sport as a part intern, part right-hand man to the offensive coordinator. Granted, Brady had impressed everyone he'd worked for, but that was a small circle and a far cry from the national spotlight. No one knew that a lot of the things the Saints did on Sundays with do-everything quarterback Taysom Hill traced back to the 28-year-old's cubicle. How could they? One meeting changed all that, though. LSU invited the Saints coaches to campus to talk shop one day, bringing the anonymous coach front and center with a program desperate to transform its offensive identity and regain its footing as a national powerhouse. Though Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael was the main draw during the get-together in Baton Rouge, Brady got his turn on the whiteboard in front of the LSU staff as well, sharing his thoughts on the run-pass option that was spreading quickly throughout college football and bubbling up in the NFL. Tigers offensive coordinator Steven Ensminger perked up as he watched and listened. He was impressed. Every question he had, Brady had an answer. LSU head coach Ed Orgeron wasn't present for the meeting, but he heard about it. And a year later, when a position opened up on the offensive staff, and the program still looking to overhaul its Stone Age era offense, Brady's name bubbled back up. Orgeron made some calls, including one to Brady's former boss at William & Mary, Kevin Rogers, who told him, "You'd be nuts not to hire the guy." Brady was in Baton Rouge hours after the Saints' season ended. He was the only candidate LSU formally interviewed, and he was hired within days. "I listened to him and I loved his presentation," Orgeron told ESPN. "But I did some research on him with some people I know very well and trusted them. They don't throw the word 'excellent' around easily. And they said excellent. So I went with my gut." (Brady was unavailable to comment for this story, as LSU does not make its assistants available to the media during the regular season .) Nine months have passed since his hire, and the Tigers' offense is unrecognizable to those who've watched the team over the past two decades. Alabama coach Nick Saban, whose No. 2-ranked Crimson Tide host No. 1 LSU this Saturday, said, "They're a completely different offense. They've completely changed their style of play." A year ago, no one could have predicted this. A former William & Mary walk-on receiver who turned 30 earlier this season, and five years ago was coaching linebackers in the FCS, has become the talk of college football. "He goes by Joe Brady now, I hear," former William & Mary head coach Jimmye Laycock said. "He was always Joey when he was here." Or, if you were looking to tease the former Air Force cadet who walked onto the program in 2009, you might call him "Ginger." Trevor Andrews, an assistant under Laycock, certainly did. Andrews couldn't understand how a kid from Florida would have such fair skin. Even if the temperature was upward of 80 degrees, Joey would inevitably have on a long-sleeve shirt and full-length compression pants. "Pale," Andrews said, laughing. "Those redheads can burn." Brady didn't play at all in 2009 and barely sniffed the field the following season. In three seasons, he caught three passes for 34 yards and started only once -- his final game. He never scored a touchdown. Still, he managed to make an impression. In meeting rooms, Brady had a presence, asking all the right questions and helping the younger players along. If a quarterback made a mistake, William & Mary offensive coordinator Zbig Kepa said Brady wasn't afraid to ask, "What the hell are you doing?" When he did get into games, even though he wasn't much of a receiving threat, he got the coaches' attention. Kepa remembers a favorite call back then: Cal screen. It was a swing pass to the running back in which the X receiver had to perform a crack-back block on either a defensive end or outside linebacker. "It was a feather in your cap if you could do it," Kepa said. Brady did it -- a lot -- earning the coveted Big Block Award. When Brady's playing days ended in December 2012, it was no secret he wanted to get into coaching. In fact, looking back on it now, a few of those coaches guessed that Brady chose William & Mary with that in mind. The college, which is the second oldest in the nation, produced Marv Levy and Lou Holtz. Laycock isn't a household name, but he's a giant in the profession, having coached for just shy of 40 seasons, winning 249 games and producing a number of successful coaches, including NFL head coaches Sean McDermott, Dan Quinn and Mike Tomlin. "It's become kind of a cradle of coaches," said former offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers, who took over for Kepa following the 2012 season. Laycock couldn't recall hiring any of his players straight off the field before Brady. There was just something about him -- maybe it was how he understood everyone's job on the field -- that made Laycock comfortable bringing him on as a graduate assistant. "He sat in every meeting," Rogers said. "He wanted to know every concept. He wanted to know the protections. He wanted to know the run schemes." It was such that when a position coaching linebackers opened up a few months later, Brady was the obvious choice. It didn't matter that he had no experience on defense. "He was the best thing we could do for our program," said Rogers, who gave up his assistant kicking and screaming. "We were not going to hire a guy better than Joe Brady." Andrews, who worked closely with Brady for the next three seasons, was blown away by how quickly he absorbed the defense. As the only one with an offensive background in the room, he could speak to where an opponent might attack a certain look. But it was the detail and breadth of work he did that Andrews still marvels at today. Andrews would ask for a report on an opposing offense, expecting it to be done within a week. Maybe it would be 1-2 pages. Instead, Brady would turn in a typed report the very next day. It would be six pages, in full color, with graphs and charts. "The volume of excellent work he could do was astounding," Andrews said. That obsessive, perfectionist streak was something that Andrews had to manage, though. "He wanted every defense to stop every play," he said. "And you can't do that. Nothing stops everything." Andrews paused a moment, putting the pieces together. "Maybe that's something he carried over offensively, that not every defense can stop every play, so how do we pick on that?" Bob Shoop, who was defensive coordinator at William & Mary from 2007 to 2010, could relate. A former receiver himself, he started assisting on offense before making the transition to defense. Only he never switched back. Shoop moved on to Vanderbilt 2010 and then Penn State in 2014, but he maintained contacts on the old staff. He heard about Brady's progress and bumped into him once at a coaching convention. And when the Nittany Lions had a last-minute opening for a graduate assistant in 2015, he didn't hesitate to put his name up. "I had no doubt when he got to that level with Joe [Moorhead] and James Franklin and that staff he'd have the chance to work with, he'd make the most of that opportunity," Shoop said. Moorhead, who was Franklin's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, was arguably at the cutting edge of offense at the time. Penn State didn't hesitate to put four and five receivers on the field. It sometimes used two quarterbacks at once, and it pushed the tempo relentlessly. Under Moorhead's direction, the already new-age run-pass option was expanded to where the quarterback was capable of reading more keys and putting even more pressure on already stressed defenses. Brady was Moorhead's right-hand man, his personal GA, through it all as Penn State averaged 30.6 points per game over the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Following the 2016 season, the Saints needed an offensive analyst, and another William & Mary alumnus, Brendan Nugent, told offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, "I got a great candidate. He's smart, detailed, knows football." Like Andrews, Carmichael wound up blown away by the workload Brady could handle. "Really, we put a lot on his plate and he was very organized, could multitask," Carmichael told ESPN. "All those things you need to be able to do in that position he did at a high level." When Orgeron, who worked with the Saints in 2008, eventually called asking after Brady, Carmichael raved about what a great part of the staff he'd become, how well he communicated and how he took remarkably detailed notes. "Absolutely he could handle the job and was going to handle it well," Carmichael said. No one knew how it would work, though, this unknown former analyst and graduate assistant who was only 29 years old at the time he was hired to supposedly reshape LSU's offense as its passing-game coordinator. Orgeron had tried once to step into the 21st century, hiring a more established coordinator with more impressive credentials in Matt Canada, and that blew up spectacularly. Ensminger, who was twice Brady's age and had more pro-style roots, was still going to be the playcaller, after all. To say the pairing was met with skepticism would have been an understatement. But Orgeron had a vision that went back to his time at USC when an older, wiser Norm Chow was the offensive coordinator calling plays while a younger Lane Kiffin supplied many of the more forward-thinking concepts. Orgeron still wanted to be 50-50 in terms of run vs. pass, but he didn't care whether it came out of the I-formation or a spread look anymore. Whatever it took to get athletes the ball in space, he said, "It's exactly what we want." And by doing so, by allowing Brady to bring his own blend of the RPO and West Coast offenses to LSU, those athletes have finally been put in space and set free. It's a shame it happened too late for Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, but wideouts Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chaseand Terrace Marshall Jr. have taken off because of it, becoming one of the most dynamic groups of pass-catchers in college football. Quarterback Joe Burrow, who took his first seven-step drop since middle school a year ago, is back in the shotgun again and has transformed into a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. It took only seven games for him to set an LSU record for passing touchdowns in a single season against Mississippi State. Afterward, a giddy Jefferson spoke about how much the mindset on offense has changed and how grateful he was for the way they've gone from two-receiver sets to four-wide. Now, he said, "everybody eats." "No one can guard our offense," Jefferson said. "We're going to continue to say that and we're going to continue to put up points." The credit isn't Brady's alone, of course, but he deserves a lion's share. "He doesn't get that much recognition," Jefferson said. Though that might be true for now, people in the college football world are slowly getting to know him, piece by piece and point by point. They're beginning to understand the rocket-like trajectory of his career and how everywhere he has been has come together so perfectly for this moment. When the television cameras find him in the coaches box, you can tell he wants to turn away. But from William & Mary until now, there's no going back. As Shoop points out, the path he's on feels fairly obvious. "He's going to make him a good head coach one day." Joe Brady has come from out of nowhere to help revitalize the LSU offense. Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire The combination of offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger and passing-game coordinator Joe Brady has paid huge dividends for the Tigers. Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson have become superstars in LSU's new offense. 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LSUDad Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 Another view: Lane Kiffin discusses LSU's offensive evolution, how Ed Orgeron followed Nick Saban's footsteps Keith Farner | 2 hours ago One coach who is familiar with running an offense and what it’s like changing a program’s offensive playbook, not to mention in the SEC West, is Florida Atlantic coach Lane Kiffin, of course, a former Alabama offensive coordinator. In a radio interview with 104.5 FM in Baton Rouge, Kiffin described facing the LSU offense when he was at Alabama as a unit that was 10 or 15 years behind. 00:04 03:01 00:00 “I really think Ed did what Coach (Nick) Saban did however many years ago, seven years ago, when he said I want to change,” Kiffin said. “I’m tired of defending this stuff. I don’t like it, but I want to change.” Kiffin said Saban told him when he brought him in that it’s time to change and evolve. Kiffin said he hasn’t watched a lot of LSU this season, but have talked to people who have, including people at Alabama. He said the difference is the Tigers go faster in some areas, and don’t run a million plays. “That’s really what true tempo is, is you can’t have a million plays like you used to,” Kiffin said. “You can’t get it all done, you can’t get it all called and it takes too long.” He added that the coaching change to bring in Joe Brady as passing game coordinator from the New Orleans Saints completely changed the program. Kiffin said he’s not surprised with how Alabama coach Nick Saban has described QB Tua Tagovailoa’s availability, as he said the “game-time decision” label was designed to answer fewer questions. “(Tua) could have been 100 percent or zero percent,” Kiffin said, “and it still would have been ‘game time decision’ two weeks ago.” Kiffin said that if President Donald Trump wanted to talk to the Alabama team in the locker room before the game, he would have a hard time getting Saban to allow it. “Not a chance,” Kiffin said. “No way.” Kiffin didn’t make a prediction in the LSU-Alabama game, but said there would be a lot of points scored, and winning in Tuscaloosa is difficult, but if there was ever a year to do it, it seems like everything is aligned the right way for it to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted November 17, 2019 Author Share Posted November 17, 2019 Ja'Marr Chase & Justin Jefferson join Odell Beckham Jr & Jarvis Landry as the only LSU Football WR duos to reach 1,000+ receiving yards in the same season. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutriaitch Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 1 hour ago, LSUDad said: Ja'Marr Chase & Justin Jefferson join Odell Beckham Jr & Jarvis Landry as the only LSU Football WR duos to reach 1,000+ receiving yards in the same season. Clyde needs 42 to get to 1,000 as well. will be 2nd time we do the 3,000 qb , 1,000 rb, and a pair of 1,000 wr 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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