By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – Does anybody out there want to be LSU’s backup quarterback who has actually played a couple of series as a college QB?
A precarious situation overlooked in the Tigers’ 23-22 victory over Arkansas last Saturday – LSU had no scholarship QB available as sophomore starter Michael Van Buren’s backup – has accelerated to a viable concern for the Tigers (6-4) as they close their home season Saturday night at 6:45 vs. Western Kentucky (8-2).
Senior Garrett Nussmeier, who started 23 straight games until being sidelined vs. Arkansas after reaggravating a lower torso injury last Thursday, may miss his second straight game this week.
Redshirt freshman Colin Hurley, the third-string quarterback, took a leave of absence last Friday for personal matters. He has not returned to the team.
Who’s left?
Well, there’s a sophomore backup running back who happens to be the most productive high school quarterback in Louisiana prep history, with career state records of 14,451 total offense yards and 171 touchdowns.
Former Lafayette Christian Academy star Ju’Juan Johnson is LSU’s “Break Glass in Case of Emergency” QB until further notice.
“We got a guy (Johnson) that went through the entire spring with us at quarterback and all the way into fall camp,” LSU interim coach Frank Wilson said. “We’ve been constantly still working him as Garrett’s injury started to reveal itself. We feel confident about him stepping in.”
On LSU’s game-winning TD drive vs. Arkansas, Johnson completed his first college pass ever on one of four trick plays the Tigers used. His 14-yard completion to Trey’Dez Green on second-and-four from the LSU 49 moved the ball into LSU territory.
Four plays later on third-and-six from the Arkansas 12, Van Buren escaped the pocket and found tight end Bauer Sharp in the back corner of the end zone for what proved to be the game-winning TD.
After Arkansas missed a potential game-winning field goal with 5:08 left, Van Buren’s 35-yard run to the Arkansas 41 set the table for the Tigers to maintain possession and eventually run out the clock.
In getting his first SEC win as a starter, Mississippi State transfer Van Buren completed 21 of 31 for 221 yards and the TD to Sharp and ran 10 times for 36 yards.
“I thought Michael’s body of work was imperfect, but yet something that we can certainly build on again,” Wilson said. “When you are the guy who’s coming off the bench. The pressure is different, the expectation is different, compared to the guy who starts and has all the monumental pressure and expectations to live up to.
“It was the first start in Tiger Stadium for Michael, and it took a minute for him to digest. He settled down. He finished in a flurry. He was willing to do whatever it took to help us win the football game. He delivered and gave his best when his best was needed, and proud of him and the job that he did.”
As for Nussmeier’s availability on Senior Night in Tiger Stadium, Wilson said he will defer to the medical staff on deciding.
“If there’s any way that he can, I know he’s going to want to do so, but I don’t have those answers just yet,” Wilson said. “To say that he (Nussmeier) played courageously throughout the year is probably an understatement.
“I wasn’t always privy to the injuries and the things that he was going through, but he went through a lot. He persevered through a lot. He pushed through an awful lot to give our team himself every opportunity to be our best.”
Here’s Wilson on other subjects:
On the possibility of Wilson coaching the team in a bowl game
“If I’m allowed to, I would certainly love to. It (playing in a bowl) is a big deal for us anytime you’re able, when you think of your program holistically, in the continuous opportunity to develop your team, the longer and the more you can practice, there’s development, there’s engagement, there’s cohesiveness that happens with your football team. So, we’d like to play into January to advance our football team, to keep the camaraderie and the building of a program.”
On the play of Virginia Tech transfer cornerback Mansoor Delane, one of the highest graded defensive backs in college football
“He came here as a man on a mission to accomplish the things that he was looking for. There are so many things that are not statistical superlatives. It’s play after play. It’s showing up. It’s turning a play back inside to set the edge of the defense to allow us to corral and run to the ball, rally to the ball. His style of play has been superlative.”
KNOW YOUR ENEMY
LSU (6-4 overall, 3-4 SEC) vs. Western Kentucky (8-2, 6-1 Conference USA), Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Saturday, 6:45 p.m. (SEC Network)
Last game for the Hilltoppers: Beat Middle Tennessee State 42-26 last Saturday. The Hilltoppers had 642 total offense yards.
Series record and last meeting: LSU leads 2-0. The Tigers beat WKU 48-20 in 2015.
WKU head coach: Tyson Helton (56-34 overall and at WKU in seven seasons.
THIS AND THAT
Appearance fee paid by LSU to WKU per game contract: $1.8 million and 400 complimentary tickets.
Early betting line: LSU by 22½
Betting tip: LSU’s last three games vs. Conference USA teams have gone over the Vegas total.
Number of Louisiana natives on WKU roster: 2
Number of Kentucky natives on LSU roster: 0
Number of transfers on WKU roster from 4-year schools: 27 players from 20 schools, including 10 players from 9 Power 4 Conference schools
WKU PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB Rodney Tisdale Jr. (93 for 129 for 1,089 passing yards, 9 TDs, 3 interceptions, 68 rushing yards on 14 carries), RB La’Vell Wright (327 rushing yards and 8 TDs on 61 carries), WR Matthew Henry (42 catches for 703 receiving yards, 6 TDs on 42 carries), LB Jaylen Wester (64 tackles, 3½ TFL), DL Mackavelli Malotumau (29 tackles, 6 TFL, 4 QB hurries), DB Jaylen Lewis (44 tackles, 2 TFL, 3 PBU, 2 interceptions), PK John Cannon (11 of 15 FG, 38 of 38 extra points), P Cole Maynard (41 for 48.7.5 ypp, 14 FC, 12 inside 20, 19 50 yards plus)
DID YOU KNOW. . .
LSU has won 11 straight games over Conference USA opponents.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com