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Two LSU-related articles for the college football fans like me who can't wait for autumn.
LSU's Jefferson headed for a breakout season?
June 18, 2009 9:00 AM
Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low
It would be premature to anoint LSU's Jordan Jefferson as the next up-and-coming star quarterback in the SEC.
He's started all of two games.
But as the Tigers do their best to forget about their nightmarish problems at quarterback a year ago, Jefferson has given everybody on the Bayou hope that he's the guy who can put the sizzle and the consistency back into the offense.
"The thing about Jordan is that he's in control back there," LSU senior running back Charles Scott said this spring after watching Jefferson separate himself from the rest of the pack. "He knows where to go with the ball, and he gets the ball in the hands of the playmakers.
"And when there's a play to be made by him, he makes it ... either with his arm or his legs. He's a whole different quarterback than the young, true freshman we saw last season."
But, hey, that's what experience will do for you.
Jefferson started the last two games a year ago, including the Chick-fil-A Bowl rout of Georgia Tech.
The practice time leading up to the bowl game was invaluable for Jefferson because it was his show. He knew it, and so did the rest of the team.
He responded by hitting the first nine passes in that game and delivered a steady performance in winning Offensive MVP honors.
In the spring -- his first spring practice -- he took another step. And now with voluntary summer workouts going strong, it's Jefferson chance to further solidify his hold on the starting job entering preseason practice.
"Any time you're in the offense over time, things become a little more comfortable," LSU coach Les Miles said.
The 6-foot-4, 209-pound Jefferson is more than just comfortable. He has the kind of versatility offensive coordinator Gary Crowton loves in a quarterback.
While he might not be as dynamic in the open field as freshman quarterback Russell Shepard, Jefferson is fast enough to hurt teams with his scrambling ability.
Crowton will have more flexibility to call plays because defenses will have to respect Jefferson's dual-threat capabilities.
"I gained a lot from last season," said Jefferson, who appeared to be headed for a redshirt year after hurting his shoulder against Mississippi State. "You realize how certain plays work and why they work against certain defenses."
Jefferson has seemed to embrace the competition, too. The fact that the highly touted Shepard was on campus this spring and going through practice only seemed to drive Jefferson that much harder.
"It's all about who works the hardest and who plays the best," Jefferson said. "We all want the same thing, and we all push each other."
Top 25 Intel: No. 12 LSU
A No. 1 recruiting class? No. LSU's biggest import this offseason was from Knoxville
By Chris Sprow
ESPN Insider
Archive
To find the last time LSU's defense struggled as it did last year, you have to go back to 1998. At the time, Nick Saban was crossing his arms in East Lansing, Les Miles was busy in Dallas trying to groom an heir to Jay Novacek and Gerry DiNardo was stalking the sideline in Tiger Stadium. That season, LSU waltzed into the opener ranked seventh but finished 4-7. Rough year.
But it was a great year for John Chavis.
The Tennessee Volunteers' defensive coordinator at the time, Chavis turned the Florida State war chant into a whisper when his defense led the Vols to a 23-16 win in the first BCS title game. Fast-forward 11 years, and all LSU and Les Miles are asking is for Chavis, the Tigers' new defensive coordinator, to do it again. Say what you want about the history of the program, Tigers fans, but it's fair to say expectations have changed some in Baton Rouge since '98.
Last season, those expectations weren't met. The LSU defense, which had finished first or second in scoring defense in the SEC for the three years prior, gave up 24.2 points a contest, ranking ninth in the league in that department.
"We're not SEC-ready yet," Chavis cautioned this week. He continues to settle into his new surroundings after a brilliant 14-year run in Knoxville. "Right now, the biggest goal for us as a staff is to reinstill that sense of relentlessness that you have to play with to be successful in this league."
Whether because of a talent drain -- LSU lost nine defenders to the NFL from 2006 to 2008 -- or just a season when it didn't come together, which Miles has explained in many ways, LSU fell off hard last year.
So Miles took advantage of the fact that a new administration was heading into Tennessee and got Chavis to come south. "Year in and year out, his defenses at Tennessee have been among the best, not only in our conference, but nationwide," Miles affirmed at the arrival.
But it wasn't an easy transition for the new guy.
"I know I got here in January, and you put on the colors and we're doing recruiting and things like that, and you're a part of the program," Chavis said. "But honestly, for me, it didn't all come together until I got on the field coaching again. That's when you can really feel yourself becoming a part of it."
Once on the field, Chavis typically schemes with the best of them, but this spring he emphasized a simplified downhill attacking style. The LSU defense was a little unsure last season, with the impact showing up in the turnover department. Chavis plans to bring back a ball-hawking defense -- and there won't be excuses.
"You can talk about losing guys, but let's face it: This is the SEC. We're accustomed to having guys leave for the NFL," said Chavis, who sent plenty of his own up the ladder from Tennessee. He and Miles note that a number of players are on ready-to-go, from backups to household names. And dynamic recruiting -- LSU was ranked No. 1 in ESPNU's 2009 rankings, No. 11 in '08 and No. 6 in '07 -- will have holes filled quickly. The secondary, with seven returning starters, is the deepest, while the D-line looks thin. But Chavis thinks lesser-known players such as Drake Nevis are capable of breaking out. And although the D lost third overall pick Tyson Jackson to the NFL, sack leader Rahim Alem returns.
It helps that Chavis is familiar with much of the talent assembled in Baton Rouge, because, well, "I recruited them to Knoxville," he admits. "I know a lot of these kids already, which is why it was easier to get 'em working extremely hard in the spring. A lot of them know me."
On the other side of the ball, the offense was synonymous with inconsistent quarterback play last season but still managed 30.1 points per game, fourth in the SEC. But now it's ready to take off and provide the defense with more opportunities to be aggressive. Jordan Jefferson has the job under center for now, and he has returning weapons in running back Charles Scott, who rushed for 1,174 yards, and Brandon LaFell, who had 929 receiving yards. Jefferson will need to improve on third down, but a little maturity should help immensely.
Last year's weakness could even be a strength, with Jarrett Lee able to back up Jefferson, and super recruit Russell Shepard capable of hurting defenses from under center or out wide as a receiver.
With this stability, LSU hopefully no longer has to worry so much about consistency and holding on to the ball, and offensive coordinator Gary Crowton can concern himself with making this offense dangerous again.
But it's not the leap Chavis had to make. With a schedule that offers a great shot at a 4-0 start before an Oct. 3 date against Georgia, he has the chance to marinate new schemes and players and to add the spice of relentlessness to his new defense. One thing the schedule doesn't offer, however, is a tilt with Tennessee. Based on what the Vols lost and what the Tigers have gained, that's probably a good thing for the Chief's former employer.
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