How'd we do with my recipe?
1. 2nd and 6 or less. Actually, the Tigers accomplished this about 6 or 7 times in the game. They also had plenty of 2nd and 10 or more situations, but 1st down plays were generally pretty good.
2. 200+ passing and 2:1 TD to Int ratio. Well, the Tigers only managed 158 yards in the air and one touchdown, with one interception late by Jarett Lee. Not good. And this did play a large factor in the game outcome in my opinion.
3. Win the turnover war. Actually, LSU did win the turnover war. But the refs didn't see it that way. Peterson's interception was denied. So each team had 1 interception. Not good for LSU in this game.
4. Take advantage of big plays. LSU had a lack of big plays throughout the game on offense. Scott had one big run, and the defense gave the Tigers great field position via some fantastic punting and a safety. The Tigers scored a TD after the safety and punt. But LSU did not have any offensive big plays.
5. Penalties and Luck. Do I have to say it? All the Bama folks will guffaw. Because they don't want to believe it. And I am not one to blame the refs. But the officiating in this game was terrible (we'll cover that more later) and the interception by Peterson that was denied after the replay clearly showed what an athletic play he made - well, that denied LSU the chance to win the football game. It changed the momentum completely. And it ended soon after that. From a luck standpoint - well, I don't think good or bad luck played much of a factor either way. LSU certainly didn't get lucky in the game at any time. And besides maybe one possible interference call that could've been called against Peterson, the calls all went Bama's way.
Let me be clear. Bama is a better football team because they have a better defense and a slightly better offensive line. And Ingram and Jones are fantastic. Bama played a very physical, very good football game. But the refs interfered in the flow of the game in at least two, and maybe three instances. So LSU was denied the chance to stay in the football game when the refs denied Peterson his amazing play.
Lots of apparently minor injuries for LSU. Jefferson didn't play a lot of the 2nd half. Scott hurt his shoulder I think. Peterson didn't play much of the 4th quarter. Black went down for a bit.
Lots to talk about. The offsides flinch by Barksdale, the lack of sacks by the defense, the awesome punting by LSU, Stevan Ridley, Jarrett Lee, LSU's offensive line, the 2-point conversion attempt, the poor clock management that ended up putting the Tigers in the 4th quarter with no timeouts. Lots to examine later.
The Tigers played their butts off. They deserved a better effort from the officials. And the Bamatards that honestly don't think that interception was inbounds and/or changed the game - well, congrats on the win. I'm rooting for Florida.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Outgoing Mail
In American warfare vernacular, outgoing mail is a term for friendly artillery intended for the enemy. Here at Tigerbait, it's a you tube to get you in the the right mood about the Tiger's whipping their next opponent and just getting out of the office for the weekend. I give you: Ante Up by Bert and Ernie.
Yes kids, this is Bert and Ernie throwing down gangster rap. Two lessons here. I post this in a light hearted spirit. That's where the Tigers need to be. Yes, they should be fired up and fully prepared, but there's no pressure here. All the pressure in on Alabama. This is the weekend to show up and remember it's a game, have fun. The Tigers aren't supposed to win. The Tigers aren't being discussed as national contenders. The Tigers aren't undefeated. The Tide is all of those. Tremendous pressure comes with that.
The flip side is the name of the song. Ante Up. I think Bama has to put something more on the table. Yes, LSU could certainly bear to continue the improvement seen since Florida. Both teams have a lot to prove in a game like this, it will pretty much decide the West. As aforementioned LSU can show up feeling good about themselves and their recent surge and that serves as a pretty substantial bet in and of itself. The Tide needs bring something more.
All the pressure is on Bama. Their offense has fast become one dimensional and predictable. This game is a must win for them and their title hopes. Hell, the talk is of impressing voters this time of year. Bama has to think not of winning but by as much as they can. There's the bullseye of being undefeated and the hype that comes with it. That's not a good place to be mentally when preparing for their toughest game to date. And sometimes home field is an advantage. Not this game and not this week. The record is terrible for home teams. LSU has no distractions and just gets to show up and play. Bama has to perform after another week of hype swirling around each member of the coaches and players.
I've had a good feeling about this game. But we'll see. I think it'll be a good one.
Yes kids, this is Bert and Ernie throwing down gangster rap. Two lessons here. I post this in a light hearted spirit. That's where the Tigers need to be. Yes, they should be fired up and fully prepared, but there's no pressure here. All the pressure in on Alabama. This is the weekend to show up and remember it's a game, have fun. The Tigers aren't supposed to win. The Tigers aren't being discussed as national contenders. The Tigers aren't undefeated. The Tide is all of those. Tremendous pressure comes with that.
The flip side is the name of the song. Ante Up. I think Bama has to put something more on the table. Yes, LSU could certainly bear to continue the improvement seen since Florida. Both teams have a lot to prove in a game like this, it will pretty much decide the West. As aforementioned LSU can show up feeling good about themselves and their recent surge and that serves as a pretty substantial bet in and of itself. The Tide needs bring something more.
All the pressure is on Bama. Their offense has fast become one dimensional and predictable. This game is a must win for them and their title hopes. Hell, the talk is of impressing voters this time of year. Bama has to think not of winning but by as much as they can. There's the bullseye of being undefeated and the hype that comes with it. That's not a good place to be mentally when preparing for their toughest game to date. And sometimes home field is an advantage. Not this game and not this week. The record is terrible for home teams. LSU has no distractions and just gets to show up and play. Bama has to perform after another week of hype swirling around each member of the coaches and players.
I've had a good feeling about this game. But we'll see. I think it'll be a good one.
Recipe to Beat Bama: Ingredient's Four and Five
The first ingredient was: 2nd and 6 or Less.
The second ingredient was: 200+ and 2:1.
The third ingredient is: Win the Turnover War.
The fourth ingredient is: Take Advantage of Big Plays.
Long drives are going to be very tough to sustain. The Tigers will not likely be able to get to the endzone without great field position. And it will be difficult to get great field position without some big plays. And by big plays, I mean offense, defense and special teams. When they happen, the Tigers need to convert. LSU needs to have a plan to capitalize on momentum-shifting big plays and get points on the board.
On offense, I would expect the big plays to come via the passing game. As I have discussed earlier, LSU has enough offensive weaponry, in the persons of Lafell, Toliver, Shepard, Holliday, Scott and Randle, to gain some big yardage a few times in Saturday's game.
On defense, LSU will obviously be looking for turnovers. But as we've hinted, Bama is almost as stingy as LSU in this realm. So the defense will also need to come up with some big stops. The Tigers need to force some 3 and outs in Bama territory, and also stop the Tide from scoring 7 in the Red Zone.
Special teams may be the best place for LSU to make big plays. LSU's punt return stats are great. But the most interesting stat is kickoff returns. Bama is last in the SEC on kickoff coverage. And, while LSU is last in kickoff returns, most of that is because the Tigers seldom get a chance to return one - teams have either sky kicked or otherwise avoided letting LSU's deep men get the football. If Alabama makes the mistake of kicking to Holliday and Brooks, perhaps we can have some excitement on Saturday.
The fifth ingredient is: Penalties and Luck.
Regardless of whether you believe Bama gets referee preference, the stats for penalties between LSU and Bama lately are hard to dispute. Basically, LSU gives up somewhere between 40 and 60 yards a game to Bama in penalties. The Tigers need to reverse this stat. While the Tigers can't force the refs to call penalties on Bama, they can make it difficult to call them on LSU.
And Luck. I'm talking about fumbles that bounce the right way - back into Tiger hands. I'm talking about dropped interceptions. I'm talking about Jefferson seeing a blown coverage in time to take advantage of it before being sacked. I'm talking about McElroy getting sacked just before he's able to find a wide open receiver in blown coverage. LSU needs Lady Luck to be wearing purple on Saturday.
In summary, LSU needs solid first down gains, a productive passing game, an advantage in turnovers, some big plays that result in scores, and some luck with the refs and the football.
LSU needs all of these things to one degree or another. Otherwise, Bama's defense will beat LSU's offense and the Tigers lose.
I don't like it. But that's how I see it.
Not an easy recipe.
The second ingredient was: 200+ and 2:1.
The third ingredient is: Win the Turnover War.
The fourth ingredient is: Take Advantage of Big Plays.
Long drives are going to be very tough to sustain. The Tigers will not likely be able to get to the endzone without great field position. And it will be difficult to get great field position without some big plays. And by big plays, I mean offense, defense and special teams. When they happen, the Tigers need to convert. LSU needs to have a plan to capitalize on momentum-shifting big plays and get points on the board.
On offense, I would expect the big plays to come via the passing game. As I have discussed earlier, LSU has enough offensive weaponry, in the persons of Lafell, Toliver, Shepard, Holliday, Scott and Randle, to gain some big yardage a few times in Saturday's game.
On defense, LSU will obviously be looking for turnovers. But as we've hinted, Bama is almost as stingy as LSU in this realm. So the defense will also need to come up with some big stops. The Tigers need to force some 3 and outs in Bama territory, and also stop the Tide from scoring 7 in the Red Zone.
Special teams may be the best place for LSU to make big plays. LSU's punt return stats are great. But the most interesting stat is kickoff returns. Bama is last in the SEC on kickoff coverage. And, while LSU is last in kickoff returns, most of that is because the Tigers seldom get a chance to return one - teams have either sky kicked or otherwise avoided letting LSU's deep men get the football. If Alabama makes the mistake of kicking to Holliday and Brooks, perhaps we can have some excitement on Saturday.
The fifth ingredient is: Penalties and Luck.
Regardless of whether you believe Bama gets referee preference, the stats for penalties between LSU and Bama lately are hard to dispute. Basically, LSU gives up somewhere between 40 and 60 yards a game to Bama in penalties. The Tigers need to reverse this stat. While the Tigers can't force the refs to call penalties on Bama, they can make it difficult to call them on LSU.
And Luck. I'm talking about fumbles that bounce the right way - back into Tiger hands. I'm talking about dropped interceptions. I'm talking about Jefferson seeing a blown coverage in time to take advantage of it before being sacked. I'm talking about McElroy getting sacked just before he's able to find a wide open receiver in blown coverage. LSU needs Lady Luck to be wearing purple on Saturday.
In summary, LSU needs solid first down gains, a productive passing game, an advantage in turnovers, some big plays that result in scores, and some luck with the refs and the football.
LSU needs all of these things to one degree or another. Otherwise, Bama's defense will beat LSU's offense and the Tigers lose.
I don't like it. But that's how I see it.
Not an easy recipe.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Recipe to Beat Bama: Ingredient Three
The first ingredient was: 2nd and 6 or Less.
The second ingredient was: 200+ and 2:1.
The third ingredient is: Win the Turnover War.
It's going to be very difficult for LSU to find the endzone Saturday. It will be even tougher if the Tigers give up the football more than the Tide. Not only will turnovers negate opportunities for LSU to score, but they will in many cases put Bama in great field position.
Currently the Tigers are +9 in turnover ratio, leading the SEC. Alabama is +7, which is good for 3rd. In raw numbers, the Tigers and Tide both have 16 takeaways, but LSU has only turned the ball over 7 times to Bama's 9. The difference there is in fumbles lost, where LSU has for a long time been very, very stingy.
Statistically, not much there.
About all LSU can do is continue to not turn the ball over.
That, and put tons of pressure on McElroy so that he throws a couple of picks. Pressure on the QB has not been the Tigers' strong suit this season. While LSU is dead last in sacks, Alabama is first in the SEC in sacks against. Not a comforting statistic if we're hoping to pressure Bama's QB.
If the Tigers lose the turnover battle to Bama, it will be next to impossible to win the game.
If the Tigers win the turnover battle, they will have an opportunity to score touchdowns (probably) and burn clock.
This ingredient will require a lot of luck.
The second ingredient was: 200+ and 2:1.
The third ingredient is: Win the Turnover War.
It's going to be very difficult for LSU to find the endzone Saturday. It will be even tougher if the Tigers give up the football more than the Tide. Not only will turnovers negate opportunities for LSU to score, but they will in many cases put Bama in great field position.
Currently the Tigers are +9 in turnover ratio, leading the SEC. Alabama is +7, which is good for 3rd. In raw numbers, the Tigers and Tide both have 16 takeaways, but LSU has only turned the ball over 7 times to Bama's 9. The difference there is in fumbles lost, where LSU has for a long time been very, very stingy.
Statistically, not much there.
About all LSU can do is continue to not turn the ball over.
That, and put tons of pressure on McElroy so that he throws a couple of picks. Pressure on the QB has not been the Tigers' strong suit this season. While LSU is dead last in sacks, Alabama is first in the SEC in sacks against. Not a comforting statistic if we're hoping to pressure Bama's QB.
If the Tigers lose the turnover battle to Bama, it will be next to impossible to win the game.
If the Tigers win the turnover battle, they will have an opportunity to score touchdowns (probably) and burn clock.
This ingredient will require a lot of luck.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Recipe to Beat Bama: Ingredient Two
The first ingredient was: 2nd and 6 or Less.
The second ingredient is: 200+ and 2:1.
That is, more than 200 yards passing and a passing TD to Int ratio of at least 2:1.
LSU will have to establish a threatening passing game against the Bama defense in order to allow any kind of balance in their offense. Normally, the Tigers try to establish the power running game first. Lately, however, I would argue that the passing game has assisted in opening up the running game. And that's definitely the only recipe for success against Alabama's formidable defensive front 7.
I'm not insinuating that Alabama's pass defense is a team weakness. Because it's not. It's simply the most vulnerable part of a very good defense. Plus, LSU's Jordan Jefferson has a talented group of receivers to throw to. If Jefferson can get rid of the ball quickly and accurately, he stands a very good chance of finding some mismatches in the secondary on first and second down. Again, not because Bama's DBs aren't good. But because LSU's receivers are very good.
And, of course, a demonstrated ability to move the ball through the air 6-9 yards at at time (or more) will force Bama's talented linebackers to back-the-fuck-up. And that will be the only real possibility for LSU to find some seams on the ground and let the talented Tiger backs gain some yards and eat up some clock.
If the Tigers can get 200+ yards through the air and throw at least two passing touchdowns for every pick, this will be a completely winnable football game. If the Tigers can't get the passing game going, which will likely result in a large number of 3 and out situations, Defeat will be lurking in the visitor's locker room.
I think Jordan Jefferson is ready. And I think our receivers match up very well with Bama's secondary.
The second ingredient is: 200+ and 2:1.
That is, more than 200 yards passing and a passing TD to Int ratio of at least 2:1.
LSU will have to establish a threatening passing game against the Bama defense in order to allow any kind of balance in their offense. Normally, the Tigers try to establish the power running game first. Lately, however, I would argue that the passing game has assisted in opening up the running game. And that's definitely the only recipe for success against Alabama's formidable defensive front 7.
I'm not insinuating that Alabama's pass defense is a team weakness. Because it's not. It's simply the most vulnerable part of a very good defense. Plus, LSU's Jordan Jefferson has a talented group of receivers to throw to. If Jefferson can get rid of the ball quickly and accurately, he stands a very good chance of finding some mismatches in the secondary on first and second down. Again, not because Bama's DBs aren't good. But because LSU's receivers are very good.
And, of course, a demonstrated ability to move the ball through the air 6-9 yards at at time (or more) will force Bama's talented linebackers to back-the-fuck-up. And that will be the only real possibility for LSU to find some seams on the ground and let the talented Tiger backs gain some yards and eat up some clock.
If the Tigers can get 200+ yards through the air and throw at least two passing touchdowns for every pick, this will be a completely winnable football game. If the Tigers can't get the passing game going, which will likely result in a large number of 3 and out situations, Defeat will be lurking in the visitor's locker room.
I think Jordan Jefferson is ready. And I think our receivers match up very well with Bama's secondary.
Monday, November 2, 2009
LSU's Recipe to Beat Bama: Ingredient One
I said early in the season that I thought LSU would lose at least 2 games, maybe 3 or even 4, this year. The two almost certain losses were Florida and Bama.
While I still think the odds are against LSU beating Bama on Saturday, I think they are far more likely to pull off a victory than I originally thought. Mostly because Bama's offense is not as good as I thought it would be. But also because LSU's defense is better than I thought it would be.
For the next five days, I'm going to offer a simple (well, maybe not simple) 5 ingredient recipe to an LSU victory on Saturday.
Ingredient #1: 2nd and 6 or Less.
This is the toughest part of the recipe by far. Bama is not going to make it easy for LSU to pound 4 yards up the middle (or even around the end) on 1st down. Bama's defensive line is stout. Bama's linebackers are excellent. And LSU's offensive line has not dominated any defensive line, except maybe Tulane's, all season long. I seriously doubt Charles Scott is going to be able to average 4-5 yards per carry.
So the coaching staff is going to have to have a creative first down gameplan, and Jordan Jefferson is going to have to execute it. What might that look like? Well, I hope it's creative enough to elude our imagination. But I'll take a stab at it. I think LSU's first down gameplan will involve a mixture of play action from the power I formation, quick slants to Richard Dickson, bubble screens to Toliver and Lafell, and a few novelty plays, like shuffle passes and reverses and maybe a halfback pass (Shepard to Holliday?). And, of course, there will be a dose of Charles Scott (or Stevan Ridley?) up the middle. But hopefully it will be infrequent and therefore more successful.
Why is this ingredient important? Because LSU has not been good on 3rd and long. And Alabama has a damned good defense. And 2nd and 10, with a "meh" offensive line and a still-young QB is not a great recipe against the Tide. However, shorter second down situations with any kind of frequency will allow Crowton and Miles to have fun with the offensive weapons at their disposal. And there are a lot of weapons, especially in the receiving corps.
Achievable? Yes. Likely? Great question. The rest of the ingredients will help make this more likely.
While I still think the odds are against LSU beating Bama on Saturday, I think they are far more likely to pull off a victory than I originally thought. Mostly because Bama's offense is not as good as I thought it would be. But also because LSU's defense is better than I thought it would be.
For the next five days, I'm going to offer a simple (well, maybe not simple) 5 ingredient recipe to an LSU victory on Saturday.
Ingredient #1: 2nd and 6 or Less.
This is the toughest part of the recipe by far. Bama is not going to make it easy for LSU to pound 4 yards up the middle (or even around the end) on 1st down. Bama's defensive line is stout. Bama's linebackers are excellent. And LSU's offensive line has not dominated any defensive line, except maybe Tulane's, all season long. I seriously doubt Charles Scott is going to be able to average 4-5 yards per carry.
So the coaching staff is going to have to have a creative first down gameplan, and Jordan Jefferson is going to have to execute it. What might that look like? Well, I hope it's creative enough to elude our imagination. But I'll take a stab at it. I think LSU's first down gameplan will involve a mixture of play action from the power I formation, quick slants to Richard Dickson, bubble screens to Toliver and Lafell, and a few novelty plays, like shuffle passes and reverses and maybe a halfback pass (Shepard to Holliday?). And, of course, there will be a dose of Charles Scott (or Stevan Ridley?) up the middle. But hopefully it will be infrequent and therefore more successful.
Why is this ingredient important? Because LSU has not been good on 3rd and long. And Alabama has a damned good defense. And 2nd and 10, with a "meh" offensive line and a still-young QB is not a great recipe against the Tide. However, shorter second down situations with any kind of frequency will allow Crowton and Miles to have fun with the offensive weapons at their disposal. And there are a lot of weapons, especially in the receiving corps.
Achievable? Yes. Likely? Great question. The rest of the ingredients will help make this more likely.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
About Last Night...
As I hinted at in my last post, Tulane does not have a good football program. And LSU, as you would expect, dominated the Green Wave on Saturday night.
As a Tiger fan, it was fun to watch the replay early this morning. Although the Tigers stalled a couple of times, and the Greenies moved the ball a couple of times, the game wasn't even remotely in question.
The offense seemed to be running on all cylinders. Jefferson, although he threw a pretty bad interception, had another strong overall performance. Charles Scott had well over 100 yards rushing. Russell Shepard generated some excitement and a touchdown. And Stevan Ridley gave everyone a glimpse of our possible starting TB next year.
The defense was swarming, and the Tigers actually had a pass rush again. Patrick Peterson picked one off to stop a potential scoring drive. Rahim Alem pressured the QB all night long. And the LSU linebackers - all four of them - were lights out. Absolutely fantastic. Even the backup defensive linemen, like Lavar Edwards, got to shine a bit.
And special teams, minus the punting itself, were outstanding. Even with unusually short kickoffs, the coverage remained rock solid. Daniel Graff blocked a Tulane punt, leading to Shepard's eventual score. And Trindon Holliday twice reminded the nation why most teams prefer to punt out of bounds when he's back to receive.
Great game. But let's keep it in perspective. Tulane is very bad, particularly on defense. The Tigers, minus a couple of errors, should've put up another 2-3 touchdowns.
Next weekend, the Tigers face a challenge of the opposite kind. Alabama has a very strong, very talented defense coached by a great staff. They will be every bit as athletic, deep and well-coached as LSU. And the game is on their home turf.
I can't wait. The talk has already begun on the internet sites about the defensive struggle next Saturday in Tuscaloosa. And it's an understandable expectation. But I'm not buying it. Bama has a very strong defense. Very talented. In fact, I think Bama's defense is better than Florida's. But, if Jordan Jefferson has a good game, I think LSU's passing weapons can open things up against Bama, expose some vulnerabilities, and score points. Jefferson doesn't have to be phenomenal. But, for my prediction to happen, he has to give a good performance in terms of ball security, confidence, and not getting rattled by sacks and a pick.
Don't expect 400 yards of offense on Saturday, Tiger fans. But I think, based on LSU's very strong turnover ratio (+10 at the moment) and a receiving corps that could start for any team in the nation, LSU has a great chance to ruin Bama's scoring defense stats at least a little bit.
Just don't let last night set you up for next Saturday. Because the difficulty of the two games could hardly be any more different.
As a Tiger fan, it was fun to watch the replay early this morning. Although the Tigers stalled a couple of times, and the Greenies moved the ball a couple of times, the game wasn't even remotely in question.
The offense seemed to be running on all cylinders. Jefferson, although he threw a pretty bad interception, had another strong overall performance. Charles Scott had well over 100 yards rushing. Russell Shepard generated some excitement and a touchdown. And Stevan Ridley gave everyone a glimpse of our possible starting TB next year.
The defense was swarming, and the Tigers actually had a pass rush again. Patrick Peterson picked one off to stop a potential scoring drive. Rahim Alem pressured the QB all night long. And the LSU linebackers - all four of them - were lights out. Absolutely fantastic. Even the backup defensive linemen, like Lavar Edwards, got to shine a bit.
And special teams, minus the punting itself, were outstanding. Even with unusually short kickoffs, the coverage remained rock solid. Daniel Graff blocked a Tulane punt, leading to Shepard's eventual score. And Trindon Holliday twice reminded the nation why most teams prefer to punt out of bounds when he's back to receive.
Great game. But let's keep it in perspective. Tulane is very bad, particularly on defense. The Tigers, minus a couple of errors, should've put up another 2-3 touchdowns.
Next weekend, the Tigers face a challenge of the opposite kind. Alabama has a very strong, very talented defense coached by a great staff. They will be every bit as athletic, deep and well-coached as LSU. And the game is on their home turf.
I can't wait. The talk has already begun on the internet sites about the defensive struggle next Saturday in Tuscaloosa. And it's an understandable expectation. But I'm not buying it. Bama has a very strong defense. Very talented. In fact, I think Bama's defense is better than Florida's. But, if Jordan Jefferson has a good game, I think LSU's passing weapons can open things up against Bama, expose some vulnerabilities, and score points. Jefferson doesn't have to be phenomenal. But, for my prediction to happen, he has to give a good performance in terms of ball security, confidence, and not getting rattled by sacks and a pick.
Don't expect 400 yards of offense on Saturday, Tiger fans. But I think, based on LSU's very strong turnover ratio (+10 at the moment) and a receiving corps that could start for any team in the nation, LSU has a great chance to ruin Bama's scoring defense stats at least a little bit.
Just don't let last night set you up for next Saturday. Because the difficulty of the two games could hardly be any more different.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Shit I Didn't Know About Tulane
Basically, I'm from New Orleans. I mean, not the city, but what some consider an outer suburb of the metropolitan area. I used to go to Tulane games in high school because (a) we got in for $1 with our high school IDs, and (b) Baton Rouge was not even close to my allowable driving radius as a 16 year old.
I used to pull for Tulane. The high school QB that I played with was recruited and played there. I really want to like Tulane. Despite some of their irrationally arrogant fans.
So, in an effort to give this game and Tulane a little respect, I read their game notes for the LSU game.
Here's some shit I didn't know.
The goal on Saturday has to be to put 50 up on the board. It's nothing personal against Tulane, but LSU needs to blow out some teams to get some voter attention. Sorry - but Urban Meyer and Bob Stoops ALMOST have it right (they go too far). Miles needs to keep the starters in until he hits fitty.
Anyway, now that LSU will no longer have to play Tulane every year, maybe I can spend a little time developing a fan's interest in the Green Wave. We'll see. They need to start being at least a little interesting, first. If they dropped down into the FBS league, I'd be there in a heartbeat!
I used to pull for Tulane. The high school QB that I played with was recruited and played there. I really want to like Tulane. Despite some of their irrationally arrogant fans.
So, in an effort to give this game and Tulane a little respect, I read their game notes for the LSU game.
Here's some shit I didn't know.
- LSU All-American LB Greg Jackson (85-88) is Tulane's Safeties/Kickoff Team coach.
- Tulane is 52-5 against Louisiana teams that are NOT LSU. Including....Camp Beauregard? WTF?
- Half of Tulane's team members getting playing time are either first or second year players. The Greenies have played 18 true freshmen this year. By contrast, I believe LSU has played somewhere around 8.
- Tulane ranks in the bottom half of nearly every statistical category in Div 1A, and in the bottom 20 in 11 of 17 categories. They are dead last in the NCAA in net punting and tackles for loss.
- Tulane wears a black oval sticker on their helmets with the number 16 on it in honor of kicker Andrew Villar, who died this past April of unknown causes.
- Tulane has gotten 6 sacks this season so far. Tulane has been sacked 21 times.
- Tulane averages about 28,500 fans in the Superdome. I wonder who subsidizes that losing proposition?
- In 3 years, Bob Toledo has only won 8 games at Tulane. The same number of wins in his first year at UC-Riverside (1974). Ouch.
The goal on Saturday has to be to put 50 up on the board. It's nothing personal against Tulane, but LSU needs to blow out some teams to get some voter attention. Sorry - but Urban Meyer and Bob Stoops ALMOST have it right (they go too far). Miles needs to keep the starters in until he hits fitty.
Anyway, now that LSU will no longer have to play Tulane every year, maybe I can spend a little time developing a fan's interest in the Green Wave. We'll see. They need to start being at least a little interesting, first. If they dropped down into the FBS league, I'd be there in a heartbeat!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Eating a Little Crow - Jefferson was Better than my Quick Thoughts
I went back and reviewed every single Jordan Jefferson pass play from the Auburn game. I looked for Jefferson's timing and also his accuracy, catch or not. I was impressed with what I saw, in retrospect. And I've changed my mind on Jefferson's game.
1st Quarter
1. Complete to K. Williams in flat for nice gain. Throw a little late and behind.
2. Complete to Tolliver. Throw behind, Tolliver bobbled it but held on.
3. Incomplete to Tolliver. Very nice pass, Tolliver was interfered with/tripped.
4. Incomplete to Tolliver. Throw very low and behind.
5. Incomplete to LaFell. Throw low and behind, but LaFell should have made the catch.
6. Complete to Tolliver - nice pass.
7. Complete to Tolliver. Good throw, maybe a tad late.
8. Complete to Tolliver. Nice pass.
9. Complete to Lafell. Throw was high and behind on a bubble screen.
10. Incomplete to Scott. Scrambling and basically threw it away.
11. Couldn't find open man - scrambled for a touchdown.
2nd Quarter
12. Complete to Lafell. Nice pass.
13. Complete to Lafell.
14. Scrambled for first down after a very deep drop.
15. Complete to Tolliver. Very nice throw on a comeback route.
16. Complete to Tolliver. Another nice throw.
17. Complete to Lafell. Nice screen pass.
18. Incomplete to nobody - threw it away after scramble.
19. Complete to Tolliver.
20. Scramble out of bounds no gain.
21. Incomplete to Lafell. Hit as he threw, way over Lafell's head.
22. Complete to Scott on screen for no gain.
23. Sacked after 3.5 seconds in pocket.
24. Incomplete to Chris Mitchell. Very short. Hit just after he threw.
25. Complete to Tolliver. Nice pass.
26. Incomplete to Tolliver. Thrown well behind.
3rd Quarter
27. Incomplete to Lafell. Good pass in tight situation. Lafell dropped the ball.
28. Complete to Holliday. Nice pass in the only place Holliday could've caught it.
29. Complete to Lafell for TD. Very nice pass, taking advantage of Lafell's height advantage.
30. Incomplete to Shepard. He just dropped it.
31. Complete to Randle. Fantastic throw and catch.
32. Negated by penalty, but good completion to Dickson.
33. Incomplete to Tolliver. Not a good choice or pass - well covered.
34. Incomplete to Tolliver. Slightly late throw, Tolliver dropped it.
35. Complete to Tolliver.
4th Quarter
36. Complete to Chris Mitchell. Very low pass negating possible yards after catch.
37. Complete to D. Peterson. Good pass.
38. Complete to Holliday.
39. Sacked from a blitz.
1st Quarter
1. Complete to K. Williams in flat for nice gain. Throw a little late and behind.
2. Complete to Tolliver. Throw behind, Tolliver bobbled it but held on.
3. Incomplete to Tolliver. Very nice pass, Tolliver was interfered with/tripped.
4. Incomplete to Tolliver. Throw very low and behind.
5. Incomplete to LaFell. Throw low and behind, but LaFell should have made the catch.
6. Complete to Tolliver - nice pass.
7. Complete to Tolliver. Good throw, maybe a tad late.
8. Complete to Tolliver. Nice pass.
9. Complete to Lafell. Throw was high and behind on a bubble screen.
10. Incomplete to Scott. Scrambling and basically threw it away.
11. Couldn't find open man - scrambled for a touchdown.
2nd Quarter
12. Complete to Lafell. Nice pass.
13. Complete to Lafell.
14. Scrambled for first down after a very deep drop.
15. Complete to Tolliver. Very nice throw on a comeback route.
16. Complete to Tolliver. Another nice throw.
17. Complete to Lafell. Nice screen pass.
18. Incomplete to nobody - threw it away after scramble.
19. Complete to Tolliver.
20. Scramble out of bounds no gain.
21. Incomplete to Lafell. Hit as he threw, way over Lafell's head.
22. Complete to Scott on screen for no gain.
23. Sacked after 3.5 seconds in pocket.
24. Incomplete to Chris Mitchell. Very short. Hit just after he threw.
25. Complete to Tolliver. Nice pass.
26. Incomplete to Tolliver. Thrown well behind.
3rd Quarter
27. Incomplete to Lafell. Good pass in tight situation. Lafell dropped the ball.
28. Complete to Holliday. Nice pass in the only place Holliday could've caught it.
29. Complete to Lafell for TD. Very nice pass, taking advantage of Lafell's height advantage.
30. Incomplete to Shepard. He just dropped it.
31. Complete to Randle. Fantastic throw and catch.
32. Negated by penalty, but good completion to Dickson.
33. Incomplete to Tolliver. Not a good choice or pass - well covered.
34. Incomplete to Tolliver. Slightly late throw, Tolliver dropped it.
35. Complete to Tolliver.
4th Quarter
36. Complete to Chris Mitchell. Very low pass negating possible yards after catch.
37. Complete to D. Peterson. Good pass.
38. Complete to Holliday.
39. Sacked from a blitz.
Dear Jordan Jefferson,
How are you? I hope you didn't take too big of a hit on that last play. Anyway, just wanted to tell you that I was completely wrong about your performance against Auburn. I thought you were just sorta OK. Turns out, you had a very nice game and executed the gameplan that was given to you very, very well.
I'm particularly impressed with your ability to run yourself out of trouble most of the time. And that fumble was clearly just "one of those things" and not reflective of your attention to preventing turnovers.
One thing I noticed: you threw to Tolliver 14 times, but only threw to Dickson once. Wazzup with that? I'm sure there's a good explanation.
While I'd still like to see more throws 25 yards or so over the middle, I think the offensive line is giving you time. So, eventually, we're going to see the long stuff. With that in mind, I'm going to have a little crow for dinner tonight and call it good.
Have a great week. And GEAUX TIGERS!
Respectfully,
Jeff
Saturday, October 24, 2009
QUICK THOUGHTS: LSU DOMINATES AUBURN
LSU's defense (and Auburn's penalties) gave plenty of space for a still-inconsistent LSU offense to work its way to a much improved four quarters of football.
But I'm still staying realistic about expectations for this season. I saw plenty to be happy about in this game. But I also saw plenty to keep in perspective.
THINGS I'M HAPPY ABOUT
I hope Jordan Jefferson and the LSU defensive front improve greatly against Tulane and just shuts me up against Bama, Ole Miss and Arkansas (Mallett is a good QB).
Tough to be pessimistic about a 31-10 dominating effort of Auburn. But that's where I'm at.
But I'm still staying realistic about expectations for this season. I saw plenty to be happy about in this game. But I also saw plenty to keep in perspective.
THINGS I'M HAPPY ABOUT
- The Defense. Just look at the stats if you didn't watch the game closely. LSU's defense will keep them in any game. And we all know that defenses win championships. Which is why Florida and Bama are still at the top of the heap.
- LSU's cornerbacks are really good and really deep. Chris Hawkins' interception was awesome.
- Turnover ratio. Although the Tigers didn't take advantage of every turnover in terms of putting 7 on the board, a 3:1 turnover ratio is smokin' good.
- Russell Shepard finally broke one. I gotta admit - I was getting tired of seeing him in predictable situations, getting hit hard by Eltoro Freeman, who was obviously spying him. But he finally got the seam he needed and it was over. If he gets a chance to complete a few passes for big yards out of the Wildcat (WildTiger, whatever), then we're going to see more of him racing into the end zone.
- Reuben Randle's great grab.
- Jarrett Lee getting some snaps, making a great throw to Lafell (after a scary throw to Tolliver...)
- Jordan Jefferson remains rock solid in terms of his care of the football (except for the fumble), his ability to not make big mistakes (except for the fumble), and his knack for getting good, important yards with his legs (except when he fumbles). Seriously - Jefferson's fumble aside, he's a solid QB.
- The announcers said it. I've been hoping it's true. LSU is still improving. If that continues, that's a very good sign for this postseason and next year, obviously.
- Auburn is not good. I thought they were a lot better than they are. And mostly, they're not good because their defense is not what it has been in the past. So when their offense sputtered, it cost them big time.
- Jordan Jefferson is still not throwing the ball all that well. He made some good throws (TD to Tolliver). He also made a lot of poor throws, some of which were dropped, some of which were not. He's also still taking way to0 long to throw downfield and his timing is not great. Why am I picking on this? Because Auburn is not good. Jefferson looked OK against a weak defense and a team that basically gave up in the second half. Bama has a much better defense than Auburn. So does Ole Miss. Right now, Jefferson is solid, but not good enough. I still think his job is not secure heading into the off-season if he doesn't begin to really stretch the field on a regular basis.
- No. Pass. Rush. Seriously. Two sacks and I was ECSTATIC! That's sad. Chris Todd had tons of time to throw. It's a good thing LSU's secondary is so good and Chris Todd isn't.
I hope Jordan Jefferson and the LSU defensive front improve greatly against Tulane and just shuts me up against Bama, Ole Miss and Arkansas (Mallett is a good QB).
Tough to be pessimistic about a 31-10 dominating effort of Auburn. But that's where I'm at.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thoughts
Auburn sucks.
Seriously, no one buys your mascot bs. Pick one. Pick between Eagles or Plainsmen, the nickname you idiots started with. The name you gave your school paper and to your new baseball park. Hell, go with the bird, you already have one and you have a cheer/catchphrase already. If you wanted to be the Tigers, you'd have one, like we do. But you're all too dumb for something even that simple, so you have a bird you named after another animal. I have a big bad black labrador retriever and some people suggested the name Bear when I got him. I rejected that. Why? Because it's indescribably stupid to name one animal after another. If you don't want to pick, then I will call you the Chopblockers. That one fits best of all anyway.
Anyone who smokes cigars on someone else's field deserves contempt. Yes, I still remember that. Why? Cause you're the only assholes that have EVER done that ANYWHERE in college football. You're also the only school that had a football player lose a fight to a band member on the field. He started the fight because he was on the field kicking WHILE THE BAND WAS PERFORMING. No one I know has ever seen that happen. It's like you try to stand out in unexplored fields of creative idiocy and looking stupid.
Yeah, maybe we burned your barn down. Whoopdedoo. I wish we burned down the whole campus. I would say the state. But it's nice having Alabama always rank 50th in whatever matters and keep Louisiana from the bottom spot. So thanks.
Seriously, no one buys your mascot bs. Pick one. Pick between Eagles or Plainsmen, the nickname you idiots started with. The name you gave your school paper and to your new baseball park. Hell, go with the bird, you already have one and you have a cheer/catchphrase already. If you wanted to be the Tigers, you'd have one, like we do. But you're all too dumb for something even that simple, so you have a bird you named after another animal. I have a big bad black labrador retriever and some people suggested the name Bear when I got him. I rejected that. Why? Because it's indescribably stupid to name one animal after another. If you don't want to pick, then I will call you the Chopblockers. That one fits best of all anyway.
Anyone who smokes cigars on someone else's field deserves contempt. Yes, I still remember that. Why? Cause you're the only assholes that have EVER done that ANYWHERE in college football. You're also the only school that had a football player lose a fight to a band member on the field. He started the fight because he was on the field kicking WHILE THE BAND WAS PERFORMING. No one I know has ever seen that happen. It's like you try to stand out in unexplored fields of creative idiocy and looking stupid.
Yeah, maybe we burned your barn down. Whoopdedoo. I wish we burned down the whole campus. I would say the state. But it's nice having Alabama always rank 50th in whatever matters and keep Louisiana from the bottom spot. So thanks.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
This week in Bandit's brought to you in part by:
Sixteen time world heavyweight champion, the Nature Boy, Ric Flair, who reminds you that he, besides being the champion:
-is custom made
-can dance all night long
-his shoes cost more than your house
-he has a big house on the big side of town
-he can have any woman in world he wants.... just like that.
The BBC and talking animals:
The number 113. That's where the Bayou Bengals rank in Total Offense for Div. 1-A. We're keeping company with Western Kentucky and New Mexico State. This is: pathetic, abysmal, shameful, a waste of talent, a waste of resources, terrible coaching, terrible playcalling, terrible, bad, shitty, piss poor, crappy, failuretastic, the worst I've seen in quite a while, unsatisfactory to say the least, embarrassing and going to result in more losses if it isn't drastically improved.
-is custom made
-can dance all night long
-his shoes cost more than your house
-he has a big house on the big side of town
-he can have any woman in world he wants.... just like that.
The BBC and talking animals:
The number 113. That's where the Bayou Bengals rank in Total Offense for Div. 1-A. We're keeping company with Western Kentucky and New Mexico State. This is: pathetic, abysmal, shameful, a waste of talent, a waste of resources, terrible coaching, terrible playcalling, terrible, bad, shitty, piss poor, crappy, failuretastic, the worst I've seen in quite a while, unsatisfactory to say the least, embarrassing and going to result in more losses if it isn't drastically improved.
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