Ford and Blue taking the bulk of the load at RB, with Magee and Hilliard getting some valuable PT as well. Not a big deal there. Magee or Hilliard can get the carries on short yardage and goal line. Taylor moves over to nickel CB. Loston starts at SS. Ron Brooks to see a lot of PT as well to take over for Simon I suspect. So will this impact the game? Not really. Claiborne and Reid are still in the defensive backfield. Auburn's ability to pass the ball will be hampered by an inexperienced QB along with 2 banged up WRs that might not even play as well as losing a starting lineman for the season in the Florida game last week. If anything, the defense needs to focus on stopping the run. Blue is tearing it up at RB and we already know what we have with Ford. If anything, it gets some players valuable PT they would otherwise have not gotten (Magee,Hilliard,Loston,Brooks). I just hope we don't lose a redshirt over this. In the words of the immortal Officer BarBrady from Southpark, "there's nothing to see here people"
I think we'll be fine personnel wise. RB and DB are two of our deeper positions. But they both provide so much intensity and emotion to our team that I hope we will not start flat without them.
We might see more explosiveness out of the RB position, but maybe less consistency in getting 5-6 yard carries. I thought we would game plan to pass the ball more anyways. Auburn's secondary is weak and it'll give Lee some good rhythm going into the Bama game in case we need him to throw more then. Losing Mathieu is the biggest loss. You take away a guy who is always around the ball, making big tackles, forcing fumbles and intercepting balls. He would have been big in finding and tackling Dyer and McCalebb. Simon is a legit CB but I can't see Auburn really testing our secondary much anyways.
And in case you were worried about us coming out flat... better believe Coach Miles has the team practicing hard and motivated to win after another obstacle like this. Could be a blessing in disguise for our other players to step up and for TM7 to be taken a notch down. I like swagger, but he is getting close to being overcocky.
Any time you lose three starters, it affects the game. LSU is deeper than most teams,but it will be more than a road bump. The worst thing is that Auburn, Alabama, and Arkansas now all think that they can take us. The intimidation factor we have had since Oregon is gone.
This could come into play this weekend. Bama already expects to beat us if you listen to their fanbase. Beating up on Auburn and then beating Bama in Tuscaloosa will easily replace the intimidation factor for Arkansas.
not for a game or two. often times you see a team play better for a short period even if the qb goes down even against top competition. if those teams think they can beat us, their overconfidence will be their undoing.
Loston getting more pt might not be a good thing for auburn. That guy could quite possibly send some receivers off the field on a stretcher. You never want to see an injury, but I love watching him hit people.
If he doesn't stop hitting them with his helmet, they are going to be carrying him off, just as likely.
