LSU Football: Is Jordan Jefferson Ready To Lead the Tigers' Offense?

In 2009 the LSU offense operating under quarterback Jordan Jefferson was ranked 112th out of 120 FBS Division 1 football teams. This LSU team could not pass nor run the football effectively.  

Coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Gary Crowton wrote Jefferson's 2009 performance off to being young and inexperienced, and they said they were still teaching him the offense.

Coach Crowton said he was purposely limiting the play book so as to make it simple and easy for Jordan Jefferson to understand.   

Going into the 2010 season, Coach Miles has been telling the media and fans that Jordan Jefferson is much improved and more mature and able to handle the things he expected from the quarterback position. 

But, after three games in 2010, Jordan Jefferson is 33-57 passes for 344 total yards with two interceptions and two touchdowns. Many SEC quarterbacks will throw for those numbers in one game.

In light of Jefferson's  low passing numbers, it is not hard to see why the LSU offense has become so one dimensional.  Furthermore , the LSU running game in all games has not gotten going until almost the fourth quarter and this is a good sign that LSU is basically just wearing out the opposition. 

Will that still work against the Alabama's, Florida's, and Auburn's as the SEC gets tougher ? 

After the Vanderbilt game Jordan Jefferson was very tough on himself as he even admitted it was his worst performance as an LSU quarterback. All week long he was hearing the negative media talk and fan criticism of him.  

Apparently Jordan Jefferson became highly motivated  and his response was to show determination and a total improvement in his overall performance.  You could see more decisive decisions being made, more accurate passing, and a general display of confidence and leadership not seen in recent weeks.  

He rolled out and made nice passes to open receivers which demonstrated his new found confidence and decision making ability.

I think the best example I saw was on his touchdown run when LSU was in the red zone right after Mississippi State just scored to close the gap  to 12-7.  At this point in the game it was imperative that LSU score a touchdown and not be forced to kick another field goal in order to take control of this game.

When Jefferson scored on a keeper it was a huge relief and you could see how rewarding it was for him to perform his job and have the crowd cheering for him for a change.

Since the MSU game the consensus among fans and media alike is that we have seen a new Jordan Jefferson and he is finally showing the confidence and poise that the LSU coaches have been looking for.

I too am very happy to see Jordan Jefferson doing better and enjoying himself, but before I can join in on that parade for good, Jefferson will have to continue to show the same things this week against West Virginia, plus he will have to begin getting his passing statistics up so the offense can fully develop and become balanced.   

Even though Jordan Jefferson has made significant improvements to his game, he still sorely lacks in the passing game.  Actually outside of the positives he exhibited on Saturday night, nothing has really changed to improve the overall performance of LSU's offense. 

When you look at the game statistics, LSU's offense was out gained by Mississippi State with very low numbers and there was nothing to be proud of by either school.

LSU's defense did a magnificent job and them along with Josh Jasper certainly had a lot to do with LSU wining that game. 

Until this offense can get their passing numbers up, they will continue to be a predictable and one dimensional team and that will surely make a big difference in games against top echelon SEC teams coming up.     

I feel like the LSU coaches should begin giving Jarrett Lee some series now and bringing Jefferson out occasionally to watch what is going on.  I am not really suggesting a two quarterback system, but I do think each quarterback can bring different elements to the offense and keep the defense off balance. 

It is not like LSU has a great passing game and they are overly satisfied with what Jefferson has done until last Saturday. The Tigers have some of the greatest receivers in the SEC, but they still do not have a passing game.  How sad is that ? 

Another good reason for playing Jarrett Lee is to have Lee ready to go in should something happen to Jefferson.   Also,  Jarrett Lee has worked very hard and he is still a very good talent.  I say let's give the guy another chance to see what he can do.  

Hopefully Jordan Jefferson can take over and grow like we all have been waiting to see, but I still say don't forget Jarrett Lee and the sacrifice this guy has made for LSU and remember he could have easily transferred, and guess where LSU would be if that had happened.