A Pleasant Night in Tiger Stadium

On a warm and breezy night in Tiger Stadium, LSU got off on the right foot and handled ULL 45-3. After a slow start, the Tigers picked up the tempo and went to the air to put away the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Here are a few observations from the game:

*LSU has got to figure out the running back situation. I don’t know what the coaches have seen in practice, but I was unimpressed with Vincent and Hester.

*Vincent was never as good as the hype he gained from the 2003 season. That offensive line was dominant and he road their coattails. In retrospect, he has turned out to be the weakest back among Joe Addai (1st round pick of the Colts), Broussard and Barrington Edwards (who transferred to UNC). He’s not as quick as he was his freshman year and his reconstructed knee and fumbling problems are obviously affecting him.

*For some reason, which I cannot grasp, the coaches love Jacob Hester. Don’t get me wrong, he is a good, smart player who works hard, but you can’t tell me he is more talented than the young guys, Williams, Scott and Jackson at the running back position. He’s a solid fullback but that is it. During the game I had to ask out loud, “who is he blowing to get all these touches?”

*Broussard looked good. He ran with a purpose and no hesitancy. If his knee can hold up he should gradually get more carries each game. Charles Scott and Keiland Williams both looked good albeit in garbage time. The coaching staff needs to figure this out to have any chance against Auburn two weeks from now.

*Jamarcus looked very good. He is #2 in the nation in passing efficiency and was deadly with deep passes. With the running game looking sluggish, Russell will need to make big throws to move opposing safeties back. If the coaching staff is open minded, they could use the pass to set up the run and throw in some screens and draws until the offensive line becomes more cohesive.

*The defense looked good for having so many new faces. ULL will be at the top of their league and the Tigers did well shutting down their passing game.

*The kicking game was up and down. I’ll never complain about 6 for 6 on XP’s or 1 for 1 on FG’s, but the punt return situation needs to be worked out. Two fumbles, one by Jackson and one by Holiday need to be eliminated.

*Overall I think LSU fans should be really pleased by the game. Russell was sharp, the receivers looked good, the secondary was solid and lots of new guys got to play, even the QB of the future Ryan Perrilloux.

*LSU plays Arizona this coming Saturday. The Wildcats won an unimpressive game at home in week 1 over BYU, 16-13. Arizona’s starting QB, Willie Tuitama is a true sophomore starting in his seventh game, his third on the road. Under Mike Stoops, Arizona has struggled to score points and this game will probably be no different. If the Tigers are focused and not looking forward to Auburn, they should win the game by a few touchdowns.

LSU 28 – Arizona 10