Head coach Ed Orgeron understands the team needs to run the ball

The LSU Tigers need to shake things up in the run game, it starts upfront in the trenches.

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LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron met with the media on Monday for his weekly press conference. Among the topics on the day, Coach O addressed both the offensive line play and the running back. Both have underperformed to the LSU standard. Currently, the Tigers run game is ranked last in the SEC at 2.86 yards per attempt.

He has been adamant in recent weeks about a return to the 2019 offense that set records week in and week out. When asked about how close they are to getting to that level, Orgeron stated they aren’t close. The 2019 offense utilized five-man protection, meaning that five skill players were running routes.

This season due to injuries and subpar play in the trenches, the team is having to keep a back or tight end in to help in pass blocking. This allows a defense to only focus on a three-man route.

Due to the struggles, the offense is keeping more players at the line of scrimmage and using quick throws to get the ball out. Orgeron knows that his quarterback is taking far too many shots inside the pocket. When asked on how they fix protections and the running game, he said it starts with the offensive line.

To help the line, they need to get healthy. Starting left tackle Cam Wire hasn’t played since the opener against UCLA. His ankle injury still bothering him, Wire was unable to go after pre-game work against Mississippi State. Not everything can be tied to the offensive line. At some point, these running backs need to make a guy miss. We have seen that to some extent.

Corey Kiner has been the best back of the group with rushes of 10+ yards and forcing missed tackles. Orgeron has continued to stick with Tyrion Davis-Price as the starter but at some point, you have to shake things up or we might be living in the definition of insanity.

If the offense wants to run the football, it might be time to try a new approach since you can’t necessarily change the offensive line in terms of who is playing. They are playing the best guys they have, it just might not be enough against these defensive units who are stout against the run.