Pair of freshmen among standouts at 2019 Spring game
Two true freshmen put on a show as the football team held its annual spring game in Tiger Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and defensive tackle Siaki “Apu” Ika dominated on their respective defensive sides of the ball. Stingley worked primarily with the starters, while also fielding a few punts.
On a deep pass in the second quarter, Stingley flashed his unique speed and coverage skills by going toe-to-toe with Terrace Marshall on a go-route, grabbing his first “career” interception.
“It’s what we saw all spring,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. “The guy came in and was phenomenal, practiced with us before the bowl game. He came in and from day one was able to compete for a starting position. The play he made on that ball are plays I think he’ll make every Saturday and he’ll make a difference for us.”
LSU quarterback Joe Burrow added that what makes Stingley so impressive is that he plays the ball and that more often than not, he’ll go up and get those 50/50 balls.
“I tried to tell you guys he was pretty good,” Burrow said. “I tried to get him once today on a 50/50 ball but he got me. He’s a really good player. He’s going to take another big stride in fall camp and I’m really excited to see what he’s going to do.”
Ika was a man among boys, repeatedly forcing his way around an offensive line that coach Ed Orgeron admitted needed work, finishing with two sacks and three tackles for a loss.
“I thought Ika was phenomenal and played fantastic,” Orgeron said. “He made a big difference and when he was with the first team, they [offense] did not move the ball up the middle. There were no runs and he had a few good pass rushes. He had a dominant day and looked like the game came easy to him.”
Michael Divinity, who recently made a position change to inside linebacker, finished with 10 total tackles for the Purple team while Damone Clark led the White team with 11 tackles.
“Michael is very smart out there, he’s a communicator,” Orgeron said. “This transition was very easy for him and we can use him as a linebacker on first and second downs and as a rusher on third down so he’s a very good player for us.”
LSU offense didn’t break out the RPO that new passing game coordinator Joe Brady is bringing to the table but did have quite a few zone reads, with the quarterbacks mostly handing off to the running backs.
The LSU trio of receivers Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall looked much sharper as a unit. The three combined for eight catches for 91 yards and a touchdown to Jefferson on a nice scramble play from Burrow.
“They’re taking great strides and I’m really excited for what’s in store for those guys,” Burrow said. “It seems like they’re open every play so we’re just going to keep building on these packages and getting our playmakers the ball.”
One unit that didn’t look very sharp was the first team offensive line, who surrendered four sacks in the first half and another three in the second half. Pass protection was a problem for the team all last year and with 10 total sacks recorded between the two teams, Orgeron and the coaching staff will continue to search for solutions.
“If the protection holds up, our guys are going to get open,” Orgeron said. “There was too many sacks but that's an area that we're going to have to continue to work on."