If I have one knock against Les Miles (and this is not a Les bashing thread, it's just productive criticism), but if I have one knock on him, it's that I do not think he is a very good Monday-Friday coach. LSU fell behind big tonight and that's now 6 out of 10 games this year (with the only exceptions being Appy State, N. Texas, MSU and Tulane) that LSU didn't really show up to play until about 20 mins or so (sometimes more) into the game. Miles makes up for it by correcting the problems in the gameplan and turning it around in the actual game itself. I just quiver thinking how good LSU could be this year (and last) had they played from the opening kick all of the time. Either way, it's hard to complain when dude wins 11-12 games every year. I'm just sayin' that if there is one thing he needs to fix, that'd be it imo.
Yeah, I hear you. It is tough to not question the coaching preparation and gameplan with the way that first half unfolded followed by an 87 yard drive to start the second half by a team we should really be beating, if not dominating. Especially, when you consider how so many drives began at or around midfield during that time frame- I mean, that was unbelievable how we could not take advantage of the field position on so many series. JLee got going once the playcalling featured his strength, drop back passing plays, which then opened up the running game. JLee looked like he did in the second half against AUB. Definitely, some of it is mental for him, some mechanics, but some is playcalling for sure, IMO. But, also, we started the game throwing a majority of plays, presumably to set up the run, then spent the second qtr running into a stacked d-line, b/c we could not pass. If your desire is to build JLee's confidence, do you not plan to start the game simple by going to your strength, the run, mixed with simple pass plays that feature your QBs strength, drop back passes, and get the whole offense into a good flow and your ailing QB some confidence? Agree, overall, you cannot argue that CLM has won so many games, definitely makes good in game adjustments, and has, of course, won the NC. We do need new leadership on defense, however.
There is no perfect coach. Each will have their strong points, things they are good in and they'll have their weaknesses. Much like offensive and defensive schemes. To be strong in one area you usually have to expose another and take a chance the exposed area isn't....well "exposed". :lol: Coaches are the same way.
I know what you are saying, I've seen the slow starts, too. But that may just be something that happens with a second-half fooball team and LSU has been a second-half team throughout the Les Miles era. Les makes very good haltime adjustments, LSU has been blessed with depth, and is strong in the 4th when other teams have faded. All-in-all, I prefer a strong-finishing team to a strong-starting team.
Sometimes I wish the coaching staff would start making adjustments during the first two quarters instead of waiting for the halftime break.
I've been saying for a while now that I wish Les would just tell the team before the game whatever it is he tells them at halftime... It almost seems like there's not a very well-crafted gameplan going into the game, and that he just waits and sees what the other team is going to do, then adjusts accordingly. I know that can't be the case, but it sure seems that way sometimes. You can only get away with that so many times.
I also think Les needs to take the good guy hat off and start winning with some style points. We had the ball on the 1 in one game and let the clock run out. Put the points on the board imo, the BCS likes style points... and imo when we have the ability to, we need to run the score up and not just be happy with walking away with the W.
I don't find that Les plays the "good guy" all that much. He'll score when he can--and in many different ways (think of all of the fake punts, FG's, etc.) I don't fault what he did against South Carolina this year, however--and as it turns out, style points will mean nada for us this year. As for the general discussion about Miles, I feel like we've seen the most exciting football ever in a span of time at LSU under our current coach. It can be heart-stopping, but Les Miles teams just seem to have no "quit" in them. I'll take that--any day.
