Danny Etling named starting quarterback for LSU vs. Mississippi State
A new starting quarterback for LSU was clearly in the offing, and now it’s official. Danny Etling will take the reins Saturday night against Mississippi State.
A poor showing in a season opening loss to Wisconsin had a two-fold aftermath for the LSU Tigers. Head coach Les Miles landed firmly back on the hot seat, and starting quarterback Brandon Harris cemented his lack of job security with a bad interception late in the game.
Last Saturday’s game against Jacksonville State was the perfect testing ground for a quarterback switch, and Harris did nothing early (1-for-4 for eight yards) to quell that notion. Backup Danny Etling, who had been dealing with a back issue heading into the Wisconsin game, promptly entered and went 6-for-14 for 100 yards with two total touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) in an easy 34-13 win for LSU.
On Wednesday, Miles dropped a serious hint that Etling would start Saturday night against Mississippi State. On Friday morning, via the “Last Word With Les” segment on the school’s website, Miles confirmed that Etling will “take the first snap” on Saturday night.
Miles also offered the idea Etling’s status could change quickly, and the door is clearly open for Harris to see action. Etling’s presence opened up the deep passing game for LSU last week, and he posted a 112.1 quarterback rating against Jacksonville State. But the Purdue transfer needs to prove he can perform well against the better teams in the SEC, and it’s hard to think Mississippi State can offer that kind of test.
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With the 121st-ranked pass offense in the country through two weeks (129 yards per game), Miles loses nothing by changing his starting quarterback this week. The expected return and ongoing presence of running back Leonard Fournette, who sat out last week’s game with an ankle injury, is far more important than who is under center at any point this season.