BATON ROUGE, La. (WGNO) — Starting quarterback Max Johnson no longer has job security, following the Tigers’ poor offensive performance against Alabama. Head coach Ed Orgeron will split first team reps between Johnson and true freshman Garrett Nussmeier, both in practice this week and Saturday versus against Arkansas.
“It’ll be 50-50 in practice. I’m gonna let em split it, and we haven’t decided. Jake and I talked this morning. We haven’t decided how we’re gonna do it in a game. It may be first quarter, second quarter. It may be a couple series. It all depends how practice goes, depends how the game plan is, but if Max plays better than Garrett, he’s going be the starter. Garrett plays better than Max he’s going be the starter. Imma let em battle it out,” Orgeron explained.
Coach O will split the snaps, but whoever becomes the “hot hand” will stay in the game longer. Nussmeier was emotional about not playing against Alabama, and the freshman expressed his feelings to Orgeron only a day after the loss to the Crimson Tide.
“He was mad. He was mad he didn’t play. He came in the office yesterday and was adamant about playing. His father called Jake and said listen here’s the plan: He wants to play. Let him play so that’s what we doing. Obviously, it looks like right now he may not redshirt. It all depends how the game goes. That’s his choice and that’s what he wants to do,” Coach O added.
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