Even with a new DC I think tackling fundamentals needs to be addressed to great detail. I remember playing ball, and if we missed a tackle or blew coverage... practice wasn't any fun for us. We learned to correct ourselves in games real quick.
Interesting you should point that out. I too have noticed a glaring deficiency in tackling, and not just blown coverages, position, or arm tackles, but also another disturbing trend in our secondary. They ALL tackle the upper body, and consequently get drug for extra yardage, until another 2-3 of them show up. Anyone else notice this? Probably the most infuriating part of every game I have watched this year. They must all think they are Laron Landry bringing the wood. I have no idea why this is taking place but will drink to the day that it disappears.
I've seen it all season long and maybe it's because I was there but I noticed it more in the Ole Miss game. Seemed like everytime we made a tackle we basically jumped on their backs piggy back style and rode them until others helped knock them down. Not typical LSU tackling we;ve seen in the past. But it's definately something that should be addressed.
After the Georgia game, Les Miles said that our D was suffering from poor tackling and poor coverage. Also, both Mallory and Peveto have been position coaches for the LSU D since 2005... and they apparently did a good job of teaching tackling to the last 3 teams we had... unless of course you think that was all Pelini.
And they apparently have done a poor job of it with this team... unless of course you think the players are just doing it on their own without the coaches calling them on it during Sunday film studies.
Peveto and Mallory were the LB coach and DB coach from 2005-2007. We didn't have problems with tackling from 2005-2007. Maybe it was because Pelini was the only one showing players how to tackle from 2005-2007, or maybe its because our starters on this team just aren't up to par with the ones from 2005-2007.
Right now, it is 2008, and we are currently recruiting a class of 25 or so to come here in 2009. Right now, Miles has already gotten 20 or so recruits to commit to LSU for the 2009 class. If Miles leaves at the end of the season, those guys are still guys Miles and his staff got to commit to LSU for 2009. At this point in 2004 (when Saban was coach), I assume Saban had most of the 2005 recruiting class committed to LSU as well. The 2005 recruiting class is currently our seniors and our redshirt juniors. In other words, didn't Saban recruit the majority of the seniors and redshirt juniors on our team?
In response to the tackling issue that 5 or so of you people have brought up in this thread: Is the poor play of our QBs a reflection on our offensive coaches or a reflection on our QBs themselves? I know plenty of people who are currently saying that Crowton might be better at offensive scheming than Jimbo Fisher, but that he can't develop QBs like Fisher can. But Crowton has coached seven quarterbacks who have gone on to be selected in the NFL Draft, including two that finished in the Heisman vote. As for Mallory, as DB coach he helped LSU to a No. 3 national rating in pass efficiency defense for three straight years. He was the DB coach for several LSU DBs that got taken in the Draft. At Maryland, he was the DB coach for Lewis Sanders (4th round Draft pick) and at Indiana he was the DB coach for two DBs taken in the NFL Draft -- Lance Brown (5th Round) and Eric Smedley (7th Round). Mallory himself was a four-year letterman (meaning he got playing time each year) at DB at a powerhouse Michigan team, as well as team captain, second-team All-Big Ten, and honorable mention All-America defensive back. His dad was a head football coach for BCS conference football teams (the winningest head coach in the University of Indiana history, also the head coach at Colorado) and both his brothers are football coaches with NCAA/NFL experience). I think the guy knows how to teach tackling. As for Peveto, as LB coach he was the one that coached Ali Highsmith. Before LSU, he didn't coach at any major school that got decent talent like Mallory did, but like Mallory, he was a four-year letterman DB in college, team captain, and is the son of a football coach and has two brothers who are football coaches. I think the guy knows how to teach tackling.
My grandson played YAL football this fall and that's the genesis of poor tackling. The proper techniques aren't taught at that early age. It continues on to high school, college, and the NFL. Everybody is a head hunter and they want to make the big hit that will get them on ESPN for their 15 seconds of fame. o:
