What's LSU's Answer at Quarterback Since the Dramatic Tennessee Win?

Since LSU's opening game victory over the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, the LSU fan base has been clamoring for Jarrett Lee to see what he can do to help the Tigers develop a productive passing game.

In victories over Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, and West Virginia, the LSU passing offense under Jordan Jefferson was becoming less effective each week.

From the 151 yards passing in the UNC game to a pathetic 75 yards in the West Virginia game, LSU had now deteriorated into a one-dimensional running game offense.

The frustrated and angry fan base made its displeasure known to coach Les Miles through radio talk shows and Internet sites, and finally during the West Virginia game the fans started booing Coach Miles and staff. 

Miles reacted to the fans by rebuking and criticizing them for their booing. Of course, it is never good for a coach to draw a line in the sand with his fan base, as it is just like the chairman of the board going against his own board. If the board doesn't like you, they can vote you out, and therefore it is not wise to make enemies with the board. 

At Wednesday's SEC conference call, Miles said he would now begin getting Jarrett Lee into games, starting with the Tennessee game. He did not say how much, but at least this gave the fans something to look forward to. This new move would give Lee a chance to show what he could do and hopefully give life to the nonexistent passing game.

Saturday's game with Tennessee started like all other games LSU has played this season with Jordan Jefferson at quarterback. On the game's first play, Jefferson faked to Russell Shepard and broke up the middle on a quarterback keeper that resulted in an 83-yard touchdown run.

Jefferson's run sent the game off with a bang, but on his second possession, Jefferson made a bad read and threw his first interception. 

On the next offensive possession, Miles sent Jarrett Lee into the game, and Tiger Stadium greeted him with cheers, as the fans were more than delighted to see Lee finally in the game.

Lee started off with short throws to the backs coming out of the backfield, and he had very good success with those plays. As he got more and more comfortable, he began to throw downfield, and things continued to go well for Lee. 

As the game went on, the LSU staff began to change quarterbacks every series, and sometimes they would change every other play. I felt they went way too far with their swapping of quarterbacks so often.

Jarrett Lee and the LSU passing attack were successful, as Lee was 16-of-23 for 185 yards and one interception. The interception he threw was in the end zone, and while it cost LSU a touchdown, it did not give Tennessee any good field position. 

During the Tigers' last drive, Lee did an excellent job in the face of LSU's continued penalties and mistakes. With 1:22 left in the game LSU was facing fourth-and-14, and Lee made a beautiful throw to Terrance Toliver to convert the first down that kept LSU's hopes alive. 

Lee actually got the ball down to the three-yard line with no timeouts. LSU for some reason took Lee out and put Jefferson in to run the ball. J.J. only gained one yard, and the Tigers were facing third down at the two-yard line with 33 seconds to go in the game.

That is when everything when screwy for both teams, and Tennessee ended up with 13 players as the LSU center botched the snap and the UT players and fans thought all was over and UT had won.

Jarrett Lee's appearance and his performance in the Tennessee game has given LSU a new-found passing game to match its very good running game.

So as a result of this dramatic, though controversial, victory over Tennessee, coach Les Miles has decided to go with the two-quarterback system. Although I am not opposed to a two-quarterback system for LSU at this time, I do think that the majority of the snaps should be taken by Jarrett Lee. 

Lee was by far the more productive of the two quarterbacks in the Tennessee game, and in my opinion he has earned the right to be the starter. Jefferson should come in on occasion to help throw off the defense, but excessive switching of the quarterbacks can be a disruptive force for the team and can cause confusion, as we saw at the end of the UT game.