Starter Replacements?

I have to say I am worried also if Mauck doesn't return. First, I got big time love for what M. Randall did a year ago in the BlueGrass miracle. However, I will say that he shouldn't start next year unless there is an emergency. I think that if Mauck goes to dental school then we start one of the freshman from the start and let him get his game on in the NonConference starts and hope for the best.

 

Islstl, i predict that Jones might stay at FB and be a receiving weapon out of the backfield while Zinger maybe will be out at TE. If need be he could line up at TE in an audible or something because i think him blocking out of the backfield is one of his better attributes.

 

I think Randall will get more of a look at QB than some think. If Mauck can improve as much as he did from last year to this year, don't count Randall out even though Russell is said to be a once in a lifetime talent and Flynn is reputed to be a more talented Mauck with the same sort of intangibles.

At WR, Hill and Bowe are positioned to step in for Devery and Clayton (if he leaves early, which is not a certainty at all). Did you notice how often Bowe was on the field during the Sugar Bowl? Obviously his blocking has improved during the season, and he could be our next Clayton in light of his size and ability to catch the ball. Hill was pushing our starters before he got hurt, so he is a major league talent.

It is hard to say who will step in for Peterman. McGill and Niswanger are certainly probable options for this position, but one of our redshirt guys may step up in the Spring, and we have stockpiled lots of OL in the last couple of years (Hodges, Dyakowski, Johnson, Arflin, Wibel, etc.).

You have to think Wroten will have a shot at Lavalais' old position, but we have stockpiled some serious DL talent over the last couple of years just like we have on offense.

If Hill leaves, Pittman and Oliver will continue to see lots of PT. Merrill could figure in either at DE or DT, depending on what we need. Look for Brian West and Stewart to contribute as well.

There are lots of contenders for Alexander's LB position, including Hollis, Kuale and Demps. West could move to LB as well, although he played this year on the DL and made some noise there.

Jessie Daniels appears to be penciled in for Hunt's position, but Nick Child should be in the mix. It seems likely that Randall Gay's position will be filled by Prude or Stevenson, but apparently Stevenson has already looked pretty good in bowl practices without even knowing the defense.

What becomes clear as I think through these personnel changes is how much more depth we have now than we ever did in the DiNardo years. DiNardo gambled on academic risks and lost so many players to academics that it was like we were on NCAA probation because only 18 or 19 players would be eligible even if we signed 25 or more. THANK YOU NICK SABAN.

 

There is no way Marcus Randall sees the field at qb next year. I love him because he's a true tiger but he's not a good qb. He has poor pocket presence and no touch. IMHO, Matt Mauck was the weak link on this years team. He doesn't see the field that well, and seems to get tight in the bigger games when the pressure is on. Being out of football for a few years after high school has limited his development somewhat, but he just has never looked that comftorable to me in the pocket, just not a natural qb. It doesn't seem like he has to make a lot of complicated reads because so many of our plays are screens, slants, boot pass to the te or the curl, or play action and go deep(always on first down). That was pretty much our entire passing playbook this year. That limited our offense significantly for lengthy stretches, remember Georgia #1, Ole Miss, FLA, and OU. We were to predictable and the good D's were able to control our O.

I think this theory of not playing a frosh qb is a little overrated. Plus, our guys will each have had a year in the system and if they are as talented as they are supposed to be, they will have no trouble running this offense with our weapons. I think will be able to open up the downfield passing game next year with Russell or Flynn.

Having said all that I'm a huge Matt Mauck fan and have great respect for his game. He brought home the title and forever will be a tiger legend.

 

CA Tiger, ya right on the money.

 

I am just as anxious to see JaMarcus and Flynn in a real game as anybody else but I really hope Mauck comes back. In a year and a half as the staring QB he is 19-2 with an SEC and a National Championship. No- he didn't look very good against OU, especially in the second half but he did play very well against Georgia in the SECCG. Russell or Flynn would benefit from Mauck's presence on the team and its even possible that one of them would take the QB job from Mauck before the season is over but by having Mauck as the starter it would take the pressure off of Russell or Flynn having to win big from the start. Chris Leak became a very good college quarterback but he struggled in the beginning. Unfortunately it was against LSU that he finally gelled as a QB. I know this goes against the grain of scheduling to help the Strength of Schedule but I would like to see LSU schedule a Division 1 cupcake for the opener where the Tigers could put the game away by halftime with Mauck as the starter. Then let Russell play the 3rd quarter and Flynn play the 4th. Let them run the full offense with the rest of the starters even if it results in a 70 point blowout. I'm not saying keep all the starters in but mix them in with the new guys so that Russell and Flynn will have the blocking protection of the starting O Line and have Clayton, Green, Bowe, Amp Hill and Doucet? to throw to and Vincent, Broussard, Addai and Edwards to hand off to.

Do the same for the second game against Houston. Houston should be a better opponent than a first game cupcake but LSU could still be far enough ahead to give Russell and Flynn significant second half playing time. No matter how good JaMarcus might turn out to be I seriously doubt that he would be ready as a first year starter with 2 games under his belt to be the man for the brutal 3 game road streach to open LSU's SEC schedule next year. Auburn, Georgia and Florida in a row on the road. I want Matt Mauck to be starting those games. We will need his experience if we are going to have a chance to win all 3.

 

You just gotta ask yourself, would Randall had made that throw at the end of the first georgia game? No., it would have been a very stiffly overthrown ball.