FAYETTEVILLE — Six SEC quarterbacks rank among the top 25 nationally in pass efficiency.
LSU junior Jordan Jefferson is not one of them, but he is the SEC offensive player of the week after helping pass the Tigers to a 43-36 victory over Ole Miss last week.
Jefferson, whose struggles earlier this season resulted in some fans booing him at Tiger Stadium, completed 13 of 17 attempts for a career-high 254yards and 1 touchdown against the Rebels. He also rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown.
“I thought Jordan Jefferson had his best day to date,” LSU Coach Les Miles said Monday at his weekly news conference.
Jefferson will be looking to have another big outing when the No. 5 Tigers (10-1, 6-1 SEC)play Arkansas at Little Rock on Saturday.
Jefferson (92 of 163, 1,069 yards) is averaging 97.2 passing yards per game and has thrown more than twice as many interceptions (9) as touchdown passes (4) this season, but Miles said he’s made steady progress.
“I can tell you at practice he has continued to want to improve,” Miles said of Jefferson, who passed for 2,166 yards and 17 touchdowns as a sophomore. “There is an understanding that he’s got to get this, and he understands that.”
Miles said Jefferson also may be “a little bit more selfish” with his practice reps to make sure that in games he fully understands what to expect.
“I just think he ... has a desire to get it right and be excellent,” Miles said. “Not just be the guy, but be an excellent quarterback.”
Miles said there is a “fine line between executing and just being somewhat less,” and Jefferson was on the right side of that line last week.
Jefferson built on his success in the Tigers’ previous SEC game, when he completed 10 of 13 passes for 141 yards and 1 touchdown in LSU’s 24-21 victory over Alabama.
“I just think he has stepped up and continues to call himself to a higher level,” Miles said.
Jefferson’s improved passing has coincided with offensive coordinator Gary Crowton calling more passes on first down and longer throws.
Six of Jefferson’s 13 completions against Ole Miss came on first down, accounting for 133 yards. He also had seven completions of 22 or more yards.
“Coach Crowton gave us a lot of opportunities throughout the game to make plays, and he just had a lot of confidence in us to make those plays,” Jefferson said after the Ole Miss game. “We definitely called a lot of vertical plays. We were very consistent going up the field.
“I just feel like we need to keep consistent play-calling like that, and as players we need to be consistent on making those plays.”
Jefferson’s lack of production in the passing game earlier this season, after averaging 180.1 yards per game last season, caused Miles to go to a two-quarterback system, with junior Jarrett Lee also getting snaps.
Lee played against Ole Miss, but Jefferson took every snap for LSU from the 11-minute mark of the third quarter through the end of the game.
Lee has passed for 563 yards and 2 touchdowns with 1 interception.
“We have great confidence in Jarrett as well, but obviously Jordan was having a great game,” Miles said. “And there wasn’t any reason for us to go with anyone else but him.”
Sports, Pages 17 on 11/23/2010