How LSU is preparing for Utah State’s fast-paced offense with its own unique style of ‘warp speed’
When you think of 'warp speed' you tend to think of science fiction. Maybe you think of the "Space Time Continuum" from the popular Star Trek series, where the term was most popularly coined.
Well here's a new one. The LSU defense will be preparing for Saturday’s matchup with Utah State using a 'warp speed' approach as coach Ed Orgeron called it in Monday's press conference.
So just what exactly is warp speed as it pertains to the LSU football team?
Well, Orgeron described it as an offense that is played as fast as humanly possible. Junior safety Grant Delpit describes it as "making practice way harder than the game." What it all comes down to is simple, making sure the defense is prepared for a fast-paced, up-tempo offense that historically, they don't see too often in the SEC.
Delpit remembers vividly the last time the defense prepared for an offense that moves this quickly, against UCF in the Fiesta Bowl that ended in a 40-32 victory and gave LSU a 10 win season for the first time since 2013.
"The way we practiced for UCF, we had two huddles of scout team offenses ready to go," Delpit said. "So that the team that ran the play in the next huddle would already be ready to run the play so we as a defense would have to run and get set in a hurry."
The way the Utah State offense operates, Delpit said, is it likes to run plays within 15 seconds of the previous offensive play. Not a lot of time for the defense to get set and make the necessary substitutions for the next snap.
In preparation of the offense LSU will undoubtedly face on Saturday, the Tigers will be using the second team offense as the "warp speed" attack against the first team defense to help prepare them for the change in tempo.
"It's been horrible, I hate practicing against it," senior defensive end Breiden Fehoko said. "The two offenses will already know what play they're going to run so literally they'll get done with one play and we're still running to the ball while they're getting lined up already for the next play."
"It sucks because the coaches are telling you to run to the ball and then they're yelling at you to run back and get set for the next play."
With all that being said, Fehoko understands it's all done in the best interest of the defense and said it really helps because the offense gives them great looks in practice so they're ready for Saturday.
While the first team offense won't be running as fast as the defense will practice this week, Fehoko acknowledged that the defense feels like they already have a leg up because of the significant changes Joe Brady and Steve Ensminger have brought to the offense this season.
"Even though we're in season, we still do a lot of one vs ones so we're still getting a lot of great looks from our starting offense vs our starting defense," Fehoko said. "It's huge that our offense is running with tempo now so that we can get used it."
Fehoko went on to say that LSU is still in the early stages in preparing for the Utah State offense, particularly because the team wasn't in pads on Monday, but that he's been happy with the progress thus far.
Sophomore outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson, who is still trying to return from an injury, said Orgeron and the coaching staff do a nice job of making practice harder than the games. Chaisson referenced the Texas game earlier this year as another fast-paced offense the team has faced, but wants there to be a marked improvement against Utah State this weekend, whether he can play or not.
"We went against a team like this in week two [Texas] when we had a nice amount of plays in the game," Chaisson said. "It's going to be like that again and I feel like that's one thing we need to get better at. Getting lined up and ready for the next play rather than thinking about the last play."
