Burrow’s record-setting pace for LSU to get big test from Florida
BATON ROUGE, La. – Joe Burrow threw five touchdown passes in last weekend’s 42-6 win over Utah State, just one off the school record he set two weeks ago at Vanderbilt. And he did not like how he played.
“I feel like I should play perfect every time,” he said.
Burrow completed 27 of 38 passes for 344 yards and became the first quarterback in LSU history to throw for 300 yards or more in four straight games.
But there was an interception and a fumble that was recovered by a teammate.
“I care about the scoreboard at the end of the game,” he said. “We won 42-6 with 600 yards of total offense. Last year, we would have been very happy with that.”
Burrow knows the competition is about to accelerate significantly. The No. 6 Tigers (5-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) host No. 7 Florida (6-0, 3-0 SEC) this week.
It will be the first top 10 matchup between the Tigers and the Gators since 2015, when No. 6 LSU beat No. 8 Florida 3528 in Tiger Stadium to get off to a 6-0 and 3-0 start.
Burrow and LSU lost 27-19 last season at Florida as Burrow threw for a mere 191 yards, hitting 19 of 34 passes with two interceptions and zero TDs.
“This is a new team and a new offense,” he said. “Things have changed around here when you are not happy with this performance. I left some throws on the field.”
LSU coach Ed Orgeron did not agree with Burrow’s assessment of his performance.
“Obviously, Joe is going to be upset,” he said. “He won’t think he played very well. I think he did. But that’s what will keep him hungry for next week.”
In that new, no-huddle, quick-paced offense, Burrow has thrown 22 touchdown passes and is No. 2 in the nation in passing yards per game at 372.8 and is No. 3 in efficiency at 216.5 on 127 of 162 passing for 1,864 yards with three interceptions. He is just seven touchdowns away from breaking the school record for TD passes in a season of 28, which is held by quarterbacks Matt Mauck (2003) and JaMarcus Russell (2006).
Burrow is also on pace to break the LSU record for passing yards in a season, which is 3,347 in 2001 by Rohan Davey. He is 1,483 yards away. CHRIS GRAYTHEN/GETTY IMAGES
LSU continues to lead the nation in scoring with 54.6 points per game, and the Tigers’ 273 points through the first five games of a season are the most in SEC history.
“We can be as good as we want to be,” Burrow said. “The only team that can slow us down is us.
“As long as we don’t turn the ball over in SEC play, we will be fine.”
LSU’s offense remained No. 1 in red zone efficiency with four more scores after reaching inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and is 31-for-31 in that category.
Florida, though, will come into Tiger Stadium No. 2 in the SEC and No. 11 nationally in total defense with 276.3 yards allowed per game and No. 2 in the SEC and No. 18 nationally against the pass with 183.3 yards allowed per game.
In the 24-13 win over No. 7 Auburn last weekend, the Gators limited Auburn to 124 rushing yards after Auburn entered the game No. 2 in the SEC with 251 yards per game. Auburn managed 269 yards of total offense after coming in averaging 454.4 for fifth in the SEC.
LSU showed it can run the ball in the win over Utah State with a season-high 248 yards to go with its state-of-the-art aerial attack.
For the Gators, LSU has options.
“We’ll just have to see. It all depends what the game plan is,” Orgeron said. “We’re going to see what we need to do. Whatever it is, we’re going to get it done.”