McCray is a linebacker. That is the problem. I know you want to get your best athletes on the field, but playing them out of position is not the answer. He had some great games before teams caught on to the mismatch opportunity. We never adjusted. Chad Jones should have been playing that spot from the midway point. Cutrera had a tough game. He couldn't get where he was supposed to be all night, and that was with noone blocking him, he just couldn't get to the spot.
So far, I can't really complain with Miles' recruiting efforts, however, defensively we seem to get good lineman and a token DB, but no really solid looking LB. The good LBs we do have are from Saban's recruiting days and will be gone soon, and with whom will their spots be filled with? Cutrera? Sheppard? Riley? I hope the next guy is more of a defensive minded coach and focuses on getting us some LBs that will be good throughout their carreer, ala the James and Faulk (and Jarvis Green) tandem. Other than Chad Jones, who looks great, and Jai Eugene, who looked horrible against KY, who do we have to fill the shoes of Jackson and Zenon or Curtis Taylor if he gets hurt? We're stacked at WR, solid at QB, amazing in RB, good in o-line, but the defense worries me a bit. Our d-line looks like they'll be pretty solid though.
Good points. I also think McCray should be moved to linebacker. He has good instincts for hitting and blitzing, but is not good enough in coverage to play safety. I think he would bring a lot of the same things that Ali brings to the LB spot.
As of right now I think our linebackers and secondary will look something like this next year. WLB McCray MLB Cutrera SLB Riley CB Hawkins SS Jones FS Taylor CB Eugene This assumes Beckwith leaves early. Injuries could be on our side for once and force him to stay.
For all the criticism the defense is getting as a result of the Arkansas loss, I have said it and I will say it until the day I die. The defense did not cost LSU this game; the offense did and it did it in the first half. We should have been at least two touchdowns ahead at the end of the half.
I have been saying the same thing for weeks, not on this board but with a guy I work with who is also an LSU fan. When Hillis caught that fourth down pass McCray was 10 yds away covering a hash mark.:angryfire
I can see your point but the bottom line is if we send the house on that fourth and ten the game is over. No way does Dick have time to complete that pass.
That doesn't look too impressive, but we haven't seen them play much either. Maybe these guys will be breakouts? :shock: What about the Kentucky game or the Ole Miss game? Our red zone defense has been pretty bad. LSU allowed 22 points in overtime last night and 16 against KY. The D has given up almost 1,000 yards in these last two games. In the last 6 SEC games LSU has played, the D has allowed an average of 32.8 points per game. The O is to blame too, but c'mon...
McCray is perplexing. He really was great early in the year, and should be a solid player. He's young, and is playing out of position. Not his fault, as far as I can tell.
Perhaps the fact that he is second on the team in unassisted tackles, more than Glen Dorsey, Ali Highsmith, Darry Beckwith, Tyson Jackson, and Kirsten Pittman? How about the fact that he is sixth in total tackles behind only Steltz, Highsmith, Beckwith, Dorsey, and Pittman? Or, maybe the fact that he is third on the team in sacks behind only Pittman and Dorsey? Perhaps the fact that he is third on the team in fumbles recovered? How about the fact that he is sixth on the team in tackles for loss? Perhaps the fact that he is third on the team in interceptions? Perhaps the fact that he has done all of this while only playing 60% of the total snaps on defense? It sounds like he is playing pretty damn well to me. Maybe Bo Pellini knows a little more about coaching defense then you do? Just a thought.
