LSU Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada
LSU head coach Ed Orgeron has many coaching skills. He is an exceptional recruiter, a motivator of young men, a very good defensive coach and he bleeds love for LSU. What he lacks more than anything is an acumen for football offense.
It is said that success is defined not by what you know, but by awareness of what you do not know. LSU fans can hope Coach O has such prescience.
Enter Matt Canada into a setting where he will not have to fight a head coach for the clipboard.
For several seasons, LSU football has been a black hole for quarterbacks. As documented by Rick Cirminiello of Campus Insiders,
"This decade, LSU has ranked higher than No. 10 in SEC passing just once, finishing sixth in 2013."
Since the days of Rohan Davey, JaMarcus Russell and Matt Flynn, LSU has had one above-average quarterback, Zack Mettenberger. It is sad the video below has become the most remembered image of the last decade of LSU QB history.
Matt Canada is not really a one-hit wonder. He has many years of experience at Indiana, Butler and Northern Illinois. He did well in 2012 as Wisconsin’s offensive coordinator for one season. He spent three seasons at NC State as offensive coordinator though he was fired at the end of the 2015 season.
Canada’s career profile exploded last year as he directed the Pittsburgh Panthers offense. In 2015 Pitt averaged 28.2 points per game, stats courtesy of sports-reference.com. In 2016 the Pitt offense scored almost 41 points per game. Pitt running back, James Conner rushed for almost 1100 yards and quarterback Nathan Peterman achieved a 163.4 QB rating.
In his mid-forties, fueled by Pitt’s success, Matt Canada became a sudden sensation. Now he is considered a top “Quarterback-Whisperer.” Almost all experts agree Canada was a geat hire by LSU. What is not known is whether Canada will have a Bengal Tiger QB who can absorb his whispers.
By default, Danny Etling was expected to be the 2017 signal-caller. Etling could be expected to not lose LSU many games, but with little game-winning upside. Those expectations changed with the LSU spring game.
ESPN’s David Ching tells the best story about the LSU spring game.
"An LSU offensive coach let out a big sigh as he walked out of the Tigers’ football building Saturday night, then summed up the night by saying, “Boy, that was rough.” – “his (Canada) Tiger Stadium debut before outside eyeballs fell flat. Among the lowlights: shoddy quarterback play, too many dropped passes and a mediocre performance from the offensive line.”"
Etling was dreadful in the game, four completions in11 passes for 53 yards. He also threw an interception. Worse news for LSU fans, none of the less experienced Tiger quarterbacks were any better.
LSU has a serious quarterback problem. Even if Derrick Guice is the best running back in the conference. And he may be. LSU cannot ride Guice’s back to enough victories to be a contender.
LSU will again have a roster loaded with super athletes. LSU will play tough, determined football. Matt Canada may be equal to his newly established reputation but unable to remedy LSU flaws. LSU may still be a quarterback short of competing in the SEC West.