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.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Five things we learned in LSU's spring game Saturday, a 37-0 win for White (first-team players) over Purple (various reserves):

1. Mettenberger adjusts: Quarterback Zach Mettenberger completed 12 of 19 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns, all in the first half, after he evidently adjusted his own game plan.

Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron came up with the idea of allowing the quarterbacks to call their own plays in the spring game, so Mettenberger had some adjustments to make to his own calls.

"It was tough out there," the quarterback said. "Coach Cameron allowed us to call our own plays and it was the first time I've ever done that. It was kind of a slow start to get going, but we turned it around and had a pretty good day."

LSU coach Les Miles said the idea was to allow coaches to get a better feel for each quarterback's preference in certain situations and to allow the quarterbacks to gain a respect, and some insight, in the play-calling process.

"It allows you to see how the quarterback thinks," Miles said. "It allows you to see how he views the game plan, what he would call. I think it was a tremendous exercise."

It didn't get off to a rip-roaring start. Playing against a depleted second-team defense, the White offense managed a single field goal in its first three possessions before threw touchdown passes of 15 and 79 yards from Mettenberger to tight end Dillon Gordon and receiver Odell Beckham on consecutive possessions.

"We turned it around and had a pretty good day," Mettenberger said.

That goes especially for Beckham, who had two touchdown and 202 receiving yards on six catches, and Jarvis Landry, who added 132 yards on six catches.

2. Left out: LSU was without six injured first team players, as the secondary was depleted by injuries that kept out Jalen Collins, Jalen Mills and Ronald Martin. Offensive linemen Elliott Porter and Vadal Alexander also missed the game, as did defensive end Jermauria Rasco.

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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.”

BATON ROUGE, La. -- After taking this week off for spring break, LSU resumes spring practice next week. Here are three things to watch for as the Tigers head for the last two weeks of spring drills, capped by the April 20 Spring Game:

1. The progression of La'el Collins: As much as people talk about how Cam Cameron will influence Zach Mettenberger's quarterback play and how much LSU might throw the ball, the move of Collins from left guard to left tackle to replace the graduated Josh Dworaczyk becomes that much more critical.

We all know about left tackles and their valuable because they protect the right-handed quarterback's blind side from the modern-day Lawrence Taylors. We've all seen "The Blind Side."

Collins came out of high school, where he was one of the nation's most decorated offensive tackle prospects, as a guy who was projected as one of those blind-side protectors. But his niche last year in his first season as a starter at LSU was as a guard who used the same nimble feet that made many project him as a dominant pass blocker to become a dominant pull and reach blocker in the Tigers' running game.

Now, he's out on the edge. If he's what he's been sold to be, Mettenberger should have time to find open receivers, given that he's more experienced and his wideouts and both older and more talented than last season. If the Collins move has issues, then that can be a problem for the Tigers' passing game.

Youth movement?: LSU's eight early enrollees have had a chance to get their feet wet.

In the next two weeks, it'll be interesting to see if junior college transfers Logan Stokes (tight end) and Fehoko Fanaika (offensive guard) make a move towards the starting lineup as they get more comfortable.

Similarly some young linemen, particularly offensive tackle Ethan Pocic and defensive tackle Christian LaCouture, have looked good at times. As they begin to better grasp the concepts they are learning this spring, will they be ready to translate that to a big spring game and prominent roles come August?

Air Les (meaning, Air More)?: LSU has thrown its share of passes in the two spring scrimmages so far.

Will that trend continue to the spring game? Or will the Cameron influence be overwhelmed by the Les Miles identity of a power running game that tries to make defenses submit through force of will (and force of muscle)?

The spring game will give us our verdict. A lot of Tigers fans won't be happy unless Mettenberger throws it 30-plus times, as he's been doing in early spring scrimmages.

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.

LSU is a very intriguing team to keep an eye on this spring.

Thanks to graduation and early jumps to the NFL, the defense has to replace a host of players, while the offense is looking to finally generate some consistent excitement/production in 2013.

The absences on defense are concerning, but people around the program are expecting more reloading than rebuilding on that side of the ball. The offense's transformation still seems to be the real focus at the moment, and the addition of new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron coupled with a lot of experience returning in 2013 has generated some real excitement.

The returning talent, including quarterback Zach Mettenberger, running back Jeremy Hill and a host of receivers, is one thing, but having Cameron around has many wondering if LSU's offense will really take off this fall -- especially with his more up-tempo style.

The Tigers have only gone through a few practices, but players are already starting to see (positive) differences in this offense compared to last year's.

Wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who caught a team-high 56 passes and finished the 2012 season with 573 yards and five touchdowns, said he expects LSU's offense to "attack it more vertically" with its passing game and be more consistent throwing the ball.

So far, Landry said practices have been devoted to slowly breaking the new offense down fundamentally in order to make things easy on players. Even the timing with routes -- new and old -- has been harped on, which has really helped this spring.

"If we continue to do that, the running and passing game will be crazy this year," Landry said.

For Hill, the offense seems more open than last year's and less predictable. Players are moving all around and things can get a little fast at times, but Hill said players are comfortable with the tempo of practice.

"Everything is under control -- it's not chaos out there," Hill said. "We're going fast, but it's organized chaos."

That organized chaos has Hill expecting to see some positive differences in LSU's offense this fall. The Tigers won't get away from their bread and butter that is running the ball with their stable of backs, but, like Landry, Hill senses the passing game will play a bigger role in LSU's success.

"We're still going to be a hard-nosed, smashmouth football team, but our passing game is going to be a lot better next season," he said.

Things are still a work in progress, and the Tigers are in the very early stages of this transition, but there's no question that the confidence is up on offense.

"The sky's the limit," Landry said. "It's kind of unpredictable right now, but it has potential. From where we started last year, it's kind of like the only thing we can do is go up."

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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