Greetings from San Juan, Puerto Rico!! I’m in the Caribbean as a coach for an LSU Moot Court team. The weather is warm and the sights are beautiful, but during football season, my mind never strays far from my beloved LSU Tigers.
The unprecedented challenges over the past three weeks for the LSU football team have prompted me to end my sabbatical and put my thoughts to paper…er…keypad.
Despite BC’s amazing comeback Thursday night against Virginia Tech, LSU is in great shape in terms of the BCS Championship Game. The Tigers weathered the best shots of three very talented and well coached teams to win two of 3 games.
Florida – Tim Tebow is a great quarterback. There I said it without vomiting. The guy can run and pass as well as anyone. He’s also poised and makes so many good decisions in the pocket. I thought he would really struggle in Tiger Stadium but he was sharp and didn’t look rattled in the least.
LSU won on the strength of its offensive line and Les Miles willingness to take calculated risks. The Tigers dominated the second half converting on FIVE fourth down conversions. Admittedly, the defense struggled at times against the Gators, but the two forced turnovers in the second half kept LSU in the game.
Kentucky – In some ways this game reminded me of the Tennessee game from 2005. The Tigers just ran out of gas against a top notch opponent. Normally, a 13 point lead would be enough for the Tigers to hold on to victory. But the offense floundered in the second half giving Kentucky short fields to work with. From a coaching perspective, LSU’s coaches failed to take situational gambles, which could have pulled out a victory.
Auburn – I have heard a ton of bitching about this game. My only thought as I walked back to the car from Tiger Stadium was, “what a great game!” At times I was pissed, despondent, frustrated and ready to pack it in. But I was also excited, optimistic, entertained and ultimately TOTALLY SATISFIED. How can you be upset when you beat a Top 20 team? How can you complain when LSU overcame a sluggish first half to rally from a 10 point deficit? How can you grumble when you completely crush the spirit of a hated foe? How can you whine when you were able to bear witness to one of the best finishes in the history of LSU football?
I’m not saying there is no room for criticism. Only that it must be tempered with the fact that LSU is 7-1 and currently ranked #3 in the BCS. LSU must improve, but the Tigers will enter November firmly in control of their own destiny. Speaking of improvement…
* The receiving corps needs to wake up. Guys aren’t getting open and when they do, dropped passes are killing Flynn (hello Brandon LaFell). With the return of Doucet, the emergence of Byrd and the growth of Tolliver, LSU has an opportunity to become more diversified on offense.
*Defense has been a little suspect. The defensive line is not as strong as predicted. The injury to Charles Alexander has had a bigger impact than first expected and Favorite must continue to improve to meet the challenge. Both Florida and Kentucky did well running the spread offense and getting favorable match-ups. But let’s not be too harsh, Tebow and Woodson will both get an invite to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation. (Has one team ever faced legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates in consecutive weeks?)
*Coaching. LSU needs to come up with better defensive play calls on third down. Florida and Kentucky converted on way too many third down conversions. Where was the pressure in Lexington? LSU thrives on being aggressive; LB and Safety blitzes could create more negative plays. Offensively, my hope is that Flynn’s performance on Saturday will encourage the coaching staff to integrate a vertical passing game into the playbook. If LSU can force other teams to respect the deep ball, the running game will be unstoppable.
One more week until the battle for SEC West supremacy.
