Analysis: LSU's coaching staff lacks answers for passing game

Try as it might, LSU cannot establish an offensive identity. Against a feisty Auburn defense, LSU showed its toughness by staging a fourth-quarter drive on the road with the season on the line only to see it fall short, resulting in an 18-13 loss.

That drive illustrated many of the problems LSU’s offense possesses. Quarterback Danny Etling might be serviceable in that he can pick up big gains with his scrambling ability and on occasional throws, but his limited field vision became a liability. On multiple occasions during that last drive, wide receiver Malachi Dupre was in a favorable matchup against a Tigers safety, gained separation, and was open. Etling missed these reads. If he made just one of them, LSU likely scores a touchdown to win the game.

Another revelation is the Tigers don’t have the balanced offensive attack necessary to win their division. The only time they ran the ball on their last drive was when Etling tucked the ball and ran. What makes this so confounding is the fact LSU averaged almost seven yards per rush. Running back Leonard Fournette, who averaged over six yards on 16 carries was a non-factor.

The Tigers’ best offensive player wasn't involved in their biggest drive of the season.

Granted, his nagging ankle injury bothered him to the point he had to take a few plays off. Before then, though, LSU made no concerted effort to make him the focal point of the offense. There was only one designed screen - a poorly designed one at that - and no other attempts to get him the ball in space. At the very least, they could have used Fournette as a decoy to keep Auburn’s defense honest.

Because Fournette wasn’t a factor, it became easier for Auburn to defend. It put pressure on Etling to operate in a raucous environment with the defense knowing what’s coming, and to his credit, he at least placed his team in a position to win the game. But coming close and winning are two very different things, and LSU is experiencing more of the former and less of the latter in theses type of games.

There are no simple solutions for the Tigers. Some might point to a missed 51-yard field goal as being the difference, but that attempt was Colby Delahoussaye’s first of that distance this year. The third-quarter fumble didn’t hurt either, as LSU’s defense was able to force a punt on the ensuing Auburn possession.

Therefore, even with the mental mistakes caused by the players, the culpability falls back on the coaching staff. It is mind-boggling that LSU cannot develop an effective passing attack against good defenses, as it managed just 118 passing yards in this contest.

While the rushing game was good for LSU throughout the game, the Tigers failed to utilize it to their advantage on that final drive. They had three minutes to score, which was more than enough time to sprinkle in a designed run or two to keep Auburn’s defense in reactive frame of mind. Instead, they relied on the aspect of the offense they have failed to develop in recent years. While it almost paid off, the ending resulted in more disappointment and more questions.

And at this point, it’s becoming clear the coaching staff doesn’t have answers for them.