Dandy Don's Q&A with Mike Detillier - Part I - Offense 2017

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Coach O and I were talking about how similar a rushing style he has to a guy he was with at USC in Reggie Bush. Bush was faster on the hoof, but Guice is bigger, stronger and he has that same one-cut-jump running style

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Darrel Williams is a one-cut "blast" runner. He is a north-south guy who attacks defenders. He trimmed off some 15 to 18 pounds but is still a very physical interior runner and a good receiver.

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Guice runs with both power and speed and he is a first-rate receiver. He and Saquon Barkley from Penn State are the two best running backs in the country.

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D.J. Chark is going to emerge as a big-time receiver. He has size, speed, and improved route-running skills, but where he is off the charts is running with the ball in open field so you will see him used a lot on the jet sweeps.

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both Coach O and Steve Ensminger spoke about how well both Drake Davis and Stephen Sullivan stepped up their game in the spring, and also Derrick Dillon.

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Barring an injury, Etling has the job as the starter. I understand what Coach Orgeron says about giving Myles Brennan a shot as the starter, but it's Etling's spot. Ideally, LSU would like to redshirt both Myles and Lowell Narcisse. This gives Narcisse a chance to develop his overall skill set as a passer and get healthy since he has missed a huge portion of the last two seasons at St. James and it gives Brennan a chance to learn the offense better and physically get stronger.

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I spoke to Etling a while at the Manning Passing Academy and he feels good and he just wants to make sure his passing form is correct. At times, his back injury would give him issues and sometimes he was throwing off balance and not set. The ball would sail on him or nosedive down. He's worked hard on getting his passing mechanics correct,

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Scott:: I've read where Coach O has instructed new offensive coordinator Matt Canada to employ a 50/50 split between the run and pass. How realistic is it to expect that this year with Derrius Guice in the backfield?

Mike: I know Coach O pretty well and he still wants to put a great emphasis on running the football. I think that split will be more like 57% running and 43% passing. Why would you not have one of the best players in the country touch the ball a lot as a runner?

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But it is going to look different than anything you have seen at LSU and it will be fast-paced. A lot of quick passes to the back and to the receiver, the flip-pass and then hitting it deep downfield. Coach O has talked a lot about attacking the deep part of the field with the pass more. He learned that from Sean Payton when he was with the Saints. You need a power running game and you will still have that element, but the offense will showcase a lot of different looks and the diversity will have teams guessing

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The big key is to have defenses moving and adjusting at the very last moment and then you can hit the big play.

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Not a lot of depth at tackle or I should say experienced depth. A big key this year will be to have K.J. Malone and Toby Weathersby stay healthy. Both are very good college players and both pro prospects. But it is awfully thin there. The coaching staff was impressed with the progress of Austin Deculus and Saadhiq Charles and one day they may well be the bookend tackles at LSU,

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Scott: Ok, last question on the offense - who's your "breakout player"

Mike: I'll say Drake Davis as a wide receiver and I'm telling you that in this offense tight end Foster Moreau-who has seen a lot of playing time, but he's a stud player. Both those guys have a shot to really excel in 2017. This offense is tailor-made for Foster Moreau in a spot to be a very effective downfield receiver.

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