I can say that almost without exception, it is better to give yourself 24 hours before writing about the Tigers. Be it a win or a loss, a little time to reflect and evaluate is invaluable.
I think it is fair to say that this was probably one of the more disheartening wins I’ve ever sat through. If you view the game standing alone, LSU’s performance could be explained away by any number of factors unique to that particular game. It was a season opener. It was at a neutral site. LSU has a number of new players on defense. UNC played with a great deal of determination. LSU let down after getting up by 20 in the first half.
But viewed in the light of Les Miles’ regime in Baton Rouge, the game was extremely troubling. How many times have we seen LSU fail to close out opponents? In three of LSU’s losses last season, the Tigers held leads going into the fourth quarter only to fade down the stretch. Against a team missing seven defensive starters, LSU’s offense mirrored last years’ unit. An inability to move the ball with any consistency and very questionable play calling were all too reminiscent of 2009. Did I also mention the sloppiness and lack of focus? Let’s start there.
* 8 penalties.
* The roughing the kicker penalty gave UNC the ball back and led to their first TD drive.
* The holding call on Hebert which brought back a nice TD run by Ridley.
* 5 turnovers.
* Speaking of Ridley, his two fumbles nearly cost LSU the game. With LSU driving for the clinching score early in the third quarter, Ridley fumbles at the UNC 12. Then late in the game with only a minute left he coughs it up again.
* 1 missed FG
* The secondary looked lost at times giving up over 400 yards passing.
On the plus side, Patrick Peterson is fantastic. His 244 return yards through 30 minutes allowed LSU to score 30 first half points. Minus the missed FG, special teams were fantastic.
The run defense was stellar giving up only 24 yards the entire game. Yates was sacked 4 times and the Tigers accumulated 11 tackles for loss.
Russell Shepard and Rueben Randall looked great.
Jordan Jefferson was fairly efficient but two bone headed plays left many fans (myself included) questioning whether he has progressed from last season.
I think it foolish to make any definitive statements about this team thus far. It is clear they have tremendously talented playmakers, but do they have the mental focus and proper coaching to win a championship? I’ve been a believer in Miles but I am getting more and more frustrated with LSU’s tendency to play to the level of the competition. I am curious to see how LSU plays this weekend against Vanderbilt. The Tigers should win this game comfortably. But I expect it to be a much tighter affair until late.
LSU 27 - Vandy 10
1 comment:
I think the offense looked much more organized. The results were just as poor as last year, but showed signs of improvement. We got to the line with plenty of time to get the ball snapped. That to me is a big jump.
What is really troubling is that Butch Davis had conceded the game at the half. He ran the ball the entire 3rd quarter. He was trying to run out the clock! I think if we could have scored anything, he would have done the same in the 4th. It's gonna be a long season.
Still "Crazy 'Bout Curly"
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