Ok. I'll admit it. I'm spoiled.
Since the year 2000, when Nick Saban began the revitalization of the LSU football program, I have become accustomed to a certain football lifestyle. A winning lifestyle.
Not just winning, but WINNING!!
Four SEC and two BCS championships and numerous top ten finishes will do that to you.
So when debacles such as the Ole Miss game occur, it shakes one to his football core.
Coming off an impressive win against an SEC talent rich team, gaining momentum and everything still in play for LSU, they go to Oxford to play a team on the mend. After spanking the Big 12's Texas, who's coach is on a standing eight count, Ole Miss has suffered three consecutive SEC defeats. Missing five defensive starters including three on the d-line plus their homerun hitting runningback, Ole Miss was down to their last out. The only thing head coach Hugh Freez had going for him was the fact that one of their most hated rival was coming to town. So motivation would not be an issue. LSU has long forgotten that this was once an intense rivalry between two border states with rich football traditions. Over the years, as Ole Miss began to flaunder, this game lost it's importance to LSU.
Not to Ole Miss.
Banking that a Les Miles' LSU would read about all those Ole Miss starters missing and will do what they always do, play down to their opponent and coupled with the natural letdown from the Florida win, Freez new Miles' boys were thinking, "Ole Miss, Furman then a bye, three weeks to prep for Bama".
In a great example of scouting a team, Freez new the usually reliable LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis was going nuts trying to get a handle on his own unit and the book on offensive coordinator Cam Cameron was that he just can't stop himself from throwing the long ball. Freez's staff came up with a gameplan of patience on defense and creating confusion on offense.
Just like the turkey that walks right toward the caller, Miles and his staff walk right into Freez's trap.
After a couple of three and outs and getting a feel for what Chavis was doing, Freez's offense went to work. Compiling over 500 total yards, converting an agonizing 11 of 18 third downs, all seemed to be 3rd and long, Ole Miss wore down the unit which, unlike their counterparts, started the game with all hands on deck. But the unkindest cut of all was that someone named Jalen Walton, a little used 5'8" 168lb RB, who, I'm certain, no one associated with the LSU football program ever heard of, gashed Chavis' once proud defense for 106 yards rushing and an astounding 5.6 avg per carry.
Freez's plan for LSU's high powered offense worked even better. With a unit as undermanned as King Leonidas against the Persians, Freez used Cameron's impatience against him. In a game very revealing as to why he was canned in Baltimore, Cameron couldn't resist going for kill shots on three first half occasions when body blows were all that was needed. Freez's defense was ready. He had his safety in position and waiting for the opportunity Cameron would present him. The result was three influential interceptions. Score changing, momentum swinging and inspiration providing pics that sucked more life out of LSU and injected more into Ole Miss with each one.
Watching the game, one had the sense that by the 4th quarter, as Ole Miss' valiant defensive effort would wear down, LSU would pull away. The Ole Miss defense did wear down, but by then, the damage of mishandling the first half was done. For someone who demands discipline from his quarterback, Cameron displayed very little.
Freez doesn't deserve all the credit, however.
Les Miles' mind blowing knack for giving lessor talented teams hope continues to amaze. His gametime decisions and clock management gaffes baffle even his most loyal apologists. And his incoherent explanations embolden his detractors. He preaches respecting every opponent by giving your best effort yet rarely displays it on gameday.
Some would suggest the players must shoulder the responsibility for the Ole Miss loss. To that I would respond that in college football, you play as you are coached.
Into his ninth season, we all have a true reading of how Miles' teams are coached.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
LSU '13 Lacks Defensive Playmakers
Baton Rouge, we have a problem.
LSU '13 is in crisis.
There's not much time.
Grab some spare parts, make a defense.
Get them home.
Failure is not an option.
As LSU scrambles to come up with answers for their dismal defensive performance against Georgia, the cold truth is there may not be any, given the mass exodus of defensive starters form last year. Typically a John Chavis defense has players waiting in the wings for their turns to shine. Not this year. Since the second half of game two, Chavis' group has shown little signs of growth.
At first played off as youthful lack of focus after building a big lead, it's now feared the loss of starters is a bigger burden than once appeared. That youthful lack of focus has turned into mass confusion as the level of competition rises.
The consensus is that the lack of experience has been the major factor in the decline of the defense. That a lineup stacked with underclassman with little prior playing time is to much to overcome.
In the words of the great Lee Corso, "not so fast, my friend".
While it's true LSU has a number of new starters, it's really not much more than the usual attrition in todays college football landscape. Consider LSU. Since 2010 attrition has hit the defense hard. Five starters left after 2010, six after 2011. Of those five in '10 were Patrick Peterson, Drake Nevis and Kelvin Shepard. Among the losses in '11 were Michael Brockers and Brandon Taylor.
Each time attrition hit Chavis, the defense came back stronger. The 2011 defense replaced 2010 loaded with playmaking sophomores lead by a honey badger and a junior named Claiborne. It will go down as one of the finest defensive units in LSU history.
Which leads us to the 2012 defections. Mingo, Montgomery, Minter, Reid and Simon. Big losses no doubt, but replaced by players with ample enough playing time for a smooth transition. Remember, Eric Reid, Kevin Minter, Tharold Simon and Kiki Mingo all played sparingly in 2010. In their first season of fulltime play in 2011 two(Reid and Mingo)were all Americans and Minter was all SEC.
The 2013 LSU defense consist of five juniors, three seniors and three sophomores. It ain't all a lack of experience it's a lack of playmakers that has this unit clinging to it's football life. It's also a lack of depth, awareness and too many underperforming four and five star recruits. But the biggest thing is the lack of playmakers.
Playmakers change games and create momentum. They force fumbles, intercept passes and sack the quarterback. But most of all they create fear in their opponents. Coaches, quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs must dedicate some part of their focus on protecting the ball. It's called getting in their head. When a defense can do this the battle is won before the play begins. It's been a long time since I've seen an LSU defense lacking playmakers. With the talent they recruit, this should not be.
Meanwhile, at mission control, commander Les Miles must continues to search for a balanced football team. At long last his offense is playing lights out. Now he must count on the reliable defensive leader to get his boys home
Captain Chavis, can you hear me...
Captain Chavis??
Captain???
LSU '13 is in crisis.
There's not much time.
Grab some spare parts, make a defense.
Get them home.
Failure is not an option.
As LSU scrambles to come up with answers for their dismal defensive performance against Georgia, the cold truth is there may not be any, given the mass exodus of defensive starters form last year. Typically a John Chavis defense has players waiting in the wings for their turns to shine. Not this year. Since the second half of game two, Chavis' group has shown little signs of growth.
At first played off as youthful lack of focus after building a big lead, it's now feared the loss of starters is a bigger burden than once appeared. That youthful lack of focus has turned into mass confusion as the level of competition rises.
The consensus is that the lack of experience has been the major factor in the decline of the defense. That a lineup stacked with underclassman with little prior playing time is to much to overcome.
In the words of the great Lee Corso, "not so fast, my friend".
While it's true LSU has a number of new starters, it's really not much more than the usual attrition in todays college football landscape. Consider LSU. Since 2010 attrition has hit the defense hard. Five starters left after 2010, six after 2011. Of those five in '10 were Patrick Peterson, Drake Nevis and Kelvin Shepard. Among the losses in '11 were Michael Brockers and Brandon Taylor.
Each time attrition hit Chavis, the defense came back stronger. The 2011 defense replaced 2010 loaded with playmaking sophomores lead by a honey badger and a junior named Claiborne. It will go down as one of the finest defensive units in LSU history.
Which leads us to the 2012 defections. Mingo, Montgomery, Minter, Reid and Simon. Big losses no doubt, but replaced by players with ample enough playing time for a smooth transition. Remember, Eric Reid, Kevin Minter, Tharold Simon and Kiki Mingo all played sparingly in 2010. In their first season of fulltime play in 2011 two(Reid and Mingo)were all Americans and Minter was all SEC.
The 2013 LSU defense consist of five juniors, three seniors and three sophomores. It ain't all a lack of experience it's a lack of playmakers that has this unit clinging to it's football life. It's also a lack of depth, awareness and too many underperforming four and five star recruits. But the biggest thing is the lack of playmakers.
Playmakers change games and create momentum. They force fumbles, intercept passes and sack the quarterback. But most of all they create fear in their opponents. Coaches, quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs must dedicate some part of their focus on protecting the ball. It's called getting in their head. When a defense can do this the battle is won before the play begins. It's been a long time since I've seen an LSU defense lacking playmakers. With the talent they recruit, this should not be.
Meanwhile, at mission control, commander Les Miles must continues to search for a balanced football team. At long last his offense is playing lights out. Now he must count on the reliable defensive leader to get his boys home
Captain Chavis, can you hear me...
Captain Chavis??
Captain???
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)