November 5, 2009
Tigers Bringing Storm Clouds to Tuscaloosa
If ever there was to be a perfect storm for the 2009 LSU Tigers, that rain cloud might be forming over Tuscaloosa right about now. As the Tigers and Tide continue preparations for Saban Bow III, they do so as teams with Atlanta as the destination, though trusting different GPS devices to get them there.
After starting the season with national championship expectations, the Tide did little early on to deter that talk. Opening the season with a double-digit win over a top ten Virginia Tech squad will do that. It was a similar outcome against the Hokies that buoyed LSU in 2007. Bama went on to paste a couple of Directional U schools and added convincing conference wins over Arkansas and at Kentucky, catapulting them past Florida and into the top spot in the national rankings.
The rest of October hasn’t been quite as kind to the Tide. Virginia Tech has dropped back-to-back ACC games, devaluing what many considered the most impressive non-conference win in all of college football. Instead of a top ten team, the Hokies are now an also-ran in a weak ACC headlined by Georgia Tech and –wait for it—Duke. Yes, Duke. More importantly, Bama has delivered three consecutive shaky wins against average SEC teams.
The Crimson Tide offense, which boasted a Heisman Trophy candidate at running back, has been running backward against quality SEC defenses. Despite forcing five turnovers against Ole Miss, Alabama could only muster one touchdown in a 22-3 win over the Rebels. The following week against South Carolina wasn’t much better with a pair a field goals and a defensive score pacing the 20-6 effort. Finally, the Tide reached its low point of the season when it needed two blocked field goals to outlast Tennessee at home, 12-10. Simply, the off week could not have come at a better time for Nick Saban’s bunch.
On the other side, LSU went into its off week much the same way Bama did. After dropping a 13-3 decision to Florida in Baton Rouge and bringing up the rear in the SEC in total offense, folks were beginning to wonder if a repeat of the second half of 2008 was in store. It was so bad that talk radio shows were inundated with calls for Jarrett Lee at quarterback! Yes, the same Lee who tossed so many interceptions last season it almost became comical. Credit Les Miles for finding light in the darkness. Since the bye, the Tigers have turned in their most complete performances of the season in consecutive weeks, pounding Auburn, 31-10, and blanking Tulane, 42-0.
It isn’t merely wins the past two weeks which have the Tigers smelling upset, but the manner in which the wins have come. Auburn was completely outclassed in Baton Rouge, mustering fewer than 200 yards of total offense while being nearly doubled by LSU. Russell Shepard finally found the end zone and Jordan Jefferson found his touch on the deep pass. Shepard zigzagged his way for another score against Tulane, giving Tiger fans a glimpse of why he was such a coveted recruit. The Charles Scott of 2008 finally awoke from his slumber, eclipsing the 100-yard mark for the first time in ’09 against the Wave, while Gary Crowton may have discovered another weapon in the arsenal in running back Stevan Ridley. The sophomore powered his was to 73 yards and a score on just eight second half carries.
Yes, the two offenses are heading in opposite directions, but the defenses have been among the steadiest in the country. Through eight games, John Chavis has given LSU fans amnesia regarding the failed Mal-veto experiment of a season ago. The Tiger D is surrendering a mere 12 points per game – half of the total from ’08. That’s one point higher than Florida’s scoring defense which leads the SEC. The tricky part for Tiger fans is that Alabama is right there as well. In fact, the Tide ranks in the top ten nationally in every major statistical defensive category – a sight that became common the LSU fans when You-Know-Who was pacing the sidelines.
True, that storm cloud might be forming, but I suspect Alabama will have their umbrella’s ready. For every perceived strength of the LSU team, Bama has equally strong responses. LSU leads the SEC in turnover margin at plus-9. Bama is plus-7. LSU is 4th in the SEC in rush defense. Bama runs it for almost 220 yards per game.
Alabama has problems on the offensive side of the ball that will likely cost them a national championship. But, it won’t cost them this game. Greg McElroy has struggled throwing the ball and teams are keying on Mark Ingram. Alabama is winning by playing great defense, protecting the football and forcing turnovers. Sounds familiar, eh Tiger fans?
LSU is playing with confidence and that will keep them in the game. In the end, though, I can’t allow myself to get past what LSU did (or didn’t do) against an elite defense when it managed only a field goal against Florida. And that was in front of a record home crowd at night! Bama’s defense is every bit as good as Florida’s and I suspect the Tide will do just enough to keep its championship hopes alive and its GPS set on Atlanta.
BAMA 17, LSU 13
October 21, 2009
History aside, Tigers must roll
You know about the Earthquake Game. That tale has been told at every bar room and breakfast table in Baton Rouge for more than 20 years now, so I’ll spare you. I won’t even mention five interceptions, bringing back the magic, burning buildings, cigars, missed extra points, leverage penalties, missed field goals, Chaz Ramsey, or Demetrius Byrd. You get it.
It’s LSU-Auburn week.
And LSU has no business losing this game.
Before you apologists begin, let me stop you. I know this series historically has been tighter than Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” leotard. Each of the past five meetings has been decided by a touchdown or less. LSU did the unthinkable last season by daring to break through and win consecutive games in this series –something it had not done since the mid-90s— with its comeback on the Plains. And since the teams began meeting regularly in 1992, the series is at a near deadlock, with Auburn holding a 9-8 edge.
And yet, an LSU loss Saturday is inexcusable.
To say the LSU offense has been anemic through six games might be generous. The Tigers are dead last in the SEC in total offense. Even the 8-5 debacle of a season ago managed to average more than 360 yards of offense per game. Despite boasting an All-SEC running back and wide receiver and an All-American left tackle, Gary Crowton’s bunch has bumbled its way to a mere 23 points per contest – good for 11th in the SEC.
And yet, an LSU loss Saturday is inexcusable.
Perhaps that’s because the cure for an awful LSU offense is lining up opposite an even worse Auburn defense. Auburn’s head-turning 5-0 start under first-year head coach Gene Chizik certainly was not on the back of its defense. Allowing 30 points at home to a putrid Ball State squad is embarrassing. When it finally faced a capable offense, a thin Auburn defense surrendered nearly 500 yards and 44 points in a loss at Arkansas. Even a floundering LSU offense has the athletes and ability to move the ball against a group of unmotivated wannabe’s posing as an Auburn defense.
On the other side of the ball, LSU has a sincere advantage. John Chavis has his unit believing in his system and improving each week, while the Auburn offense is regressing. During its 5-0 start, Gus Malzhan’s offense averaged more than 40 points per game and quarterback Chris Todd was one of the great comeback stories in college football with 12 touchdowns and only one interception during that span. The Jekyll and Hyde trick Todd has turned the past two weeks is stunning: 133 yards passing in a blowout loss at Arkansas and only 80 yards and a pick at home in a loss to Kentucky.
While we’re on the subject, that Kentucky game in itself is baffling. The Wildcats went into Jordan-Hare Stadium without their starting quarterback, without their best cover cornerback and without a win over Auburn since 1966. The Tigers, meanwhile, desperate for a rebound after the embarrassing loss at Arkansas, laid down at home for a perennial SEC cellar dweller, dropping their second straight, 21-14. The psyche of the ’09 Auburn Tigers must be dangling by a square of rain-soaked toilet paper at Toomer’s Corner, and LSU should do nothing less than give it a sturdy tug Saturday in Tiger Stadium.
LSU still has everything to play for. Despite the offensive woes, a win over Auburn and a subsequent tune-up versus Tulane will put the Tigers in position to go to Tuscaloosa as a Top 10 team with a chance to upset No. 1 Alabama and earn a spot in the driver’s seat for Atlanta (and I’m not talking about the chicken sandwich bowl). As precarious as their 5-1 record may be with close calls against Mississippi State and Georgia, LSU is still a one loss team from the best conference and that’s not a bad place to be halfway through the season.
Auburn, meanwhile, is sputtering on offense. Auburn is bad on defense. Auburn quit at home against a bad Kentucky team. Simply, Auburn has no business coming in to Tiger Stadium and leaving with a win. It’s simply too important of a game for the purple and gold Tigers to allow that to happen.
An LSU loss Saturday is inexcusable.
LSU 34, Auburn 17
October 13, 2009
Weighing The Perrilloux Factor
Florida 13, LSU 3. In many ways, Saturday night’s heavyweight tilt between SEC Superpowers was epic: the largest crowd in Tiger Stadium history showed up (93,129); after much debate, so did Tim Tebow; and, unfortunately for the mostly gold-clad Tiger faithful, the LSU offense did not.
While the LSU defense was busy holding a Florida offense rated higher than Obama’s peace efforts to its lowest output of the season, the Tiger offense was sputtering to a performance accurately described by running back Charles Scott as “embarrassing.” Forty-seven plays netted 162 yards. Not 162 rushing yards. Not 162 passing yards. Not 162 yards in a half. That’s 162 total yards for the entire game. In fact, the Tigers did not even sniff Gator territory in the second half. It was a 14-3 loss at Arkansas in 2000 when LSU last rivaled such offensive ineptitude.
Les Miles apologized to LSU fans after the game for the poor performance, “Tiger faithful, I apologize. We will work harder. We know we have to do better. I’ll take the discredit for this one.” LSU fans seem overwhelmingly disinterested in apologies and more concerned with answers. Why is it that an offensive line anchored by an All-American left tackle allowed Jordan Jefferson to be sacked five times? Why did a running game boasting an All-SEC pick from a season ago tread its way to only 66 yards? And why did a passing game littered with five-star talent and an All-SEC receiver attain fewer than 100 yards?
The answer may surprise you. The answer was not in Tiger Stadium Saturday night. The answer was not even in the state of Louisiana Saturday. The answer was in the tiny town of Murray, Kentucky, leading the Jacksonville State Gamecocks to a 41-7 win over Murray State. The answer, as you may have guessed, is Ryan Perrilloux.
Yes, Perrilloux was dismissed from the LSU program in May of 2008 and, yes, the future of the program is now in the (seemingly) capable hands of Jordan Jefferson. Looking back will certainly not help Les Miles and his staff find solutions to their offensive woes, but it would go a long way in explaining them.
NFL executives have estimated that when a team drafts a quarterback that ends up labeled as a bust, that pick will set a franchise back no less than three years. Perhaps the same estimate can translate to the college game. Perrilloux was the gem of Miles’ first recruiting class in Baton Rouge, the top-rated quarterback prospect in the nation who was certain to keep the LSU Championship Train rolling. While Perrilloux waited his turn, he watched those leaders ahead of him win two BCS bowls, an SEC title and a National Championship. Had Perrilloux kept his nose clean, the LSU program would be led this season by an amazingly talented fifth-year senior in his second season as the starting quarterback. Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson would be third and second year backups respectively, waiting their turn as each LSU championship quarterback this decade has had to do. Instead, a 19-year-old sophomore made his eighth career start against the No. 1 team and best defense in the nation Saturday.
That is not to knock Jordan Jefferson. At times, he has shown flashes of promise that should give LSU fans hope for a bright future and a heavier trophy case. But, it is undeniable that a Perrilloux-led team (as this version of the Tigers should be) would be more proficient on offense than this 109th ranked unit nationally. With a more polished passer and dynamic rusher taking the snaps, many of the problems plaguing this Tiger offense would be masked and compensated for.
Let’s look at the offensive line, for example. This is clearly an over-hyped, under-achieving unit. Ciron Black has failed to mesh with new mate Josh Dworaczyk after lining up next to Herman Johnson for three seasons, while Dworaczyk has not come close to filling the massive shoes left vacant by the All-American. T-Bob Hebert has shown promise at center, but is not yet the leader Brett Helms was after snapping the ball for three years. One criticism of Jefferson is that he holds the ball too long and doesn’t step up in the pocket when pressured, which has led to an increased number of sacks and pressured throws. While a solid O-Line would be a tremendous asset to a young signal caller, a veteran quarterback can make an underachieving line look respectable. Look no further than Alabama, which lost an All-American tackle and All-SEC center, but has not missed a beat under fourth-year junior Greg McElroy.
While Jefferson is completing 62 percent of his passes, he has struggled with his accuracy down field. Gary Crowton, seemingly unwilling to chance a repeat of ’08 when Tiger quarterbacks tossed 18 interceptions, has routinely dialed up conservative pass plays for his young quarterback. The average pass Jefferson throws travels a mere seven yards (yes, they track that statistic). Surely and offensive coordinator would have enough confidence in a fifth year senior to take a handful of chances downfield, no? Spreading the field with the passing game would force defenders away from the line of scrimmage, thus opening up Charles Scott, Keiland Williams and the talented stable of running backs waiting to get going in ’09.
Truthfully, what LSU has done in ’09 minus an offense is amazing. At 5-1 overall, boasting road wins at Washington and Georgia, and a top-ten ranking, some might argue this team has already overachieved in the first half of the season. It certainly has not been pretty (see: Mississippi State) or overwhelming (see: Vanderbilt) but it has worked. Halfway through the season, LSU still controls its destiny in the SEC title race and appears on pace for a return to a January bowl game. What’s more, as the defense continues to improve from the co-coordinator abomination of a season ago and Jefferson nets more experience, the prospects for the 2010 season look brighter and brighter – three years AP (After Perrilloux).
Maybe those NFL execs were on to something after all.
October 9, 2009
Head, Heart or Gut?
We have all been there before. Our mind has convinced us so strongly of one glaring truth, yet a nagging feeling tugging deep within us refuses to allow us to accept it. Or maybe emotion allows us to get carried away only to have our mind reassume logical control and steer us in a safer direction. So, when it comes to Saturday’s LSU-Florida clash in Tiger Stadium, the same question could be posed: What to trust, head or heart?
Let’s begin by making the case for both. First, the skull-enclosed organ the Scarecrow so desperately coveted on his way to Oz (if only sports fans used theirs). Simply, there is no comparison. Yeah, but Tim Tebow might not play!
So? No doubt Tebow is the most dominant player of this era, but the Florida offense is still among the finest in the nation even sans Superman. Get ready for reality to hit you in the face like a cold shower on a Chicago winter morning: the Gators are first nationally in rushing offense (307.5 ypg), second nationally in scoring offense (45.5 ppg), and third nationally in total offense (526.3 ypg). And even if No. 15 can’t go, the backup is a guy who rewrote the state of Florida’s high school record book set by – you guessed it – Tim Tebow.
Meanwhile, the LSU defense charged with the task of slowing the Gator juggernaut has hardly looked like, well, an LSU defense. The unit has not recorded a sack in three consecutive games. It’s kind of hard to rattle an inexperienced quarterback if he isn’t pressured. Whether it’s Tebow or John Brantley barking signals for the Florida “O”, they will be challenging an LSU secondary ranked 10th in the SEC in pass defense (and that is supposed to be the strength of the defensive unit).
If the Gator offense starts rolling, then Jordan Jefferson and the Tigers will have to keep pace. Yes, the same LSU offense that ranks dead last in the SEC in yards per game and 10th in the league in scoring. Seriously. Even Vanderbilt and Mississippi State chew up more yardage than this LSU squad. And all they will have to do is break through against the best defense in the nation! All eleven starters from the national championship team are back and they have not disappointed in Gainesville. Brandon Spikes and Co. is tops in the nation in total defense and second in scoring defense, yielding a mere 7 points per game. Good luck, Gary Crowton!
Oh, and the Gator return game is pretty good too. A kid named Brandon James returns kicks and punts and all he has done as a Gator is set the SEC record for return yardage in a career. Not too shabby.
If you trust your brain, you know that LSU has no chance of besting Florida on Saturday.
If you trust your heart, however, October 10, 2009, will be a date to remember forever because that will be the second time a top-ranked team will fall to the Tigers in Death Valley. Let’s start with the Tebow factor. Realistically, there is no way to quantify what Tim Tebow means to the Florida team. Not only is his production unparalleled in college football, but his leadership and desire to win are so unique that only the word “Tebow-esque” would suffice. Sure John Brantley is a talented kid – you have to be to play quarterback for Urban Meyer – but tossing the pigskin confidently in mop-up duty in Lexington and against Troy barely compares to making your first career start in front on 92,000 lunatics at night in Tiger Stadium. There is a reason LSU has won 32 consecutive Saturday night games in Tiger Stadium. Weird things happen: 4th down conversions, missed PATs, heck, even earthquakes!
Aside from the paranormal, LSU is an improving football team. In consecutive weeks, the Tigers have won on the road in the SEC and done so in drastically different fashions. It took scores in all three phases and a goal-line stand for the ages to hold off Mississippi State and a fourth quarter comeback in Athens to silence the Dawgs. The Charles Scott of 2008 has finally awoken from his slumber and the LSU defense hardly resembles the confused, beaten squad of a season ago. Jordan Jefferson is developing more confidence in Gary Crowton’s offense and LSU’s top two receivers might be the best one-two punch in the nation. There is a lot of reason for optimism as LSU seems to be riding the escalator up while Florida is in a holding pattern while it awaits the status of its leader.
Then there is the Urban Meyer factor. Yes, he has won two national titles, but neither of those games was played in Tiger Stadium. In fact, Meyer has never won in Tiger Stadium, losing both of his previous attempts. What’s more is that Meyer has lost to at least one SEC West school in each of his first four seasons at Florida and is a mere 6-6 against West foes. With Alabama, Ole Miss and Auburn off the schedule in ’09, LSU seems like the most likely suitor for that honor this season.
If you trust your heart, the Tigers roll Saturday.
So, with the head and heart conflicting, that leaves only the proverbial “gut feeling” to render a decision on this game. And my gut is telling me that Florida’s offense is dynamic enough to score even with Tebow out of the game and that the LSU offense will need 30 points to beat the Gators and that’s not happening. My head says Florida. My heart says LSU. But, my gut knows it will be a happy ride home to Gainesville and a bitter night on the Bayou.
Florida 24, LSU 17
September 30, 2009
LSU football has come a long way in 30 years
It’s appropriate that this column comes in conjunction with a significant anniversary in LSU football history. With LSU fans fearing the demise of their program, Tuesday marked the 30th anniversary of what many call one of the greatest games ever played in Tiger Stadium. While it is appropriate to acknowledge this occasion, it can’t be ignored that the mention of this game amplifies a shift that has occurred over the past three decades in the minds of Tiger fans everywhere.
It was September 29, 1979, when LSU hosted the No. 1 USC Trojans in Tiger Stadium. John Robinson’s team featured two Heisman Trophy winners in Marcus Allen and Charles White, as well as NFL Hall of Famers like Ronnie Lott and Anthony Munoz. Many argue that USC team was the greatest assembly of talent that college football has ever seen.
Coach Charles McClendon’s team entered that game as heavy underdogs and left as heroes in the eyes of their home fans, despite one crucial element — LSU lost the game 17-12. There are those loyalists who will point out a phantom facemask on Benji Thibodeaux which continued the Trojan’s game-winning drive. Others will note that the entire crowd stayed after the game to applaud the Tigers’ effort. While the circumstances surrounding that game can and will be debated for some time, one thing is for certain — LSU football has come a long way in 30 years.
Consider the situation the ’09 Tigers face: they are undefeated and ranked No. 4 in the nation and fans are actually hiring accountants to determine just how much it will cost to buyout Les Miles and bring in another coach! My, how far we have come. Just 30 short years ago, LSU fans were applauding a loss in Tiger Stadium. Now, a 4-0 team is being scolded by the same fans for not winning convincingly enough. The truth is, success has changed the LSU program, and I say that change is for the better.
LSU is today what USC was in 1979. I have been fortunate enough to speak to several members of that ’79 USC team, including Ronnie Lott, Paul McDonald, and Anthony Munoz, and each has the same reaction when I ask about that game — they shrug it off. They got every team’s best shot back then because they were USC. They played in “epic” games each and every week. The LSU game in ’79 was just another example of a team giving the Trojans its best shot and doing what so many teams did against USC back then, come up short.
Which brings us to today. Since 1979, LSU has finished what that team couldn’t. LSU has beaten a No. 1 team in Tiger Stadium when it upset Florida in 1997. LSU has won three SEC titles in the 2000s and two national titles in the same decade. This is the greatest era in the history of LSU football.
LSU has enjoyed program-defining wins against Auburn (’01), Georgia (’03) and Florida (’07). Tiger fans today wouldn’t dream of applauding after a loss, no matter how great the game. Heck, some Tiger fans boo after wins (see: Troy ’08). I didn’t see too many purple-and-gold-clad fans hanging around the north end zone after Arkansas upset No.1 LSU in 2007 in a classic game that went to triple overtime. And the reality is they shouldn’t.
With success comes increased expectations and I say those expectations should be embraced. Sure it’s frustrating to hear LSU fans bash the coach and players when they’re a top five team, but I would rather know the fan base, players, and coaches operate with the understanding that close losses and moral victories don’t count in the win column and don’t add weight to the massive trophy cases in the Football Ops Building. After all, that’s all fans, coaches, and players want — to win.
So it took a 93-yard punt return and a goal line stand to beat Mississippi State. In 1979, it took top-ranked USC piecing together a clutch drive late in the 4th quarter to fend off a scrappy bunch of undersized Cajuns. Thirty years later, Trojan players admire their championship rings while those Tiger players cling to a moral victory. The same will be said for the LSU and MSU players who battled Saturday in Starkville. Ask yourself, which would you rather be? The answer is simple.
So, don’t be content to settle for mediocrity. If your team is struggling, voice your displeasure. I would hate to see the day return when LSU applauds a great effort in a loss. Wins are what matters and LSU has never done more wining in its history than it has in the past decade. And the ’09 Tigers will have the chance to add another defining win to its resume Saturday in Athens. Phantom facemasks and NFL talent aside, LSU should beat Georgia this weekend. It’s what the LSU program is expected to do. And that sure beats the alternative.
September 23, 2009
Glass half-full or half-empty
So, here we are. Three games. Three wins. Three under whelming performances by the LSU Tigers. Naysayers are screaming that the program is on an irreversible slide under Les Miles while the glass-half-full crowd boasts about their undefeated and seventh-ranked Tigers. I find myself lingering somewhere in football fandom purgatory – unsure of just which side of the fence to fall on.
Let’s look at the weekend that was in college football, shall we? Yes, LSU struggled to dominate a severely undermanned opponent for the third consecutive week. Heck, Southern gained more total yards against ULL than LSU’s net of 330 versus the Cajuns.
Calls from fans for Gary Crowton to “open up the offense” were heard. Maybe now the fans will keep their thoughts to themselves. Jordan Jefferson routinely missed open receivers downfield, leading most rational people to believe that maybe the LSU coaches know what they have with their sophomore quarterback: a good game manager who will not hurt his team with mistakes, but certainly isn’t capable of beating teams on his own just yet.
An offensive line touted as the strongest of the Miles era has paved the way to an average of 163 yards per game. Through three games last season, the Tigers were averaging a stout 234 yards on the ground, and that included a road win against Auburn.
A bright spot offensively has been wide receiver Terrance Tolliver who appears to be realizing the potential that came along with his recruitment and five-star ranking.
As LSU fans watched the Tigers dink and dunk their way past the Cajuns, they should have done so with the understanding that it could be worse. Through the near-deafening silence in Tiger Stadium during parts of the game, I swear the reverberations from Seattle could be felt after Washington upset then-No. 3 Southern Cal. That game certainly changes the landscape of the LSU schedule. Instead of outlasting an 0-12 team, LSU is now the proud owner of a season-opening victory over a ranked opponent. I’ll bet folks in Athens wish they could claim the same.
Down in Gainesville, fears that Lane Kiffin might not escape The Swamp with his head attached to his shoulders turned to fears that Florida might not be the best team ever assembled. The potent Gator offense was stifled (flu or not) by an aggressive Tennessee defense. Crazy to think that 69-year-old Monte Kiffin just provided the college football world with a blueprint of how to slow Tim Tebow and the Gator offense.
Elsewhere, No. 6 California needed a fourth quarter rally to hold off Minnesota. LSU’s road game at Georgia looks less daunting with the Dawgs allowing 24, 37 and 41 points to open the season. And Cinderella’s slipper was shattered with Florida State pounding then-No.7 BYU in Provo, 54-28. Someone please pass Bob Stoops the Advil.
So, you see Tiger fans, it’s not all bad. John Chavis appears to have his defense buying into his scheme. LSU is 14th nationally in scoring defense surrendering fewer than 12 points per game and one of those scores was an oh-by-the-way touchdown on the last play against Washington. Jordan Jefferson has thrown only one interception through three games — well off the pace set by Jarrett Lee in 2008 – and the Tigers have yet another tune-up game in Starkville this weekend before the meat of the schedule begins Oct. 3.
Maybe that glass of mine is half-full after all.
The sky is not falling, yet
By Matt Moscona
Now that the Labor Day weekend is over and the long-awaited LSU season opener has come and gone, be sure to don ample protection when leaving the house to head back to the weekly work grind. A helmet would probably suffice, but an umbrella would be a nice addition. Just be sure to cover your head because the sky just might be falling. At least that seems to be the opinion of too many fans after LSU’s ho-hum 31-23 victory over Washington Saturday night in Seattle.
So, LSU didn’t cover the spread. Big deal!
Russell Shepard didn’t play. There will be plenty of opportunities!
LSU trailed every statistical category in the game. True, except the one that matters the most.
LSU won the game and the Tigers improved to a perfect 5-0 in season openers under Les Miles. I am certainly not naive enough to dismiss the glaring weaknesses displayed by the ’09 Tigers against the Huskies, but I am also level headed enough to know that it’s not all bad.
Think of it this way: Was there ever a point during the game Saturday night where you seriously thought to yourself, ‘LSU is going to lose this game?’ If you’re being honest with yourself, the answer is “no”. LSU was the more talented team in every phase of the game and, in the end, talent won out like it almost always does.
LSU was the big kid on the playground holding his hand on a younger kid’s head while the smaller child flails his arms in a valiant attempt to strike the bigger kid. Washington was the smaller kid and its arms just aren’t long enough – yet. The Huskies have some talented players and a coach with a winning attitude. Their arms will grow and eventually they will pop the bigger kid in the gut and beat some people they aren’t supposed to. That day was not Saturday.
For the Tigers, while the road to redemption after last season’s 8-5 clunker began with its share of potholes, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic about smooth asphalt in the distance. Jordan Jefferson won’t be adding another trophy to his case based on Saturday night’s performance, but there was plenty of good. Sure, Miles should enlist the aid of Paul Mainieri to teach the quarterback how to slide, but when Jefferson had the ball in his hands, he was smart with it. Not only did he not throw and interception, but he actually threw the ball away when his receivers were not open instead of trying to force a throw that wasn’t there – a problem LSU fans were all too familiar with in 2008.
Several players also provided an indication that they are ready to be go-to guys. Terrance Tolliver finally showed a glimpse of why he was a five-star recruit with his 117 yards and two TDs. Patrick Peterson put on a clinic in the secondary, leading the Tigers with nine tackles and a fumble recovery. Harry Coleman seems to have made a seamless transition to linebacker with seven tackles, while Jacob Cutrera showed no ill effects of whatever mystery ailment caused him to miss a bulk of fall camp. Josh Jasper was perfect in his maiden voyage as the successor to the school’s all-time leading scorer, Colt David, and the team committed only three penalties.
I did mention glaring weaknesses, however. Chris Polk is a fine running back for Washington, but if the LSU defensive ends had trouble preventing him from turning the corner, Mark Ingram, Dexter McCluster, and Jeff Demps will give this new defensive staff nightmares. The biggest question mark on the team heading into week one was the defensive line and it is still a throbbing sore on John Chavis’ rear end. The Tigers recorded only one sack, tackled poorly, and might not have their full compliment of players on an already inexperienced D-Line, depending on the severity of the injuries to Charles Alexander and Pep Levingston. Overall, the defense was terrible on third down, allowing Washington to convert 11 times, and surrendered points to the Huskies on four of five trips to the red zone.
While all of the weaknesses displayed Saturday will most certainly not be strengths when LSU takes to the Tiger Stadium turf this Saturday against Vanderbilt, talent should win out again and the Tigers will be the more talented team. That will be the case for the next three weeks, actually, which would put LSU at 4-0 heading to Athens. Where the Huskies were deficient, the Bulldogs will not be. Neither will the Gators, Rebels or Tide.
The sky may not be falling just yet, but clear skies for the ’09 Tigers are not overhead either.
