Orgeron about to face his real test

Published 6:53 am Monday, October 17, 2016

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">BATON ROUGE — It took 123 years before finally giving it a shot, but just two weeks in, the Great Cajun Experiment as LSU’s football coach is off to an encouraging start.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">For sure, it’s being done, for now, strictly on a trial basis.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The call it “interim” in coaching circles.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Sure, it could be dangerous. Who knows? This could upset the whole applecart of the college football world. Louisiana wasn’t already crazy enough? It’s a delicate ecology, and this has never before been attempted.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">There needs to be more tests, extensive ones at that. It’s almost like a new miracle drug entering the market.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Sure it sounds good. But have all the side effects been considered?</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">They could be far-reaching.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">LSU went from a coach nobody could interpret to one that nobody — except a select few deep down the bayou — can understand (although if you just get past the Cajun gravel garnishments, it’s pretty plain and very direct English).</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">It’s not that bad, actually — listen to the words, not the accent from central casting — but do we want the entire state driving Hummers and swigging Red Bull by gallon.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">But so far, so good on the LSU football front.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">And it does seem like everyone is cheering for the guy to pull it off, to pass the audition.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Ed Orgeron is certainly pulling all the right levers, pushing all the right fan buttons.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">That mandate to make the Tigers’ offense presentable, preferably 21st-Century caliber?</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The first week the new Coach O-led Tigers had more yards (634) in an SEC game (yes, Missouri is in the SEC) than any LSU team in the history of mankind.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The second week LSU averaged 10.9 yards per play — better than a first down every snap — which is the most at least in recorded history, which gets sketchy beyond 50 years or so.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">And yet he’s a defensive coach.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">There’s a catch, of course.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Missouri. And Southern Miss.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">He’s 2-0 with a 42-7 victory over Missouri and 45-10 over Southern Miss, two opponents that a team with LSU’s talent should have beaten by about, oh, 35 points.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">But maybe that’s part of the encouragement.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">It’s likely Les Miles would have handled Missouri and Southern Miss, too. The difference is that they likely would have been 19-15 victories with several anxious moments at the end.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Maybe the Red Bull kicks in.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Maybe he’s playing to the crowd.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">But Orgeron doesn’t take the foot off the gas even when the game gets comfortable.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Orgeron let Miles’ old offensive coordinator Cam Cameron go — and, yes, reportedly it was Coach O who insisted Cameron had to join Miles out the door — and turned new offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger loose.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“Coach Ensminger likes to sling it,” several players said, in obvious agreement.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Shoot, LSU had more points (45) than total plays (42) against Southern Miss Saturday night. Yes, better than a point per play. Five of the six touchdown drives were three plays or less.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">It apparently left Pete Jenkins, the 75-year-old defensive line guru and legend that Orgeron brought back to replace himself among the assistants, with his head spinning. Not much rest before getting the troops back out there on defense.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“Pete Jenkins was chewing Steve Ensminger’s butt for scoring too fast,” Orgeron laughed.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">He can chuckle. He’s not personally coaching defense any more.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“We want explosive plays,” Orgeron said, preaching back to the far reaches of the LSU choir.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">But it’s better than being right back out after a fruitless three-and-out.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“We want those bombs,” Orgeron said, getting more amens from Tiger Stadium. “Maybe earlier in the game, we want to be able to throw those long balls.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">And that’s all fine.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">But about all Orgeron has done with these two games is as much as he could do — he basically held serve while throwing in a few style points.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">That is about to change.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">If Orgeron really wants his dream job, these next five games will be a great opportunity.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Yes, they gave him a few fungoes to warm up on. But this is a stunt no one would attempt.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The final five games are all against ranked teams, two in the top ten, starting this week with No. 23 Ole Miss, then No. 1 Alabama, then No. 17 Arkansas and No. 6 Texas A&amp;M.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">They culled South Alabama.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Were they setting him up to fail?</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">No one ever put a number on how many of these seven games Orgeron had to win.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">But if it ever leaks out, do you grade him on the curve given this murderers’ row?</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">You just wonder if it’s scaring the decision makers yet.</span>