The Stats:
Score:
LSU - 31
Washington - 23
Rushing / Passing / Total Offense:
LSU – 149 / 172 / 321
Washington – 157 / 321 / 478
WARNING: What you are about to read is an honest, objective, analysis of the Washington game. I’m not going to pour on the pessimism, nor am I going to spew a million excuses. Those who are expecting, and hoping for, a Les lashing should probably stop reading now. However, if you’re a logical and sensible follower of college football…read on.
I don’t want to sound like a complete homer, but I feel that I cannot follow the lead of the local media and the sentiments of the LSU fan base. After re-watching the game twice, all I want to say is “CALM DOWN PEOPLE!!” What you witnessed on Saturday night was in no way alarming. Washington had a huge emotional advantage in this game and it showed. They made LSU look a little flat, but the Tigers still found a way to win. That’s what good teams do.
The defense looked bad. No question about it. LSU gave up 478 yards on defense and 25 first downs. Washington was 11/19 on 3rd down and 1/1 on 4th. LSU didn’t even force a single 3-and-out series. But I’m not going to define the defense by the manner in which they play this game. Remember, Bo Pelini had a similar rough start when he arrived. Re-watch the game and you’ll see the scheme wasn’t bad. A few well-timed screen plays and some horrible tackling really hurt LSU. LSU got great pressure in the backfield all night.
One thing to be concerned about is the defensive ends. LSU lost containment several times. Many times, the defensive ends would intentionally take a skinny route to the backfield, leaving the end wide open for the linebacker to step up and take the lead blocker. This puts more pressure on the cornerback to shed blocks and make plays. As we saw, Hawkins struggled with this on the defensive left side. On the right side, Petterson sheds blockers as if they weren’t there, and this is why most of the big plays this season will be on Hawkins. I think Jai Eugene may be a better fit at this position because of his physicality, not coverage skills.
I think we can all agree that the LSU offense performed well. The Tigers averaged more yards/play than Washington but only ran 48 plays compared to Washington’s 83. The offensive game plan was very simple. This was done to give Jefferson a better chance to have a good game. Right now, it’s not about racking up huge stats. It’s about getting Jefferson comfortable in this offense. The playbook will surely open up, and become more balanced, as the season progresses. The down side to this approach is that it makes it much harder to get into a rhythm and drive the ball down the field. This means more pressure is put on the defense since they’re on the field longer.
Quick Hits:
Special Teams looked good, except for the punter. Helton needs to step it up.
Patrick Peterson is the best cornerback I’ve ever seen at LSU. He was making plays all over the field.
LSU played a very disciplined game. Very few penalties. (3 for 35 yards, 15 of which was on a bad call)
LSU did not have any injuries, although Pep Levingston may be slightly hurt.
Jefferson wisely threw the ball away on several occasions. Were you watching Jarrett Lee?
Oops…
Charles Scott had a rare fumble. Can’t do that in a close game.
Richard Dickson dropped a touchdown pass in the endzone.
Ciron Black had a costly penalty on 3rd and goal from the 2 yard line. However, Jordan Jefferson messed up the snap count.
Terrance Tolliver dropped a pass for a first down.
Final Thoughts:
It wasn’t pretty, but LSU still rolled out of town with a W. Furthermore, the game was never in doubt. Not 1 single time did I think LSU would lose that game. To the fans who flipped out during the game, please be aware that your lack of football knowledge and perspective showed big time. Keep your heads about you people. The sky is not falling. However, if we do not see steady improvement in the next few weeks, feel free to freak out as much as you want. I’ll be right there with you!
Game Balls:
Jordan Jefferson: 11/19 for 178 yards, 3 TD, 0 int. Very good game.
Jacob Cutrera: 5 tackles and 29 yard pick 6.
Patrick Peterson: 9 tackles and many great plays.
Terrance Tolliver 4 catches for 117 yards, 2 TD
Honorable Mention: Keiland Williams, Drake Nevis
Needs improvement:
Les Miles/John Chavis: Coach better.
Derrick Helton: Punt better.
Chad Jones: Tackle better.
Chris Hawkins – You need to learn how to shed a block. Teams are going to start picking on you if you don’t get better at this.
Oh Les…
Lester, why did you call timeout before halftime? This bonehead move gave Washington 2 extra plays and they turned that into 3 points. That was dumb!
Whack Stat:
Washington rolled up nearly 300 yards in the first half. That’s Whack!!
Never Again:
I’ll never listen to another broadcast by Mark Jones and Bob Davie. This has got to be the worst broadcast team ever assembled. Great job ESPN.
VANDERBILT PREVIEW:
Vanderbilt @ (11) LSU
Baton Rouge, LA
6 pm
ESPN U
Point Spread:
LSU -14.5
Head Coach:
Bobby Johnson
Record: 1-0
Week 1: Defeated Western Carolina 45-0
Know thy Foe:
Vanderbilt is historically the bottom dweller of the SEC East. The worrisome thing about Vandy is that they always seem to have at least one big SEC upset per season. Last season, Vandy won 5 games as underdogs. Since 2005, the Commodores have beaten 4 SEC teams that were double-digit favorites.
Vanderbilt always starts off the season strong. For example, last season they started 5-0, but finished the season 6-1. The reason they do this is because they’re not able to recruit depth due to their academic standards. Since they typically start strong, LSU better not come out flat for this one. Furthermore, they return 18 starters from last season in which Vanderbilt won their first bowl game in 53 years against Boston College.
The strength of the Vandy offense is the run game. Last week they had two rushers with over 100 yards. The starting quarterback is Mackenzi Adams and he runs a lot of no-huddle offense. Therefore, Chavis better get the plays in quick this week. Mackenzi Adams is not a great quarterback so don’t expect to see him go all Jake Locker on the LSU defense.
Vanderbilt has a decent defense led by a very good linebacker corps which has an All SEC linebacker and a Freshman All-American linebacker. Like last week, LSU will be able to move the ball IF they balance out the rushing/passing plays.
Game Prediction:
Vanderbilt has only had 2 winning seasons in my lifetime, however, don’t let that fool you into believing LSU will win this game with ease. The Tigers will need to play very good football to beat the Commodores.
My prediction: 31-20
Flyover:
If you’re going to the game, don’t be late. If you’re late to your seats, you may miss the flyover which is scheduled for pregame this weekend. Keep your eyes to the north since they usually fly north to south.
Games of the Week: (Predicted winners in CAPS)
Clemson @ GEORGIA TECH (Thursday night)
South Carolina @ GEORGIA
Notre Dame @ MICHIGAN
USC @ Ohio St.
Lock of the Week: (0-1)
Fla International (+34) @ Alabama
See you next week! Geaux Tigers!!
