Does anyone have any opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of the LSU football team for the upcoming season? All I know is that they lost their quarterback and he is being replaced w/ Matt Mauck. Is Mauck any good?
The only two weaknesses, I think, are depth concerns at two positions: QB and DL. The loss of Davey is a huge loss, but I think Mauck has the smarts and maturity to handle the position. He won't pass for 3000 yards, but he can tuck the ball and go if his receivers aren't open and gives us the option, something we haven't had since the Herb Tyler days. Since the backup, Marcus Randall, went down in the spring game, Tennessee QB Casey Clausen's brother Rick is currently the backup. *Note: Rick is nowhere near his brother in talent.* LSU did get a transfer from Cerritos (Calif.) College, Michael Harrison who was successful at his small school, but QB is definitely a concern, especially if Mauck goes down. The DL lost several key players to the draft and will rely on youth like Marcus Spears and Marquise Hill to fill the void. I do think that LSU still has one of the best DL's in the SEC, though. The biggest strengths come at RB with Toefield coming back, Domanick Davis looking to improve on his SEC Championship and Sugar Bowl performances, and Joseph Addai, a super-speedy redshirt freshman. The defense is improved despite losing some team leaders in Howard Green, Jarvis Green, Ryan Clark, and, of course, Trev Faulk. The DB positions are deeper and better. Damien James will be a great replacement for Clark, and LSU has a bevy of really good LBs looking to take Bradie James' place at OLB. Bradie James moved to Faulk's position and will show that he is one of the top players in the country (he is a pre-season All-American). And a huge strength LSU has is in special teams. We have two veteran and confident kickers in Corbello and Jones. Domanick Davis is considered to be one of the top punt returners in the nation. Finally, the kickoff and punt coverage is one of the tops in the nation because Saban puts his fastest and best tacklers, regardless of being a starter, on the field for coverage.
Mauck Despite what the media might say about mauck, I saw Matt Mauck play in the Georgia Dome v/s Tennessee. He has an arm and he hasn't had a chance to really use it yet. These first few games will show us all. The good thing is that he can scramble out and throw on the run. Things on offense are probably going to be a little bit better than the media will foretell. Don't forget he scored 2 touchdowns against one of the nation's best defenses in that game against Tennessee and I know he made some good throws when he had too......... Brandon
