Our Offense and their SLOW STARTS

Re: Our Offense

Flynn is simply not as good as we'd all like. He wins and he may be our best option to win, but we'll have to take the good with the bad.

I was embarrassed that we were stopped on 4th down short yardage by LaTech - not quite the statement that I expected our dominating running game to make. I can also concur that in general, our offense looked less convincing than LaTech's (considering the talent of the squad lining up on the other side of the ball). Did we have any sustained drives? Aside from busting long plays, our offense showed little ability to sustain a drive against a WAC defense.

Even our defense looked human, which I guess they technically are.

We did dominate the game, still, so I suppose maybe LaTech deserves credit for simply playing pretty well (aside from turnovers).

We still had more penalties than we should have.

I expect our game against Ole Miss to look a little less impressive in victory and our game against Arkansas to be another nail-biter. Then we face possibly a very hot Georgia team which will be one of the toughest games we'll play in all season. If we can win out in any fashion we undoubtedly deserve to play for the ball of yarn.

Oh, and special teams coverage.... WTF? :dis: We looked good kicking the ball, which was nice, but coverage..... :huh:

Interesting Stats:
1st downs: LSU 22, LaTech 15
Turnovers: LSU 02, LaTech 05
Penalties: LSU 8/60, La Tech 6/75
Avg kickoff return: LSU 19.0, LaTech 31.8
Time of possession: LSU 28:46, LaTech 31:14
Sacks by: LSU 2/12, LaTech 2/16

Final conclusion: LSU isn't perfect. Maybe I should stop expecting them to be. We'll still be number 1 when the smoke clears today, I believe.

 

Re: Our Offense

Flynn still is throwing into coverage, it looks like. Then after the interceptions he started overthrowing them, it seemed to my untrained eye, to avoid being interceptions.

Not to hijack the thread, but what is up with our special teams? What makes a team good on ST? I don't know much about this and to me it looks like all the teams just swarm up field. How is it that other teams are able to get to the returner and we are not? Is it our scheme or just execution?

 

Re: Our Offense

I have two thougts

1. In these non conference games we start out too vanilla, especially this late in the season. We are being conservative, and the opponent is throwing everything at us. It effects our psyche.

2. Our Psyche. Whether our team wants to admit it or not, we are who we are at this point, and that means we play to the level of our opponent, and only seem to kick it into gear when pushed. It started against USC, and honestly, its human nature.

On a side note, in this game, and Tulane, honestly if Flynn does overthrow or underthrow a couple of long balls in each, we win comfortably early.

:geaux:

 

Re: Our Offense

I attribute the slow starts to the game plans of opposing teams, which have given us their best shot and are trying out ideas they've hatched in a full week of looking at film. It takes a while to settle down, figure out what they're doing, and adjust. Although I don't applaud the way we've played in the first half, and although I had to turn off the TV several times in the last month, I still think we're #1. I think we get every other team's A game and that's just the way it is. And we're going to get the A game from Ole Miss (but I can't imagine that will be a problem) and Arkansas (could be a problem if we're not careful) and certainly from Tennessee or Georgia in the SECCG. We need to keep doing what we're doing and Bo and Gary need to be sharp at halftime to respond to what our opponents think up.

 

Re: Our Offense

Sorry Crip but you act as if we have not played anyone of any importance. This has been happening all season, you are right on that one, but it has happened against La Tech and Tulane, and also against teams such as Florida, Auburn, etc.

I guess I look at what has been going on more optimistically. The fact that we are winning these games despite the slow starts, penalties, turnovers, etc., gives me reason to think that if we come out the gates hitting on all cylinders then you end up with a LSU/Va Tech result. We are that good.

Where would you rather be right now....b*tching about LSU's slow starts and a 9-1 record, or being a Florida fan thinking about what could have been had they played better in the 4th quarter against us?

 

Re: Our Offense

That seems to be what happened in the first half of the game yessterday.

Yet, one hallmark of this year's offense is that they do adjust and play better in the second half, and their resillience. Flynn's an Doucet's injuries early in the season definitely put a damper on the growth of the offense;but now things seem to be coming together with an impressive array of WR's in Doucet, Lafell, Byrd ,Tolliver, AND Dickson. As far as RB's, Hester is consistent and reliable, and Holliday... electrifying! He seems to me that he is doing more and better at cutbacks in his recent games. Keiland , Scott and Murphy to me are work in progress and are coming along as well, each with their own special abilities and relative "shortcomings". Offensive line seems decent. The offense certainly have been able to put up points this year.

 

Re: Our Offense

You hit the nail on the head.

LSU does many things right, but they also do some things wrong. I know LSU can't play perfect ball, no one can. But they can dam sure fix the things that they can control, (i.e. penalties, dropped passes, and discipline).

And your right, if we don't correct them, it just might bite us in the @ss. Right now, anything less than a NC would be a disappointment. LSU is the best team in football this year, HANDS DOWN! But if we beat ourselves, it won't be justified.

 

Re: Our Offense

I think it is just the opposite. We are so talented, that we are confused. By confused I mean we have no clue what to do next. This is a combo of coaching and the players.

We have two weak links, if you call pretty good players weak links, they are Carnell Stewart and Matt Flynn.

Before you start blasting let me finish. Every skill guy we have, is at or near the elite level, except Flynn. He is however a pretty decent college QB. IMO his greatest flaw is trying to keep up with the elite instead of just getting them the ball the quickest and easiest way possible.

Carnell looks like a beast, and plays like a bunny. We gotta get him as pissed at the guy across from him as he was at the refs against Bama. He looks great one play and absent the next. Reminds me a lot of Whitworth his senior year. He played like crap the whole season almost like he knew he was a lock to play in the league the following season. Didn't make much sense to me, but in the end it has worked out for him. However, I see almost no chance for Stewart at the next level.

We are undisciplined and lazy at times, but you would be hard pressed to find an offense with 9 offensive skill guys that will certainly be playing on Sundays all on the same team, and that is not counting Flynn. He has an outside chance as well.

 

Re: Our Offense

I don believe we own the 4th quarter.:milesmic: :geaux: