Thriller!!

Is there a series in the country right now more exciting than LSU-Auburn? The Bengal Tigers won an absolute thriller in overtime Saturday night 20-17 in front of a packed house. The game was highlighted by great defense, big plays and poor field goal kicking. The Tigers are now 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC.

I thought this was a great defensive struggle and generally well played game. Even though Auburn’s Kenny Irons ran wild, (27 carries for 218 yards and 1 TD) the LSU defense generally kept Auburn in check. LSU forced Auburn to settle for 5 FG attempts during regulation. Timely sacks and big stops near the red zone kept Auburn out of the endzone. Bo Pelini took a ton of heat early in the season, but he’s earned his paycheck through 6 games. Pelini’s 3rd down call in overtime was masterful. A number of times during the game, Auburn had hit the inside slant route when LSU blitzed. In the overtime, Pelini zone blitzed and had Ryan Willis drop into coverage in the slant area. Sure enough, Cox went to the well and the pass was batted away by Willis and nearly intercepted. The failed conversion forced Tuberville to kick the FG which doinked of the left upright. Game over. Pelini deserves big props for getting LSU into the right call at a critical point in the game.

The offense was much more efficient than it has been and could have sealed the game away on several occasions if the receivers had not dropped so many passes. I am sure every one was very pleased with the ball security LSU exhibited Saturday night. For the first time all season, the Tigers did not commit a turnover in a game. Addai again broke the 100 yard mark and Russell, while struggling at times, made good decisions all night. The problem was critical dropped passes. Dwayne Bowe, who has a habit of dropping at least one pass a game, dropped an easy TD in the fourth quarter. Had he made that play, LSU would have gone up by 11 with about 12 minutes left in the game. In a game so tightly contested, points were at a premium. David then missed the field goal and LSU went from being up 11 to only up 4, giving a much needed boost to Auburn. The Plainsmen then marched down the field and scored on a beautiful 4th down pass to go up 17-14. In overtime, Doucet drops another easy TD forcing LSU to settle for a field goal. These were two ordinary catches that LSU failed to make and nearly cost the Tigers the game. The drop by Bowe essentially became a turnover as LSU came out with no points from the drive.

JaMarcus Russell played a solid game. His numbers don’t show it, but he made great decisions all night. He didn’t commit a turnover and came up big when LSU needed him. He wasn’t sacked by Auburn and scrambled a few times to pick up key yards. A number of his throws were off the mark, but other times he was brilliant. The long throw to Craig Davis after LSU had gone down 10 –7 was one of the biggest plays of the game. Russell rolled left as the pocket broke down and just flicked the ball off his back foot 41 yards perfectly to Davis. Later in the game as LSU trailed 14 –17, Russell moved to his right as the play broke down and hit Bowe for a 31 yard gain. As I have said throughout this season, Russell is a work in progress, but he has an uncanny knack of making great plays in the most critical situations.

The roller coaster ride slows down the next two weeks as the Tigers play North Texas and Appalachian State. While LSU can’t look ahead in these games, the Tigers should be able to dominate these opponents. Let your heart rest easy for a few weeks as the showdown with Alabama will settle the chase for the Western Division Title and a trip to Atlanta.

Good...Bad

Good…Northwestern. The wildcats are this close to being undefeated in the Big 11 after putting a whooping on the Spartans.

Bad…another year, another coach, another group of players, same ole Michigan State. Let’s see if they can collect themselves and make a bowl game.

Good…Drew Olsen (QB, UCLA), Michael Robinson (QB, PSU), Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Shame), Bret Basanez (QB, NW) and Brad Smith (QB, Mizz) all blew up this weekend.

Bad…where is the defense? Yeah Cornholers, I’m talking to you.

Good…The Contenders: USC, Texas, VaTech, Georgia, Alabama and UCLA.

Bad…Poser Material. Texas Tech

Good…Michigan. Just win baby.

Bad…Iowa. Pooped in their pants and ended a 22 game home winning streak.

Good…Tennessee held Bama to 2 field goals.

Bad…and lost 6-3. Alabama better find some offense because 6 points is not going to get it versus LSU and Auburn.

Good…Corso picked LSU to win.

Bad…Herbstreit did not.

Good…Penn State scored 56 points this weekend…in the 1st half.

Bad…After a surprising start, The Zookers have fallen apart losing 5 in a row.

Good…Winning the Heisman.

Bad…The Heisman is the single most over hyped individual award in this country. To listen to the media, it is bigger than an Oscar, bigger than a Grammy; it’s even bigger than the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Best…Justice is served. If you will recall, last season, Auburn beat LSU 10-9 with the assistance of an extra, extra point. After tying the game up 9-9, Auburn’s John Vaughn missed the extra point. LSU’s Ronnie Prude was flagged for landing on the pile or some such nonsense and Auburn was allowed to kick again. This time Vaughn made it and LSU went on to lose 10-9. So how fitting was it that Vaughn missed 5 FG’s on Saturday night? The football gods giveth…

The Worst…Tom Benson. What a piece of s---. I’m no big Saints fan, but stealing the team in New Orleans’ moment of crisis is a slap in the face of all the loyal fans that have watched the crappy product Benson has put out since he bought the organization.

One final thought...

Redemption

Anyone who has read this blog over the years knows that every now and again I stray from strictly talking about football. While I enjoy writing about the Tigers, talking about the challenges of real life provides a catharsis to me. As each season passes I can’t help but draw parallels between the two.

This season has been an up and down affair, permanently marked by the hurricanes which have caused havoc in our lives and in the LSU program. Nothing has been normal, in our daily lives or on the field for the Tigers. After winning a wild game in the desert, LSU comes home and blows a 21 point lead in losing to Tennessee. While the Tigers will never get that game back, this weekend’s hard fought win gives LSU a satisfying form of redemption.

Redemption is one of the mysteries and joys of life and football. Who hasn’t made an error in their own life and looked for the opportunity to redeem themselves? Everyday we are given the opportunity to correct past mistakes. We can be better than we were the day before. We can become wiser, more disciplined and more dedicated to doing things the right way each day. As with LSU’s loss to the Volunteers, we can never undo the past. But we can atone for our shortcomings, and thus ultimately triumph over past mistakes that follow us like a dark cloud.

One of the beauties of football is the constant opportunities for redemption. Every new play gives each player an opportunity to make up for a missed tackle, a dropped pass or a block in the back that just cost his team a touchdown. On a larger scale, each game gives a team the opportunity to redeem itself for a past poor performance.

LSU did just that this weekend, overcoming 11 penalties and 5 turnovers against the Gators. These players believe in themselves and thus believe in the idea of redemption. How often do we see players hang their heads as the momentum of a game shifts away to the opposite sideline? As opposed to believing that the next play may hold redemption, they have resigned themselves to the finality of past errors. As if past mistakes, blown coverages, fumbles and holding penalties have created a final judgment on the outcome of the contest.

The 2005 Tigers may be plagued by penalties and turnovers, but their belief in each other, the coaches and the idea of redemption have delivered a 4-1 record and a clearer path to Atlanta.

Breaking Down the Game

Just a few thoughts…

*JaMarcus Russell is a work in progress. At times he is magnificent, while other times he shows his lack of experience. It is obvious he has tons of potential and can physically make all the plays and all the throws. His biggest problems are his lack of pocket presence and managing the game. He must do a better job of picking up the blitz before and after the snap. As just one example, he was sacked and fumbled late in the first half after getting hit on his right side. It wasn’t a blindside hit so he’s got to sense that lineman right in his face.

A bigger issue is his decision making and game management. The first pick against Florida was just terrible. He threw the ball up for grabs after scrambling out of the pocket. Later in the game he made two awful decisions on one play. Late in the 4th quarter, Russell rolled to his right all the way to the sideline then threw an ill advised pass that was intercepted by Florida. Fortunately he stepped out of bounds before the pass, but as you can see, the thought process there was poor. On a roll out with no one open, late in the game and up by four, your decision is obvious, tuck your head and go down in bounds. You keep the clock rolling and don’t put yourself in a bad position with a costly turnover. Just plain stupid.

The hope is that he gradually matures and as critical plays develop, Russell will rise to the challenge and make winning decisions.

*Joseph Addai loves playing the Gators. For two years in a row Addai has scored the winning TD in the 4th quarter. In four games against the Gators, Addai has compiled some very nice stats. (68 carries for 342 yards and 1 TD, 10 catches for 79 yards and 1 TD) He toted the ball 32 times on Saturday. I think this will become the rule rather than the exception.

*Justin Vincent. Can we all now agree to the theory I have been espousing for over a year now? That is, Vincent is an average back who was the beneficiary of tremendous blocking the back half of the 2003 season. Since then he has done absolutely nothing, and I think that LSU lost out on Barrington Edwards, whom I always thought was more impressive, because of Vincent’s flash in the pan performance in 2003.

*LSU’s defense. Where are all the a-holes calling for Pelini’s head now? LSU is #3 in the country in rush defense and giving up only 18 points a game. The Tigers are ranked 11th in pass efficiency defense after rough outings against ASU and UT.

*Penalties are killer, but don’t read too much into them. LSU is ranked #2 in the country in most penalties per game and #4 in most penalty yards per game. Yikes!! But let me give you a few more teams with penalty issues.

1st Texas Tech – 99 yards a game. Record: 6-0
4th LSU – 87 yards a game. Record: 4-1
6th Oregon – 86 yards a game. Record: 6-1
9th Texas – 81 yards a game. Record: 6-0
17th Miami – 75 yards a game. Record: 5-1
18th USC – 74 yards a game. Record: 6-0

*Turnovers. LSU has now lost 11 fumbles. That is more than Clemson, Virginia Tech, Fresno State, UCLA, Rutgers, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Army and UAB combined. LSU ranks dead last in the country.

*Idiots booing the play calling late in the 1st quarter. The Tigers were deep in their own territory with about 2 minutes left. With LSU’s ridiculous inability to hold on to the ball, do you really want to give the Gators a reason to go into the half with another score? This is part of a bigger problem that may just be me, but every year I am beginning to dislike LSU fans more and more. It is not a personal thing as I am sure they are nice people who are passionate about LSU football. But the “know-it-alls” and just plain dumb asses who carry around these completely unrealistic expectations have a tendency to want to suck the life out an enjoyable game. If this continues, LSU fans will rank right up there with Ohio State and Florida fans on the a-hole meter.

Good...Bad

Good…What a classic weekend!! OT and late game heroics were the order of the day.

Bad…I missed it all. These dang 2:30 games blow the entire day.

Good…Michigan steals one from Penn State.

Bad…Penn State. After making a great comeback, the Lions allow Michigan to drive 54 yards on 8 plays in only 42 seconds.

Good…but just barely…Bama hangs on to win 13-10.

Bad…Ole Piss has one of the worst offenses in the country. The Rebels are averaging a measly 15 points a game. (Ranked 106 of 117 in scoring offense)

Good…The Trojans get punched in the mouth every week. Yet they punch right back and keep their 28 game winning streak alive.

Bad…The Domers gave up a 61 yard pass on 4th and 9 on the final drive of the game.

Good…The Sukeyes still own the Spartanettes.

Bad…MSU – Nice job of getting that FG blocked at the end of the half.

Good…The Contenders: USC, Texas, VaTech, Georgia, Texas Tech, Alabama and UCLA.

Bad…Poser Material. The Criminoles and Penn State

Good…Another bad guy…another indictment.

Bad…Shame on anyone whacking the elderly.

The Best…Getting out on a boat for a day on the water. Going deep sea fishing on the Kiwi was one of the highlights of the summer.

The Worst???

Mixed Bag

There was plenty to cheer about Saturday night. There was also plenty to groan about.

The Tiger defense seems to be jelling just in time for two HUGE SEC battles. LSU is ranked #2 in the nation in run defense and #8 in sacks per game. The Tiger defense recorded 6 sacks and 7 QB hurries against Vanderbilt’s highly ranked offense (#2 in the SEC). The defense also scored 9 points this week with a safety and fumble return for a touchdown. Ronnie Prude played a great game deflecting a number of deep passes in man coverage. The defensive line has come alive the last two weeks hounding MSU’s Omar Connor and Vandy’s, Jay Cutler. If this effort continues, LSU fans will be asking, “Nick who?” rather than dreaming wistfully of blitzes past.

The offense continued to struggle, finally coming alive at the beginning of the 4th quarter. Russell gets a pat on the back for putting up some nice numbers this season, but his game management skills may end up killing us. Of LSU’s 10 turnovers this season, Russell accounts for half of them. Not to mention the poor play at the end of the first half of the Tennessee game that cost LSU a FG. He’s not the only one with problems. After watching LSU’s terrible tandem of tight ends, I realize why they are rarely utilized. Jones and Zinger bumbled their way through this game without a clue. Zinger’s play is especially exasperating. He can make nice plays, but he has a nasty habit of committing false starts and he dropped a sure TD against the Commodores.

Against Vanderbilt, the Tigers committed 6 offensive penalties, turned the ball over 4 times, missed 2 FG’s, dropped an easy TD pass and had a TD called back because of a penalty. Does anyone really think LSU can play that poorly and beat Florida, Auburn or Alabama? Mirroring the ASU game, the Tigers came out against Vandy and scored a touchdown after a nice drive 2 ½ minutes into the game. But then went 45 minutes without scoring another TD. I am sure this loss of focus and attention to detail infuriates the coaching staff and fans alike and will kill LSU in the upcoming big games if it continues. The Tigers must get mentally tougher if they are to make it to Atlanta.

As you could notice from my Top 10 column on the right, I don’t have the Tigers ranked. The Tigers have shown me nothing, at least on offense, which convinces me that they could beat anyone of the listed teams on a neutral field. LSU’s habit of sloppy play would doom them against a true quality opponent. The four teams LSU has played this year are a very mediocre 12-11, while the win at Arizona State looks less impressive every week.

While the loser of this week’s LSU v. Florida game is not out of the running for the SEC Championship Game, they will be squarely behind the 8-ball. Florida is 5-1 but the only big win was over Tennessee. The ugly loss to Alabama was followed by a lackluster home game against MSU this past week. The Florida running game has struggled and I look for that to continue this weekend. LSU will try to take advantage of Florida’s offensive line and get after Leak as they have Connor and Cutler. The difference in the game will be whether LSU can eliminate errors. Penalties and turnovers will pave the way for another Gator victory in Tiger Stadium. Miles and company better bring their A-game to the sidelines to keep the faithful happy. Another coaching meltdown will turn the fans against him for the remainder of the season.

The Tigers haven’t beaten the Gators at home since 1997, but I think they get it done in a low scoring game marked by a handful of critical plays.

LSU 24 – Florida 16

Good...Bad

Good…Experienced quarterbacks. Look at the Top 10 and you will see 4 senior QB’s with a combined record of 21-0 (PSU – Robinson; USC – Leinart; Georgia – Shockley and Alabama – Croyle) and 3 juniors with a combined record of 15-1 (ND – Quinn; VaTech – Vick and Texas – Young).

Bad…Since its inception in 1998, a Freshman or Sophomore quarterback has never won the BCS Championship.

Good…Old Dudes. JoePa and Bobby Bowden are a combined 11-0.

Bad…Age discrimination.

Good…Contenders: USC, Texas, VaTech, The Criminoles, Georgia, Texas Tech, Alabama, UCLA, and Penn State.

Bad…Poser Material. California, Wisconsin and Nebraska.

Good…Northwestern. The Wildcats have won three in a row at home versus ranked opponents.

Bad…Wisconsin gives up 6 second half touchdowns in losing their first game of the season.

Good…UCLA v. Cal was CLASSIC. People knock Pac-10 football but the west coast guys get an A+ for excitement. Plus Maurice Drew is my new favorite player. He’s a cross between Kevin Faulk and Skyler Green.

Bad…Georgia v. Tennessee was anything but CLASSIC. The Vols looked like crap once again. It makes me sick just thinking how we lost to those clowns.

Good…Making the streets safer, one bad guy at a time.

Bad…Multiple shootings at the Southern football game.

Good…Texas blows out Oklahoma.

Bad…OU looks terrible. Independence Bowl here we come.

Good…Buffalo Wild Wings.

Bad…The scenery at Hooters is great, but the wings are third rate.

Good…The Golden Goofers and Iowa Hawkeys. Huge wins at Michigan and Purdue.

Bad…Michigan’s and Purdue’s seasons are quickly going down the toilet. The loss raises another question, how good is Notre Dame? Their four wins are look less impressive every week.

Good…Colorado. Say all you want about Gary Barnett, these guys can ball.

Bad…The Faggies are pooping in their pants after being hyped in the pre-season.

The Best…

The Worst…William got shots on Friday. Ouchie Ouchie!!

Hold Those Pink Slips

On the heels of an incredibly tough loss followed by idiots starting up web sites advocating the firing of the LSU coaching staff, the Tigers played very well and came home with a 30 point thumping of Mississippi State.

JaMarcus Russell was 20 for 23 with 2 TD’s and 197 yards. LSU finished with 402 yard of total offense and only fumbled once (Carey - late in the game in garbage time.) It appears that Addai will be the “go to” running back this season. He played almost exclusively the first 3 quarters. I like the decision and look for him to get about 20 touches a game as the season progresses. Playing 2 backs was a staple of Saban’s philosophy, so maybe Miles is looking to put his own footprints on the offense.

Other than the blown coverage, the defense was outstanding. After giving up the lone score on a missed assignment, the Tigers buckled down and only allowed MSU 163 yards the rest of the way. In the interim, LSU tallied 5 sacks and an interception. The rushing defense is now ranked 9th nationally and 2nd in the SEC to Tennessee. There is still plenty of room for improvement, but I liked what I saw.

The most important thing for everyone to remember is LSU still has a lot of football to play and almost all of their goals are within reach. The Tigers still get the Less than Mighty Gators and the Other Tigers at home. The West will probably not be decided until November 12 in Bryant-Denny Stadium. LSU will play a number of games before then and if Miles and company can help find an identity for this team, they are good enough to play with anyone.

LSU gets Vanderbilt in Nashville this coming Saturday. The Commodores lost at home this week to Middle Tennessee State 17-15. I am looking for another sharp performance from LSU. Vandy’s senior QB, Jay Cutler, will test the secondary and either give fans hope or have them calling for Pelini’s head. Cutler is attempting 41 passes per game with a 60% completion rate. The pass rush of the front four will be critical. It is obvious that the defensive backs are still mastering the blitz and coverage schemes, and a consistent pass rush by the front four will relieve some of the pressure on the younger players. Daniels and Webster are gone; the younger players are learning on the fly and must be given time to develop. Some of these guys are getting their FIRST bits of playing time while learning a new scheme.

This season has been very weird and the more football LSU gets in the better. These guys are still hungry and looking to prove themselves. Stay positive and the Tigers will keep on winning.

LSU 34 – Vandy 17.

Good...Bad

Good…Michigan is back on course to content for the Big 11 title. For all the talk about one of the second tier teams rising up, the title will be decided by the big 2 in Ann Arbor.

Bad…For all the improvement the Spartans have made, they are still looking up at Big Brother in Blue for another season. The campaign is far from over, but losing in OT to Michigan two years in a row has got to be painful.

Good…Notre Shame. The Domers are now 3-1 and positioning themselves for a titanic encounter with the seemingly unbeatable Trojans.

Bad…Purdump. The Boilermakers have fallen flat on their faces after talk about a run at a Big 11 title.

Good…The biggest, baddest, surliest prophylactics in the country got punched in the face and then punched right back winning a thrilling 38-28 game over Arizona State.

Bad…The Sun Devils just can’t hold onto leads, up on LSU late and USC by 18 at half, ASU was looking at 5-0 instead of 3-2.

Good…Contenders: USC, Texas, VaTech, The Criminoles, Georgia, California, Texas Tech, Alabama, UCLA, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Penn State.

Bad…Poser Material. LSU, Florida, Louisville, Purdue, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Iowa State, Virginia, Minnesota, Oregon, and Vandy.

Good…This fall has plenty of good shows. Lost, Invasion, Prison Break and Nip/Tuck all kick ass. (Check out Invasion's Kari Matchett)

Bad…Where is the next great cop show?

Good…JoePa is slowly silencing his critics. At 5-0 the Lions are on the cusp of doing something great. But before you book that BCS birth, PSU still faces Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan State.

Bad…The Golden Goofers. After finally winning a “big game,” The Goofers get blown out on the road. Music City Bowl, here we come…again.

Good…Roll Tide. Shula gets a big win at home.

Bad…The Less than Mighty Gators. I know Ron Zook lost a few games, but I don’t remember his getting blown out like that. Unless Leak becomes a running threat, teams are going to tee off along the line of scrimmage.

The Best…LSU’s head coach did not try to call a timeout on a change of possession this week.

The Worst…Did you see the injury to Alabama’s Tyrone Prothro? It was a Joe Theisman moment as he leapt in the air and came down with the defender falling on his lower leg which snapped like a twig and flopped around as lay on the ground holding it. His season is over after showing he was clearly one of the best receivers in the SEC. OUCH!!