"IT'S TIME": MYLES INFINITY: BRENNAN'S 2019 ANALYZED & 2020 REALIZED

by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

@LonnPhillips

On Wednesday evening during the LSU coaches' caravan on Facebook, we heard a wealth of interesting discussion surrounding the future of Coach Ed Orgeron's National Championship enterprise....however, the most intriguing would have to be the strong words from Offensive Coordinator Steve Ensminger concerning Junior quarterback Myles Brennan.

"I think Myles is gonna have a great season, I really do, I tell you what...being behind Joe Burrow for two years did nothing but help him. I saw, during every practice this spring, his demeanor at the line of scrimmage, his checks at the line of scrimmage, his presence in the pocket was better, everything about him was good. We went and watched every cut-up of his every throw and he was unbelievably efficient. I'm very confident Myles Brennan has everything he needs to be ready to lead this football team...heck it, Join The Bandwagon and Let's Geaux!"

This isn't a man prone to excitement, raving and rambling about great players to come or being a boastful guy whatsoever....Steve "The Slinger" / "The Bayou Gandalf" Ensminger flying off the handle about Myles Brennan is now the headline of the Summer for LSU fans, leading into our first season post-Burrow.

Highlighting his quarterback's hefty fine 218 pounds (Myles was slim and wiry at 177 when he stepped foot on the LSU campus before Tommy Moffitt and Shelley Mulinex's influence), Ensminger raved about #15's natural rocket for an arm, his 94% efficiency rating when on the field throughout 2019 (Overall, Myles is 42-70, 600 yards, 2 TDs in 17 appearances for the Tigers) and gushed over Brennan's committed grasp over our now firmly established offensive attack.

This is a young man who can perform in the big games: he appeared in the CFP Playoffs Semifinal vs Oklahoma, then vs Georgia in the SEC title game, threw a long TD to Racey McMath vs Texas A&M as well as chucking for 73+ yards on 3 occasions and geauxing above 100 vs Northwestern State....in a season where it took hell, earth and the banshee roar of Coach Orgeron to finally rip Joe Burrow out of any game.

Though he failed to appear during a few of our more intense clashes vs Alabama, Florida, Auburn or the National Championship Game vs Clemson, Myles looked great over the course of 2019....yet he became an active spectator in the glow of Joe Burrow's world-dominating catharsis...which Brennan took like a champion, just as Joe had years earlier; in turn, he's grown as a person, player and quarterback under Burrow, Jorge Munoz, Joe Brady and chiefly, Steve Ensminger's guidance.

Ensminger and Brennan have a special relationship, carved into our past, current and future:

Such is Myles' love for Baton Rouge and Louisiana State, he passed up big-time transfer possibilities during his red shirt sophomore year in 2018; instead, he stayed with the full knowledge he'd be forced to the bench as a headphone-wearing witness of Joe becoming Jeaux in the gleam of a title ring.

This is a highly skilled, NFL-ready pro-style / spread attack-minded quarterback who, had he decided to transfer, would've started for any other college football powerhouse...still, he stayed, won a National Championship...and is ready for another two in his final pair of seasons as LSU's unquestioned starter.

During the entire ride, Brennan appeared time and time again as a closer, finishing the games with a more balanced approach, mostly due to the mercy rule of such bludgeoning high scores or LSU's freshmen running backs needing / deserving plenty of carries; yet the Tigers' offense remained in swift, brutal attack mode as Brennan grasped the basics of the RPO action and the complex route movements of this multiple-choice offense, usually featuring a display of pre-snap movement mastery.

As he tossed for 353 yards in relief duty (featuring that long TD to McMath vs A&M which came from his first pass, an elite out pattern throw over hot coverage), there were times observers accidentally called him "Burrow" (including ESPN or SEC Network commentators).

Just like Joe, Myles proved he can scramble too, rushing for 41 yards on 10 carries including five scrambles of 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9 yards.

His accuracy turned clinical, intensified by Joe's competitive fires igniting something dangerous within Myles:

Throwing for 13 first downs, eight 3rd down conversions, nine passes of 15+ yards, eight of 20 or more, all while LSU's offense scored 45 points across Brennan's 10 overall cameo appearances.

There were drawbacks, the LSU offense failing to remain as aggressive on 4th and short situations (mostly due to the overwhelming margins of victory) and punted at least once in every Brennan appearance and 10 times total. Also, Brennan had WRs like Derrick Dillon and Racey McMath dropping 3 total accurate passes from #15.

For himself, Myles threw four 3rd down incompletions and two coming from bombs of 35+ yards.

His garbage time duties are interesting viewing, Brennan running the fundamentals of the RPO running game to perfection with the sophomore trio of John Emery, Chris Curry and Tyrion Davis-Price, the running backs catching nice precision flicks out of the backfield and torching opponents for huge gains.

Judging Brennan primarily on his 2019 tape isn't a wise move, either.

Had we been able to witness him running the offense with the full compliment of the starters along Cregg's offensive line, Edwards-Helaire's illustrious moves or the starting receivers Chase, Marshall and tight end Thad Moss, then we'd have a clear indication of his ultimate prowess.

Yet, I feel the stars have aligned for Brennan...just as they did for Joe Burrow in 2019:

Ensminger and Burrow worked beautifully together, but it became a high octane bridge to Armageddon for every opposition defense once the 29 year old Joe Brady joined the staff, arming the receiving corps with new routes and Joe Burrow / Myles Brennan with a heightened knowledge of the complex offense's structure. Brady's youthful exuberance was undoubtedly the perfect foil for Burrow's aggressive, domineering mindset.

Now, the stars are aligning for Brennan in the form of Steve Ensminger's fatherly guidance and Joe Brady's absence.

Passing game coordinator / Broyles Award-winning Joseph Brady staying on board would've done wonders for Myles' development too, yet Scott Linehan may prove to be a better fit, while WRs Coach Mickey Joseph's input will be far more central and critical to Myles' relationship with these routes. To help aid in Brennan's mastering of this offense's every nuance, new analyst Carter Sheridan will pass on the intricacies of the Saints' playbook Brady drew from, helping Joseph's wideouts and #15 via his communications with the WR Coach, Linehan and Ensminger (analysts cannot work with the players).

Myles Brennan has worked with Steve Ensminger's voice in his ear for 3 years now and established a bond with the Bayou Gandalf since he was a freshman. He's been with Ensminger his entire LSU career and this partnership will pay dividends during the tight 3rd and longs or gritty 4th down calls this offense must convert for a successful jaunt through the SEC.

Joe Brady's red zone playbook stayed with Steve Ensminger...and so did Stevey's pedal to the metal offensive fireworks...2019 isn't going anywhere...this offense has just been absorbed into 2020's expansive new frontiers.

Get ready for Myles Brennan to make those throws...get ready for Myles to put the ball up in the air for his receivers to make a play, trusting in Ja'Marr Chase's aerial ability or Terrace Marshall's leaping theatrics.

These are the two best receivers in college football, and coupled alongside Arik Gilbert's unbelievable talents, sophomore Trey Palmer or 5-star freshman Kayshon Boutte's breathtaking jugular speed, Racey McMath's towering DB-genocide, and this trio of delectable, agile, powerful, pacey running backs under Kevin Faulk's G.O.A.T eye, watch out for Myles Brennan to grab this season by the scruff of the neck, and roundhouse kick the hell outta the SEC... until Nicholas Saban has no choice but to smite Charlie Strong, strangle Pete Golding and relieve himself of his head coaching duties.

We've received first-hand knowledge from a powerhouse LSU source that Myles has held at least "a few secret workouts with starting receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall, running routes in local parks throughout Baton Rouge".

Judging by that source's credible excitement, Myles, Terrace and Ja'Marr have been doing this frequently since 2019 to gain chemistry all along.

It looks like Mickey Joseph's Summer of 10,000 Catches is on once again...this time, they're aiming for 20,000...

by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

GEAUX TIGERS

COPYRIGHT 2020 Uninterrupted Writings Inc

2019 BREAKDOWNS

vs Texas I A&M AN IDIOT

1st down Completions: 2

3rd down Completions: 1

Gains of 15+: 2

Gains of 20+: 2

Gains of 30+: 1

3rd Down Incompletions: 2 (both due to drops by Dillon, one lower but catchable)

1 TD drive

1 punt

vs Oklahoma

1st down Completions: 2

Gains of 10+: 2

Gains of 15+: 1

Gains of 20+: 1

3rd Down Completions: 1

1 TD Drive

1 punt

vs Arkansas

1st Down Completions: 1

3rd Down Completions: 1

Gains of 10+: 1

Gains of 15+: 1

1 TD drive (89 yard TD CEH),

1 drop by receiver

1 bad pass

1 3rd down scramble of 5 yards (short of 1st down by 1)

1 punt

vs Miss St

1 drop

1 pass batted at line on 3rd

2 punts

vs Utah St

1st Down Completions: 1

Gain of 10+: 1

1 rush of 8 yards

1 punt

vs Vanderbilt

1st Down Completions: 1

3rd Down Completions: 1

Gains of 10+: 1

Gains of 15+ 1:

Gains of 20+: 1

2 positive scrambles for 5 & 9 yards

1 INT TD while targeted ejecting a Vanderbilt player

1 td drive

1 bad pass

1 punt

vs NWState

1st Down Completions: 6

3rd down conversions: 3

Gains of 20+: 3

Gains of 15+: 3,

Gains of 10+: 3,

1 completion for 8,

1 completion for 9, 2 TD Drives

1 punt

vs Georgia Southern

1st Down Completions: 1

Another 9 yard completion

Gains of 20+: 1

Gains of 15+: 1,

Gains of 10+: 1,

3rd down completions: 1

1 drop

1 field goal

1 bad pass

2 punts

2 incompletions of 35+ yards

SPECIAL DEDICATION & THANK YOU TO COACH DINARDO: WITHOUT YOU, LSU DOESN'T HAVE 3 RINGS...THANK YOU COACH!!!! My first LSU Coach!