TIGERS WIN UGLY BUT EASY - 34 - 24: Quick Look

Most importantly - GET WELL, DAD! Hope you're feeling much better!

Overall: LSU did not play particularly well tonight but was in complete control of this game from the moment Pegues was tackled on that kickoff return. It was an ugly easy win. Which is still a win. And there's a lot of stuff that points to more great things this season.

Positives.

1. Survival skills. The Tigers had multiple opportunities to implode tonight after poorly timed penalties or turnovers. They didn't implode. They took their licks and came back swinging.
2. Jarrett Lee. Although he had some scary moments tonight, he played very well and is looking more and more confident.
3. Receivers. Lee threw some nice passes, but he also benefited from some nice grabs by Lafell and Dickson. Lafell continues to look studly.
4. Charles Scott. 140 yards and a 5+ ypc average. Four 100 yard games in a row. Yeah, baby.
5. Only five penalties, and one of them was total BS.

Negatives.

1. Turnovers. We gave two and got zero. That won't work against UF, UGA and Bama.
2. Pass coverage. LBs and safeties had a bad night. Croom and his staff had their number.
3. Punt return team is still not comfortable.
4. Depth at RB? I wonder. We tend to assume we have a stable of great backs because of how we used them last year. But I wonder if KW or RM or any of the others can step up and replace CS if necessary.

Ugly easy win. The game was never really close after LSU scored it's first TD.

PREDICTION: Mississippi State

As I sit and marvel at the spectacle of Oregon State making USC sweat, it's tough to devote a ton of thought to this game. Not because I'm glued to the Oregon State game. I'm not. In fact, other than the possibility of LSU rising in the polls, I really don't care all that much about USC. The bullshit that flies back and forth between Baton Rouge and Los Angeles is, to me, a bunch of silliness. Really. Who give a shit if they claim a non-BCS championship? If Phil Steele crowned his own national champ this year and it was different than the BCS team, would you care? Exactly. The AP poll is interesting but irrelevant.

See. Tough to focus on Mississippi State. I just don't think this game is going to be close at all.

Anyway. Don't fear. Les Miles and the Tigers won't have a focus problem. Florida is two weeks away, after a Bye week. Miles has already said he's throwing out the MSU/Georgia Tech film. He's focusing on what MSU was able to do against Auburn, particularly on defense. So, I don't think focus will be an issue.

But let's be serious. LSU owns Mississippi State. In every sense of the word. Last year's 45-0 waxing was not an unusual result for this series in recent years. LSU has consistently outscored MSU by large margins. And, if I have my stats right, the Tigers have won 16 of the last 17 contests.

This year's Croomdogs are not playing like last year's variety. The defense still has it's moments. But they're just moments. Dixon is still a good runningback. Pegues is still a good return man and decent DB. But that's about it.

Keys to the game:

1. LSU's defensive line will own MSU's offensive line. Early. And often.

2. LSU's defensive backs will have to fix some of the coverage mistakes to avoid giving gifts to an otherwise poor MSU passing attack.

3. LSU's punt team and kickoff team will have to find a way to keep Pegues contained. He's pretty good.

4. LSU's RBs and OL need to establish the running game early to take the pressure off of Lee early. Give him a quarter to establish his confidence.

5. Jarrett Lee needs to play a relatively error-free game. TD>Ints. >55% completions. >200 yards passing. He does that and LSU will roll.

Concerns:

A. Injuries. Knock on wood, LSU is pretty unscathed right now. Hatch is probably still recovering a bit, and Beckwith is still out. But otherwise, LSU is good. They need to stay that way. Because after the Bye week, the Tigers have Florida and South Carolina on the road, followed by Georgia at home.

B. LSU QB. Jarrett Lee needs a good, solid game. If Lee struggles, MSU has a good enough defense to stack the box and make the running game much more difficult. And LSU needs to put Miss State away, and early. Because Jordan Jefferson needs some quality PT before Florida, just in case.

Prediction: LSU 24-0 at halftime, and LSU 49-0 final score.

Gilbeau on MSU and expectations.

First of all, you can't put a 45-0 win "aside." Maybe a 17-7 win over a bad
team would qualify for that, but not a 45-0 win. LSU beat an SEC team in the
rain and on the road in the first game of the year 45-0 and outgained it 198 to
10 on the ground! And that was disappointing?

Miles is happy with the team's performance, likes what he sees from his new starters and young guns, and thinks backup LB Odom will likely return to the team.

“I would anticipate he’d rejoin the team,” Miles said. “I think it’s safe
to say that.”

MSU reinstates previously suspended back-up QB Josh Riddell. Roll'BamaRoll's outsidethesidelines says:

Wow, that's a big coincidence, isn't it? I'd say so. Truth be told, Croom knows that his job is very much in jeopardy, and that unless things improve a good bit this year, he's done. A loss to Tulane in eight days might be all she wrote for Croom, effectively speaking. Either way, it seems he -- finally joining everyone else in the world -- has figured out that Henig isn't going to get it done.

Gregg Ellis, who wrote the article linked above, says in the comments that it was a one game suspension all along.

Post Game Analysis

Well, I said I'd post a deeper analysis. However, after studying the game a bit, I don't think there's much more to say. The "defense was in command", and I think they're also extremely deep in talent. That bodes well for the rest of the year, regardless of who the Tigers face. The offensive line has to improve if Flynn is to have time to throw the ball and the tailbacks are to have a chance to break out. To this point, Dandy Don adds:

It appeared to me that Carnall Stewart was beaten on a few plays and he had a couple of false start penalties called against him. Stewart was starting his first game and will get better as the season goes.

I think he's being generous. Don is a gentleman. Flynn was sacked at least four times that I remember, and rushed quite a bit more. VT is going to be much better than MSU, so there's some doubt in my mind at this point about LSU's chances of putting up a lot of points next weekend.

Special teams played well. The new kickoff rules seemed not to come into play, other than an extra four or five yards of field position for MSU after LSU scores. Punt and kickoff coverage seemed pretty good and, as the ESPN broadcast team said repeatedly, LSU is fast.

So, not much else to dive into. MSU never had a prayer, so drawing too many conclusions from this game would be a mistake. Their QB, Henig, had a very bad night and LSU's defense had a lot to do with that. Coach Miles has a ton of talent on his hands and a few serious challenges to keep him busy. The first serious challenge to national championship hopes comes next Sat in the form of a very talented and possibly underrated Virginia Tech team. The Tigers don't have much time to improve the offensive line. And VT's defense will probably be one of the best in the nation this year.

Fantastic start for the Tigers. Overconfidence would be a mistake, but I don't think that's a problem with a legitimate threat coming to Tiger Stadium next week. Bring it on!

FINAL - LSU 45, MSU 0

Even though the score looks like a rout, give props to MSU's defense. It could have, and should have, been worse. Henig threw 6 interceptions, 4 in the first half, yet the halftime score was (only?) 17 zip. LSU punted 7 times. (By the way, Fisher looked good, with a 45 yard average.)

Flynn played well - 12/19 for 129 yards and 2 TDs plus he ran for 42 net yards. Perrilloux gave some reason for optimism - 2/3 and a touchdown, plus some good footwork as well.

Doucet had 9 catches for 78 yards and 1 TD. Hester led the rushing with 68 yards.

But Flynn was pressured a lot. And I'm not sure how many times he was sacked, but it was too many times. VT has a better defense than MSU. I'm a little worried. The offensive line seems like it might be our weak link right now.

The Defense was very good. Stelz had three Oskie's just by his own bad self. MSU had less than 150 yards of offense and only 13 yards rushing. True, Henig is - um - not good. However, LSU's secondary looks robust and deep and the linebackers continue to be studs.

So, this game has not changed my mind. LSU's defense will continue to give the Tigers a better than average chance to beat anybody in the nation. But, for my money, the question mark is still on the tailback (Hester is the man, but I'm still not sure why's he's not the fullback) and the offensive line.

Deeper analysis tomorrow. Nite nite.

First Half - LSU 17, MSU 0

No surprise that the defense is playing well. MSU had one good drive, but Henig has thrown 4 interceptions in the first half and I can't think of a single team in the country who'd be able to survive that. If Henig doesn't bounce back and improve, this will be a LONG season for MSU.

Hester has 47 yards on the ground and 10 receiving, and Flynn is running well (29 yards), although every time he takes a hit to his legs, I cringe. Doucet has 5 catches for 38 yards.

Flynn is 8-13 for 83 yards. He started out cold, with a dropped ball or two and some intentional throwaways. I have to say, I'm wondering about the offensive line. Is MSU's defense underrated, or is the offensive line still trying to gel, as some have said?

Good result so far for LSU, but I'm not that impressed with the offense - after 4 interceptions, there should be at least one more TD on the board.

Of course, the rain could have something to do with it.

Game's on. Back later.

Wet field and some early rain tonight? Maybe my prediction of 42 points is too many...

Pre-Game Prediction - Tigers Cover 18 pt Spread

Coaches and players from LSU are being very careful not to make predictions. We're hearing lots of nice things about Lester Croom, MSU's late-season win against Alabama, etc.

Coaches and players from MSU are being very upbeat but also careful, talking about how challenges present opportunities, blah, blah, blah.

Everybody's being so safe.

Here's how I see it. MSU will come out emotionally high and stay relatively close in the first quarter. But LSU's dominant defense will wear them out quickly and by end of the third quarter, LSU will be up by 21 at least. MSU will get a break in the 4th with lots of LSU substitutions but it won't help much since the Tigers are deeper than the Dawgs.

42-6

MSU FB, Jeremy Jones, speaking about his friend Early Doucet's reaction to being told to bring his A-game: "He laughed at me."

CROOM on Henig: "He shouldn't take any unnecessary hits." That might be easier said than done...

FLYNN: I'm ready!

DANDY DON wraps up Coach Miles' Tues radio show. For those hung up on uniforms, it's white jersey's for MSU, purple for Tulane.

COACH MILES says they're not looking past MSU. Let's hope not.

MSU quarterback Henig under scrutiny.

"It's 44 percent, his career completion percentage. It's an
even number so precise not even a decimal is needed, as if to say clearly, in
black-and-white, that his career 135-of-307 is reason to wonder just how potent
a weapon he can be for Mississippi State entering his junior year."

Ouch.

This video has been around for awhile, but I hadn't seen it...it's good....[thanks to the posters at TigerForum]

Dandy Don thinks the Dawgs won't roll over. Maybe so, but I bet they'll consider playing dead before it's all over.

He's also concerned about the availability of tailgaiting spots on campus mid-week. A Tiger fan with his priorities in line. Good luck with that, Don.

Update: Don's worried for good reason.

Prediction (not mine): LSU 52 - MSU 3 - nice MSU roundup over at TigerDroppings.

Jacob Hester starts at tailback against MSU. Can't say I like this decision, but obviously Coach Miles knows his team. My biggest gripe all last year was the lack of a breakout tailback. Imagine how unstoppable the offense would've been with a strong ground threat.

Starting Hester as a hedge against an early upset in Starkville may delay that breakout. I love Hester, but I'm still hoping for a Dalton Hilliard or a Joseph Addai. Earlier would be better.

Audio of Miles' first radio show last Wed avail here.

Update: Interesting take in the comments section at And The Valley Shook. I like the strategy angle.