After reading some posts referencing the Spring Game, I rewatched it last night. First - I'm not a Spring Game fan, per se. I like watching it - A LOT - because it's LSU football, and I watch LSU football practices on the internet if/when they allow them to be posted... However, I don't think the Spring Game is all that useful to determine who will start and who will not. Having said that - some thoughts about our personnel, spurred by watching the Spring Game. QB - I don't remember being this frustrated about QB as an LSU fan. I hope JJ had a great summer and fall. Because he looked really bad for most of the Spring Game. And so did Lee. Yes a couple of dropped balls. Yes the LSU secondary is pretty deep and very good. But holy crap. Bad passes, no passes, pick six. Wow. Honestly, the best QB performance in the Spring Game may have been Chris Garrett. And he wasn't really all that awesome either. RB - COMPLETE OPPOSITE STATEMENT. Holy crap. Ridley is just a guy that works so hard you want him to win. And Mike Ford as a freshman looks like an upperclassman, judging by his vision and refusal to easily be tackled. WR - We all love R. Shepard. How can you not. But he's gotta stop dropping footballs. And I don't see Chris Toliver breaking through (just a hunch), so I honesly think there's a really good chance for an underclassman (a freshman) to break in and maybe Kadron Boone is that guy. We'll see. But LSU needs one more receiving threat. I'm still not impressed with Randle, but I think Jefferson and Lee have more to do with that than Randle, because on occassion, he's shown flashes. OL - much, much better......or our DL is really bad.....I don't really know...... Kicker - Josh Jasper. I hope I don't jinx him, but as good as Colt David was for LSU, I think Jasper is better. And I think both he and Helton are good punters, so kickers are good to go. Return game - I never know what to think. Speed and size don't always matter. It takes vision to be a good return guy and I think Peterson is probably that guy, but we'll have to see. Impossible to tell from Spring Game b/c they were basically 3/4 speed on ST to avoid injuries. DBs. Peterson and Claiborne are great. I have always liked Jai Eugene, and I hope he has a good year at safety. I'm wondering, though, about Craig Loston. He clearly is an outstanding athlete - he was always around the ball. But he just looked really raw, which surprised me. I didn't see a lot of fundamentals - lots of missed tackles, arm tackles, etc. He picked Lee for six, but who doesn't? (sorry - couldn't help myself). I think Loston is going to need another year, maybe not the whole year, but I get the feeling from the little film I've seen that he's not yet stepped his game up. I hope I'm dead wrong. LBs - Kevin Minter is the real deal. I hope Baker has a good year - he's worked his tail off on special teams for two years now - would be awesome to see him break out a bit this year. DL - Not sold on Mingo except in must-pass situations. Actually - not sold on anyone. Keep waiting for Davenport to become a beast, but all is quiet on that front. Adams' stock is high - Montgomery looks like a fighter. I'm unsure of the DTs, though. I like Downs, but it seems like he gets hurt (minor) a lot. I don't know - the DT position just seems wide open to me. OVERALL - I think our offense will be very good (because of OL and RB play) and our defense is going to be disappointing against the run (because of DL play), but really good against the pass. Anyway - talk amongst yourselves - those are my unfiltered thoughts from an otherwise enjoyable time watching purple and gold football last night.
Nice wrap up but I think we will be fine on stopping the run. Remember we were without our top 2 or 3 DTs in the spring game. Nevis and Downs were out and not sure if or who the other was.
Don't remember but didn't Tolliver miss the game or was limited because of his broken hand from the fight in Tiger Land.
I'll say this about the QBs -- going back to Russell, Flynn, Mauck, etc... as far as I can remember, the QBs have always struggled in the spring game. It's very, very hard to succeed against your own defense. They know you and your tendencies way too well. They know the formations all too well, too. With that said, I know the coaches are very pleased with Jefferson's development and Lee's as well. QB play will be improved in the new year.
I think he will improve in that area, but that's why I think he should get alot of carries. He's not a pure receiver (yet), but he is dangerous with the ball in his hands. The easiest way to do this is at RB.
I sorta did that on purpose. I have been waiting for 4 years to see T. Tolliver live up to his potential. I just haven't seen it. Honestly, I think he very well may have a Demetrius Byrd type senior year, especially if the QB play stays iffy. I was really just trying to say that I don't think Chris Toliver is the 5th receiver on this team - I think it's somebody else (the four being Shep, T. Tolliver, R. Randle and D. Peterson).
All great points, and reasons I don't usually like to put much stock in the Spring Game. I still have a feeling about these two QBs, though (and not a good feeling), so I hope the coaches aren't just practicing coach-speak. I'd love it. But I'm bracing myself for another nail-biting passing game...
53 catches, 735 yards as the obvious No. 2 guy? Add 15 catches to that and 200-250 yards to that this year and I'd be OK with that. He's never had his chance to get the majority of the balls before. He's held his own with what he's been given so far, imo.
