October 7, 2009
In the Huddle with Alan Risher
Well Tiger fans, the week that we have all been waiting for has arrived. The consensus #1 ranked Florida Gators roll into town as a 10-point or so road favorite, and the Tigers would have it no other way. LSU has held up its end of the deal by being 5-0 and ranked #4 in the country. the Tigers are 3-0 in the SEC and coming off a stirring road win against those Georgia Bulldogs.
So what have we learned about these 2009 Tigers that gives us a ray of hope this weekend? Well, first we learned that football is a 60-minute sport and that “intermission thing” called halftime sometimes turns things around. LSU completely dominated Georgia (as I predicted, see last week’s article) in the first half, but failed to put away the Bulldogs. Five trips inside the Georgia 30-yard line yielded but six points on two Josh Jasper field goals and allowed those ‘Dawgs to hang around. They suddenly realized they had stunk it up for two quarters, but were a mere touchdown from taking the lead when coming out of halftime.
Give LSU a lot of credit. The first time this year that real adversity hit LSU head-on was handled with much poise and class by Jordan Jefferson, Charles Scott, and the rest of the offensive crew. Driving 88 yards to put the Tigers up 12-7 on the road was a thing of beauty, outside opf the couple of drops from seniors Brandon LaFell and Richard Dickson during the drive. A clutch catch from Reuben Randle and a beautiful scramble down the sideline by Jefferson really catapulted the Tigers on that drive where a lot of young men grew up in a hurry and really showed what metal they are made of. More of that kind of metal will be needed and tested obviously against a team that, with or without Tim Tebow, is awfully experienced and talented. These are literally the same Gators that thrashed LSU 51-21 in Gainesville last year, but are these the same Tigers?
I think not. Defensively, I believe we are much better under John Chavis, holding a pretty potent Georgia offensive attack to one first down in the first half on the road and only giving up 13 points. Those are pretty darn good improvements over last year. Offensively, Jefferson is playing very consistently and not turning the ball over in bunches like our friend Mr. Lee from last year. I think the win and the fourth quarter drives at Georgia will only instill further self confidence into this young man to do it on the national stage.
Two years ago, LSU was ranked #1, was playing on national CBS prime time TV, and won one of the most exciting games in LSU history. Can history repeat itself? Can lightning strike twice in the same place? Do you believe in deja vu all over again? Can we repeat four fourth down conversions again to seal the win?
I think not. That one game that night was a game for the ages and would be real tough to repeat. But I do think this will be Florida’s only real test, and obviously their toughest test, this year until the SEC Championship game. And who knows, it could be LSU again in that game. These two programs have won four of the last six BCS national championships, and hell, ESPN GameDay ought to be here this week and show some real reverence to these two storied programs and the SEC. To heck with Big Ten and Pac-10 football, where most of the energies of these shows seem to focus with hopes of good things from these “2nd in quality” conferences. And throw in Notre Dame, who cares.
My heart wants to say LSU this week in a squeaker as a home underdog. My mind says Florida in a very competitive, solidly played game. They have had a week off to prepare and that is a long time for Urban Myer and his staff to come up with some “tricks of the trade,” and, more importantly, more time to practice them. Tim Tebow will PLAY, mark my words on that. He didn’t come back this year to finish second and he will not allow himself to miss this game and an opportunity to cement Florida’s position for the rest of the year. So which one wins out, my heart or my mind?
I will never tell, but I will tell you this, we upset Florida twice in Gainesville during my day, and LSU is always a tough underdog at home. It is the 30 year anniversary of one of the great games in Tiger history, the 17-12 loss to USC, another No. 1 ranked consensus opponent, so look out, anything could happen and it probably will.
Octover 2, 2009
In the Huddle with Alan Risher
With the Tigers ranked #4, and as former LSU Coach Cholly Mac used to say, “going to play behind the bushes” against those Georgia Bulldogs, ranked #14 and #18 respectively in the polls, this should be a good one.
What did we learn this past weekend in Starkville? Not much in my book. I was hoping for the usual ol’ thumping of those “State Dogs”, but it didn’t happen. LSU played down to the competition, I hope, and was not particularly sharp in a lot of phases of the game. The kicking game was shaky at best, and we still haven’t found a way to open holes for Charles Scott and Keiland Williams in the “I” formation. But, with all that said and rehashed all week, good teams find a way to win and bad ones find a way to lose. That is exactly what happened.
State had its chances to pull off a huge upset and really get Dan Mullin’s coaching career off to a flying start. Chad Jones found a way to stop that nightmare almost single handedly by running back a punt, knocking down a pass, and stuffing their QB at the goal line on fourth down. LSU is at the same identical spot now after four games as we were a year ago. We’re 4-0 and ranked in the top four in both major polls. Let’s hope this is not a sequel that we will have to watch over the next eight weeks.
Georgia, Florida, Auburn, with combined current records of 11-1, are the next three opponents. Obviously, this season’s results will be determined after these three games in October. November won’t mean much if we don’t win two of the three. I believe LSU will play its best game of the year this Saturday in Athens. OK Risher, what leads you to believe that after watching these first four games?
I believe that we play “up” to the competition for the most part, and LSU will be mentally razor sharp come Saturday. I also believe we will see a team that is really ready to play somebody of significance. Look for Brandon Lafell and Terrance Toliver and Rueben Randle to have big games come Saturday. Jordan Jefferson has been solid and hasn’t turned the ball over, while Georgia’ s defense has been very spotty so far in the first four outings. Gary Crowton will find a play calling rhythym, finally, and I think the rest will take care of itself.
Remember where you heard it. LSU wins by two touchdowns on the road this week, remains #4 in both polls, and sets up one of the more “electric games” ever in Tiger Stadium come October 10th when the Gators roll in, with or without Tim Tebow at the helm.
Yet, on the other hand, if I am somehow wrong and Georgia whips us, we could be in for another 2008 sequel, so let’s hope the TIGERS ROLL, because I know, and speaking for all of us LSU faithful, I can’t bear another horror movie this close to Halloween.
September 24, 2009
In the Huddle with Alan Risher
Well Tiger faithful, what do you think now after three games into this 2009 season? Have these three games told us enough about these 2009 Tigers that we can start thinking SEC championship Game and major bowl bid? I have to be totally honest here, I still really don’t know what to think of these 2009 football Tigers.
The Tigers have beaten three teams they were supposed to beat, and that’s good. They barely covered the betting line Saturday against ULL (not that it means much other than what the bookies think of your team) and did not cover the line in the first two games, so what does that mean? Has LSU’s reputation now gotten out ahead of the bookies for this year, where the Tigers went 8-5 last year and, for the most part, were disappointing at best? Ranked #7 in both polls now, have we gotten a little too spoiled around here when you win by 4 touchdowns and you still are not sure if we are enough to beat the Georgias and Floridas and Alabamas of the world? I still really don’t know yet.
The Tigers travel to Mississippi State this week for the breakfast edition of College Football TV. The team LSU has most played through its storied history is the Bulldogs. The two teams have more than 100 meetings. LSU has won 16 of its last 17 against the ‘Dogs and it has been the most lopsided 17 games in the series. Mississippi State, with new coach Dan Mullen, went to Nashville last week and humbled the Commodores of Vandy with a 15-3 win. Watching this game for three hours I am sure was a cure for anyone with a sleeping disorder. State is now 2-1 and have to be better than last year’s 2008 Sly Croom edition of the football ‘Dogs.
Boy, where have the good ole days for State gone. We could not beat the Mardye McDole, John Bond led wishbone attack of the early 80s. The father of the wishbone, Coach Emory Bellard, would have won National Coach of the Year if he could have played us every week and John Bond would have three Heisman trophies on the mantle if, again, was able to play LSU every week. Ahhh, days of yore for those Dog fans, but it has been total misery for State fans against LSU the past 20 years when the Dogs have become “whippin Dogs” for LSU.
LSU is a two-touchdown favorite this week in Starkville, the first road SEC game of the year. Should we expect more of the same whoopins that we have been putting on those Dogs for the past 20 years? I think the answer is yes. Mississippi State’s offense has been really bad most recently, and it will not be any better come Saturday. Typically State has not been able to put LSU into any kind of “pressurized” situation and the Tigers have gotten on the ‘Dogs early and never looked back, leading to some really lopsided scoreboards in the end. Are we heading down this path again.
If that does indeed happen, LSU will be 4-0 after Saturday, the same record as last year at this very point in the season. The Tigers climbed to #3 after the Auburn game and then the next week beat a pretty awful State team 34-24 to go 4-0. Unfortunately we went on to lose five of our next eight regular season games. Is the “mirage in the desert syndrome” still a possibility for the 2009 Tigers? “WE TIGER FAITHFUL” have our expectations pretty high right now and the pollsters have us right back at the top of the rankings. Are we set up to be let way, way down as the SEC schedule unfolds? After my own analysis, I really don’t know and wish I had a better answer than that.
Concerns: First, against ULL, it just didn’t seem like we had much push at the point of attack on offense. If we can’t run the power-I formation football play once in a while for some big gainers, I just don’t know if Jordan Jefferson can carry this offense. Sure, he has played well in spots, but he hasn’t convinced me yet that he can throw the ball down the field with any consistency to keep defenses on their heels, as they say in the business. Second, the lack of a real test early on is a concern. I never had any doubts about the final outcome during any of these these previous games and the fourth coming up on Saturday. LSU has yet to be in danger of possibly losing a game so far this year, so how will our guys react if they get down early in a game against a team with athletes of comparable SEC quality? Florida last year unfortunately exposed that fact all too quickly in the rout in Gainesville. Let’s hope that this is again no desert mirage.
I would really like to see the Tigers put together a real solid effort from start to finish this week, and State has proven they are the opponent in recent years that LSU can use to do that very thing. A 35-7 thumping, or something close to that, on the road in a hostile, cowbell-ringing environment should do the trick and get us totally ready for that first true test the following week in Athens, GA. “tweenst the hedges” against that better set of Dogs, the Georgia Bulldogs, which thumped us 52-38 in Baton Rouge last year.
September 16, 2009
In The Huddle with Alan Risher
OK Tiger faithful, we are 2-0 and ranked 7th and 9th in the two major polls that, oh by the way, mean anything. Did anybody watching the game the other night feel like they were looking at a team that deserved such a high regard as reflected in the most recent polls? I guess the answer to that is yes and no.
I know, the weather conditions were iffy at best, and that tends to even the game out a lot of times as it relates to a superior team with speed. A wet field and a wet ball can certainly slow down a team. Vanderbilt looked well-coached and has a pretty decent football team with enough talent to upset somebody who it isn’t supposed to beat. But again, as was the case against Washington, I personally never felt the outcome of the game was in doubt and you knew at some point LSU would take control of field position and the game as the contest wore on into the final stages.
Yes, LSU’s defense played much better than the week before, and our defensive front even got some real pressure on the quarterback. All in all, holding Vandy to 9 points (really seven — the safety doesn’t count in my book) was a significant step in the right direction and Coaches Miles and Chavis have to be pleased with the effort. That defensive effort looked to me like some sort of a justification for a top 10 ranking this week.
That is your ‘yes’ as part of the ‘yes and no’ answer.
As far as the ‘no’ goes, there needs to be an identity check for the top 10 offense. Jordan Jefferson again played well enough to win a football game and not lose one from the QB position. And, again like in Week 1, Jefferson did not turn the ball over at all in pretty rough playing conditions. Completing 20-of-29 passes for 138 yards and no touchdowns is not a great night as we talked about last week, especially in this age of spread-them-out, 300-yard pass-happy football games.
There were some concerns that I saw. Jefferson’s mechanics at times on Saturday night were not real good. He had a tendency to miss some guys open in the secondary by having what I would call “poor footwork” which basically led to under throwing the ball and allowing it to nosedive into the ground. As a former QB, when you start throwing that ugly ball where the point is heading into the ground short, that is a sign of not being comfortable in the pocket and allowing for your mechanics to break down, which usually leads to bad throws. Jefferson still needs to prove to me that he can stand in there and throw that intermediate 15-20 yard ball that requires the nose of the ball to be catchable and pointing upward for his receivers to haul in.
I believe offensive coordinator Gary Crowton is still trying to figure out how to best use this large array of talent on the offensive side of the ball. As a coach, you have to figure out what you are going to “be” offensively at some point and go with the horses that best give you the chance to win. Sure, you have to be diversified in your play selection between run and pass, but shuffling in so many guys at running back, wide receiver, and even quarterback and trying to keep everyone happy with playing time is a major task in itself.
I don’t believe Crowton yet knows how to best get a rhythm in his play calling and the personnel groups that will provide LSU the best chance to move the football and score. But hopefully he will soon. You will likely see more of the same this week and next because of weak opponents. He will have the option of playing a lot of guys while he figures out in the next couple weeks what identity this team will have before the meat of the schedule starts.
Well, we finally saw the highly-touted Russell Shepard at quarterback and wide receiver on Saturday night and I believe after watching only a few plays with him in the game that he is pretty special as it relates to his quickness and speed as a play maker. Sure, he coughed it up when he went across the middle, but hey, welcome to the SEC young man. You are going to get hit and hit hard. But what was most impressive to me was the little run around right end where three defenders just fell in his wake after some shifty in-and-out moves. It has been some time since we’ve seen a guy in purple and gold do anything of the sort. Vandy could not tackle him, and as he gains more confidence and playing time, let’s hope Georgia and Florida can’t tackle him either.
ULL beat K-State last week for probably its biggest win since beating Texas A&M at Cajun Field 13 years ago. K-State must be pretty bad. They struggled with UMass at home the week before, winning by a whopping 21-17 margin against a I-AA team, so let’s just say they are down, and I mean way down, with very successful Coach Bill Snyder returning to the sidelines.
LSU has won 21 straight against the Cajuns dating back moons ago and has outscored them 95-3 in the past two meetings. Look for more of the same. Yes, I know, a state school on the non-conference schedule for 2009 and two others will round out the rent-a-win schedule when Tulane and LA Tech come to town. Is there a little more interest in this game since ULL is 2-0 after beating Southern from the SWAC and lowly K-State? Sure, but in reality, it is just a tiny bit more interest.
LSU’s defense will pad its stats this week and spend most of the night in the ULL backfield. That is where the difference in this match-up lies. The state schools cannot compete up front with LSU on either side of the ball, so look for the trenches to be the big disparity between the clubs. The Tigers will go 3-0 with a four-touchdowns or better victory on Saturday. Weather is supposed to be good, so look for speed and more speed from LSU’s offense and defense.
Now you see them, now you don’t ULL.
September 11, 2009
In the Huddle with Alan Risher
Ok fans of the Purple and Gold, if you read my article last week, you can see I pretty much hit the nail on the head in Week 1. Washington was surprisingly improved over last year’s 0-12 perfromance. Tyrone Willingham led the troops, but depth at the end of the day and mistakes that an 0-12 football team usually makes spelled ultimate doom for the Huskies.
Yes, Jake Locker looked good, and yes they have some skilled people that will give teams in the Pac-10 something to prepare for, but did you ever for a moment think the outcome of the game was in doubt? Not I. Even though Washington moved the ball between the 20s, which most bad teams do, the goal is to get in the end zone, and LSU, just as I predicted, was a much more seasoned club when it came to making those 6 or 8 plays that determine the outcome of most football games.
Sure, when Washington took the opening kickoff and went 85 yards for an opening touchdown, I am quite positive your thoughts were, “Is this what a salary of $500,000 gets us from a transfer D-coordinator from a 5-7 Tennessee club?” Well hold the phone my Tiger faithful. That was my first thought too, but of course, as always, we fans have a tendency to jump to conclusions too fast. Sure, Washington moved the ball and there is some concern there, but you know what, they scored 16 points (that last touchdown was for the alumni at Washington for being nice hosts in the Great Northwest). The game was never in doubt in my mind and Jordan Jefferson again proved to most of us that he will be the guy to run this offense. By the way, I didn’t think we would see Russell Shepard thrown to the Huskies in a very hostile environment in a tight game. Good move Coach Miles.
Jefferson’s night at QB is described by the term “efficient”. Completing 11-of-19 passes for 172 yards and 3 touchdowns in my book is a real nice night. Heck, there were nights, back in the early 80s, when I was 15-for-21 for 175, 2 rushing scores and 1 TD pass, and that got me AP SEC Offensive Player of the Week. My have times changed. If you don’t throw for 300 yards and 4 scores and complete 68% of your passes, you’ve had a ho-hum game at QB. The main thing is Jefferson did not turn the football over, whereas Locker and his mates had 2 crucial mistakes that cost them a chance to win the game. That’s basically a 21 point turnaround. But you know what, that is what bad teams do, and LSU was solid and consistent throughout most of the evening.
Now let’s turn to Vandy. LSU is a 15 point favorite over the ‘Dores who return 18 starters from a team that beat a pretty decent 2008 Boston College club in Vandy’s first bowl appearance in many, many, years. Yes, they stomped an awful Western Carolina team last week and gained some confidence coming into Death Valley for this week’s SEC opener, but this is LSU. I believe Vandy will again provide a quality opponent for two and half quarters, but in the end, depth, size, and speed will prevail.
Vandy is to be commended for allowing Vandy Coach Bobby Johnson to hang in there for eight years and ultimately building a pretty decent program by Vandy’s standards. They are well coached and can run the football. That always keeps teams hanging around for most of the contest.
I believe LSU finds some marked improvement from Game 1 to Game 2, which most teams usually do, and wins fairly handily in the end. LSU last week only rushed for 150 yards or so. Look for more of Charles Scott this week getting untracked and OC Gary Crowton having a few more “open it up a bit” plays in the ol’ game plan. Can’t see an upset here, and I think we will have a real good understanding how good this 2009 LSU football team is at about 9:30 pm Saturday night.
September 3, 2009
In the Huddle with Alan Risher
To my recollection, after following and playing football for LSU for the past 45 years or so, I think this is the first time that the Tigers open a season against an opponent that went winless the year before. These 2009 Washington Huskies provide that opponent. Sure, every year is a different year in college football with graduation, coaching changes, hotshot recruits, and the like. But wow, to open a season on the road against a BCS team that went 0-12, I guarantee you the schedule makers at LSU didn’t see this one coming.
Hearing the calls of Tiger fans saying “let’s strengthen our schedule with some intersectional, home and home rivalries”, athletic department officials granted the wishes of those tired of seeing North Texas and Idaho and thought they were getting a once proud PAC-10 program to provide some interest in an otherwise “listless” non-conference schedule. Well, former Husky coach Tyrone Willingham managed to set two programs back 10 years, first Notre Dame and now Washington.
Can new Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian take an 0-12 football team from a year ago and provide any opposition for an LSU team that is 24 months removed from its second national title in five years? After doing my crack research, I believe the answer is yes. So Tiger fans, I believe we can look for a competitive opener for the Tigers and it can maybe provide a picture for what’s to come the rest of the year.
Here are my reasons why: Steve Sarkisian is an offensive coach and proved at USC, even though he had the horses, that he knows how to score points. And with eight offensive starters back (not saying much for a group that scored a whopping 10 points per game), including QUALITY QB Jake Locker who is making his return after being hurt in game four last year, well lookout — the Huskies will be better and let’s hope LSU’s defense with John Chavis calling the shots is better too. But the wild card in this game is Jake Locker, a better than average QB who some say may be the best in the PAC-10. Locker could pose an “unforeseen problem” and somewhat of a mystery after hooking up with a quality offensive mind in Sarkisian. In addition to returning 10 starters on offense, the Huskies return 10 starters on defense as well. Sure, they were pretty “porous” last year, but they can’t be any worse, right? Look for the Huskies to be flying around with some odd looks for Jordan Jefferson, who is starting only his second road game in a short career, so you never know.
OK, here it is in a nutshell. The odds makers think LSU will win by 17 or so. Can you go 0-12 and compete with the mighty Tigers from the SEC? I think Washington will surprise us by being competitive for a half or so, just on emotion and embarrassment from last year and trying to get it done for the new head ball coach, but LSU’s program is far superior and much deeper than this Husky team. Look for Charles Scott and company to wear them down late and win by 3 touchdowns or so. But don’t be surprised if you get a great QB performance from Locker and Jefferson somehow struggles in his second road game, it may be tighter than we anticipated.
Remember where you heard it.
Go Tigers and take of business.