A theory on offense re: Skyler Green & Mike Clayton...

I made the statement in the stands to the people who have season tickets around us that...

"Skyler Green has become the go-to guy in the LSU offense from a passing standpoint."

This is basically true. No one around me could remember a drop that Green had since the UGA game. Not a single drop. That's pretty strong, right there.

Having said all this, someone made the comment that Mike Clayton was just having an off year. I think this isn't correct. I think that Mike Clayton is the most important part of our passing offense.

Skyler Green and Devery Henderson can't block downfield like Michael Clayton can. Clayton can block downfield like a tight end. This is just a testament to his overall abiilty. Also, as of yet this season, no team on our schedule has schemed to double team either of our lesser downfield blockers. The two that usually get loose are Henderson and Green, and this is a direct result of how teams are scheming to doube Clayton to "take him out of the game".

With LSU's predominant intermediate passing game, the premium comes on having the correct mixture of physical wideouts who can block, along with speed merchants who can put their foot in the ground and then explode out of their cuts, leaving defenders in the dust.

We have the perfect mix. Green, who is the ultimate incarnation of the latter, Clayton, who is the perfect example of the former, and Devery Henderson, who is the jack of all trades, being an adequate downfield blocker and an excellent burner on the go/streak/fly/fade down the field. I think Dwayne Bowe is ready to step in as the next in the Clayton mold of being the physical receiver down the field. We have so much talent on the field, it's difficult for him to get snaps, and it's true that he missed a block to get Carey hurt, but with a year in the weight room, and a year of learning the playbook and the offensive duties of his position, he'll be ready.

Some people might say that Clayton has had an off year. On the contrary, I believe that Clayton has been shown the ultimate compliment, in having entire defensive schemes designed to stop him. I also believe that he's showing an ability to sacrifice individual statistics to do the things necessary to help his team succeed. Witness his blocking downfield, the non-existent gripes about him getting the rock thrown his way, and the absolutely outstanding special teams play he's exhibited since he's stepped on campus.

This LSU passing offense is highly effective because the players we have executing are players that know their role, and execute it perfectly. I'd also be remiss not to mention Mauck's excellent ability to throw the long ball the past few games, as well as his involving the tight end, finding the over the middle receiver, as well as putting the ball into our receivers hands in space and on those bubble screens and pick plays.

Our rushing offense is absolutely amazing...but I'll save that for later on today...

 

Clayton is now a Decoy...

It's nice that is an "option" now and Skyler has responded and
"grown up"

 

Not necessarily a decoy...

We just look at it from a "take what they give" standpoint...

You double Clayton and scheme to stop him? We'll just go elsewhere. We'll run plays that let Clayton use his athleticism to help OTHERS get involved.

I don't think he's ever a decoy, it's just that if he's open, and they don't respect it, we'll go to him. If they do respect him, we use him to spring out other players on a run to daylight...

 

I think we have the best three-deep WR's in the nation. No. Make that four-deep. Bowe would be the No. 2 WR for almost anyone else, and remember that Bowe would probably be No. 5 on our roster if Amp Hill was not injured.

 

From my source with the "crystal ball", word on the street is that before Amp Hill blew his MCL out, he was actually pushing Devery Henderson for his spot on the depth chart.

Can you imagine a guy so good as an 18 year old that he keeps Skyler Green off the field?

Modern medicine has advance to the point where Amp Hill will return at 100%, and actually, at probably 110-120% because he'll have an entire off-season to involve himself in the weight room, off season passing drills, conditioning, spring drills, more off season conditioning and passing drills, and then fall camp.

This offense, with talent up and down the ranks at all skill positions, looks to be an absolute MUTHA next year.

 

Craig (Buster) Davis is no slouch, either. He had a pretty good game last night. This freshman class is amazing to me.

 

Bowe looks like a clone of Clayton out there, in my opinion. Does anyone else think that?

 

I did in the initial post in this thread, my man...

 

Re: Re: A theory on offense re: Skyler Green & Mike Clayton...

Sorry...I missed that line, I guess.

 

Clayton's no decoy--he's being double-teamed a lot this year. And with good reason.

This allows Henderson and Green more one-on-one matchups and those 2 are equally able to make the big catch.