Well I'm not trying to make excuses but McFadden is a freaking beast! I don't think we were the only team having issues tackling him. I still think he should have won the Heisman that year not Tebow that's just me though. Thanks for the info. Hopefully Haley has more to work with this upcoming year. :tigerhead
The defense needs to be educated on fundamentals and technique. I say sit the entire defensive unit down in the film room and let them watch endless highlights of the 49ers Patrick Willis. The dude never misses a tackle. In 2006 as a senior at Ole Piss he won the Butkus Award. A year later as a rookie with the 49ers he led the NFL in tackles. The coaching staff might want to sit down front. Problem is that textbook tackling does'nt make Sportscenter. Guys just don't wrap up and tackle low anymore. No style points in that. The headhunters make the highlights. Kelvin Sheppard has been a solid consistent tackler this season. His 103 tackles are the most since 2002 when Brady James recorded 154. Still a huge disparity.
To me the issue is this--- You had a defense that spent the majority of the game on the field. One can say it's because they couldn't get the other team OFF the field, but there's another angle there as well The offense. If you hold opponents to 16 ppg, you should be GREAT. Fact is, the offense was bad. Lots of folks brought up '06 and '07 for comparison...and rightly so. The defense was giving up chunks of yardage in certain '06 games, and practically all year in '07...with tons of points to go with it. BUT...the offense was putting major points on the board. We simply outscored everybody. To me, the answer to a better defense is a better offense...in this situation. I don't give a rat's rear end how many yards another team has. That's for Bob Stoops to worry about. He was all upset when a reporter asked him at halftime of the BCSCG '03 about playing LSUs #1 defense. He stated HIS team had the #1 defense. Unfortunately for him...and apparently many here...he didn't realize that the objective of the game is to score more than your opponent.
We also had problems with this against Kentucky trying to wrap up their receivers after the catch. Their QB Andre Woodson was a pure pocket passer and pretty much a statue, but we couldn't get any pressure on him whatsoever. As high as everyone was on Pelini I'm not sold on the idea that his schemes would have continued to be successful, because there were times even in that '07 season where the D just wasn't sharp and was a step behind the opposing offense.
Just 10 wins is all it takes? I want my perfect season and shut out everybody we play :sob::sob::sob::sob::sob::sob:
That's part of the answer. And this year, clearly the Tigers would've had a statistically better D if the offense hadn't been so anemic at times. However, there is another piece. And everyone is nailing it to the wall: Defensive Line. LSU defenses have been anchored by punishingly deep and talented DLs and great safeties. Lately, the DLs have not been up to normal standards. Not poor, but certainly not championship quality.
Yea I would perfer the title of "bad ass hard core defense that doesn't give up points" Just me though. :tigerhead
no joke. i have been thoroughly pleased with the defense. considering how inept the friggin' offense has been, how could you not be pleased? the defense is on the field a LOT more than our offense is, and plus you have to chalk up the State win almost solely to the defense. we held florida to 13 points! if the offense was at least competitive the defense would be a LOT better.
