LSU’s coaching staff has received criticism for not preparing for the possibility Texas A&M backup quarterback Marcel Reed would play in last Saturday’s Top 15 matchup in College Station.
Conner Weigman started the season as the Aggies starter, but injured his shoulder in the season opener against Notre Dame and aggravated the injury the following week in a blowout win over McNeese State.
Reed replaced Weigman as the starter for three games and led A&M to victories over Florida, Bowling Green and Arkansas.
Weigman returned for the Missouri game and led the Aggies to a dominating win. He played the whole way when A&M beat Mississippi State.
But Weigman threw two interceptions against State and has yet to live up to the potential he showed coming out of high school when he was considered the nation’s top pocket passer.
In a game with so much on the line, you would think LSU’s coaching staff would consider the possibility that if Weigman played poorly, Reed could be an option.
But the Tigers were not ready for Reed’s ability to run and the redshirt freshman rushed for three touchdowns and threw for 70 yards, including a 54-yarder.
Related
LSU linebacker Greg Penn told reporters after the game they didn’t prepare for Reed.
Coach Brian Kelly has held two media sessions since Saturday night’s demoralizing loss and both times he’s clarified Penn’s remarks.
“I don’t know that Greg was referring to the fact that we were not prepared, you don’t run a defense, expecting the number two quarterback to come in, we’ve prepared for that kind of offense, everyone runs that kind of offense, they run zone read and they ran ‘bash.’ We saw that last week, we’ve seen it every week,” Kelly said.
“We prepared for Conner to play, so a lot of the reps were focused on the offense that Conner is part of. Throughout camp, throughout spring ball, throughout the course of the season, we have a defense and a defensive structure that stops the quarterback run, that stops the read option. You have to. The fact of the matter is we just didn’t execute it as well.”
That’s what Kelly had to say on Tuesday during a media session with local reporters.
On Wednesday, during the SEC coaches Zoom call, Kelly was asked to address the issue again.
“We will spend even more time talking about the running quarterback and what other things that we have to be ready for just in case, but at the end of the day we had a scheme put in and we didn’t execute it, and so this is Ole Miss ranks 2nd in the country in total offense with 577 yards.
Ole Miss ranks 12th in total defense at 268.
about coaching and players executing at the same time.”
LSU knows it will face a running quarterback on November 9th when they host Alabama.
Crismon Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards, but he’s also rushed for 380 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Last year against LSU, Milroe had a monster game as he threw for 219 yards and also rushed for 155 yards and four touchdowns.