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An LSU QB looked good vs. BYU, and that should scare the country

Derick E. Hingle / USA TODAY Sports

When was the last time LSU fans didn't have to rip their hair out every time their quarterback dropped back to pass?

Before Saturday night, the answer would've been, a very long time ago. Danny Etling looked adequate and then some against BYU, however, and that should strike fear into the rest of the nation.

For years, LSU has been stacked at basically every position other than the one that matters most - quarterback. This year, the Tigers may have all the ingredients to make a championship run.

Etling had only three incompletions versus BYU, a formidable foe that had already shaken the offseason rust in an Aug. 26 season opener and had won nine of 10 tilts overall dating back to last year.

Etling didn't throw a touchdown against the Cougars, but he didn't turn the ball over, either. He did precisely what LSU needs its quarterback to do - manage the game. Etling posted an 82 percent completion rate on 17 passes for 171 yards (not bad by LSU's standards recently), guiding the Tigers' offense to five scoring drives, including three touchdowns.

"I thought he did a great job - exactly what we asked him to do tonight," head coach Ed Orgeron said following the 27-0 shutout victory, according to Andrew Lopez of NOLA.com. "It goes to show you all the hard work he did all summer. ... Our players believe in him, that's why we made him the starting quarterback and we proved it tonight."

As is usually the case with LSU, the team surrounding the quarterback looked capable of measuring up against any other in the country. Derrius Guice rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns, eight receivers recorded a catch, the defense collected three sacks and forced a turnover, and the special teams unit held up, one missed field goal in three attempts aside. Star pass-rusher Arden Key sat out injured, but will make the Tigers even scarier upon his return.

Questions about LSU and its national aspirations will always circle back to the pivot. For the first time in a long while, Tigers fans can feel confident about their signal-caller, and the chances of seeing a shiny trophy brought back to Baton Rouge.

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