By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, TIGER RAG STAFF Writer
Despite LSU’s inability to move the ball on offense all season, it’s the unit that came up clutch, closing out the game to keep the “Golden Boot” in Baton Rouge in the 23-22 win over Arkansas.
On a crucial third and two, Harlem Berry took a carry to the left side on the outside where he had nothing but green in front of him. The New Orleans freshman unselfishly stopped short of the goal line and slid down so that the Tigers could run out the clock.
On what would be a 6:17 minute touchdown drive to reclaim the lead in the fourth quarter, the Tigers marched 92 yards down the field in 12 plays.
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But it wasn’t a normal drive. It was actually quite bizarre.
The Tigers’ coaching staff brought out all the gimmicks, as play caller Alex Atkins called several trick plays on the touchdown drive to help the struggling offense get as many yards as possible.
“We practiced them all week. Some had been with us, some from last week, some we added this week. Just vulnerabilities and ways we thought we had to be creative to find a way to score,” interim head coach Frank Wilson said after the win. “Empty the chamber. Use everything that we practiced and we began to call those things and go down the field and it worked out for us.”
The drive’s trickery started off on the second play of the drive, when running back Ju’Juan Johnson was the recipient of a double handoff that went to the outside for a seven-yard gain.
Directly after that, sophomore quarterback Michael Van Buren lined up under center with a running back behind him. The Tigers faked a handoff and passed the ball to wide receiver Zavion Thomas, who scrambled right and passed to tight end Trey’Dez Green, who couldn’t come up with the catch.
Later on in the drive, LSU converted on a third-and-long as sophomore quarterback Michael Van Buren completed a pass to Barion Brown over the middle for 21 yards and just two plays after, the Tigers went back to the double pass, but this time on the opposite side and it was Johnson who hit Green in stride for the 14-yard gain.
And guess what? Atkins wanted more.
The last trick play of the drive came when Van Buren got a handoff while in motion and then scrambled left to find sophomore wide receiver Kyle Parker in stride for a ten-yard gain while getting enough for the first down.
“I mean, it’s just stuff we practiced all week, and we just went out there and executed. Nothing else to it,” Van Buren said. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Usually, teams will use a trick play or two to get some momentum going within its offense. LSU used four in one drive.
“We in it to win, so whatever we got to do to win is what we’re going to do,” sophomore running back Caden Durham said after the win.
With the help of the LSU offense’s razzle-dazzle plays, the Bayou Bengals are going bowling.
LSU will host Western Kentucky (7-2, 5-1 Conference USA) next Saturday for senior night (6:45 p.m. CT, SEC Network).
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