Ed Orgeron admits 'we may have put too much on' Max Johnson in opener

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron led the then-No. 16 Tigers into the program’s first-ever game in the Rose Bowl with excitement, optimism and even a bit of entertainment, but he left Los Angeles disappointed in himself, his team and the result — a decisive, 38-27 loss to the UCLA Bruins, despite solid play from LSU quarterback Max Johnson.

Orgeron on Saturday took responsibility for the result of the game, saying the game plan was simply not where it needed to be.

“We didn’t perform like we’re supposed to at LSU,” Orgeron said Saturday. “It’s my responsibility and I told that to the team. Obviously, we’re going to look at it schematically, where we got to get better, there was a lot of areas. 

And on Tuesday, Orgeron elaborated on the schematic failures against UCLA. In particular, he said, LSU may have put too much on Johnson’s plate.

Johnson threw 46 times on Saturday, completing 26 of his pass attempts for 330 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and one interception. He had a quarterback rating of 65.2 but didn’t have much help from Orgeron’s rushing attack; the Tigers ran for just 49 yards on 25 attempts, with junior Tyrion Davis-Price — who had 31 yards on 13 attempts — leading all rushers.

“There was a lot on his plate, first of all,” Orgeron said of Johnson on ESPN 104.5 Baton Rouge. “We had to take a lot of stuff off of his plate because he had too much. He’s an outstanding young man; [he’s an] outstanding quarterback. [He had] inconsistent play [against UCLA], he missed some throws. The throw to Trey Palmer would’ve been a touchdown.”

Johnson, a sophomore from Athens, Georgia, made his third-career start against UCLA, starting twice for the Tigers last season and amassing a 2-0 record. He appeared in six total games his freshman year under Orgeron, finishing the 2020 season with a 58.7 completion percentage, 1,069 passing yards, eight touchdowns and one interception. He had his first true breakout performance in the penultimate game of the 2020 season, as LSU traveled to Gainesville to take on the No. 6 Florida Gators, where the Gators won 37-34 behind a 239-yard, three-touchdown, no-interception performance from Johnson.

“I know he started twice last year, but now he’s the man,” Orgeron continued. “So, you’ve got to accept that role. I think he’s the first one in watching film. He certainly is getting better, he’s a great young quarterback. I believe in him.”

In truth, Johnson’s performance on Saturday wasn’t all that bad; he did not commit any turnovers himself, and although he had a subpar completion percentage, he managed to throw for solid yardage. However, the offense lacked flow on Saturday, thanks in part to LSU’s offensive line hardly holding up to UCLA’s pass rush.