The injury of LSU RB John Emery Jr. puts even more pressure on Tigers QB Garrett Nussmeier, passing game

Midway through the third quarter of a 27-20 loss to USC, LSU's offense was starting to get going. Running back John Emery Jr. was in the thick of it.

In a four-play stretch, Emery made runs of 39, 10 and 3 that put LSU in the red zone and set up a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to receiver Aaron Anderson. With 78 yards in seven plays, it was LSU's most efficient and effective drive of the day. Unfortunately, it was the last game Emery will play this year after he tore an ACL in his left knee during practice, just a year after suffering the same injury to his other knee.

Emery led the Tigers with 61 rushing yards on just 10 carries. Fellow running backs Josh Williams and Kaleb Jackson managed just 47 total yards on 14 carries, or 3.4 yards per carry. With Emery out, LSU's offense becomes much more complicated.

Over the past two seasons, the running back's rushing has taken a back seat thanks to the dual-threat abilities of quarterback Jayden Daniels. Last season alone, Daniels totaled more than 1,100 yards in the running game, nearly double the amount of top running back Logan Diggs – who later transferred to Ole Miss.

LSU hasn't produced a 1,000-yard running back since 2021. They haven't had a 1,000-yard running back who averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry since Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the 2019 national championship team. With Emery out, the pressure is on Nussmeier and first-year offensive coordinator Joe Sloan.

Inconsistent staff

LSU was expected to field the best offensive line in college football this season, thanks in large part to the first-round tackle duo of Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr. Against USC, the unit was notably poor at creating space for the run.

Three of LSU's five starting linemen posted run-blocking ratings below 60, according to Pro Football Focus, including both bookends. Only 31 of LSU's 99 rushing yards came before contact, meaning the running backs averaged just 1.5 yards before being hit by a defender. The unit should continue to improve, but this is a warning sign for a team that still has an SEC schedule ahead of it.

Against a revamped USC defense, Emery came out strong on a second attempt and broke away. In his only appearance of 2024, he gained 32 yards after contact and broke three tackles, giving the Tigers a safety valve for their inconsistent run blocking. His 39-yard run put the Tigers in position to take control of the game at that point.

Williams broke four tackles on his nine carries but didn't get past 12 yards. He has only made 10 breakaway plays of 15+ yards in his career, or 5% of runs. Emery had just over 6%. For comparison, Edwards-Helaire had plays of 15+ yards on 10% of his runs in 2019. The Tigers need to do something to build that threat.

A star in development

The good news is that Nussmeier gives the Tigers a key building block. In his first stint as full-time quarterback, he completed 76% of his passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns. He threw one interception, but that came on the final drive, and he had to throw the ball into the danger zone to give the Tigers a chance.

With a quarterback of Nussmeier's caliber, LSU has a chance to once again field a top-notch offense. During LSU's four scoring drives, he completed 17 of 23 passes and set up both touchdowns and field goals with his accurate passes. On passes 20+ yards downfield, Nussmeier completed 3 of 5 and scored a touchdown. He can break down defenses.

What Nussmeier doesn't have, however, is his running ability, which makes him a rarity for a modern star quarterback. Against USC, he wasn't credited with a single rushing attempt, not even a sack. This aspect puts even more onus on Nussmeier's arm to generate consistent offense for LSU.

Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan has plenty of experience working with quarterbacks in the spread, and most of his best players at Louisiana Tech weren't dual-threat passers. In fact, the Bulldogs had an Air Raid roster when Sloan joined Skip Holtz in Ruston.

Sloan's main task in the coming weeks — when the Tigers play Nicholls, South Carolina and South Alabama — is to find the right running backs for that line. But if LSU doesn't have the answers on its roster, it's time to rely on Nussmeier's arm.

The Tigers have incredibly talented players to complement Nussmeier at wide receiver, including six players who caught at least two passes against USC. Sloan must not be afraid to spread the field, play fast and let Nussmeier make big plays with his arm to give LSU the best chance to win in 2024.