LSU got beat up by Alabama on Saturday, plain and simple. There were no theatrics, no strange plays. Don't blame the officiating, don't even blame the coaching. The better team won. Period. Nick Saban has Alabama looking every bit as good as the 2003 national championship Tigers. If you remember, they would knock quarterbacks out of the game, and would totally shut you down for long periods of the game. In the 4th quarter, LSU had 9 yards. Super sophomore eJordan Jefferson was knocked out of the gam; so was senior running back Charles Scott, rwho's season is ove. It was just alot of hard, hard hitting, and most of it was by boys in Maroon jerseys. Don't get me wrong. LSU's defense accounted for itself. It just couldn't stop Mark Ingram when it needed too; and Julio Jones, quiet for most of the night, caught LSU with a second-string safety guarding him. Toast. LSU is still a good team, but like a purple and gold-encrusted blueberry pie in the oven for a mere 30 minutes, it just aint ready yet.
Starting the season, we heard alot about how the Florida Gators were returning all their starters, and how they were only losing Percy Harvin, and how Superman would lead the way to another Hiesman and championship. And, truth be told, the mighty undefeated Gators are still in the thick of things, meaning the BCS. But something happened two weeks ago, that has sparked a belief that the Gators might not make it to Pasadena this year to defend their title. After a defensive slugfest with LSU , a who-had-the-ball-last-wins battle royale with Arkansas , and a messy mistake-o-rama with Mississippi State , the mighty, mighty Gators look V.B.: Very beatable. The zebras, I'm afraid, can only do so much. Tim Tebow is human after all, after throwing 2 picks returned for touchdowns Saturday. LSU proved that the Gators couldn't throw the ball with ease. Arkansas proved that the defense was suspectible to the long ball. Ole Miss proved that pressure can bust a pipe. What will the Georgia Bulldogs prove this Saturday? You heard it here first: There's no way the Gators go undefeated through the SEC and make it out of the championship game.
Saturday night's LSU-Auburn game brought the Tigernation to its feet -- those in purple rose in elation; those in orange and navy got up to leave. LSU's 31-3,10 win,(okay, you know that last Auburn TD was bogus) was, to some, a long awaited eruption of offensive might, a groundswell of pent-up demand. Going away, LSU scored 31 points. They have yet to score more than 32 in a game this season. What explosion? Sure, Jordan Jefferson got loose. The super soph finally threw to his elite receivers. As a result Jefferson got most of the praise, accounting for over 310 yards (242 yards through the air on 21 of 31 passes and two touchdowns, no picks) deservedly so, but it was Russell Shepard that stole the spotlight. Shepard's 69-yard run ignited the crowd and left no doubts on who would win the game. But honestly speaking, LSU's offense bogged down for short periods Saturday. If Auburn would have gotten any semblance of an offensive flow, then I think LSU would have been exposed as usual. LSU needs to show consistency if they want to be considered an elite program this year. As a team though, they are coming together nicely. Enough can't be said about LSU's defense. They are really starting to look scary, 2 weeks after holding Florida to 13 points. Auburn only gained 193 yards total offense, and truthfully they had about 120 until their second-string quarterback (who should be starting, btw) came in and just started flinging it. Auburn coach Gene Chizik reaffirmed his support for senior signal caller Chris Todd this week as the Tigers get set to play a stout Ole Miss team. “Yeah, he’s the quarterback, but when it’s third-and-7 and he’s got five guys in his lap, that’s not [on] Chris Todd,” Chizik said. So, is it on you, Chizik? Huh? Huh? Huh? LSU has a cakewalk up next, but then prepares to face Alabama, No. 1 in some polls. The question, then is can the Tigers run the table?
There are probably more reasons, some ever so slight, subtle even. But here are 5 reasons why LSU is not 6-0 after going up against the No. 1-ranked Gators.
JORDAN JEFFERSON IS REGRESSING Jordan Jefferson is obviously afraid to throw when facing zone coverage. The Florida Gators have but to thank the Georgia Bulldogs, who befuddled Jefferson last week with zone blitzes and outright zones before being outran by his agile scrambling. Jefferson becomes shell-shocked, frozen almost, when facing opposing players spread out across the field. Florida went to it heavily in the second half, and it produced instant success as Jefferson was sacked on successive plays for the second straight week.
PENALTIES LSU seemed to have a case of nerves early, committing crucial penalties that methodically prodded the Gators down the field on their first possession. Both teams had the whistles working - combining for 15 penalties for over 100 yards -- but it was the Tigers that got the brunt of them. Offsides on Rahim Alem on several early plays? Crazy.
TIM TEBOW IS ... Superman? Well, he played like Clark Kent in Tiger Stadium, and that was just enough for the back-from-concussion superstar. Tebow had a very pedestrian 134 yards in the air (38 on the ground), but it's the third and shorts and get you when you play the Gators. Florida's array of weapons -- Jeffery Demps, Riley Cooper, Hernandez -- makes it difficult to focus just on the Caped One. Still, Tebow made his presence felt, at least two probable-sacks were miraculously eluded during the game, leading to Gator points.
WHERE WAS SHEP? Wildcat-quarterback Russell Shepard played nary a down Saturday, to the chagrin of Tiger fans everywhere. Why? He almost broke the Georgia game open with several wildcat runs, but against Florida he didn't even get the chance. It's not like Jefferson was in a zone or anything. As bad as LSU needed an offensive spark, Shep should have played. Period.
O FOR CHAVIS? Maybe LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis just can't be Florida, even with purple in gold instead of popsicle orange. The man had a decent scheme, don't get me wrong, but with LSU's brawn I thought we needed a little more of a Chess match with Urban Meyer, not mano-a-mano. Maybe the Gators are just the one team Chavis can't master. Everybody has one.
Bottom line: LSU got whipped. We'll take it like men and try to win the rest of 'em. Florida fans, hope to see you in Atlanta.
If you needed any more omens that Saturday night's contest between No. 4 LSU and No. 1-ranked Florida was more than a football game, ask any number of Gator players. Evidently, LSU fans are literally calling some of them to spook them out before Saturday's game at Death Valley. ESPN reports that even coach Urban Meyer has gotten texts, and that this is not new, but went on last year as well. "They haven't been bad," said second-string quarterback John Brantley, who will likely start Superman himself, Tim Tebow, can't go due to his week-old concussion. ""[The calls are] just a little annoying," Brantley said. But just a little annoyance is all the Tigers may need to pull off the upset. I'm going with my Tigers-- and my gut -- on this one: LSU 21-Florida-17
Aaaah, you know the debate had to start in earnest once the season began to take shape: LSU's sophomore signal caller, Jordan Jefferson has shown signs of confusion and downright incoherence during the game. Quite honestly, he was shut down last game (against Georgia). And we simply can't have that this weekend against the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, Florida. Would the Tigers be better off starting Jarrett Lee? Lee, who definitely had a myopic condition when looking in the middle of the field, has been reduced to a bench-rider this year. But should he? Yeah, he know about the 16 TDs and 14 INTs, but dude beat Auburn. That's GOT to count for something, right? I for one kind of miss Lee, who exhibited leadership and intangibles in the face of considerable adversity and criticism. Under center last year Lee showed an ability to actually win with his arms and the gusto to take risks. The problem was many of them were unnecessary risks. Jordan, confused as he looks at times, has simply not given a game away. Yet. When he does then he can be vilified accordingly, but until then, let's let this thing play out. Literally.
Nick Satan, er, Saban has honed the 2009 edition of the Crimson Tide into a sleek, powerful gridiron machine. Led by running backs Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, they run well; led by quarterback Greg McElroy they pass well. And let's not even talk about the defense, who limits oppenents to around 15 points a game, with arguably the fastest front four in the SEC. Is Bama, who has yet to even trail this season, even beatable? The Tide has shown signs of waywardness but not weakness. Ingram, the featured back season after Glen Coffee bolted to the League, is the cog that makes the offensive engine go: He churned out 150 yards against a stout Virginia Tech defense in the season opener and has been one tackle from glory several times. Junior quarterback McElroy has thrown only one pick this season and is in the game-manager mode rather than gunslinger. But when he has to go deep he has, arguably, the best receiver in the SEC at his disposal, Julio Jones. Jones, who has been slowed by injury this season -- he has just one touchdown and 9 receptions -- has drew a constant doubleteam from opposing defenses after lofty expectations from 2008. If the Tide has a weakness it will probably be their inability to get the ball to Jones. The flip side of that issue is that they seldom have needed to, especially with the emergence of tight end Colin Peek. Bama still faces the teeth of their schedule with this week's showdown with Ole Miss, but they look better than No. 2 Texas and No. 1 Florida (who still hasn't played anybody [sorry Vols)]. Also awaiting are the Auburn Tigers and LSU Tigers. Will the Tide trip up along the way? Time will tell. But, make no mistake about it, LSU will not doubleteam Jones (Look how they played Georgia's A.J. Green). If they can play Jones straight up, then McElroy will have to beat the Tigers with his arm. If Ingram doesn't with his feet.
Last night's game between formidable foes LSU and Georgia started as a defensive stalemate and evolved into a shootout at the very end. While LSU prevailed 20 -13 there were only a few reasons why they won, namely the legs of senior tailback charles Scott. The referees certainly made terrible calls but I can't say they directly caused the end result. Here are the main 5 reasons why the Bulldawgs didn't come up with the victory.
(1) Not enough Ealey When Washuan Ealey came into the game in the second half, UGA was nursing a goose egg and badly searching for momentum. After Ealey touched the ball, the Dawgs were driving toward the endzone, converting an improbable 4th and inches for the touchdown. UGA's other running backs, Caleb King and Richard Samuel, combined for 18 yards on 17 carries. Ealey, in two drives in the second half, rushed for double that amount, 33 yards on only 8 carries. Fans will never know what would have happened if he'd have gotten the ball earier and much more often.
(2) Not enough A.J. Green Outside of Alabama's Julio Jones, the 6-4 sophomore has no equal in the SEC. He is not only tall, but he can jump too. But he only caught 5 passes for 99 yards against LSU. He was targeted at least 3 more times, but no more, because Joe Cox just didn't throw to him enough. It's a shame too, because, LSU could hardly handle a big game from Green. From an offensive perspective, he single-handedly won the game with his awesome jump-catch in the corner pocket of the endzone with 1:09 left. But he, like Ealey, didn't see the ball enough. You can credit LSU's defense, but the more likely culprit was offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. Bobo failed to turn Green loose -- no end-arounds, no quick slants -- and that leads us to No. 3.
(3) UGA's penalties hurt Georgia, habitually one of the most penalized teams in the nation, lived up to their reputation Saturday night. While they didn't get a whole lot of penalties, the ones they got -- and the times they got them -- were huge. The excessive celebration penalty on Green? Crazy. So crazy that I refuse to believe it was on Green; it had to be on another UGA player. Green did next to nothing for the 1.3 seconds he had to himself before being mobbed by teammates. Not only did the penalty give LSU 15 more yards on the kickoff (which Trindon Holliday took back 41 yards), but a 5-yard penalty was added when UGA lined up wrong on the kick. Did it hurt? Absolutely.
(4) Georgia played it conservative Georgia has shown little imagination this year on offense, due either to Bobo's reliance on the defense and special teams to make plays (which they can and have) or his lack of faith in quarterback Cox. Georgia suffers, more than most teams, from an inability to be decisive on offense. One minute they try to play power-ground-game, the next they try to play pitch-and-catch with Cox and Green. Can they have it both ways? Sure, if the statistics showed that they could score both ways. But surely this squad is at its most dynamic when Cox and Green are playing wild and loose (did you see the UGA-Arkansas game?). Sure, defense dictates what you can do most of the time, but does it have to? Playing not to lose has caught up with you, Bobo. Let the Dawgs out.
(5) Well, see 4 reasons above Honestly, there aren't 5 reasons why Georgia lost. I believe if they would have corrected any of the 4 reasons above, things would have been different.
Well, well, well, the Georgia Bulldogs are supposedly licking their chops at the chance to topple a No. 4 seed at Sanford Stadium. Do they really want some? In all seriousness, this game will be the first contest between two SEC powerhouses, and it should be a good one. LSU comes into the game unable to score while the Bulldogs enter it unable to stop anybody. From UGA's perspective they've got to like their chances: If they score more than 32 points they will probably win. The Tigers have yet to crack a game wide open offensively (the No. 4 team in the country has not scored more than 32 points in any of its four games) and haven't faced a defense nearly as fast and strong as Georgia's (UGA held its last oppenent to 17 points, of course the two before that combined for 78). Quarterback Joe Cox is a helter-skelter signal caller if ever you've seen one: One minute he's a gunslinging, ably hefting the ball 50 yards down the field; the next he's Jarrett Lee all over again, lobbing an interception to an opposing linebacker. Truth be told, both squads should have lost last week. Arizona State did everything but finish a splendidly gift-wrapped victory, while LSU literally came up inches to the good against Mississippi State. This time, it'll go to however scores more than 32 points.
Whew. Talk about nail-biters. LSU's 30-26 win against Mississippi State last week probably looked worse on paper than it did in person. I was there. LSU had some key mistakes in the game, but somehow, someway it all still looks highly correctable. Here are 5 reasons why they barely beat Mississippi State.
It was raining cats and dogs before the game Let it be known: The field conditions weren't an excuse for how LSU played; Mississippi State obviously played in the same conditions, but it was soggy and wet as marshland out there during the game. Why? Because there was somewhat of a torrential downpour before the game (as it's been all week throughout the South). The ball, although wiped off, wiped down and wiped clean continually, was still wet as a bar of soap. The Bulldogs mostly did handoffs and laterals, so they weren't as affected. LSU on the other hand had to curtail some things as a result. You saw the consequences. Again, not an excuse, but just a reason.
2. LSU's Running Game is So Last Year Senior Charles Scott has seen bigger holes in donuts than he's seen in his offensive line this year. It's not just Scott either. Kieland Williams and track star Trindon Holliday won't be seeing daylight this year with the line not performing. So what's the matter you say? Nothing, except that the Tigers are missing the biggest baby ever born in the state of Louisiana, Herman Johnson.
3. Jordan Jefferson's Role has Changed When Jefferson won the starting signal caller role this spring he was basically going to be a game "manager" who picked his spots and basically watched the running game amass untold yardage and touchdowns. But now that the groundgame has been, well, grounded, Jefferson is actually being asked to, well, win games. That takes talent but it takes moreso leadership, something the sophomore hasn't acquired yet. Will he get it this year? Time will tell.
4. 3rd and Chavis Okay, you know i had to touch upon the defense. To be truthful, no way LSU is 4-0 without their defense, which won at least 2 games single-handedly. The rap on Chavis is that when he was at U-T he wouldn't adjust until way after halftime, sometime between the after-game showers and the drive home. And he seemed genuinely stumped when it came to the Florida games. Mississippi State runs a version of, you guessed it, Florida's offense. Chavis was genuinely stumped ... for a while, but evidently he settled down and adjusted (or did Chad Jones just ignore his assignments and single-handedly and instinctly react in the heat of the moment to win the game?) I'll take the former for 300, Alex.
5. Mississippi State is kinda good? Yeah, Miss. State is darn decent. They will beat a top 10 team this year, and I'm just glad it's not the Tigers ... this year. It's the SEC, baby, anything can happen. Give it time, and it will. Watch.
The LSU Tigers won another ballgame Saturday night. I mean, they won by 28 points, but where's the surge of offensive power? The dusting off of University of Louisiana-Lafayette 31-3 only raised questions for many Tiger fans. Senior Brandon LaFell, who some say could be the No. 1 receiver taken in the NFL draft, caught two touchdowns Saturday, but other than that, the other weaponry must've been on safety. In other words, we're all a little concerned with the lack of O. See, LSU has not scored more than 32 points this season, which they did in the season opener against Washington. The Ragin' Cajuns didn't really offer much competition aside from one decent drive in the second drive that ended in a goal line stop by the Tigers. The Tigers were never in trouble, but if they face any semblance of an offense, and the game tightened up, would LSU's offense respond? Sophomore Jordan Jefferson still seems tentative under center. Senior Charles Scott just isn't getting the same yards he got last year, and the receivers seem to be dying from lack of attention. If it wasn't for Chad Jones, who had two picks against Louisiana-Lafayette, who knows what would have happened? LSU, who moved up to No. 7 in the top 25 this week, will be exposed for what they are next week when they travel to Mississippi State next week.
Let's be honest, Tennessee brought that wood. Florida was still the superior team, and quarterback Tim Tebow still had control ... but not by much. Tebow, for the first time this season, was running for his life. Due to his athleticism, he can make that look pretty easy, but it wasn't. The Gators 23-13 victory Saturday over the Tennessee Volunteers was a moral victory for UT in their long journey back to SEC elistism. For Florida, the mystique may be broken. With the hard running of tailback Montario Hardesty (96 yards on 20 carries) the Vols almost had a 100-yard rusher for the afternoon. Tim Tebow's streak of at least one touchdown pass in 30 straight games came to a resounding stop. First-year Vols coach Lane Kiffin, who can talk smack with the best of them, was impressed him Superman. “I probably said it three times on the headsets, ‘Is the guy ever gonna wear out?’" Note to Kiffin: Um, no, Lane. He's not unlike a Terminator, he's not going to stop. "It’s unbelievable. Not only physically, when you hit him, but some of those (short, crucial) gains, he runs 50 yards to get them. He doesn’t wear out." But alas the Volunteer defense -- which played admirably -- finally began to. Tennessee held Florida to 323, which was good considering the Gators ran up 663 yards on Troy and 624 in the season opener against Charleston Southern. When the Gators smashed the Vols in the mouth, the Vols smacked back. Symbolic of the teams' play was when Tebow and UT All-American safety Eric Berry closed in on each other in the first half - POW! “I just bit down on my mouthpiece and tried to give it everything I had,” Berry said of the train-like collision. “All the power cleans and the squats from the summer, I had to use everything I had. At first I was like ‘dang, he done got me y’all.’ But I looked up at the JumboTron and we kind of hit each other and fell to the side ...You can call it what you want, but it was a good collision.” Tennessee will win the rest of their games, it seems, if they can get pass Georgia.
LSU beat the Vanderbilt Commodores 23 - 9 Saturday night in Tiger Stadium amid a rainy, slushy field. The offense, which looked poised to break out last week against Washington, barely could contain itself with energy on Saturday. Well, kinda. In any event, the defense needed this one much more than the offense, and they pulled it off. LSU's defenders kept Vandy's dangerous but young runners Zac Stacy and Larry Smith contained for most of the game, save for one gutsy Commodores drive in the 2nd quarter. LSU's Kieland Williams scored twice to allow the Tigers to escape with the win, but for the second week in a row, it was not overly impressive. Not with Florida putting up 56 points on Troy (Tebow had 5 TDs). Will the LSU offense snap out of it this week as UL-Lafayette comes to town? We hope so, because Georgia looks kinda dangerous.
Vanderbilt Coach Bobby Johnson is awash in superlatives after watching LSU's games against the Washington Huskies in .last week's opener His team, which thrashed Western Kentucky 45-0 will no doubt be ready for Saturday night's clash in Baton Rouge. But boy can he make a team feel good about themselves. “I was really impressed with Jordan Jefferson,” he told the Monroe (La.) News Star. “I think he is just going to be really tough to defend all year long. People have got to be ready for him to pull it down. They’ve got to be ready for him to run the option. He is extremely fast, and he’s got a great arm.”
JOhnson said while Washington's quarterback gave LSU fits, he was upstaged by the Tigers' super sophomore.
“Iin the long run, the most explosive quarterback in that game last week was Jordan Jefferson, not Locker,” he said. “And you look at the LSU offensive line, it’s huge. The defensive line is big. Everybody’s fast on defense. You just see a really complete team when you watch film. ... I thought LSU played really well.” But they'll need to play better to beat Vandy. The Commodores have an offensive trifecta with freshmen tailbacks Zac Stacy and Warren Norman, and second-year quarterback Larry Smith. And their defense returns 19 starters. So, what will it be? LSU 24 VANDY 22.
To say the Tigers escaped out of Washington Huskie-land by the skin of their teeth is like characterizing Bill Gates is well off. Speaking of well off, that's exactly how the John Chavis-led defensive unit for LSU performed late Saturday night: They were well, off. If not from a game-clinching touchdown by super soph receiver Terrence Toliver, who clearly couldn't be guarded by one defender, the Tigers would have gotten ran out of the Northwest. The defense had some moments of brilliance (Is middle linebacker Jacob Cutrera a stud or what?) but by the 4th quarter they were gassed quicker than a millionaire filling up his Lincoln Navigator at Chevron in the hood. The offense, led by green-but-game Jordan Jefferson, was feast or famine the entire night. Coach Les Miles said as much: "I just wish we had more possessions," Miles said to .the Daily Advertiser "We scored so fast at times that I was thinking, 'It would be good to run a few more plays before we scored,'" he said. That's the main difference from Miles's squad of last year and the year before. The Tigers either went 3 and out, or scored in 3 or 4 plays; no grind-it-out yards and no clock-gobbling possessions. Is this what 2009 season will be like? And if so, can you stand it?
After an offense that had a lackluster 2008 campaign that never reach its potential until the very last game (Georgia Tech), coach Les Miles is down right giddy about the Tigers coming into the fall. Jordan Jefferson seems a lock at the quarterback position, although Jarrett Lee had a strong offseason. The Tigers O-line will be beastly, and the running game, which will bring back Charles Scott (over 1100 yards and 18 touchdowns) should be down right scary. So, while we know Florida and the Tebites will scorch the scoreboard this season, look for the Bayou Bengals to be a close second. I'm calling it right now.
The bad news has already started for LSU football '09 as redshirt freshman Tim Molton hurt his knee recently in scrimmages. The Tigers have confirmed Molton will miss the 2009 season. The Tigers are already paper-thin at the position, with only senior Brandon LeFell definitely penciled in as starter. With the loss of junior Demetrius Byrd, who bolted to the NFL's San Diego Chargers, the Tigers will be awfully young at one of the most visible positions on the field. Will Torrence Tolliver rise to the occasion? Is it time to panic yet?
LSU football Coach Les Miles said nearly all the starting jobs are open to competition as spring football drills begin. That means if you saw a starter last year and he's back with the team, he may not be starting this year, including at quarterback. Going 8-5 a year after winning the national championship will do that to you. Now, the honeymoon is over.
Sophomore Jordan Jefferson will battle the nation's No. 1-rated dual-threat quarterback prospect, true freshman Russell Shepard for head signal-caller, with the transer of Andrew Hatch and the possible third-stringer Jarrett Lee.
New defensive coaches will also bring a new look to the Tigers of '09. But will it mean more wins?
Well, LSU has concluded the 2008 campaign, at 9 - 5, playing their first complete game in the final game of the season. The 38-3 thumping of Georgia Tech in the Chick fil A Bowl brought a tantalizing end to the ups and downs experienced by the true LSU fan. On there third quarterback of the season, LSU finally hit a stride, found a zone. Jordan Jefferson's steady if green hands were more than enough to get the Tigers to play in a relaxed, confident tone as the Tigers rolled to a 28-3 lead midway through the 2nd quarter. If the recruiting season shapes up, the quarterback play may not be an issue for at least another 5 years. The special teams play proved to be the firestarter: Georgia Tech's Andrew Smith fumbled a punt early in the second quarter with LSU up only 14-3. LSU’s Ron Brooks jumped on it and soon enough thoroughbred running back Charles Scott scored the second of his three first-half touchdowns to make it 21-3. The LSU defense, a frustrated lot for most of the season, played poise and inspired football, foiling the Tech spread option attack for the most part. Looking back, the SEC West was never LSU's to grab, not with troubling nemesis Arkansas completing its 2-year deal with the devil, not with Ole Miss resorting to all kinds of trickery. But, hey, it was a good ride. What can we expect in 2009? From the looks of it, the defense will lose a step, but the offense figures to return to a solid nucleus. In the SEC, that's all you can ask.
Sat, Sep 5 vs McNeese State (CANCELLED)
Yesterday @ Mississippi State W 21 - 19 Final
Sat, Sep 19 vs Auburn W 45 - 21
Sat, Sep 26 @ Syracuse
Sat, Oct 3 vs Eastern Michigan
Sat, Oct 10 @ South Carolina
Sat, Oct 17 vs Florida
Sat, Oct 24 vs Western Kentucky
Sat, Nov 7 @ Alabama
Sat, Nov 14 vs Arkansas
Sat, Nov 21 @ Ole Miss
Sat, Nov 28 vs Texas A&M
