The following all played: Greg Shaw at LT, Karnall Hatcher - special teams, Ryan Baker - special teams (any LB?), DeAngelo Peterson - not sure? Patrick Peterson - CB (any special teams?) Jordan Jefferson didn't get into the game, which surprised me. It looks to me like he's going to redshirt.
Five players – Tremaine Johnson, Hawkins, Coleman, Eugene and Chad Jones made their first career starts on defense. Two players – Hatch and Barksdale – made their first starts on offense. Six true freshmen – Patrick Peterson, Deangelo Peterson, Baker, Hatcher, Brandon Taylor and Shaw – played in the game. Ten redshirt freshmen – Brooks, Ridley, Joseph, Russian, Lee, Phelon Jones, Blackwell, Dworaczyk, McCoy and Hebert – made their first career appearances.
We started in a nickel defense to start the game? That's the only way Chad Jones would have started in the game. I can't remember now.
I found that odd also. It seems that even when we've started games in the dime before they announce the starters as being the base 4-3... I guess that the announced starters aren't the same as the "record book" starters.
Peterson did play special teams, and I don't remember Baker getting any LB time but he was certainly obvious on special teams. I disagree that JJ's absence means he gets a RS. I think Miles said he wants his debut to be a good one, and when he's ready. I take that at face value and say Miles wants to wait until North Texas to get JJ in. Two reasons. First, it gives AH and JL more time under center - they both need it. Second, it gives JJ a chance to practice for two more weeks after having some Tiger stadium under his belt. He'll still be nervous and wet behind the ears, but at least he'll have seen the stadium full of people a couple of times and heard the crowd noise. I expect JJ to burn his redshirt this year, regardless of Hatch and Lee's health. LSU will need him available and with snaps under his belt in October and November.
I always felt that we played more of a 5-2 defense as our base package anyway. Seems like we always have a guy who could be either a LBer or Safety starting.
