I saw a great quarterbacking performance last night, and I also saw a nasty habit...

Matt Mauck had his best day as an LSU Tiger yesterday, throwing for 300+ yards for the firs time ever, and threw 4 touchdowns, which I believe is either a career high or ties a career high.

I also saw Michael Clayton catch 11 passes. I saw Devery catch 6, and Skyler grab 5. Not that Clayton doesn't deserve 11 balls, but Mauck continually went to his well. Over and over. Without looking at other targets, it seems.

When Clayton went out, it forced Mauck to look elsewhere in the passing offense. As a result, Skyler Green and Devery afterwards grabbed three scoring tosses. Thankfully, when he was forced to look elsewhere, he did, and he did it well.

One of my questions about him was his ability to challenge a team vertically and hit our speedy wideouts on deep routes in stride and with accuracy.

He answered the last of my questions with last night's performance...

Did anyone else notice his reliance on Clayton? I thought at the outset that perhaps they were even trying to pad Clayton's stats...

 

Well. Interesting thought, but Why not get it to Clayton. Remember Josh Reed.

Clayton without question is one of the top 3 players in the SEC. I say if the opposing team is stupid enough to leave him open get him the ball as much as possible.

What Mauck needs to do is check out of Clayton when teams start double teaming him.

 

Well, it's a given that we need to put the ball in our playmaker's hands. Clayton is numero uno on our playmaker list, of course. But, being multiple in our offensive ball distribution is a microcosm for our basic offensive principle of being multiple in its looks and its "touches".

Distribute the ball to as many playmakers as possible, because they are ALL gamebreakers.

I guess the beef I see is that one day, there will come a time when Clayton IS covered. When he's blanketed. When Mauck will be FORCED to proceed through his progression past him. Last night was a nice display. Even though he DOES sit on Clayton on his reads, he CAN when forced to go elsewhere.

I'm just hoping that we don't cost ourselves turnovers because of him "Herb Tylering" on Clayton on each passing down. Safeties are going to pick up on that, as well as defensive coordinators.

 

Hey it is called football and in football you take your hits. Clayton seems to hit more than he gets hit though.

 

Clayton is the playmaker and you want you most talented guy with the ball in his hands so he can make plays.

 

he's a freakish WR who gets open and catches anything. there were many times that Reed had half of Rohans passing yards (incredibally...i think the record setting bama game was one of them).

as long as he's not throwing INTs...then...im cool with it

 

Hey, as good as Henderson and Carey may be Clayton is a special talent at WR and he is going to catch more balls than anybody else. Whats wrong with that? Joe Montana threw more passes to Jerry Rice more than to anybody else and it worked out pretty good for the 49ers.

 

You just don't want teams stacking up against Clayton, putting him out of games. But if he is open, get him the ball . . . eventually teams will come around and other WRs will get more open looks.

 

We can seat here an discuss if Mauck is doing this and that and whatever esle..........All I care about is that Matt is winning football games............Granted Mauck has not been tested this year by a top not football team...........I will not give my opinion of Mauck until after the UGA game, but if we win the game I don't care how bad or good Matt looks, as long as that kid keeps getting W's for LSU....... he is alright with me!!! As far as Michael Clayton goes, Bech will be back holding kicks this week and if he wants to play special teams let him because his DIRT NASTY when it comes to hitting returners on kick returns............Well there's my 2 cents!

GEAUX TIGER AND MATT KEEPING GETTING W's

FONTE