LSU Tigers

LSU TIGERS

2012 record: 10-3

2012 conference record: 6-2

Returning starters: Offense: 9; defense: 3; special teams: 1

Top returners: QB Zach Mettenberger, RB Jeremy Hill, RB Alfred Blue, OL La'el Collins, WR Jarvis Landry, WR Odell Beckham, LB Lamin Barrow, SS Craig Loston, CB Jalen Mills

Key losses: DE Barkevious Mingo, DE Sam Montgomery, DT Bennie Logan, LB Kevin Minter, FS Eric Reid, CB Tharold Simon, OT Josh Dworaczyk, C P.J. Lonergan, K Drew Alleman, P Brad Wing

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Jeremy Hill* (755 yards, 12 touchdowns)

Passing: Zach Mettenberger* (2,609 yards, 12 touchdowns)

Receiving: Odell Beckham* (43 receptions, 713 yards), Jarvis Landry* (56 receptions, 573 yards)

Tackles: Kevin Minter (130)

Sacks: Sam Montgomery (8)

Interceptions: Tharold Simon (4)

Spring Answers

1. A new offense: The arrival of new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron saw the Tigers throwing the football around all spring. It's clear LSU's sometimes anemic passing offense will be asked to carry a larger load this fall, with Mettenberger returning along with his favorite deep threat (Beckham) and his go-to possession receiver (Landry).

2. Barrow's a leader: After losing Minter to the NFL draft, LSU will look to its other 100-tackle linebacker for leadership. Barrow was productive all spring while staying at the weak-side linebacker spot where he excelled in a 104-tackle junior season. He could possibly move to middle linebacker in the fall.

3. More power: Even in a more open offense, LSU should be able to run the ball. With La'el Collins moving from left guard to left tackle and Josh Williford replacing him at left guard (sliding over from right guard), the Tigers will be able to start four offensive linemen who have started at least the majority of a season somewhere on the line. With fullback J.C. Copeland and four proven running backs returning, don't look for Cam Cameron's offense to abandon the run.

Fall questions

1. The Hill situation: LSU's leading rusher was suspended from the team indefinitely after he was arrested for his part in a bar fight that happened while he was on probation for a previous charge. If Hill serves a long suspension or is not on the team, the Tigers will be down to three scholarship running backs. Would that force the Tigers to change their offensive identity?

2. A new front four: The Tigers lost all four starters on the defensive line, including three (plus a backup) who were picked in the NFL draft. LSU has recruited well, but a lot of unproven talent will have to perform up to expectations for the defense to be as good as it was in 2012. Defensive tackle Anthony Johnson, who played starter-like snaps as the third tackle last season, will take on a leadership role.

3. Special teams dominance?: Under Les Miles, LSU has usually outplayed opponents on special teams. But with Wing giving pro football a try and kicker Alleman finished, there are serious questions about whether LSU can be as consistently good as years past. Walk-ons will be asked to replace Alleman's consistency.

It was a huge weekend for LSU football.

It was also a bit of a black eye for Tigers football.

On the same weekend LSU set an NFL record with six defensive players drafted in the first three rounds and a school record with nine players total getting picked, the Tigers also had two players arrested -- their leading rusher and a draft prospect two nights before he was picked.

For as much as LSU makes news with the talent it possesses, it seems like it spends as much time being discussed lately for off-field behavior of its players. After a weekend where LSU should have been celebrating its prolific production of pro talent, the Tigers are instead dealing with questions yet again about player conduct.

Jeremy Hill, who rushed for 755 yards and 12 touchdowns as a freshman in 2012, is the one dominating the headlines Monday.

Already on probation after pleading guilty to carnal knowledge of a juvenile, Hill was arrested Saturday night after allegedly punching someone outside a bar near LSU and subsequently has been charged with simple battery. He was suspended from the team indefinitely by coach Les Miles on Monday.

His arrest came two nights after former Tigers cornerback Tharold Simon was arrested on several charges, including public intimidation, in a dispute with police in his hometown of Eunice, La. Despite the arrest, Simon was drafted in the fifth round by the Seattle Seahawks.

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BATON ROUGE, La. -- While getting new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron's red-zone passing offense installed during Tuesday’s practice, LSU was in a formation where running back Alfred Blue was lined up like a wide receiver.

In this era of the versatile back, that's hardly unusual. But at LSU, where power football has ruled the day under Les Miles and previous offensive coordinators Greg Studrawa and Gary Crowton, seeing Blue out wide may represent something of a sea change in the Tigers' approach.

Is it time to forget Miles' signature toss lead on third-and-3 and instead look for something more creative? Evidence suggests that time may have come.

"It's all about creating matchups," said wide receiver Jarvis Landry of the new LSU offense. "Anybody can end up wide -- receivers, tight ends, running backs, all of us. We're looking to find mismatches."

Under Cameron, LSU may still get the ball to a running back, but not necessarily by running a toss lead, power, or a swing pass out of the backfield. If Blue has a slow linebacker on him, he might go out wide to try to create a 1-on-1 mismatch. If a tight end has a small defensive back on him, he might be isolated.

"We're all part of the passing drills, same as the receivers," running back Jeremy Hill said. "Everybody has to be prepared to be part of it. Even fullbacks."

This should come as little shock to those who have followed Cameron, the former Indiana University and Miami Dolphins head coach who was named LSU's offensive coordinator in February.

As offensive coordinator with the San Diego Chargers in the early 2000s, he developed an offense that routinely took advantage of mismatches involving running back LaDainian Tomlinson and tight end Antonio Gates. Cameron would often use running back Ray Rice in the passing game with the Baltimore Ravens, where he was offensive coordinator until he was fired midway through the 2012 season, just before Baltimore began a run to the Super Bowl.

While Cameron has insisted he's the one adapting to what he called a "great system" at LSU, the change in emphasis this spring is unmistakable.

LSU finished 10th in the SEC in offensive yards per game last season (374.2), the third time in four seasons the Tigers have finished near the bottom in the SEC offensive rankings, including a dead-last finish in 2009 (304.5 yards per game). Only the 2011 team, which averaged 355.1 yards per game en route to an SEC title and appearance in the BCS championship game managed to finish in the top half of the SEC in offense.

Some of the lack of production could be blamed on LSU playing to its strengths on defense and special teams. But most of LSU's big losses in recent seasons were games where the Tigers would go long stretches with anemic production, like the 21-0 loss to Alabama in the 2012 BCS title game and last year's 14-6 loss to Florida, a game in which LSU went two quarters without picking up a first down.

Miles first attempted to solve the offensive problem by hiring Steve Kragthorpe as offensive coordinator after Crowton left for Maryland following the 2010 season. Kragthorpe, however, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and never coached a game as offensive coordinator, leading to the promotion of Studrawa from offensive line coach.

A year ago, the hopes were put on new quarterback Zach Mettenberger, who had the big, accurate arm that the Tigers perhaps lacked since JaMarcus Russell. But Mettenberger put up modest numbers.

Regardless of the changes, the results have stayed the same. Some blame Miles, a former offensive coordinator who favors the power style. But Miles made it clear he would allow his old friend, Cameron -- who once shared an office with Miles while on Michigan's staff under Bo Schembechler in the early 80s -- to enjoy a free rein with the offense.

"There will be an ability for him to change and restructure," Miles said.

So far, Miles seems hands off, staying with the offensive line at practice, helping Studrawa, who moved back to offensive line coach after Cameron's hire.

Meanwhile, Cameron is on another field, lining up running backs wide and installing a redzone offense Landry said was "completely" different from what LSU did last year.

And while there are always growing pains associated with a new offense, the hope is that by the time the season kicks off at Cowboys Stadium against TCU on August 31, a more creative offense will be unleashed.

“It’s tough because it’s a new offense,” Mettenberger said. “It’s going to take some time. But once we get it down, this is going to be a good offense for us.”

With spring practice in full swing, all eyes are on Zach Mettenberger and LSU's passing offense. And that trend should continue through fall practice and once the season finally gets here.

But while many want to see what Mettenberger can do in his second year as a starter, especially with Cam Cameron taking over the offense, LSU's running game will still have to be very strong. With Michael Ford and Spencer Ware surprisingly taking their games to the NFL, the Tigers will be down some backs in 2013, meaning rising sophomore Jeremy Hill will become that much more important this fall.

In fact, he could be the X factor in LSU's offense.

The Tigers want to throw the ball more, and probably will with Cameron's philosophy and all of Mettenberger's receiving targets returning, but a powerful running game has always been in Les Miles' arsenal. Having a bullish back like Hill, who resumes his role as LSU's No. 1 running back, will help continue that trend.

But like Mettenberger a year ago, there will be a lot of pressure on Hill to perform. He arrived with a load of hype last year, and once he took over as the starter midway through the season, he was one of the most exciting running backs to watch in the SEC. He finished the year with 755 yards and 12 touchdowns. He started five of the 11 games he played in.

Starting with the South Carolina game in early October, Hill carried the ball at least 12 times each game during the last two months of the season. During that span, he gained 124 yards in a win over the Gamecocks and 127 yards in a win over Texas A&M a week later. He rushed for three touchdowns in those games and averaged more than 7 yards a carry in both outings. A week later, he carried the ball 29 times for 107 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Alabama.

His numbers dipped in the final three games of the season, but he came roaring back for three quarters against Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. After rushing for 124 yards and two touchdowns (averaging 10.3 yards per carry along the way), he didn't touch the ball at all in the fourth quarter, and the Tigers let a 24-13 lead slip away inside the Georgia Dome.

On the season, Hill averaged a rugged 5.3 yards per carry. He also gained 490 of his yards on first down, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Eleven of his touchdowns also came on first down, and he rushed for 291 of his yards (5.6 yards per carry) and six touchdowns in the fourth quarter, making the Chick-fil-A Bowl game plan in the fourth quarter that much more perplexing.

Mettenberger should be better this fall, but Hill will have to pick up where he left off and be able to carry even more of the load. He'll be able to get breathers from Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard, but Hill will be the focal point of the running game. He has a great combination of size and speed and packs quite the punch, making it hard to prevent him from toughing out a couple extra hards on every run.

People continue to pump up guys like Todd Gurley and T.J. Yeldon -- and for good reason -- but keep two eyes on Hill this fall. He has all the talent to be a special player in this league, and if the passing game gets going, Hill will be freed up to do even more in 2013 ... and that's not a good thing for opposing defenses.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- When Michael Ford and Spencer Ware decided to leave LSU after their junior seasons, it left twice the opportunity for Terrence Magee to find his niche in the LSU backfield.

While neither Ford nor Ware was the Tigers' main back last season, both had niche roles based on specific skill sets that Magee also possesses.

For Ford, it was his speed to get to the edge, a role the speedy Magee would be a strong candidate to inherit.

"But Michael didn't really catch passes," Magee noted.

That duty was largely the responsibility of Ware, who led LSU running backs -- and was tied for fourth on the team -- with 18 catches for 230 yards and a touchdown.

It just so happens that Magee moved to wide receiver for much of last season, his sophomore year. So now, back at running back, he has to feel good about his chances at getting to play one, if not both, roles this season, thus earning the first significant playing time in his college career.

"I feel like I do a good job of getting out of the backfield and catching passes and being the check-down for the quarterback," he said. "I also feel that I can run it as well as [the other] guys too."

LSU's first scrimmage Saturday seemed to affirm his belief. He led the team with 60 rushing yards on 10 carries and also caught two passes out of the backfield, one for a touchdown.

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BATON ROUGE, La. -- Here are things to know as LSU starts spring practice:

Practice dates: March 14, 15, 16, 19, 21, 23 (scrimmage), 25, 26 and 28. After spring break, resumes April 9, 11, 13 (scrimmage), 16, 18 and 20 (spring game).

What's new: Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron will install his new offense, and four new starters will man the defensive line.

What's old: The Tigers have eight returning starters on offense, led by quarterback Zach Mettenberger.

Offensive outlook:
Starters returning (8): QB Mettenberger, RB Jeremy Hill, FB J.C. Copeland, WR Jarvis Landry, WR Odell Beckham, LT La'el Collins (moved from left guard), LG Josh Williford (moved from right guard), RG Trai Turner, RT Vadal Alexander.

New starters: TE Dillon Gordon or Logan Stokes, C Elliott Porter. Key reserves -- QB Stephen Rivers, RBs Alfred Blue, Kenny Hilliard and Terrance Magee, FB Connor Neighbors, LT Jerald Hawkins, RG Fehoko Fanaika, RT Ethan Pocic, WR James Wright, Kadron Boone, John Diarse and Travin Dural, TE Travis Dickson.

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Schedule: The Tigers open spring practice Thursday and will conclude the spring April 20 with their annual National L Club spring game at 3 p.m. ET in Tiger Stadium.

What’s new: Cam Cameron steps in as LSU’s offensive coordinator after spending part of last season in that role with the Baltimore Ravens. Cameron replaces Greg Studrawa as LSU’s play-caller on offense and will also coach the quarterbacks. Studrawa remains on staff and will coach the offensive line. Steve Kragthorpe will move into an administrative role after coaching the LSU quarterbacks the previous two seasons.

On the mend: Reserve quarterback Rob Bolden (knee) and defensive end Justin Maclin will both miss the spring while recovering from injuries.

On the move: Junior La’el Collins will get first shot at left tackle this spring after starting all last season at left guard. Senior Josh Williford will shift from right guard to left guard. Junior Terrence Magee is moving back to running back after playing receiver last season and catching just one pass.

Question marks: The Tigers are replacing five of their top seven defensive linemen. Junior tackles Anthony Johnson and Ego Ferguson and junior end Jermauria Rasco need to take that next step and become every-down forces up front. Head coach Les Miles said sophomore tackle Mickey Johnson has lost weight and had a promising offseason. Playing with more consistency at receiver will also be important. The Tigers had too many dropped passes last season and didn't make a lot happen down the field. Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry will be counted on to make big moves as juniors. LSU also has to find a new place-kicker and punter. Sophomore Jamie Keehn heads into the spring as the punter, while junior James Hairston will have to hold off redshirt freshman walk-on Colby Delahoussaye for the starting place-kicking job.

New faces: Junior-college newcomer Logan Stokes will battle for a starting job at tight end, while junior-college newcomer Fehoko Fanaika could factor in at offensive guard. At receiver, redshirt freshman Travin Dural will be one to watch after injuring his knee last season along with a pair of early enrollees -- Avery Peterson (Patrick Peterson’s younger brother) and John Diarse. Two more true freshmen, Anthony Jennings and Hayden Rettig, will be among a handful of players vying for the backup quarterback job. The Tigers have a total of six true freshmen on campus who will be going through spring practice as early enrollees. Redshirt freshman Dwayne Thomas is a prime candidate to be the Tigers’ third cornerback on passing downs.

Breaking out: In reality, senior linebacker Lamin Barrow has already broken out. He had 104 total tackles last season, but was overshadowed by Kevin Minter. With Minter leaving early for the NFL draft, Barrow will move this spring from weakside linebacker to Minter’s middle-linebacker spot. The 6-foot-2, 232-pound Barrow has everything it takes to become an All-SEC performer. If he sticks in the middle, it just makes the Tigers that much deeper at linebacker. Talented sophomores Kwon Alexander, Deion Jones and Lamar Louis can all play on the outside along with senior Tahj Jones, who returns after missing all but one game last season for academic reasons.

Don’t forget about: Senior running back Alfred Blue returns to give the Tigers one of the deepest backfields in the league. He injured his knee in the third game last season and was No. 2 in the SEC in rushing at the time. The 6-2, 220-pound Blue has excellent speed and also catches the ball well out of the backfield. He’ll team with sophomore Jeremy Hill to give LSU a dynamite one-two punch. The 6-2, 235-pound Hill had four 100-yard games as a true freshman and led the Tigers in rushing. Following a splendid freshman season, Kenny Hilliard was the forgotten man last season. He’ll be looking to regain his form this spring, while Magee will add some speed to the Tigers’ backfield.

All eyes on: Now that senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger has a season as a starter in the SEC under his belt, can he capitalize on the improvement he showed toward the end of last season? In particular, Miles wants to see Mettenberger get better at throwing the deep ball and understand all of the throws better. Mettenberger struggled early last season, but he didn’t get a lot of help from his receivers. The best news for Mettenberger was the hiring of a veteran offensive coordinator like Cameron, who’s tutored a ton of quality quarterbacks. There’s no question that LSU has to be more consistent on offense if it’s going to return to the SEC championship picture. How much Mettenberger improves from his junior to senior season will go a long way toward determining whether the Tigers will be a part of that equation.

As LSU prepares to begin spring practice March 14, GeauxTigerNation will take daily looks at aspects of the spring camp. This is the fifth in the series:

BATON ROUGE, La. -- With LSU bringing in a new offensive coordinator in Cam Cameron, the question is, how will it affect the offense?

Over the years, Tigers teams under Les Miles have had strikingly similar offensive identities. The power running game has been a staple. The downfield passing game has usually been there. Since defensive coordinator John Chavis brought a dominant defense to town in 2009, the willingness to play conservatively and exchange field position with superior special teams has been part of the identity.

With Cameron and his Air Coryell background things might be tweaked. Cameron made his name as the offensive guru of the San Diego Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens and served as head coach of the Miami Dolphins and Indiana University.

Here are some common threads that might continue to be traits of his offense at LSU:

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