LSU Football Spring Game 2017: 5 things to watch for
The 2017 LSU Football Spring Game has plenty of excitement and buzz surrounding it, but what’re the five biggest storylines to follow.
Perennially looked upon as a possible National Championship contender, the LSU Tigers weren’t quite that a season ago. They finished the year at an 8-4 clip, fired Les Miles and have now handed the keys to Ed Orgeron, who took over as the interim for Miles before being given the job. Now his first full-year run at the helm begins with the 2017 LSU Football Spring Game.
Though there’s often talk about what’s to come when it comes to spring games, it’s probably more prudent to talk about what the Tigers have to replace coming into 2017. The losses of stars and playmakers such as Leonard Fournette, Jamal Adams, Tre’Davious White, Duke Riley and a slew of other stars looms large for the Tigers. We’ll get our first glimpse at how they plan to deal with that on Saturday at the 2017 LSU Football Spring Game.
With so much turnover both on the coaching staff and on the roster, you might think that LSU is due for a decline. However, the expectations are quite the opposite. This is a program that churns out NFL-caliber defensive talent like clockwork and reinforcements are ready to prove themselves. What’s more, running back Derrius Guice proved a season ago he’s primed for a Heisman-caliber campaign at running back.
As all of this is taking shape in Baton Rouge, though, what are the most pressing things to watch for inside Tiger Stadium on Saturday? These are the five storylines to watch for at the LSU Football Spring Game.
5. Ed Orgeron And Matt Canada’s Impact
The 2017 LSU Football Spring Game will be odd to a certain degree. It’s going to be strange to see the game going on without Les Miles on the sidelines. With that said, Ed Orgeron proved a season ago as he took over the job once Miles was fired that the program is in capable hands. He’s a coach that his team last year believed in and that played the strong, hard-nosed football for that LSU has become known for.
But beyond Orgeron lies the more interesting sideline addition in new offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Formerly with Pittsburgh, we’re going to see at least a slight shift in offensive philosophy with him at the helm. LSU has not so secretly been heavily reliant upon the run in recent years. Yes, when you have backs like Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice, that’s not a bad plan of attack — especially considering the sub-par quarterback play in recent years.
However, one thing that has led to is LSU not truly being able to compete against the SEC’s elite, Alabama in particular. With no true threat of being a balanced offense, they’ve been able to handle their rivals in the SEC West. That’s going to change under Canada.
Though there is still a bit of favoritism towards the run in a Canada offense, which is again a smart choice with Guice in the fold, there is far more balance than what we’ve seen at LSU in recent years. Canada likes to move the ball through the air to set up the run and by using the run to set up the pass. It’s simple, but not something that we’re necessarily accustomed to seeing from the Tigers. Thus, it’ll be fascinating to see what it looks like starting on Saturday.