LSU QB decision vs. Auburn hinges on Myles Brennan's health
Myles Brennan remains LSU's starting quarterback if healthy, coach Ed Orgeron reiterated Monday.
But that availability remains uncertain this week as the Tigers (2-2) head to SEC West rival Auburn (3-2).
"We're gonna see," Orgeron said. "I don't know if he's gonna play. It all depends how practice goes this week. We're only gonna do about 25 percent with him today and see what he can do and how he's feeling. He's probably gonna be sore.
"We'll see how it goes throughout the week. If he can't play, obviously T.J. (Finley) has done a great job for us. Max (Johnson) is gonna do a great job. I'm not putting him in unless he's 100 percent ready."
The fourth-year junior completed 79 of his 131 pass attempts (60.3 percent) for 1,112 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interception as the Tigers' only passer through three games.
But an injury suffered in a 45-41 loss Oct. 10 at Missouri continues to hinder his return.
And while Orgeron continues to downplay any potential quarterback controversy, he admitted that freshman T.J. Finley's remarkable debut Saturday allows additional patience in Brennan's recovery.
Finley completed 17 of 21 passes for 265 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 52-24 rout of South Carolina.
"Yeah, it does factor in that we don't have to rush Myles because we feel that T.J. or Max can do a great job," Orgeron said.
The Tigers entered the weekend planning for both true freshmen to have first-half opportunities to prove themselves the stronger candidate to lead the offense the majority of the second half.
But Finley edged Johnson in "a coin flip" of a close decision Thursday, according to Orgeron, and then provided arguably the most efficient and poised performance by a freshman quarterback in program history.
"He has some fire in him," Orgeron said when asked about his touchdown-saving tackle on his interception. "He was fired up. He was on the sideline, 'Let's go.' A vocal leader. A lot of the things that (Heisman quarterback) Joe (Burrow) did, to be honest with you. And he showed some toughness.
"I've gotta work on his tackling a little bit. He gave a shoulder tackle. And you know what, T.J. came alive. It was his night. He was confident. He had been confident since he came here — not cocky, but confident — and we love that about him."
The miscue came on a miscommunication on which Finley threw back-shoulder, while his wide receiver kept running straight toward the end zone.
Even then, the freshman showed his awareness and leadership to chase down Gamecocks cornerback Israel Mukuamu.
But perhaps the most stark differences for the offense as a whole in Finley's debut came on the ground and on third down.
The Tigers' 0-for-10 performance on third downs at Missouri was one of its biggest offensive shortcomings in the unexpected shootout loss.
Finley and company converted eight of 10 attempts Saturday.
"They played a lot of man coverage for us," Orgeron said. "(Passing game coordinator Scott) Linehan had a great plan. I thought T.J. did a tremendous job of delivering the football on time. I told y'all he has a cannon for an arm. I was so pleased with T.J.'s poise. He looked like a veteran out there. I think that's what made the difference in the football game."
LSU's most successful game on the ground thus far this season simultaneously helped Finley in that area and was aided by the freshman's own size and skillset.
Tyrion Davis-Price rushed for a career-high 135 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, with fellow John Emery Jr. adding 88 yards and another score on 18 touches in his second standout performance in the past three games.
That success against South Carolina came on the heels of just 49 yards rushing at Missouri, the second time in three games to start the season in which the Tigers totaled just 80 yards or fewer on the ground.
As a result, LSU faced an average third-down distance of a much more manageable 3.0 yards — a season-best — than the 9.7 yards in Columbia, Mo.
"Night and day difference," Orgeron said. "We have to the run the football. Especially on first down. And I thought our offensive line had their best game. That helped paved the way for T.J.'s success. We couldn't put it all on his shoulders."
But the 6-foot-6, 240-pound freshman passer also helps his own cause in that regard.
Finley rushed five times on LSU's opening drive, including the overpowering 1-yard touchdown run at the goal line, and finished with 24 yards on eight carries.
Orgeron shared during the past two weeks his team's hesitance run a quarterback sneak in a potentially game-winning goal-line sequence in the final minute at Missouri that came up empty.
This week, the Tigers trusted Finley to score a sneak on their first possession.
Orgeron, offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger, Linehan and company also utilized run-pass option looks on 28.6 percent of Finley's snaps, compared to 9.2 percent of Brennan's this season.
"Most of those runs were RPOs," Orgeron said. "And the good thing about T.J., he's 6-6. He sees it really easy, man. He sees that slant behind him. It's all built in. If they give us a box where we can run the football, we wanna run the football. And we have to. Going into the season, I thought the backs were gonna be the strength of our offense."
They were Saturday more than they had been all season.
And LSU will need its running backs to continue to perform at a high level — regardless of which quarterback plays — as the level of competition continues to ramp up.
Auburn provided the most frustrating defense Burrow and company faced on their national championship run last season, Orgeron said.
And the last LSU freshman to start a game at Auburn — Brandon Harris in 2014 in his first career start — struggled to a 3-for-14 for 58 yards.
Whether Finley becomes the next freshman to start "on the Plains" hinges on the progress of Brennan's recovery, Orgeron said.
But his first start provided plenty of reason for optimism and patience as his teammate continues to heal.
"We're gonna go ahead and practice Myles today," Orgeron said. "Him and T.J. are gonna share reps and Max. We're gonna make a decision on a daily basis who runs with the first team. It depends on Myles' health. If Myles is healthy, he's our first-team quarterback. But I'm not putting him in unless he's 100 percent."
No question. If he's not 100 percent healthy and there's any chance of injury, I'm not playing him, and T.J. will be fine. T.J. and Max will do a good job. But if he's healthy, we're gonna play him.