LSU Football: Ed Orgeron had calm response to major mistake

LSU football head coach Ed Orgeron had a perfect response to a major mistake against Alabama.

LSU football head coach Ed Orgeron went through a full range of emotions on Saturday night during the Tigers’ 55-17 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The moment that got the most attention was when Coach O absolutely lost it on the sideline after Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith’s second touchdown of the game.

Orgeron was quite animated while slamming his headset to the ground.

Here’s the moment in all its glory.

That’s one side of Orgeron. And that’s what a lot of folks are probably choosing to focus on after the loss to Bama.

But there was another moment on Saturday night that was likely infuriating for Coach O and LSU. And I thought Orgeron’s response to it was absolutely perfect.

LSU football true freshman makes a major mistake

True freshman wide receiver Kayshon Boutte did something on Saturday against Alabama that should never ever happen.

Boutte was on his way into the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown when he inexplicably dropped the ball JUST before crossing the goal line.

We’ve seen this before plenty of times in college football and the NFL. I’ll never understand how or why it happens.

Fortunately for Boutte, teammate Jontre Kirklin made a heads up play and scooped the ball up while it laid inside the end zone (after an Alabama player left it laying there).

After a mental mistake like that, it would be understandable if Orgeron was absolutely losing it on true freshman wide receiver.

Instead, Coach O was calm and had a simple response to Boutte.

“He’s a freshman, and that’s all I told him,” said Orgeron after the game (via 247Sports).

This is tremendous from Coach O.

The fumble by Boutte got a lot of attention on social media on Saturday. He knows what he did. And he knows it can’t happen again. Nothing that Coach O told him was going to make as much of an impact as what was being said on social media.

In that moment, Orgeron chose to not berate his true freshman. LSU needs a confident Boutte — he’s going to be a key player for the Tigers in the coming years.

Why ruin his confidence this early because of one mistake?

Coach O understands that, which is why he was able to handle the situation perfectly.