Skidding LSU plans to play two quarterbacks — senior starter Garrett Nussmeier and sophomore backup Michael Van Buren Jr. — in Saturday’s home game against Arkansas.
Nussmeier will continue to take the first practice reps despite being replaced by Van Buren in the third quarter of the Tigers’ 20-9 loss to No. 4 Alabama, interim coach Frank Wilson said Monday.
Nussmeier completed 18 of 21 passes for 121 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions before ceding way to Van Buren, a Mississippi State transfer who threw for 52 yards on 5-for-11 passing.
Van Buren was sacked and lost a fumble on LSU’s final offensive snap. The Tigers made four red-zone trips yet failed to record a touchdown for the first time since Alabama blanked them in 2018.
“(Both quarterbacks) brought something to the table that helped this team go up and down the field,” Wilson told reporters Monday. “They both have things that they need to continue to work on as well. I don’t think it’s a clear separation where one is beyond the other. We’ll need both of them, and I know we’ll use both of them in this game.”
LSU (5-4, 2-4 SEC) opened the season with four consecutive wins before dropping four of five ensuing games. The Alabama matchup was Wilson’s first at the helm after the firing of Brian Kelly on Oct. 26.
Wilson, who had been Kelly’s associate head coach and running backs coach, hopes the quarterback rotation will jolt an offense that ranks 14th in the SEC in points and yards (23.7, 341.8 per game) but is about to face the conference’s leakiest defense.
Arkansas (2-7, 0-5 SEC) is winless since Sept. 6 and has surrendered 33.3 points and 430.6 yards per game.
“We’ll continue to do whatever it is to benefit Garrett, to benefit Michael, to play to their strengths,” Wilson said. “We’re going to use everything we have.”
