Lightbulb! LSU Has A Quarterback

In the football world, the expression "what a difference a year makes" carries little to no weight in reference to the quarterback position. In almost any evaluation of a quarterback and his progression most people will look over a three year span and look for signs of improvement. Stats usually will improve over time and can help identify where the quarterback’s strengths are as well as weaknesses.

Jordan Jefferson over his first two seasons at LSU remarkably resembles several other standout quarterbacks and in most cases outperforms them at this point in his collegiate career.

Jordan Jefferson
YEAR CMP ATT YDS  CMP% YPA   LNG TD  INT SACK RAT
2008 36    73    419    49.3 5.74   41   4    1     9      112.87
2009 182 296  2166  61.5   7.32   58   17   7    34     137.18
2010 ?   ?   ?    ?    ?    ?   ?  ?   ?    ?

Jimmy Clausen
YEAR CMP ATT YDS  CMP% YPA  LNG TD INT SACK RAT
2007 138  245  1254 56.3   5.12  44   7    6    35    103.85
2008 268  440  3172 60.9   7.21  69   25  17   21    132.49
2009 289  425  3722 68.0   8.76  88   28  4     24    161.43

Zach Robinson
YEAR CMP ATT YDS  CMP% YPA  LNG TD INT SACK RAT
2006 25    51   345   49.0     6.77  54   3    0     1     125.26
2007 201  333  2824  60.4  8.48  77   23  9     5     148.98
2008 204  314  3064  65.0  9.76  95   25 10   15    166.84
2009 180  301  2084  59.8  6.92  51   15 12   10    126.43

Andre Woodson
YEAR CMP ATT YDS  CMP% YPA  LNG TD INT SACK RAT
2004 54    88   492   61.4     5.59 52     2   1   14     113.56
2005 146  253  1644 57.7   6.50 79     6   6   30     115.37
2006 264  419  3515 63.0   8.39 80     31 7   36     154.55
2007 327  518  3709 63.1   7.16 57    40  11 38     144.51

These stats do not explain everything in fact all they do is point to the fact that Jordan Jefferson has a very good shot of improving drastically in his third year as many quarterbacks do after acquiring more playing time.

However, the stats you cannot argue with are wins and losses.

Jordan Jefferson is 10-5 as a starter at LSU.

Those five losses are as follows:

11/28 @Arkansas L 31-30 - Defense blows lead late as a true freshman lead his team to win on the road just to watch it gets squandered.
10/10 Florida L 13-3   - Outcome was expected LSU was not on par with UF the team was still growing and had yet to peak. However you put it though UF was better.
11/7 @Alabama L 24-15 - Injured on the drive JJ was leading the team down the field for a 2 score lead LSU up 15-10 late in the third. He would be followed on the sideline by Scott and Peterson all injured within the next 8 minutes and any chance at a win went with them.   

11/21 @Mississippi L 25-23  - Les Miles (I called it) and JJ(I did it) spike blunder 
CAPITAL ONE BOWL Penn State L 19-17  - OC and Horrendous Field neutralized talent and speed. 

All five losses came at an average of 4.8 points. I find Jordan's win and loss record to be more indicative of how the LSU program is being run than as oppose to its field general and his inability to lead LSU to victory. 

Jordan Jefferson
YEAR CMP ATT YDS    CMP% YPA  LNG TD INT SACK RAT
2008  36   73     419    49.3    5.74  41   4    1      9      112.87
2009  182 296  2166  61.5    7.32  58   17  7     34    137.18

Jarrett Lee
YEAR CMP ATT YDS   CMP% YPA  LNG TD  INT SACK RAT
2008 143  269  1873 53.2    6.96  66   13   16    8      115.70
2009 16    40     197   40.0    4.93  38   2      1      3       92.87

Jordan Jefferson the current quarterback at LSU is allegedly in the midst of a quarterback battle based on one spring evaluation period in which back-up quarterback and former starter Jarrett Lee outperformed Jefferson.

Spring the same stage where Richard Murphy is a Heisman candidate and the best running back in the SEC as oppose to the gridiron the same place where both players have really failed to live up to their potential for several reasons, ranging from injury in one case and a fondness of throwing completions to anyone in uniform for another.

Jefferson has continuously battled in a game time atmosphere whether the game was won or lost doesn't matter we were in position to win and he helped get us there. Lee as a starter went 6-4 and the games he lost were by an average of 17 points per contest. His TD-INT ratio in those games was 6  to 10.

I am not even going to break down the fact that his wins against La Tech and Troy were games that should not have had the outcomes that they did or why they were ever in doubt.

Leave out all the pick six decisions. Jefferson based on what has occurred on the field is the QB for LSU and god help the SEC if his lightbulb turns on while wearing purple and gold.