Also - Russell has the single game percentage record for LSU. I don't feel like looking it up, but its like 91%, 20 of 22 or something like that. Some sort of accuracy. Also, overlooked on the Flynn vs Russell debate. Please, Please don't forget the entire defense. Answer me how many yards did Miami gain in the entire second half? Any QB will look good when the defense doesn't budge. It's going to be interesting this spring and summer.:lsup:
I agree, to a degree, but for Flynn (our backup!) to dominate the #1 ranked pass defense with 200 yards and 2 TDs shows more than just good defense. If anything, LSU's defense was well rested every time they hit the field because the offense kept the ball moving. This was because of the run game AND the passing game.
Oh, I agree. I just don't want the defense to be forgotten because of the QB talk. This was the best team effort I have seen in some time, and the various components of the team all played together. That being the Defense getting Miami off the field, the Offense scoring 8 times and keeping the ball allowing the defense their rest, and the special teams were just special this game.:lsup:
Was it just me, or did this game remind you of the 2003 season? Man, I haven't been that stress-free in a while. Our last couple of bowl games haven't gone to well, with losing to Iowa St., in that fluke bomb, and a couple years back losing to Texas pretty bad. We showed we could hang with the best. Another thing... We looked so rested and ready, hitting on all 22 cylinders. can you imagine if we had a bye week or two somewhere down the line? I mean, 12 weeks straight of football takes it's toll on the body AND the mind. I think we could have beaten Georgia and finished off Tennessee if we had byes. I know it's too late, but Katrina did us wrong, man...
...........and that helped to keep the Miami defense honest with the additional threat. Flynn's execution was also near flawless. I also watched the game again closely. Addai was just awesome, fast and powerful. Hester also had a great game and so did the O line. It was definitely a team effort which was very satisfying. The Miami D just had no answers as the LSU offense annihilated them.The D was stellar and solid, reminiscent of the 2003 team (close 2nd). ________ HONDA CD250U
so what! mf had several batted down which has nothing to do with accuracy. he also threw several away---something that has taken jr two years to learn (sort of). i cant think of a bad throw mf made against UM. certainly there were differences between the bowl games and other games of the season (specifically the seccg), but even with great protection jr was often off. atleast for one game, mf was as on as a qb can be--even with defenders in his face.
This is a nice problem to have. Right now, you cannot count out any of our QBs for next season. Nobody knows how good Perrilloux will be, but we all know that he's got all the potential in the world. He has used his redshirt & will get some situational playing time next season. People that doubt Russell's leadership aren't paying much attention. He has one hell of a winning percentage as the starting QB & has brought the team back for a few come-backs. He doesn't make as many mistakes as people think he does - he has been consistent all season with few errors. Flynn - wow. One hell of a game. This certainly puts into perspective how close this QB race should be. HOWEVER, as I said in another thread, Flynn is getting too much credit. The Oline, RBs & WRs all played much, much better for this game making the QBs job much easier. Was it just because Flynn & not JR was the QB??? Hell no. It was the rest the team got. We got our guys healthy & they got the mental break they desperately needed. If Flynn were truly the reason for the team playing better, then they would have played better for him during the SECCG. There were other factors for this bowl game that really made the difference.
Matt Mauck didn't have great stats. But he lead the team to victories. Matt Flynn didn't have great stats, but he played much better than Russell played at any point in the season. Consistent and solid. LSU doesn't need a quarterback who is capable of winning the game on his own, LSU needs a quarterback who can distribute the ball, a pointguard. Having a mobile quarterback is just an added boon. Russell hasn't been that QB all year, other than showing flashes of greatness. We don't need flashes, we need consistent radiance.
Miles salvaged the season and won favor in my eyes. I did notice a little more showboating this season. I hope that Miles can continue to recruit well, but that means quality individuals, not just very talented players of questionable intelligence / moral fiber. Aside from that, Miles has to prove himself in the same way any new coach would, being an uncertain commodity. It's hard to know after one good season, especially considering that we only looked dominant against a solid opponent in one game. This was a great season, though, no matter how you cut it. Fatigue likely weighed heavily on the team, along with overcoming the distractions early in the season.
The whole team was rested and played better, but I feel more confident in Flynn because: 1) He can run. Instead of losing 20 yards a sack, he can gain 20 yards on a run when that option is open. Russell has run in the past and Flynn did take at least one sack, but I think the obvious advantage goes to Flynn. This is also an advantage to the offensive line because the defense has to respect an additional threat. 2) He doesn't rifle bullets, making the receivers job easier. The receivers who struggled all season suddenly can catch? I doubt it's because they like Flynn better or because they are more rested. This is just speculation, but it has to be given serious consideration. 3) He can see the field better. How many times does Russell hit middle range passes in the face of pressure? Those passes were strangely absent all season until Matt Flynn started his first game. How many times did Russell dump off a short pass just for the receiver to get clobbered instantly? How many times did Flynn get a receiver destroyed? I can give Russell the advantage when it comes to physical ability, but I will add that Russell is usually good for one deep completion per game. Which is what Flynn had against Miami, and while it may not have been a perfectly perfect pass, it was good and not much worse than Russell's average long pass. And while Russell may have a better completion percentage, keep in mind that he was throwing alot of high percentage, low risk passes, and our passing game was never a consistent threat throughout the season. So efficient passing is not necessarily equal to effective passing. As far as the CC game goes, Flynn came in to helm a demoralized, tired team. Its not quite fair to judge him on that. I'm glad no one has made the argument that Miami wasn't up to play in this game but LSU was. Miami may be a big name in college football, but you better believe LSU has become a big name too. This was one of the most publicized bowls of the season, and Miami was as excited as we were.