{"id":48249,"date":"2023-04-18T09:00:35","date_gmt":"2023-04-18T13:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=48249"},"modified":"2023-04-18T12:24:04","modified_gmt":"2023-04-18T16:24:04","slug":"lsu-throwing-the-deep-ball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2023\/04\/18\/lsu-throwing-the-deep-ball\/","title":{"rendered":"LSU: Throwing the Deep Ball"},"content":{"rendered":"

LSU Quarterback Jayden Daniels<\/a> and the Bengal Tigers have a few notable commonalities. Tigers have ample amounts of speed and quickness, and so does Daniels. Tigers have stripes; Daniels plays on a field with stripes. Tigers don\u2019t wear shoes; Daniels lost his shoe<\/a>\u00a0because that\u2019s all safety Donovan Kaufman<\/a> could tackle when LSU played against Auburn<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The talented signal-caller showed flashes of brilliance in his first year with the Tigers, but there is still much room for improvement in his passing game. One of Daniels\u2019 most significant areas of focus this offseason is improving his ability – and confidence – to throw the deep ball.<\/p>\n

The Need to Take More Chances<\/h3>\n

One of the most significant criticisms of Daniels’ passing game last season was his reluctance to push the ball down the field. There were a few too many instances where he glossed over deeper routes in progressions. A bigger head-scratcher came in the instances Daniels got tunnel vision on his check-downs, seemingly running through no progressions at all.<\/p>\n

Daniels averages 8.7 yards per attempt, and in SEC play that drops to just 6.9 yards per attempt. Remember those, because we\u2019re going to address them more in-depth later. The point to be made right now, though, is that against stronger opponents he seems more hesitant to let the ball fly. These numbers are something that LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock<\/strong> has been focusing on with Daniels throughout the offseason.<\/p>\n

Denbrock’s Thoughts<\/h3>\n

As Denbrock noted in a recent interview<\/a>, “It’s a mindset you have to drill like you drill any other mindset.” Simply put, Daniels needs to be willing to take more chances and trust his arm to make big plays happen.<\/p>\n

Part of the problem, according to Denbrock, is that he may not have scripted enough long-passing plays in both practice and games. “It’s a lot easier to call another hitch route knowing that it’s going to be complete than it is to take a shot down the field,” he said. “But as a coach, we’ve got to be willing to do that.” Things can only improve by putting Daniels in practice situations where he has to make quick decisions and throw the ball deep. Through this approach, the coaching staff hopes to build Daniels’ confidence and get him comfortable taking those chances in games.<\/p>\n

Denbrock also noted his hope to improve the frequency of catch and run passes, thus improving LSU’s yards-after-catch.\u00a0He plans to do this by, \u201crunning a little bit more scheme-wise\u201d, he said. \u201cWhere we can get the ball in our skill guys\u2019 hands with their ability to turn up field, instead of having their back to the goal line.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Promising Moments and Personnel<\/h3>\n

Despite his reluctance to throw long passes, there were moments last season where Daniels showed he has the ability to do so. In the Tigers’ 2022 contest against Florida, he made impressive long-yardage throws showcasing his arm strength and accuracy.<\/p>\n

Your Honor, we offer\u00a045-35 into evidence:<\/p>\n

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JAYDEN DANIELS THREW A PERFECT PASS TO PUT LSU ON TOP \ud83d\ude2e\u200d\ud83d\udca8 pic.twitter.com\/5yVNP9zboj<\/a><\/p>\n

— ESPN (@espn) October 16, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n