1. Can LSU run the ball consistently? Im saying yes mainly because of the way Crowton utilizes different players. They get the ball a number of different ways. Most Bama fans do not believe this will happen but I do. I doubt we rush for 200 yards but getting more than 60+ (which is what Bama gives up) is more than a possibility. If we can stay in the game early and not have to abondon the run it is a huge win. I expect Scott to get between 80-110 yards. Guess we'll see. 2. Can we get pressure with a four man rush? A definite yes. Plus JPW is a north/south scrambler and when he goes east/west he generally floats the ball out of bounds like a fairy. Sort of awkward and uncomfortable to watch. This may not have a huge impact on the game if we can not stop their running game. 3. Can we stop Alabama from running the ball consistently? It will be interesting. When Alabama has been at full strength they have moved the ball pretty well. They did well in Knoxville which showed it wasn't a fluke. A lot will ride on what happens on first down, something that Alabama has dominated on the road this year. 4. Can we shoot Alabama in the foot and not ourselves? For example can LSU make big plays in special teams and force turnovers, something we haven't been doing. And obviously not giving away points would be nice. Thoughts?
1. LSU can run on anybody. 2. LSU hasn't put pressure with the front four all year, so i don't see how you can say a definite yes. With the emotion in the stadium saturday, we MIGHT be able to. 3. Mareno killed us with two big rushing plays. Bama has three backs, so that will be tough. 4. The most important key to the game. LSU MUST HAVE ZERO TURNOVERS! And by the grace of God, LSU must get a few of their own.
Yes. We'll double what they are used to giving up on the ground, maybe more. Pressure yes, but we are not getting enough sacks. No, but they won't get their average. Depends on which Jarrett Lee shows up.
That is probable but I don't care if you have 500 yds rushing if you don't cross the goal line Bama has given up more sacks than LSU so you might have an advantage here We have run well against higher ranked rushing defenses than LSU Alabama isn't as one dimensional as some think. Just because our passing stats are very low doesn't mean we are a bad passing team. We are down around #100 but have thrown fewer passes than 100 other teams also but look at our completion ratio and we are higher than about 70 of them. Alabama simply plays a ball control offense. We want this game badly, LSU is probably the only thing between Alabama and an undefeated regular season and LSU is a very big roadblock.
Methinks, thou dost protest too much. 11th in the SEC and 102nd in the country is a poor passing offense. Wilson is going to have to throw the ball effectively on Saturday or LSU can stop the run. Ditto LSU.
My keys: 1. Score early and don't let Bama get in front early. Bama is a quick-starting team this year. They score 108 points in the first quarter and 90 in the second this year. But they drop off to 47 and 37 points in the second half. LSU scores more consistently at 54 - 79 - 69 - 58 per quarter. If it's a close game in the second half, LSU has the edge. Our depth makes us a better 4th quarter team and the game is in our house. If Bama trails badly in the second half, they have a poor passing offense to catch up quickly with. if LSU trails badly we can still throw and pray that we don't throw interceptions. 2. Don't allow Bama any defensive TD's. Take away the J. Lee pick sixes and Florida and Georgia would have been far different games. 3. Throw early and often. Bama gives up over 200 yards a game in the air, almost as much as we do. They can be thrown on. If we can pass the ball effectively, and I think we can, Scott will not have to face an 8-man box. Then we can pass or run the ball as required by the score. Control the ball. Control the game. 4. Fix the secondary breakdown issue. It's now or never Mr. Two-headed Defensive Coordinator. You have to fix the problem this year to save your job and you have to fix it this game to save LSU's season. I know our defensive backs are green, but it's too late in the season for them to be getting caught out of position like they do. The players provide the speed and talent, it's a coach's job to teach them how to play defense.
I say this with some sadness because I like Taylor, but Danny McCray as his backup instead of nickleback may be best for us. Curtis has broken coverage several times and it has cost us. Coleman too for that matter. With Curtis out, Danny seems to know the defense as well as anyone but he is poorly matched against fast rb's in pass defense. He also plays exceptionally well vs the run. We should see this part of the secondary(safeties) tighten up this game. At least I hope so.
We have very few field goal attempts this year. Our red zone play is better then you think. Should, coulda, woulda? Don't start counting your chickens just yet. Here is the Giant killer; Bama is now ranked #1 in the nation. History has shown week in , week out over the last year that #1 is nothing more then a hat rack. Bama has to prove history wrong by not losing one they should have won. Regardless the outcome, Bama falls from #1 this weekend.
My outlook on it is this... If Bama doesn't take a 'comfortable' lead in the first half, LSU wins. Bama has come out flat in the second half in more than a few games this season, and as we all know, LSU isn't the team you want do that against. We'll be able to rush, so will they. We'll pass, so will they... if Bama can't maintain their intensity for the WHOLE GAME, they will be knocked off.
