What are YOUR expectations for LSU football?

Not me, I don't care for "Moral Victories" Losses. Auburn does though. I think our team has played some damn good ball. LSU is a Defensive team right now, similiar to 2004. Does'nt look like we will have many "Pretty" Wins. Nobody ever talks about the MSU game, 37-7 speaks for itself I guess, but Russell did hit 21 of 24 passes. Regardless, LSU has beaten 3 Top 20 teams in 6 games, and we have yet to play 1 warmup game.

:geauxtige

 

SF, this staff was left with the complete puzzle pieces and yes, it's their job to put it together.

 

I'm very happy about our NC in 2003. I feel considering nerves and Oklahoma's defense our offense didn't look bad. Our offense has looked good in the past, with Rohan and Matt Mauck, but it's been mediocre at least half of Jimbo's tenure. How can some teams continue to have productive offenses despite a rotation of players and yet we struggle?

I guess you have to look at how many teams do have consistently good offenses. The majority probably don't. Maybe it's too much to expect our offense to be consistently good. You also have to look at the level of competition. USC might not look so hot in the SEC, though the SEC is down this year and doesn't have a dominant team yet. USC might be as good as Florida in their hey-day when they ran over the SEC. Maybe better.

I guess I should try to curb my expectations and not get so frustrated when the team struggles on offense. The bottom line, though, is that they aren't getting it done. Jimbo Fisher doesn't deserve any exorbitant credit this season.

 

Certainly LSU appears to have the talent to challenge for the SEC title, but there is top flight SEC talent on the other side of the LOS as well. I choose to let it play out and then dissect the coaching performance.

Les Miles inherited a team with a young, unproven QB, key losses on defense and 2 hurricanes which wiped out cupcake exhibitions and crucial preseason practice time. Also, injuries to such stalwarts as Broussard, Kuale and Niswanger (played but not at 100%). No LSU team, ever, could be penciled in to the SECCG before the games were played.

 

LSU is playing well on defense, no doubt. Our offense, however, is conservative and ineffective. I'd like to win as much as the next guy, but I feel better losing to a team that has just played an excellent game than winning because we out-talent the opponent. Win or lose, I want our opponent to respect our effort. I want the other team to know we are badasses. Arizona knew in '03. I'm not sure Vanderbilt or Mississippi St this year came away with the same conclusion. Winning is different than exherting our will. Is this team capable of that?

Another thing that reddens my ass is that I really don't understand why a coach would go for it on fourth down close to our own endzone but call a conservative game in other aspects. I respect guts, but if your going to be gutsy in that regard, why not be in less drastic situations.

 

Explain please?

1. Beat ranked ASU on their field with dominating special teams and key offensive production.
2. Dominated Tennessee but lost due to conservative offensive and defensive play. (I'd like to know the coaches reasoning there, but I'm sure they'd love a "do-over").
3. Dominated MSU in all aspects.
4. Defensively dominated Vandy but mistakes kept it close on the scoreboard. At no point did a Vandy win look possible.
5. Overcame 5 turnovers and numerous penalties to beat a ranked Florida team.
6. Overcame a strong Auburn effort to win, including crucial drives after Auburn scores.

The bottom line is they are getting it done.

 

LSU has faced alot of adversity this season: losing Broussard was huge, losing the early cupcakes, dealing with a terrible natural disaster. I am happy to have only 1 loss to date and feared worse.

Addai has played strong as I knew he would, reminiscent of Dommanick Davis his senior year; he hasn't filled the void of Broussard completely but he has run even harder than I thought he could. He has given us enough of a solid running game for it not to be a liability. By this time of the year we have had time to gel, and with our next two opponents we can lay off the cupcake excuse. The effect of the hurricane has lessened with time. This leaves us with only ourselves to blame if we don't finish the season strong.

As for our young quarterback, he has been in the system. I don't think we can use the excuse that he's young without admitting that his progression has been s-l-o-w. All college football players are young. Its not a valid excuse for Russell. What you can say is that he has room for improvement and is physically gifted. I have to get on the receivers, they aren't helping any.

 

The team is getting it done, but the offense isn't pulling their weight.

1. The offense looked good against Arizona St, a team of questionable defensive prowess.
2. We had no substantial drives against Tennessee; we capitalized on UTs mistakes in the first half. UT played much cleaner in the second half and LSU did nothing. Playing for overtime was STUPID. I blame this loss on severely limited offensive production.
3. MSU is one of the worst teams in the nation. Want to like Croom but he hasn't had any success yet.
4. Vandy is one of the least talented teams in the nation with a solid QB and strong coaching. They were severely outmatched talent-wise. We finally put something together, but was it because our offense finally figured "it" out or because Vanderbilt's depth is much less than LSU's. Judging from the Florida game, we didn't figure "it" out.
5. Florida's offense looked hapless. How many times did Leak crumble because he can't run Meyer's offense? We overcame enough mistakes to tranquilize a herd of elephants, but Florida made mistakes as well and looked punchless offensively. They have less talent than LSU and make our offense look fluid in comparison.
6. Two strong defenses locked horns. We came out on top thanks to the talented Skyler Green. We got limited production out of our offense despite eliminating mistakes because we can't play consistently.

Bottom line, our offense isn't pulling their weight - they are not getting it done.

 

It's semantics, actually. The bottom line is the scoreboard, so in that aspect, the team has gotten it done.

Your concern about the offensive production to date is legitimate, but, as Red pointed out, it's just past mid season and we can improve and get even better. If we were 4-2 or 3-3, we could blame the offense, but they have done enough to win.
My biggest reason for optimism is the when, not the how. JR has a refuse to lose mentality that is serving us well.