After quarterback Garrett Nussmeier kept the ball on a zone read against Arkansas, he looked to LSU's sideline.
Nussmeier said LSU coach Brian Kelly is "the first one to be like 'pull the ball'" when Nussmeier has missed those, so he smiled and pumped his fist.
"I'm trying to get better at that part of my game, so to finally do it, I looked at coach Kelly and gave him a fist pump," Nussmeier said. "He's always on me when I don't do it."
LSU's coaches have been working with Nussmeier on when to pull the ball and use his legs. Nussmeier has thrown for 2,222 yards and 18 touchdowns, but LSU wants him to run when he has the opportunity.
"That's something I've been battling," Nussmeier said. "For so long, I've always relied on my arm to make a play. For me, it's finding the switch of when to turn it off and go."
Nussmeier has made a few more plays on the ground the last three games. He ran for two touchdowns against South Alabama, then scrambled for 14 yards to pick up a critical first down against Ole Miss. He picked up 5 yards on his keeper at Arkansas.
"I think that run at the end of the Ole Miss game was huge for me personally as I go on this journey of trying to learn how to fully build my game together," Nussmeier said. "I think for me it's taking it step by step and learning when to do it, when to make that decision and continue to get better and better off film."
Kelly chuckled when asked about Nussmeier's fist pump. He said Nussmeier has been "asked to really focus" on when to keep the ball on zone reads, a primary element of LSU's offense last season with dual-threat quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Kelly has said LSU won't install a run package for Nussmeier, but there are moments when he can use his legs.
"It's been kind of a running joke in a sense," Kelly said. "That's area of development for him, and quite frankly, he's much better than he gives himself credit for. He's a really good athlete. He can run. Certainly compared to last year where those plays were seemingly part of what we did every other snap, they haven't been part of it. You can imagine when he finally read it and put his mind to it, he could have success."