By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – Ever since LSU interim football coach Frank Wilson yanked starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier in favor of backup Michael Van Buren Jr. midway through the third quarter of the Tigers’ 20-9 Saturday night loss at Alabama, a lingering question emerged.
Who will Wilson name the starter for the Tigers’ upcoming Saturday 11:45 a.m. home game vs. Arkansas in the annual “Battle for the Golden Boot?”
“I don’t think it’s just a clear separation where one is beyond the other,” Wilson said diplomatically at Monday’s weekly in-season press conference. “We’ll need both of them. I know we’ll use both of them in this game.”
So, which quarterback gets dibs in practice working with the first team before Wilson names a starter later in the week?
“I thought Garrett did well enough at times (at Alabama) to still be in position to be the starter as we embark on this weekend,” Wilson said.” So when we, when we go to corrections and practice, he’ll be the first guy that goes in.”
It seems light years ago that Nussmeier was a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. Riding the wave of the second-best passing season (4.042 yards) in school history last year, Nussmeier bypassed the NFL Draft and returned this season as a fifth-year senior.
But his “mystery” preseason lower torso injury that didn’t heal until after the Tigers’ first open date leading into their sixth game sent LSU’s offense into a downward spiral.
It has yet to recover because of a now-injured offensive line that wasn’t that effective when everyone was healthy.
Nussmeier’s current stats through nine games (194 of 288 for 1,927 yards, 12 TDs, 5 interceptions) pale in comparison to his nine-game numbers from a year ago (235 of 475 for 2,866 yards, 21 TDs, 11 interceptions).
His early injury, paired with some of the worst offensive line play in LSU history, has completely derailed an offense currently ranked 99th nationally in scoring offense (23.7 ppg), 103rd in total offense (341.8 ypg), and 125th in rushing offense (101 ypg).
If LSU maintains those numbers the rest of the year, it would be the lowest scoring and lowest rushing offense totals since Gerry DiNardo’s final season as the Tigers’ head coach in 1999 when LSU averaged 20.3 points and an all-time school low 82.5 rushing yards.
This season’s lack of offensive improvement led to the firing of fourth-year head coach Brian Kelly and second-year offensive coordinator Joe Sloan after LSU lost 49-25 to No. 3 Texas A&M on Oct. 25.
Nussmeier, 15-8 as LSU’s starting QB, has started 23 straight games. But after the first seven series of failing to get LSU in the end zone (despite completing 18 of 21 passes for 121 yards) vs. Alabama, he was benched.
The drastically more mobile Van Buren, who started eight games last season as a true freshman for Mississippi State, handled LSU’s last four series against the Crimson Tide.
He had his moments, completing 5 of 11 passes for 45 yards and had a nice 9-yard escape from a collapsing pass pocket.
But he also couldn’t produce a TD either, cementing LSU’s lowest scoring and total offense (232 yards) of the season.
“They both brought something to the table that helped this team to go up and down the field,” Wilson said of Nussmeier and Van Buren. Both have things that they need to continue to work on as well.”
Here’s Wilson on other topics:
On Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green
“He may be the best one, and we faced some really good ones (dual-threat SEC quarterbacks in all due respect. He’s 6-6, athletic, a legit 4.4 (40-yard dash time) guy. Almost at times, he looks like he’s gliding because of his gait. They’ve been behind against opponents and rallied back because of his unique skill set to both run and throw the ball.”
On the status of injured LSU linebacker Whit Weeks, who has missed the last two games with a bruised ankle bone
“I’m uncertain right now, probably hopeful, without using the medical term doubtful or whatever, but he’s in great spirits. He’s eager. He wants to be back out there, but we won’t put him out there until he can protect himself and play at the level that allows him to be elite.”
KNOW YOUR ENEMY
LSU (5-4 overall, 2-4 SEC) vs Arkansas (2-7, 0-5 SEC), Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Saturday, 11:45 a.m. (SEC Network)
Last game for Razorbacks: Lost at home 38-35 to Mississippi State on Nov. 1. The Bulldogs rallied from a 14-point deficit with 13:43 left in the game. State scored on its last three drives, covering 75, 43, and 69 yards to overcome the deficit. Arkansas lost a total of 15 yards on its final three possessions.
Series record and last meeting: LSU leads 45-23-2. Last season in Fayetteville, Tigers’ QB Garrett Nussmeier threw for 224 yards and RB Caden Durham ran for 101 yards and three TDs in a 34-10 Tigers’ victory.
Arkansas head coach: Interim Bobby Petrino (137-75 in 17 ½ seasons, 34-17 and 0-4 at Arkansas in two stints covering 5 ½ seasons.
THIS AND THAT
Early betting line: LSU by 6 ½
Betting tip: Arkansas is 3-4 vs. LSU the week after LSU plays Alabama
Number of Louisiana natives on Arkansas roster: 4
Number of Arkansas natives on LSU roster: 1
Number of transfers on the Arkansas roster from 4-year schools: 45 players from 39 schools.
ARKANSAS PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB Taylen Green Jr. (171 of 274 for 2,379 passing yards, 19 TDs, 8 interceptions, 649 rushing yards and 6 TDs on 107 carries), RB Mike Washington (828 rushing yards and 6 TDs on 127 carries), WR O’Mega Blake (50 catches for 661 yards) and 4 TDs, LB Xavian Sorey (64 tackles, 4½ TFL, 2½ sacks), DE Quincy Rhodes Jr. (37 tackles, 14 TFL, 8½ sacks), PK Scott Starzyk 10 of 12 FG, 39 of 39 PATs, P Devin Bale (23 for 45.8 ypk, 1 touchback, 7 fair catches, 9 inside the 20, 7 50 yards plus)
DID YOU KNOW. . .
The LSU-Arkansas series has been played in six cities – Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Fayetteville, Little Rock, Dallas and Memphis.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com