1-0 baby...

This weekend’s LSU game was rough on fans but leaves tons of material for an amateur writer/blogger. Where to begin? I try to stay positive, so we will start with the good stuff.

*LSU won. DO NOT DOWNPLAY THIS FACT. It was ugly at times and the defense stunk (more on that in a minute), but we went up the Seattle and won the game.

*Jordan Jefferson was very efficient. 11 for 19, 172 yards and 3 TD’s. He ran the ball 8 times for 42 yards as well. I would like to see the staff get him out of the pocket more though. He was very effective running the option and the QB inside read play.

*This was a coming out party for Terrance Tolliver. 4 catches for 117 yards and 2 TD’s. This is a great sign and will only help alleviate the pressure on Lafell.

*Special teams weren’t special, but there were no miscues. No botched snaps, no kicks blocked and no big returns by Washington. On Washington’s four kickoffs, LSU returned the ball on average to about the 35 yard line. LSU’s KO coverage was pretty strong.

*The Tigers were only penalized 3 times Saturday. Contrast that with Washington’s 11, Bama’s 10, Oklahoma State’s 15 or Mississippi State’s 12.

*Instead of giving away a pick-6, Jacob Cutrera picked off Locker in the first quarter and put LSU up for good. The Tigers never trailed the final 50 minutes of the game.

Now for the bad stuff:

*If not for Cutrera’s pick-6, I would grade the defense out as a D minus. Washington was 11 of 19 on third down conversions. The defense could not get off the field. Numerous times LSU got ahead in down and distance only to give up a third and long pass. It reminded me of Lou Tepper and Pelini’s first few games at LSU. That zone was very soft. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel that man coverage is in LSU’s DNA. We have such great athletes that we should just let them play. Combine that with some poor tackling and you had the most yards given up by an LSU defense in a long time.

*3rd and long killed LSU. In the first half, UW converted on a 3rd and 12, a 2nd and goal from the 17, a 3rd and 14, a 3rd and 8 and a 3rd and 9. Husky quarterback Jake Locker completed 8-of-11 passes for 137 yards on third downs alone. He also ran for 40 yards on five third-down carries. To their credit, in the second half, the Tigers gave up only a 3rd and 10 conversion and a 3rd and 12 on the final drive after the game had been decided.

*The front four generated ZERO pass rush for the most part. LSU had 8 tackles for loss, which actually surprised me, but many of these were in the second half against the run.

*Derek Helton STUNK. Four punts for an average of 32 yards per punt is garbage. Amongst players with at least four punts this weekend he ranks second to last. This has got to be fixed. This guy is on scholarship which is even more frustrating.

*The offensive line looked a little discombobulated at times. It may take a few games for this unit to find its rhythm.

*The offensive play calling left a lot to be desired as well. LSU’s strength was its speed on the corner which was not exploited. Most everything was between the tackles which UW bottled up well. We didn’t see any screens, misdirection or draw plays form Crowton. Play calling was very vanilla. Maybe this was by design.

My thoughts:

*LSU may have been a little fatigued from a tough fall camp. Combine that with the 2,600 mile trip and a game starting at 9:30 local and you have the ingredients for a tough night.

*Chavis and the defensive staff were at a bit of a disadvantage because there was no game film to study. Sarkisian was at USC for a number of years, but USC has never had a duel threat QB like Locker. Give UW credit, they came out prepared and executed.

*LSU never really adjusted to the sky kicks on the kickoffs. I would like to see more from this unit.

*I like Jefferson running, but he needs to avoid these big licks. OUCH!

*The offensive line struggled at time, but should get much better as the year goes along.  Ask Oklahoma and Oregon about breaking in new guys to the O-line to open the season.

*For all the talk we heard about Russell Sheppard and Rueben Randall during camp, neither of those guys saw the field. I am curious to see how this plays out. Could Sheppard redshirt in hopes of focusing on the QB position in the future?  What about Randall?  For all the hype I don't think he was out there once.  No knock on the kid, but it is curious.

*I think many LSU fans may be disappointed in this opening game. Everyone was telling themselves that UW went 0-12 last season and they are a terrible team, blah, blah, blah. Remember, LSU was pushed but never really threatened.  Disappointment is a mindset.  There is a lot to be positive about. 

*As usual, in reviewing the game, I feel better about LSU’s performance. I think Washington is well coached and will win a few ball games this season. I have faith in Chavis that adjustments will be made and the defense will continue to improve. Offensively, reviewing the game allows you to see that many of the mistakes are mental and can be corrected. Plus, as Jefferson grows as a player, so will the playbook.

*As of today LSU is not good enough to win the West, but the critical stretch of games don’t begin until October 24th when Auburn comes to town. The Tigers will get better each week so we should all continue to look at this season with cautious optimism.

*Finally, that may have been the poorest game I have ever seen ESPN produce. They cut away IN BETWEEN PLAYS in the first half and missed Tolliver’s long TD score. Then went to commercial without a replay!! Bob Davey and Mark Jones could not stop talking about Jake Locker. Actually they could not stop talking period. Usually I like Davey but tonight he was just annoying. Whoever worked the cameras from the production truck needs to get his ass kicked; repeated cuts to the UW sideline and the gushing about Sarkisian left me cursing at the TV.

No cursing here...except by UW's defense...