I'm in Banff, didn't see the game, but if JL didn't get significant minutes, then I"m getting off the Les bandwagon. I have been a supporter of his since he got here, I think this is significant for me. You don't get judged for winning 10 games with this talent, only for winning the west. Gotta beat Bama and or Fla. I don't see it right now.
Can't argue with that. And beyond that, Les may well have some other explanation I would accept later in the season if he does later make a QB switch. On the other hand, Les would be wise to give serious thought to not tying his job to JJs performance. If Les backs himself into a corner...would be a shame. If later in the season the JJ experiment blows up and the football team is in crisis mode and then Les has to start Lee against one of the top teams, with Lee having had little playing time prior to that...we'll that would be throwing Lee to the wolves a second time and I will not be quick to forgive that. Remember, Lee got thrown into the fire his freshman season with the weight of the world on his shoulders. And making it even worse for Lee must have been knowing there was no viable backup on the sideline. So on top of all the pressure heaped on him was the knowledge there was no other option and it was all on him. Wasn't fair to him then and is NOT NOT NOT the model LSU wants to present for "how to develop a QB." I'm not a Les basher and dont want to feed that crowd any bones, but Les could have handled the QB situation better in 2008. Les should have known the Ryan Perriloux story might end in disaster and so he should have had a better contingency plan in place than starting a very green freshman QB. That was the worst mistake of Les's LSU career and one the LSU program still hasnt fully recovered from.
When your trying to bring JJ back slowly, with only 16 passing attempts, how could they have really tested Lee realistically? Look, at this point it really doesnt matter whos QB, we just need better play calling..
It seems to me that we are running on running downs and passing on passing downs. 5 field goals with the field position we enjoyed all night long is a huge concern of mine.
More than anything, I have to attribute the plethora of field goals--which irked me, too--on some ultra-conservative playcalling at key moments. We were NOT throwing the ball downfield, and we simply MUST start to do this. I cringe at how little Randle and Tolliver are used. And Shepard dropped a key first down and a TD.
I cannot for the life of me understand why a coach would not want his backup QB to have some meaningful playing time. It's football, players can and do get hurt. I agree with building JJ's confidence, but not at the expense of Lee. If something happens and Lee has to come in and play and is not ready, Coach Miles has only himself to blame.
+1 Les is setting Lee up for failure. Not a question of if he'll need to come in this year, it's when. Sooner or later, JJ is gonna get dinged on one of those tuck and runs. After last year, I fear Lee is a bit of a head case with his confidence blown to hell. Can't believe Les is not preparing him. His first significant playing time does not need to be against 'Bama or Arkansas. JJ has been mediocre at best. JL needs to be ready.
