Eagle 98.1 : Baton Rouge

November 26, 2009

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:19:00 +0000

Things to look for in the LSU-Arkansas game:

1) LSU will honor 24 seniors before the game, and many of them played key roles on LSU's 2007 National Championship team. The Tigers will also wear special Nike uniforms for the game, which are mostly white, with "old gold" helmets that have the same design as the regular one.

2) The Tigers must shake off the dissapointment of last week and concentrate on an Arkansas team that has won four straight. Quarterback Ryan Mallett leads the league in total offense. He is a huge (6-7, 240-lbs.) and accurate. LSU hasn't gotten much of a pass rush going this year, and if they let Mallett, who is not mobile, have time to throw, look out.

3) Arkansas spreads the ball around. Four receivers, including the tight end, have 26 catches or more.

4) Razorback tailback Broderick Green is filling in for the injured Michael Smith. Green, a USC transfer, is 6-2, 248-lbs. and quite the power back. Contrary to the image Bobby Petrino and the Hogs portray, the offense is balanced, with 364 passes for the season and 340 runs.

5) The Hog defense has not been good. They are last in the league in total defense, and last in pass defense. However, Mississippi State ran for 347 yards against Arkansas in a loss last week. The Razorback's smallish defense is wearing down, and the pass defense number is largely because the teams that they have blown out had to stop running the football. In the games that were competitve, teams ran the ball successfully at Arkansas.

6) LSU senior tailback Keiland Williams is out with a broken ankle, the third Tiger tailback to be lost for the year. Stevan Ridley will assume the role of starter, with Trindon Holliday and Russell Shepard likely to see more time as well. Seeing Shepard get a bigger amount of playing time would be a welcome sight for most Tiger fans.

7) The winner of this game has the inside track to the Cotton Bowl. The loser seems headed for the Liberty Bowl.

8) Don't forget, coming in December to 104.5, ESPN radio!

November 20, 2009

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:23:00 +0000

LSU will face one of its toughest tests of the season in Oxford tomorrow.

On the line for both teams is the inside track to being the third best team in the SEC, and an invitation to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando. I think the Tigers could still lose this game and get that bid, but not many people agree with me on that one. My thinking is that LSU will still be ranked higher if both teams win next week, but it would still be up to the bowl committee.

The Tigers face what may be the hottest back in the nation in Dexter McCluster. The 5-9, 170-lb. dynamo gashed Tennessee last week for the largest number of rushing yards (278) ever given up by a Volunteer team. LSU will have to tackle much better than they have the last six quarters.

Ole Miss will line McCluster up as a tailback, flanker, slot/wing, or even quaterback in what they call the "Wild Rebel", which features a direct snap to him. Backside pursuit is key against McCluster, who likes to cut back.

Quarterback Jevan Snead has been up and down. Before the season he looked like a sure early entry into the NFL draft, but seems to have played himself into a senior season. He's thrown 17 TD's but 14 interceptions, and has come apart against South Carolina, Alabama, and Auburn.

Like the entire Ole Miss squad, excluding McCluster, he hasn't played up to his potential every week.

Another example is the Rebel run defense, which is thought of as one of the best in the league. Ranked 5th in the category, they've allowed 173 yards to Alabama's Mark Ingram, 144 to Auburn's Ben Tate, and 140 to the Vanderbilt tandem of Warren Norman and Jared Hawkins.

Keiland Williams and Stevan Ridley will have their chance.

We wonder if Jordan Jefferson will. He returned to practice this week, but still remains hindered by an ankle injury. If Jefferson goes, he may not be 100%. If his mobility seems limited in the slightest, I expect Ole Miss defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix to turn up the pressure.

If Jefferson can't go, the Tigers will once again turn to Jarrett Lee, who would have to be leaps and bounds better than he was last week. The opponent upgrade makes that unlikely.

LSU has done a much better job than Ole Miss at protecting the football, besting the Rebels in turnover margin by quite a bit. It may be their best chance to win this game in which they are a three point underdog.

November 13, 2009

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:14:00 +0000

Louisiana Tech is LSU's opponent in the annual homecoming game at Tiger Stadium tomorrow night. LSU's overall record in homecoming games is 56-25-3.

The Tigers are coming off an emotional loss at Alabama, a game that saw LSU suffer multiple key injuries, and more than one bad call.

I'm going to leave the bad calls alone. That horse has been beaten senseless, but yes, I do believe they missed quite a few. Nothing can be done now, and LSU made their case to the SEC behind closed doors, which is the way it should be.

It isn't always easy to take the high road.

The Tigers will be without Charles Scott for the rest of the regular season, paving the way for additional carries for the rest of the LSU backs. Keiland Williams, Russell Shepard, and Trindon Holliday will probably see additional reps, but the main beneficiary should be Stevan Ridley, who has scored a touchdown in each of the past two games.

Ridley runs exceptionally hard, and almost always north-south. He makes precise cuts, has nice speed, and I expect him to be the main ball carrier in this game and beyond.

Jordan Jefferson was also injured against the Tide, and 24-hours before gametime it's still up in the air as far as if he will play. ESPNU has reported that he wouldn't, and that is my feeling as well, but nothing has been confirmed.

That would mean Jarrett Lee would get his first start of the season. Lee did OK against Alabama considering he was overmatched by a ferocious defense while making his first meaningful appearance of the season. It was Lee who last year led LSU to a huge comeback win over Troy the week after the Bama game. Tiger fans hope that won't be necessary this time around.

Tech will play without a slew of starters as well (could be as many as nine), and the Bulldogs are coming off three disapointing losses. Against Utah State, they missed a 2-pt conversion that could have tied the game and sent it to overtime. Against Idaho, Tech blew a 13-point fourth quarter lead, and a missed extra point ended up being the difference in a 35-34 loss.

Last week may have been the toughest. Tech pulled to within two points of #5 Boise State in the fourth quarter before losing by ten.

Homecoming or not, the team and the stadium will likely be flat, but the Tigers should win easily.

November 6, 2009

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:52:00 +0000

Things to watch for in the LSU-Alabama game:

1) The two defenses have the upper hand, and each offense has a weakness that plays into the other team's hands. LSU is 10 in the SEC in rushing offense, while Alabama is first in rushing defense. That means the Tide puts teams in bad down and distance situations, which has led to an league leading 23 sacks and 11 interceptions. To make things worse for the Tigers, LSU is second to last in the SEC in sacks allowed. Jordan Jefferson must get rid of the football or the Tigers will be playing out of the down and distance hole all day.

The Tiger defense has roughly the same amount of points allowed on the season as the Tide does, and one of the things they have been exceptional at is redzone (inside the 20-yard line) defense. LSU leads the league in that category, and Alabama has struggled of late, scoring just two offensive touchdowns in the last ten quarters.

However, Tide kicker Leigh Tiffin is 20-23 on FG's on the season, so they have been able to get points. It was Tiffin who supplied all the points for Alabama in a 12-10 win over Tennessee two weeks ago.

2) The offensive interior for LSU is light, at least by the standards set in this game. Center T-Bob Hebert is 282-lbs., and guard Josh Dworaczyk is 281. Alabama noseguard Terrence Cody is 354-lbs., give or take, and he dominates the inside. The Tigers will have to double team him, which leaves MLB Rolando McClain free to roam. He leads the Tide in tackles and is the best LB in the Southeastern Conference.

To counter this, LSU may go four or five wide. Against these formations Alabama usually goes into a "dime" defense (six defensive backs) and Cody comes off the field. If the Tigers can run from either of these sets, it will give them needed balance on offense.

3) Special teams will be key. Javier Arenas leads the SEC in punt returns, and is on the verge of the all-time NCAA lead in the category. LSU should kick away from him. On the other hand, Alabama has struggled in their coverage of both kickoffs and punts, and there may be some room for Trindon Holliday to roam.

4) Alabama will run the football from two different versions of the "wildcat". In both formations RB Mark Ingram, who leads the SEC in rushing, takes a direct snap. In the regular version, QB Greg McElroy splits out as basically a decoy. However, in the "bobcat" as Alabama calls it, RB Trent Richardson takes McElroy's spot, giving the Tide an extra option. It is the "bobcat" that is the more dangerous of the two.

5) If Alabama wins, they clinch the Western Division title, and a spot in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. If LSU wins, they will be in first place by virtue of the tiebreaker in the West, but still must beat Ole Miss and Arkansas to clinch if Alabama wins out as expected.

October 23, 2009

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:04:00 +0000

After a week off, the LSU Tigers return to Tiger Stadium to face Auburn at 6:30 pm on Saturday night.

This has been one of the most entertaining series in the SEC over the last 15 years, often with the two teams slugging it out for the division title. Two years ago, Matt Flynn hit Demetrius Byrd with :01 left on the clock for an LSU victory. It has been that kind of series.

This year's game doesn't have that feel. LSU is trying to put the pieces together on offense, and they've had an extra week to do so. My guess is that it will be more of the same type of plays with an extra importance placed on the running game, especially Charles Scott. This would open things up for LSU to throw the ball down the field to a very talented group of wide receivers.

However, they have to get better at that. Most of the deep passes this season have been overthrown, underthrown, or never got off in the first place because the quarterback was sacked or hurried. Luckily for LSU, this is an area that can be improved upon with extra reps in practice. Tiger fans hope the two week break was productive.

To the idea of running the football, the Tigers may send in freshman fullback Dominique Allen for his first action of the year. He goes about 275-lbs., and could provide the needed spark for the power running game.

Those looking to see more of Russell Shepard will probably be dissapointed. He was sick most of the bye week (though he did participate in the Thursday scrimmage), and though Les Miles says he wants to see more of Shepard, he's said that all year with little results.

Auburn started strong this season, with new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn providing a spark. Malzahn has an offense that is multiple in its looks, but at its core wants to run the football. Senior tailback Ben Tate is having his best year as a result of this.

However, the other Tigers started the season with only 74 scholarship players (85 are allowed), and that number has dropped into the high 60's of available players. As a result, Auburn seems to be sliding. After winning five straight, they've lost two in a row, and scored fewer points each week they have played a quality opponent.

Kentucky had an easy time running the ball one week ago, and LSU should be able to follow some of that gameplan. It included lots of "wildcat" formation runs, which I don't expect from the Tigers, but Kentucky ran it right at Auburn as well, so I do expect to see lots of Charles Scott.

It's never easy when these two teams play, but it is usually entertaining. The Tigers from LSU have the edge, but it will probably be in doubt well into the fourth quarter.

October 9, 2009

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:04:00 +0000

Things to watch for in the LSU vs. Florida game.

1) We still don't know if Tim Tebow will play (though I've been leaning all week that he won't), but the book on backup John Brantley is that he has a big arm, is accurate, and moves well though not with the toughness of Tebow. If Brantley starts, expect Florida to take more snaps under center, run the quarterback less on straight keeps (a Tebow short-yardage specialty), and scale back what they do, due to his lack of experience. It would be huge if LSU could get an early turnover to try to rattle him.

2) Florida returns basically the same defense from last season's National Championship team. The best two players are #8 Carlos Dunlap, a defensive end expected to come out early in next year's NFL draft and go in the top ten, and #51 Brandon Spikes, a huge senior linebacker with the speed of someone 30 pounds lighter. LSU will have to have a superior effort from their offensive line.

3) The Gator running backs are experienced, but their wide receivers were semi-struggling even when Tebow was there. Expect, if Tebow doesn't play, for #3 Chris Rainey and #2 Jeff Demps to do most of the ball handling. They may be the fastest tandem in college football.

4) Brandon James of Florida has put up great numbers on kickoff returns and lousy numbers on punt returns this season. It doesn't matter, there is no more dangerous return man in college football. Last season he broke a 40-yarder early and it helped set the tone in a 51-21 Florida win. If I were Les Miles, even though the Tiger coverage has been outstanding, I wouldn't kick to him.

5) Defensive lineman Josh Downs is expected back for LSU. All the lineman that were, ummm, sick, during last week's game are cleared to play.

6) One of LSU's all-time greats, Tommy Cassanova will have his #37 retired at this game.

October 2, 2009

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:38:00 +0000

Things to watch for in the LSU vs. Georgia game:

1) The matchup of the day involves the best player on each team. For Georgia, WR A.J. Green, a future first-round draft pick, is coming off an SEC Offensive Player of the Week performance against Arizona State, when he compiled career highs in both catches and yards. He will likely draw LSU corner Patrick Peterson, another future first rounder, most of the time.

Green is a large (6-4, 207-lbs.), physical receiver with great hands and a strong work ethic. He runs terrific routes and is a superior leaper. Peterson is also a large, physical player, and is far and away LSU's best cover person. However, no great receiver can be covered the same way every play, so the Tigers will rely heavily on Peterson, but also get him some help at times.

2) The strength of the Georgia defense is in the middle of the defensive line. Tackles Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins are both seniors and figure to play professional football. LSU cannot be stubborn and try to force the run game inside from the I formation.

3) The weakness of the Bulldog defense is their corners. Prince Miller is 5-8 and Brandon Boykin, who has been sick this week, is only 5-10. LSU has a clear size advantage with their WR corp. here and must protect Jordan Jefferson enough for him to get the ball down the field. Jefferson must also be careful not to overthrow into this defense, which plays its safeties deep much of the time.

4) The Bulldogs and Tigers are on opposite ends of the league in turnovers. LSU is plus 7 and Georgia is minus 9. Opponents have scored 56 points off of 12 Bulldog turnovers. The Tigers must take advantage if they get their hands on the ball in good field position created by turnovers.

5) Georgia is the most penalized team in the SEC, while LSU is among the least. A costly penalty could be a gamebreaker.

6) Special teams belongs to the Dogs. Kicker Blair Walsh hasn't missed yet this season in eight attempts, and two have been from over 50-yards. Punter Drew Butler leads the nation in average with 50.1 yards per boot.

7) LSU defensive tackle Josh Downs practiced this week, but was limited. He should make the trip, but how much he can play is still questionable. The Tigers are a little thin here. The good news for LSU is that LB Jacob Cutrera should be back at full speed after being injured in the Mississippi State game. Everyone else is expected to play for both teams.

8) It isn't something to look for, but the only SEC team that Les Miles has NOT beaten is....Georgia.

September 28, 2009

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:12:00 +0000

In the wake of LSU’s 30-26 win at Mississippi State, a few observations.

1) The LSU offense has been unable to establish a running game with either Charles Scott or Keiland Williams. They didn’t do much on the ground against the Bulldogs, averaging less than three yards per tote when all the bad snaps, sacks, and kneel-downs were subtracted.

2) The Tigers haven’t used Russell Shepard as much as they need to. He came in at one point and ripped off two nice gains of 8 and 7 yards, then left the game for good. This was in the first half.

3) The offense having five “three and outs”, plus the defense allowing 8-19 third down conversions, meant the defense had to be on the field for 86 plays—WAY too many.

4) Chad Jones’ punt return was the second longest in LSU history, and one for the ages. He was the National Defensive Player of the Week, and the SEC Special Teams Player of the week. His PBU on third down of the goal line stand saved LSU.

5) The stand not only saved the Tigers on this day, but it was one of the best in recent memory.

LSU seems to be riding big plays by individuals instead of meshing as a team at this stage. The Tigers travel to Georgia this week in what will be a big step up in class.

Some things that Miles addressed in his weekly press conference today.

1) The lack of a running game had much to do with MSU stacking the box with defenders. This allowed LSU to have three pass plays of 39 yards or more, but the Tigers need more like that.

2) The Tigers need more practice reps in the “Wildcat” formation before they can put Shepard in for more plays. My take on that is he was here in the spring, and all camp long, and now four games into the regular season. A bigger package should already be in place.

3) Miles said he felt the offensive line, save a few pass protections, is playing very well. I disagree.

4) Miles said that the runs to the short side, or “into the boundary” were the result of State placing more defenders to the wide side. I agree, but think LSU needs to at least break tendency here and give their playmakers a chance in the open field.

5) Jacob Cutrera, who left the game Saturday with an injury, is expected to play against Georgia.

September 24, 2009

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:49:00 +0000

LSU plays Mississippi State this weekend in Starkville. In the last 17 years, State has won exactly one time, on a controversial call. The recent series has often been about as competitive as Generals/Globetrotters.

Dan Mullen is the new State coach, and he comes over from Florida, where he was offensive coordinator under Urban Meyer. He was with Meyer at Utah as well, meaning the last two college quarterbacks he tutored were Tim Tebow (ever heard of him?), and Alex Smith, who was the top pick in the NFL draft before imploding in San Francisco.

Mullen doesn’t have that luxury in Starkville, where they are having their annual quarterback woes. It has been 25 years since a Bulldog signal caller played professional football at the position (LSU's old friend John Bond), and that was in Canada.

So State will try to ride a two-QB system, and top quality tailback Anthony Dixon (6-1, 235-lbs.) on offense. On the field, Dixon reminds me some of Charles Scott, a bruiser with decent speed and a good first step, though not much wiggle. Off the field, a summer DWI that almost saw him thrown off the team seems to have given him a wakeup call. He lost 25 extra pounds and re-dedicated himself in the weight room.

On defense, MLB Jamar Chaney (#22) is the leading tackler and will be all over the field. He has great instincts and is a big hitter, even though he isn't a huge guy. Mostly, he can slip a block and cover a lot of ground. He has worked very hard to come back from a broken leg last season, and nobody works any harder.

Up front, Pernell McPhee (#90) is the reigning SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. The top-rated JUCO DE from last season, McPhee gets up the field in a hurry and can disrupt any passing game. He uses his hands exceptionally well to ward off blockers. He'll mostly line up opposite Joe Barksdale, and the LSU tackle will have his hands full. McPhee is similar to Rahim Alem from LSU. His run defense is his biggest liability.

LSU is in a bit of a "no-win" this week when it comes to perception. Again a double-digit favorite, if the Tigers only perform as expected, the same old questions (mostly about the offense), will stick around another week. If they win big....well, it was only Mississippi State.

About the only thing that would turn a bunch of heads would be if LSU would actually lose.

Perish the thought.

Expect LSU to be without Pep Levingston again, and now it appears DT Josh Downs won't be able to go either. In anticipation, Les Miles moved freshman DE Michael Brockers down to DT, and he will likely make his debut in this game.

September 18, 2009

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:41:00 +0000

Things to look for in Saturday's LSU vs. ULL game:

1) The Tigers can try to throw the ball down the field on this team. The Cajun corners are 5'10 - 175, and 5'11 - 173. This gives LSU about a 6" and 30-lb advantage with their top receivers. In addition, ULL has not recorded a sack in two games, meaning Jordan Jefferson should have time to throw the football.

2) Look for more Charles Scott at fullback, per Les Miles, and in place of the injured Richard Murphy, Stevan Ridley may get some time, especially if the game is a runaway.

3) Pep Levingston will probably miss his second straight game. The two freshman defensive ends, Chancey Aghayere and Lavar Edwards, each had a sack last week in his place.

4) ULL will run almost exclusively from the spread option package on offense. Their quarterback Chris Masson has been very accurate through two games, but will sling some balls high from time to time. The entire Cajun offensive line is back from last season.

5) Defensively, ULL gambles with their young and undersized secondary, which has produced 4 INT's in the first two games. The best player on this unit is the MLB Antwyne Zanders (#41, 6'2", 232-lbs. SR.), and the linebacking corp is the heart of the defense.

6) Kicker Tyler Albrecht is a nice story. He was attending Holy Cross of New Orleans, and had been beaten out for the starting kicking job there. He was going to be their punter, but then Katrina hit, and his family relocated to Lafayette. He won the kicking job at St. Thomas More, and Rickey Bustle found him. Last week his first career FG, from 48 yards, beat Kansas State.

7) The Cajuns are 3rd nationally during the Bustle era in blocked kicks. They blocked an extra point and a FG last week against KSU.

Other interesting tidbits:

LSU leads the series 21-0.

The combined scores of these games are 957-22.

ULL has been shutout in 16 of the 21 games. They have scored 3, 3, 3, 6, and 7 points in the other games.

LSU has scored more points in 19 of the 21 games than ULL has scored in the series.

The closest game was 7-3 in 1923. The biggest margin (and the biggest in LSU history) was 93-0 in 1936.

The teams did not play between 1938 and 2002.

The average score is 45.57 - 1.05

September 14, 2009

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Some observations and notes from the game and the Les Miles press conference:

1) As noted in the postgame, LSU is searching for an offensive identity. Eleven different players touched the ball on Saturday, and while it's nice to have an opponent have to prepare for that much stuff, it's tough to have a "go to" guy when it's a crucial third down.

Last season, even in their darkest time, LSU could turn around and hand the ball to Charles Scott. Even when teams knew it was coming, they had a hard time stopping it. Through two games, the Tigers have had a hard time playing smash-mouth football out of the I.

2) The best thing Jordan Jefferson is doing right now is not getting LSU beat. He may have very low yards per attempt and completion, but the lowest number is in the turnover column: zero. He definitely made progress from week one to two.

3) The play of the defense was much improved, the defensive line in particular. John Chavis made adjustments at halftime last week, and the Tigers were better in the second half. He made adjustments this week, and LSU allowed less than half as many yards as they did in Seattle. They sacked Larry Smith three times, and got a key interception.

LSU's young defensive ends did some nice things in Pep Levingston's absence, and Rahim Alem played his most complete game as a Tiger. LSU still missed too many tackles (a couple by Kelvin Sheppard were real killers), but they got better in that regard as well.

4) The punting improved, but must improve still. Derek Helton got off his best boot of the season when LSU needed it most, but he must become consistent in that regard. Josh Jasper has been very good through two games. Not only is he perfect on FG's and XP's, but his kickoffs have had good hangtime into the correct quadrant.

5) R.J. Jackson had a career game. He'll continue to play, and maybe have his playing time increase, even if he never catches another pass. Why? He is far and away the best blocking WR that LSU has.

6) RB Richard Murphy is likely lost for the season with a knee injury.

7) LSU's game with Mississippi State on September 26 in Starkville will be an 11:21 AM kickoff.

September 11, 2009

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:47:00 +0000

Things to watch for in the LSU-Vanderbilt game:

1) How much Russell Shepard will we see? Hate to lead with that again, but after the uproar over not playing him last week, the guess here is that #10 will get on the field in the first quarter.

2) Will the tackling improve? My take is that these guys have been tackling all their lives, and one week isn't going to make a huge amount of difference. So either last week was their mulligan, or this won't be a good tackling team.

3) LSU ran only 48 offensive plays last week, so the offense never got the chance to divrersify. If they run closer to the normal (60-70 snaps) this week, we should see Shepard, Reuben Randle, and Richard Dickson get more involved in the offense. If Shepard goes into the "Wildcat" formation, Trindon Holliday may go with him. However, if Holliday isn't in for that scheme, he runs the risk of being forgotten in this offense as he has often times in his career (like last week).

4) LSU must improve on third down conversions against. Washington converted 11 of 19 on 3rd down and 1 of 1 on fourth down, meaning the Tiger defense missed on 60% of their chances to get off the field. That's why the Huskies ran 83 plays to the Tigers 48. Can't happen again. Better tackling will take care of some of that, but they have to be ready for multiple looks with the same defensive groups because...

5) Vandy will run the no-huddle. John Chavis doesn't sub as much as many DC's, but they will be even more limited by this part of the Vanderbilt attack.

6) LSU's punting must improve. Derek Helton gets his mulligan for last week too, but this number must go up.

7) Pep Levingston probably won't play, setting the stage for Lavar Edwards to get his first career start. If he doesn't get it, it could be Chancey Aghayere.

8) Brandon Taylor is fully recovered from his preseason illness. He played in last week's game, but should get the start in this contest at SS.

September 8, 2009

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:56:00 +0000

News and notes from the Les Miles press luncheon:

Pep Levingston may miss this weekend's game with Vanderbilt because of an undisclosed injury that Miles said is not serious enough to require surgery. Levingston will be evaluated daily, but isn't expected to be out long term.

Brandon Taylor maintained his leg up at SS after Saturday night. The only reason it was in any doubt was because he missed some time two weeks ago with an illness.

Russell Shepard didn't play because Miles didn't think it would be fair to him to put him in on the road in that situation, either with LSU behind or deep in their own territory.

Miles said that if five plays could have been changed, and the last drive eliminated, it would have been a good defensive performance. Of course, that's like saying without the five bullet wounds, the patient would have lived.

Miles attributed the 83 plays run by Washington's offense as the reason the defense got worn down, not the time change.

He also said that the offensive gameplan wasn't conservative, but that better execution would have kept the offense on the field longer. I disagree, as of the 24 1st down plays LSU ran, 17 were runs. Charles Scott told me that the "bear" defense they had been practicing against extensively was run on only two plays by the Huskies.

Miles noted the team needs to tackle better. This obviously needs to be addressed, as LSU missed numerous tackles Saturday night.

September 6, 2009

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:41:00 +0000

The LSU Tigers beat the Washington Huskies 31-23 on Saturday night, in a game that raised more questions than it provided answers.

Some of the fall camp inquiries were answered with a positive response. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson threw three touchdown passes and didn't turn the ball over, despite being hampered by play-calling that had him handing off more than twice as much as he threw on first down (17/7). Jefferson added 42 yards rushing and only took one sack, and the only concern with his night was that he took too many hits.

Get down before those big guys take their shots, Jordan. It's a long season.

Terrance Toliver flashed some of his unlimited potential with a pair of touchdown catches in his best game to date for LSU. He could have a huge season, and the only question there is why didn' t LSU take advantage of the mismatch on him more than four times.

On defense, the positives were the play of Jacob Cutrera (whose interception return for a TD was the biggest play of the game), Harry Coleman (making his first start at LB), and Patrick Peterson, who Washington decided for some reason to throw at much of the night.

The questions were these:

1) Why did LSU have so much trouble getting off the field on third down? Washington converted 11 of 19 tries, and got another conversion on fourth down. In 20 chances to get off the field, the LSU defense didn't do the job 12 times. New DC John Chavis had a repuation at Tennesee for being very sound, but vulnerable on third and long, which Vol fans labeled "third and Chavis". In the first half alone, the Huskies converted with 9,9, 12, and 14 yards to go.

This has to be fixed pronto. LSU needs more pressure on these downs from the front four, which brings us to..

2) The defensive line, with all four starters in that role full time for the first time, struggled much of the night. They sacked Locker only once, and failed to pressure him many more.

They were also gashed for 157 yards on the ground, much of that when the Husky offensive line simply let them run themselves out of the play.

The biggest positive up front was the reserve play of DT Josh Downs. He came in and did a nice job pushing the pocket.

3) The offensive play calling was drastically conservative. The Tigers played first and ten on 24 snaps, and ran on 17 of them, even though they had huge mismatches on the outside. Washington quickly outnumbered them at the point of attack, and the LSU staff seemed reluctant to open things up until late in the contest.

They didn't play Russell Shepard at all, and there was virtually no "Wildcat" formation. Mostly the gameplan seemed to consist of Charles Scott running between the tackles, Jefferson keeping, and some option plays to Keiland Williams that were very effective.

In defense of the offense, they only got to run 48 plays, since the defense was having trouble getting off the field.

4) Derek Helton made his debut as the LSU punter and had four punts for an average of 32 yards. That simply won't do. Give him a mulligan and see what happens next week.

The old cliche' is that a team makes its most improvement from week one to week two. LSU has much work to do before Vanderbilt comes into Tiger Stadium next week for the home and SEC opener. The Commodores beat Western Carolina yesterday 45-0.

September 4, 2009

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:04:00 +0000

Things to watch for in the season opener:

How much will Russell Shepard play? The true freshman figures to get some snaps under center, as well as some in the "Wildcat" formation.

Watch the linebacker substitution pattern. Starting MLB Jacob Cutrera missed a lot of fall camp with an injury. Kelvin Sheppard will play at least two positions.

Will LSU play any nickel defense at all? New DC John Chavis plays virtually none, so look for LSU to play base defense against 3 WR's and dime (6 DB's) against 4 WR's.

Watch the substitution pattern on the defensive line. Akiem Hicks likely won't dress, so that moves freshman Josh Downs up to the #4 DT position. The two backup ends, Chancey Aghayere and Lavar Edwards, are both redshirt freshman. Both are very athletic and talented, but haven't played.

LSU's third WR may very well be Rueben Randle at times. The freshman has unlimited potential.

Who starts at SS? Brandon Taylor recovered from a hospital stay last week to regain the spot this week in practice, but look for senior Danny McCray to get some time there as well. Karnell Hatcher may get some snaps too.

This will be Josh Jasper's first time as the full-time kicker, and Derek Helton's first game as LSU punter.

Washington's best player is QB Jake Locker. He missed all but four games last season, but is an explosive passer and runner that is a good enough athlete to have already signed a MLB contract with the Los Angeles Angels. He doesn't have much help, though. Nobody else on the roster has a draftable grade by the NFL.

The forecast in Seattle calls for rain throughout the day and night. Poor weather usually helps the underdog. LSU is a 17.5 pt. favorite.

August 31, 2009

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:20:00 +0000

It was a relaxed Les Miles at his opening press luncheon of the season. The coach discussed a number of topics, mostly about new players and coaches on this staff.

He can afford to be relaxed for the moment, as LSU is a solid 17-pt. favorite over Washington on Saturday night in Seattle.

The Huskies own the longest losing streak in the Bowl Championship Subdivision (I hate that it is no longer called D-I) at 14 games, dating back into the 2007 season. Their new head coach, Steve Sarkisian, is making his debut after a strong career as an assistant at USC.

Sarkisian will have the best starting QB in the PAC-10 in Jake Locker, but not much else. LSU coaches have been extensively going over old Trojan film, but even if Washington runs the old USC schemes, they don't have the old USC players.

Not many surprises in the depth chart for the Tigers. Brandon Taylor, back from an illness (not swine flu), is listed as the starting strong safety, but don't be surprised to see lots of Danny McCray at the position as well. Harry Coleman will start at strongside linebacker, but Kelvin Sheppard will play at this position and at least one more.

Expect all three defensive tackles, Drake Nevis, Charles Alexander, and Al Woods to take a comperable number of reps.

LSU will travel 85 players (15 more than they can take on SEC trips), and no less than five true freshman are in the two-deeps. They are WR Rueben Randle, OT Chris Faulk, QB Russell Shepard, DT Josh Downs, and CB Morris Claiborne.

Eagle 98.1 Gameday will start an extra hour early on Saturday, kicking off at 3:30 pm. Among the guests will be LSU AD Joe Alleva, DC John Chavis, and QB Jordan Jefferson.