LSU's Chark helps lead LSU into SEC stretch run

BATON ROUGE — Patience has paid off for LSU junior wide receiver D.J. Chark of Alexandria.

As receivers with less patience have come and gone in recent years, Chark just kept moving up a notch in line. Entering the No. 23 Tigers’ game against No. 22 Ole Miss Saturday night that kicked off after 8 p.m. at Tiger Stadium, Chark led LSU receivers in average yards per catch with 17.2 and is tied for the lead in touchdowns with two.

No one has a longer touchdown catch than the 6-foot-3, 186-pound Chark, who caught an 80-yard score in the 45-10 win over Southern Mississippi last week. To be exact, it was a catch and run as quarterback Danny Etling hit him near the sideline for about 25 yards. Chark then outran a USM defensive back who appeared to have an angle on him.

“I knew he was going to score on that,” said Etling, whose pass expertly led Chark away from the primary defender on him. “I knew he would be able to outrun the secondary. There was too much space.”

Etling knows Chark. The two were scout team quarterbacks last fall during practices.

“The chemistry is there,” said Chark, who is third on the team in receptions with 13 for 224 yards. He is second on the team with 37.3 yards receiving a game. “We’ve known each other from scout team when no one knew us. Now we’re over here on first team together. I think that’s what it comes from. He knows how I can move and how I run routes. I know how he throws the ball. He’s very accurate.”

Etling moved up to No. 2 after the 2015 season when No. 2 quarterback Anthony Jennings left LSU after starting in 2014 and eventually transferred to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Then Etling replaced 2015 and early 2016 starter Brandon Harris in the second game this season.

Chark, meanwhile, benefitted from a rash of receiver transfers from LSU after the 2015 season as John Diarse left for Texas Christian University, Trey Quinn for SMU, Kevin Spears for Jacksonville State and Tyron Johnson for Oklahoma State. Then he got his shot.

“LSU is a great school with great players coming in every year, and sometimes you have to wait your turn,” Chark said. “Then when you get your opportunities, you have to make the most of them because you don’t know when they’re going to come around again.”

Chark has caught three passes in each of LSU’s last four games. Before that he caught the first pass of his career — a 12-yard reception in game two against Jacksonville State. In his freshman and sophomore seasons, he played in 11 games, but there were no passes to him.

“It’s been a lot of fun. It is more meaningful, knowing that you’ve waited so long,” Chark said.

“D.J., we’re very pleased with his play,” LSU interim coach Ed Orgeron said. “He’s a threat down the field.”

And the passes will likely not stop coming any time soon as LSU has a new offensive coordinator in Steve Ensminger, who — much like Etling and Chark — moved up from tight ends coach when previous offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and head coach Les Miles were fired the day after the loss at Auburn last month.

“I was excited when coach Ensminger got the job,” Chark said. “It’s not a surprise what he has done with the offense. Once you know a guy, you know a guy, and coach Ensminger wants to throw the ball. We’re going to keep doing that. They have to respect our passing game now even though we’re mainly a running team.”

LSU became a better running team Saturday night with the return of tailback Leonard Fournette, who missed the Tigers’ previous two games with an ankle injury.

“Leonard coming back makes us a much better team,” Chark said. “When teams try to gear up to stop him, we know we can throw it.”

And not a moment too soon. Following the open date on Oct. 29, LSU hosts No. 1 Alabama, followed by Arkansas (No. 17 before losing to Auburn Saturday) on the road, No. 12 Florida and a road game at Texas A&M, which was No. 6 before losing to Alabama Saturday.

“We know what’s coming,” Chark said. “We’ve seen the schedule. People send us the schedule and want to talk about it, but we’re not looking ahead. If you do that, you can lose the game right in front of you.