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The questions continue to surface about LSU’s starting quarterback. After a season-opening victory in Starkville against a ranked SEC foe, we are still searching for answers.
Brandon Harris led No. 14 LSU to a 21-19 victory on the road at No. 25 Mississippi State, but leaned on his backfield mate Leonard Fournette to get the job done.
The sophomore quarterback completed 9-of-14 passes for 71 yards, and perhaps more importantly, displayed a strong ability to stand in the pocket, showed improved mechanics and executed the Tigers offense by going through his pass progressions. Harris also added 58 yards on five rushing attempts.
Overlooked is that Harris did not make any mistakes. Harris did not turn the ball over or put his defense in an unfavorable position.
Playing what amounted to a game-manager role, Harris finished his first start of the season with an 82.0 total QBR and, most importantly, a victory.
In the aftermath of LSU’s victory, we wonder whether Harris can continue to lead his team in the win column while being a game manager, particularly in the SEC.
To answer that question, we must first take a look at LSU’s opponent this Saturday.
Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson was 21-of-32 for 236 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in a 27-20 overtime triumph against Jacksonville State last weekend. Johnson has thrown five picks over the first two games, the most for an SEC quarterback in the first two weeks of a season since 2009, according to the SEC Network.
Auburn is leaning on Johnson to win the team games, but a major upset at the hands of an FCS opponent was avoided when the Tigers turned to Peyton Barber to grind out yards on the ground – and eventually a touchdown in overtime – to win the game.
Johnson, like Harris, is a first-year starter. But already, you can sense that using the weapons around them is key to the quarterbacks’ success.
Harris has the benefit of a Heisman Trophy candidate in his backfield. Fournette rushed for a career-best 159 yards and three touchdowns against Mississippi State.
Fournette also carried the ball a career-high 28 times, but was often put in prime scoring position by his sophomore quarterback, who made a handful of plays through the air to keep drives alive.
For instance, Harris hit DeSean Smith for a 23-yard completion on third-and-11 to set up Fournette’s 1-yard touchdown run. Harris also connected with Malachi Dupre on a 20-yard pass on the ensuing LSU possession, which led to Fournette’s 26-yard touchdown and an early two-touchdown lead.
Fournette may have garnered all of the attention after the game, and rightfully so, but some credit has to be allotted to Harris for taking control of the offense and making just the right amount of plays to get his team on the scoreboard.
This week, LSU will prepare for No. 18 Auburn and should follow the same blueprint that led them to a statement victory over the Bulldogs in Starkville a week ago.
With so much talent around Harris, it makes sense to put the ball in the hands of the offensive playmakers around him. Harris doesn’t need to be the team’s MVP for LSU to have success against the SEC; he needs to be the game manager that is careful with the football, executes the game plan and makes enough clutch throws when his name is called.
Will Muschamp should come up with a blueprint that designed rattle LSU’s sophomore quarterback. But if Harris is able to maintain his composure and adjust when necessary, then he and the rest of the LSU Tigers will be just fine as they navigate through the SEC gauntlet.
Sam Spiegelman is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, LSU and Texas A&M.
