Well, they won't be official stats or plays that count, but they are all we have to go on right now. OFFENSE 1. Kickoff return. Jackson makes a short return of 22 yards. Never really got a chance to turn on the speed, but he looks to be the #1 return guy. 2. Fournette off right tackle for 2. Harris hands to Fournette who follows left guard Clapp who pulls right. But McNeese overloaded that side. Boutte, Alexander, and Gordon absolutely sealed the inside, but Jeter was left blocking two men outside. Clapp blocked into an inside hole instead of going out to help Jeter and the hole collapsed for Fournette. Maybe Harris should have been checked out of the play when he saw Jeter having to block two men. Or...maybe Gordon should have taken one and left Alexander, Clapp, and Boutte to block inside. 3. Fournette off left tackle for 9. Both guards pull left and Fournette follows. Clapp and Gordon seal the outside, Hawkins and Pocic seal the inside and Boutte demolishes a linebacker in the hole to spring Fournette for a first down. The big new guard is quick and he can pull, he is not just a road grader. Fournette waited for his hole and ran hard through it. Good play. 4. Jackson jet sweep right for 4. Harris hands to Jackson who runs down the line to the H-back side. Jeter doesn't get a clean key block on the safety and Alexander cannot get to the outside backer who comes in unblocked. Teams will look for the jet every time a guy with sub-4.3 speed is in the game. This play will work with better execution and if they also send Jackson downfield enough that the defense must respect it. Big Ethan Pocic was five yards beyond Jackson going downfield looking for a cutback block. We will see this play again. 5. Swing pass left to Guice, loss of 4. Fournette out, Guice and Broussette in the pro set. Ferguson whiffed his block and the DB dropped Guice for a loss. Freshman receiver has to be able to block to play at LSU. Defense saw this one coming as soon as Guice went into motion, at least the cornerback did. He shrugged off Ferguson and blew up the play. 6. Incomplete pass to Dupree. 3rd and 10 with four receiver going downfield. Pass blocking is excellent, Harris has time but is late getting a very long pass away to Dupre who was open. Dupre had to slow down for a short ball and allow double coverage to catch up. Bad timing by the quarterback, who was given plenty of time by his O-line. 7. Punt. A halfback whiffed a block that almost got the punt blocked, but Keehn launched a 66-yard boomer that landed at the 5 and bounced into the end zone. Still a 46-yard net. Keehn could be an All-SEC punter this year. I didn't get the halfbacks number but we probably won't see it next week anyway. DEFENSE 8. Defend right sweep, loss of 1. The offense power sweeps right but LSU is fast and strong to the outside forcing the sweep wide where Tolliver reads it instantly, drops his receiver, and tackles the ball carrier. Tolliver starts the first defensive play of the first game in his college career and forces a loss. 9. Safety blitz, loss of 6. Jefferson telegraphed a safety blitz and had to hold up but went unblocked anyway and sacked the quarterback. SEC defenses would have picked up that blitz, Jefferson will have to be more wily, but he is fast and strong. 10. Pass defense, gain of 8. With all the defensive backs in deep coverage, Beckwith was slow to pick up the running back slipping out into the flat after blowing past Jones. The linebackers will see this play until they stop it. 11. Punt. Out of bounds, no return. White was back to receive but had no opportunity. So . . . Harris had 50% passing, which is not bad . . . nor good. Fournette averaged 5.5 yards, which is good. Offensive line run-blocked and pass-protected very well. Defense looks fast. Offense looks fast. Lots that we don't know. No receiver caught a pass. No defensive linemen made a tackle. No defensive back had to defend a pass. We don't know who is kicking off yet.
Very good, accurate and in depth breakdown of an extremely few plays. 6 and 10 concern me. The timing on the play to Dupree was horrible. That's what you use early non conference games to improve. SEC play isn't when you iron out those wrinkles. Still many questions and few answers.
I like the fact that we sent Ricky Jefferson on a safety blitz early. Tells me Steele and company aren't a team that is just gonna sit back and let the offense just take yards. They are going to have to earn them. You're right about telegraphing it though, gotta get better, love the call though.
Agressive defense from the line and I agree, LB's need those reps. Not enough to tell if we adjust in a game though. Gonna be the longest week ever waiting for the bells. Finally, Mike gets in the fuggin trailer and a gd game gets called? Something just totally bizarre about that.
Nice analysis. I didn't know who #86 was until I read your analysis, but I remembered he (Jazz Ferguson) whiffed on that block on the bubble screen. No point even running that play if the receivers aren't gonna block. The other thing that surprised me was that Darrell Williams #34 was back on the kickoff. He doesn't strike me as a return man. Maybe the point is for him to block, but I anticipate teams will start directing the ball to him if he is back there. He strikes me as more of a TB/FB hybrid that you would use in short yardage than a return man.
Only 5 plays on offense and 3 plays on defense. A punt and a kickoff return. And 5 true freshmen were not only starting, but involved in plays. Tolliver, Guice, Jackson, Broussette and Ferguson. That means their freshman mistakes are still ahead of them and we will see it this year, heaven help us. But the future looks bright. And it does mean that last years recruiting class has already paid off in a big way.
Great analysis of all the plays. I didn't like the play calling. I knew where the ball was going on all the run plays. I wasnt sure what the play was with the two freshman in a split backfield, however it was so easy to spot. I think Fournette should have stayed in. If you're going to run you have to establish your stud back. As for the third down pass play, Harris missed out on a TD. He has to have better recognition. He looked a bit nervous. I like what we seen from the D. They looked quick to the ball. I like the aggressive play calling. I hope the front four can get a good push though, McNeese held them up pretty well on the third down play. Overall far from enough to sample. This was a game Harris and the coaches really needed to work out some kinks before Miss State. Hopefully they come ready to play saturday.
You don't expect to see a well oiled machine from the first series of game one and we didn't. Six offensive plays don't tell us a lot. I expected Guide and Brossette to get significant playing time but not that early in the game. I would rather have seen Fournette get the brunt of the work on the opening drive mixed with a few short safe passes to more experienced players than Guide. Establish early dominance over a lesser opponent and then, assuming the game continued to mix in the freshmen 1 or ,2 at a time rather than putting Fournette on the bench. Was good to see no penalties but there weren't enough plays to determine whether that trend would continue. I also wanted to see Harris get a game under his belt before another start in a hostile SEC road environment.
I'm okay with RB by committee, it saves legs and keeps them fresh, but I've always wanted Les to allow them to develop a rythym. Changing them almost every down or so doesn't do that.
Good thread, Red. I only remember one failed block, first play or two, coming toward the camera on end or LB. Fournette's second run looked good.
