JR outrushed or at least equaled most of our RBs, so his mobility clearl;y wasn't the issue. The issue was that AU completley shut down the running game. Flynn would not have made any difference. Had we been able to move the ball on the ground, it never would have come down to bad calls by the refs.
Unless he has skills playing guard, NO. Russell played far from a perfect game. He needs to have a better grasp of the game situation at all times on when to throw and when not to throw some passes. He wasn't as crisp with some of his throws as he can be. But he wasn't the issue on Saturday, and I'm convinced he's the best guy to have out there.
I’ve got to say, some people are going overboard on this guy simply for asking this question. He stated that JR played well and that he’s our starter, etc., but that maybe a different look might have worked. You know, it’s quite possible. However, some of you have wisely pointed out that changing running backs would have been the first thing you would have tried. I agree 100%. Alley was definitely not ready to take hits from the Auburn D and he looked hesitant and slow. Also, Vincent hasn’t looked fast out the backfield in quite some time and isn’t powerful enough. He’s great catching balls out of the backfield and looks faster when he does that, but not carrying the ball. We’ve got two running backs coming off of surgery and we need SPEED. Our 2003 team had fantastic speed on offense and this team has very LITTLE. Those younger guys could have jumped in there and possibly beat the AU defense to the corners on certain plays. Alley didn’t come close and neither did JV. Now, trying another QB for a couple of plays would not have been terrible. It has nothing to do with thinking Flynn is better than JR or anything. In this situation, a running QB might have been what could have gotten us some points. Why? We basically had no FAST threats in the backfield. I think Flynn has 4.5 speed and for a QB that is excellent. Yes, JR did have some rush yards, but some came on that fumble he had that we nearly lost and a good bit came on third down and long when he decided to run (they gave that to him). A running QB that can throw well is very tough to defend. It’s tough because there is no one to really account for the QB when you’re spreading the field. Flynn has not played a ton, but I’ve been impressed with how fast he runs, how hard he is to take down and his throwing ability. I don’t see where there would be a huge drop off if any (especially since most of our passes were little dump routes). Certainly, JR can throw it longer, but that wasn’t working so that wouldn’t have mattered. JR’s biggest edge is throwing bullets in crowded areas. Still, Flynn is very talented like JR. The toughest part would be going into an atmosphere like that against a great D. But here is a good example of how it changes things: 2001 SEC Championship – Rohan Davey (who was playing awesome leading up to that game) is hit and knocked out of the game for a while. It didn’t look good because Matt Mauck (who had just about no playing experience) comes in against the #2 team in the nation in the Georgia Dome where it was as loud as you could imagine. The Vols were playing for a chance to go to the Rose Bowl and play in the NC game. Their fans probably had us outnumbered 80-20 and they had a super fast defense. Anyway, Jimbo changes the play calling to suit the new QB and Tennessee had trouble accounting for the running QB. We had not been real successful running the ball before that point. We scored on the first drive when Mauck got in on a QB run. It seemed like we would be dead before that that point, but we weren’t. Davey came back in, got hit bad again and was out for the game. Then, Toefield , our All-SEC RB is knocked out for the game. We put in a quicker and shiftier D. Davis. Mauck and Double D go on to help knock UT out of the Rose Bowl and claim the SEC title for LSU. Who would have thought? Well, Tennessee had trouble adjusting to the fast QB and quicker RB. Mauck ran all over them and he was the SECCG MVP with two rushing TDs. So it’s not always about who is the best QB or whatever. It is sometimes about matchups and surprises. Stats at the end of the day usually don’t mean anything. Putting together a TD drive is the most important thing. If you’re running or passing, it doesn’t matter as long as it works. Someone asked why Auburn didn’t swap QBs when they were getting no points. My question is what does their backup bring to the table? Is he faster or do something very different than the starter? Probably not, and so that is why he stayed in the game. He played very well considering the hits he was taking and he is great with his fakes, etc. So, in the end, it’s at least a legit question. Some say they wouldn’t have tried it and that is fine. But the guy shouldn’t be knocked for asking it. LSU has proven in the past that it can work. It might have been worth a try. And after all, we never did score a TD and we lost (blown calls and all). Look how Auburn had to get in the end zone - a QB sneak. Those QB runs are hard to account for in many situations. Ask USC…
can't see the wisdom in taking out your starter when he is playing well. if you're going to do the "shockley substitution" then that needed to sttart on day 1, not in the middle of the auburn game. imo, not good for confidence.
Yes. Indeed, LSU should have started Flynn. First, LSU had a weak running game going into the Auburn game. Flynn can run and run well. He is big and strong and fast. Second, Flynn would have disrupted Auburn’s entire defensive mindset during the critical first quarter when the LSU defense and special teams gifted LSU with excellent field position several times. Third, Russell is only an excellent come-from-behind quarterback, a relief pitcher, as it were. We are seeing the same mental errors throughout the games that we have been seeing since his first year. Russell has often led LSU into close contests that should never have been close beginning with the first quarter. He appears the hero because he plays his heart out either to pull out a win in the last quarter or to get LSU some safe distance in the third quarter. (An error he seems to have picked up against Auburn is lofting the ball even though he has the strongest arm in college football.) Fourth, if Flynn had not gotten LSU 21 points in the first quarter but instead had thrown interceptions and ineffective passes, the come-from-behind Russell was still available. Fifth, Flynn has proven he deserves a chance. He should have started this season after his performance against Miami. He and the defense pounced on Miami in the first quarter last year and broke their spirit, something Georgia did to Russell in the SEC playoff game. Sixth, Flynn is a clutch player. Flynn threw for 7 TD’s last year with only 48 attempts; Russell threw for only 15 TD’s after 311 attempts. Seventh, LSU needs to play its backup quarterbacks, or they will not be ready when needed. The final stats don’t mean anything. Defense wins games, and Russell has called on LSU’s defense too many times (which might be why it is so good). Russell deserves to play, but so does Flynn. I like Russell, and I have been wanting Russell to improve for a long time; I have had enough for now.
i for one do not feel he should have played. his mobility would have been another deminsion but IMO, we didn't need the other deminsion. We moved the ball effectively through the air but it seemed to me like once we got into au territory, jimbo decided we had to run the ball. As i was saying during the entire game, if the pass works, PASS. it will open up the run eventually and if it doesn't, nothing wrong with winning through the air. LSU is obviously or should be a pass first team. That strategy didn't hurt the st louis rams when they were winning a superbowl or a colts team that hangs 40 up. what do you guys think?:helmet:
No more discussions. JR is the starting Quarterback for this team. He conducts himself with poise under pressure and he wants to put the team on his back in these situations. He did it a few times last year and produced the wins. No one was screaming for Flynn when JR threw a 4th down TD pass against ASU or when he connected with Bowe against Bama. He made a couple of mistakes against Auburn but what do you expect from 18 - 23 year old kids playing football in front of almost 90,000 people in the game of the year that has so much riding on it? There are pros that make the same mistakes. Quit putting Russell under the microscope and looking for reasons to blame losses on one particular person. LSU lost as a team and there were mistakes that were made at various times during the game. The bottom line is that AU executed a drive for a TD and LSU did not. Give JR a break!
