Joe Foucha hasn't taken a snap in an LSU jersey since opting to transfer from Arkansas over the offseason.
That doesn't mean the studying has stopped. Nor has the preparation.
"He's been actively involved," head coach Brian Kelly said. "I think the plan has been excellent. He's been involved in any articulation between our offense and defense that hasn't involved game plan, which is quite a bit."
Foucha has been suspended the first four games due to issues transferring his credits in. That meant an experienced safety was on the pine, with his biggest contribution coming in 11-on-11 work during practice. Foucha ran with the scout team on those reps, a pretty stout addition to that group that forced LSU's first-team offense to work even harder and improve, Kelly said.
The New Orleans native was expected to be a starter on LSU's unit after rolling up 230 tackles, 4 interceptions and 12 passes defense during his time with the Razorbacks.
With Foucha unavailable and Jay Ward dealing with an injury, it was inexperienced Jarrick Bernard-Converse moved into that role earlier in the season. While continuity would be nice to see, the return of both Ward and Foucha, along with Greg Brooks -- also a Louisiana native and Arkansas transfer -- now gives the Tigers a veteran presence to lean on at safety heading into the meat of their SEC schedule.
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The preparation is what has Kelly confident the transfer can step in and make an immediate impact on the Tigers secondary.
"He would come over on to scout and he was a pain to deal with, because he was so good, playing so hard as a scout team member, that he made us better," Kelly said. "So I've been able to firsthand see his action on a day-to-day basis and he'll be ready to play right away."
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MORE FROM BRIAN KELLY
INJURY UPDATES
LSU (3-1, 1-0 SEC) faces off with Auburn (3-1, 1-0 SEC) in a clash of teams looking to solidify their place as a contender in the conference. Here are a few players facing injuries to watch this week.
- QB Jayden Daniels: "No residual effects ... He'll be able to practice"
- DB Jay Ward: "Feeling really good"
- RB Armoni Goodwin: "He'll be day-to-day"
Safety Major Burns didn't play vs Auburn and is expected to miss 3-6 weeks due to a neck injury.
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1s-v-1s
LSU faces a step up in competition as it hits the road to face Auburn, its first true road test of the season. But there is one clear benefit in the Tiger Bowl: These teams mirror each other very closely. They have a mobile quarterback in Robbie Ashford (and a potential pocket passer in former LSU quarterback TJ Finley who could also see action). They have a strong stable of running backs. They have an athletic defense with a dynamic Jack linebacker.
All that means there's not nearly as much need for a scout team this week. The first-team offense can match up with the first-team defense and get its work that way. Jayden Daniels can simulate Robby Ashford. BJ Ojulari can simulate Cam Riley, and so on. A simplified approach could yield positive results -- or at least that's the hope.
"There'll be a lot of carryover where we're able to go against each other and really assimilate that game speed from both sides," Kelly said.
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JAYDEN DANIELS BUZZWORD: Decisiveness
When it comes to LSU's new starting quarterback, the ability is clear to see -- particularly when things begin to break down. Daniels currently ranks in the top 10 of the SEC in both passing and rushing yards, a distinction he shares with Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson. But it's his work in the pocket that's beginning to stand out more to his head coach.
"Decisiveness is starting to be part of the vocabulary, instead of being hesitant, and that comes with knowledge of the offense," Kelly said. "I think the other thing is that he has become a lot quicker in his setup. I think I mentioned this, quick feet but slowing down and not rushing through progressions."
There have been rough moments, like the starts of both the Florida State loss and the Mississippi State comeback win. But the poise is growing each week.
"I think one of the bigger plays in his development was the dig that he threw to Jaray Jenkins in the red zone. That was his fourth receiver through a progression," Kelly said. "Those are the kinds of things you're looking for in terms of development of a quarterback and we're starting to see that as well as, you know, the screen to Malik Nabers, how quickly that ball comes out. So I think a little bit of everything was coming together. And the word I would use is just he's becoming more comfortable and more decisive."
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THOUGHTS ON JACK BECH THE PUNT RETURNER
LSU looks like it's found the answer at punt returner in the form of Jack Bech, a good sign for a team that's struggled in that regard. He's looked explosive and dangerous, with a return for a touchdown only stopped by a questionable blindside block penalty in the game against New Mexico. He'll continue to serve in that role heading into Auburn.
"Fearless," Kelly said. "We'll work on a couple of things where fearless shouldn't be always the No. 1 criteria of returning punts. We want some decision making in that as well. But that's how Jack plays, right? I mean, he's at his best when he's not worried about any factors other than competing and getting the ball in his hands. It's fun to watch, right? I mean, that's just the kind of player he is. But you can see what kind of impact he can have in our punt return game and look, and the trickle down is the other 10 guys, they want to block for him. And that is an added incentive when you have a punt returner that can break it. It adds a great energy to the entire group."