Just because Shepard appears clueless as a passer that doesnt mean he cant play. Shepard should have been brought in at RB and WR. It doesnt have to just be QB. Shepard should have had 8-12 touches in this game with his explosiveness. The fact is between JJ and the OL we cant run the ball or pass downfield. This is well established. This means the coaches must find OTHER ways to get the ball in our playmakers hands. I know Shepard is too small and looks like he fumbles too much but still in all he is explosive. Get him in the game as a decoy. Put him in motion to see if the D will flow, then maybe it would help free Scott up the middle. When the same plays have worked against USL, chances are they wont against UF. Yet the coaches were content running them. Eventually you have to change things up. Spread the field and get Shepard involved. His year has been a waste thus far.
'' You can bet your house that Meyer or Saban would have found a role where RS could make a significant contribution to the offense after 6 games
Les Miles is so conservative and so married to his "game plan" that he won't allow himself to deviate from it. RS should be in the game as a receiver or runner or QB for specific called plays BECAUSE he has the winning instinct, he's a playmaker, he is the X factor. He's more like Billy Ezell of the 1958 team, the Billy Kilmer of the Redskins (yeah, a former Saint, too), etc, etc. Why should someone like RS stay on the bench when he is needed on the field? Les would say, "He fumbles". So teach him not to fumble and put his butt on the field-like Trendon, for example. Let's get the most of Reuben, Russell Shepard and some other OMG, FRESHMEN, when they are needed. Both have burned their first year's qualification, so USE THEM!!!!!
I wonder about game planning also. I never played the game and really mainly watch the game as a fan, but I notice these complicated game plans on paper, laminated, that are constantly referred to during the game. I think that to have the whole game plan written out...first series...next possession...third down inside the 10...first down in the red zone...etc...really stifles creativity. It seems that coaches ARE married to these hypothetical scenarios to the point that they can't coach during the game. By that I mean that they can't make their own decision on what to do based on what's actually happening. These game plans seem to be a true script from which no deviation can happen, when they should be outlines or general guidelines that allow for in game adjustments. I bet Russell Shepard never saw the field because of exactly this. His presence in the game, according to plan, was only for certain situations...second down, third possession, between the twenties, whatever...and that situation never presented itself therefore no Russell Shepard. It literally wasn't in the cards. Am I supposed to think that coach Meyer is a genius because He kept Shepard out of the game or am I supposed to think that the LSU coaching staff failed to think outside the box and find a way to put Shepard in as an in game adjustment? I love Boxing because, despite instructions from the corner...The fighters have to go out there and just take it to the opponent or successfully react to what the other guy is dishing out. Usually the guy that wins...is the guy that thinks better on his feet. I'm beginning to think that the LSU coaches aren't good at thinking on their feet.
I can agree with this. I think it was like the Washington game. Florida controlled the clock. There probably wasn't a chance with a scrpit for RS to put some yonder between him and the LOS.
I was at the game and i honestly cant stand miles and our horrible play calling on offense... Our defense did fantastic! Play calling on offense... not so much. We ran trindon once or twice but that was about it. Lafell had one good 20 something yard gain but thats it. WTF is miles doing!!! scott didnt have that bad of a game but people are slowly realizing what i have known for a while... Miles sucks! He is just plainly a bad coach. LSU has soooo many offensive weapons and he isnt using any of them. We threw the ball down field once!!! and on a 3rd and 8 we would throw passes that went only 5 yards! UGH I miss Saben
Disagree. When he signed with USCw, we were near the top of the SEC in scoring and had a highly rated QB waiting in the wings. No one could for see this.
I did play and, later, coach, but never beyond high school and I played back in the early 80s and coached most of the 90s, so I'm now probably horribly out of touch. With that said, we never had much in the way of a formal game plan. It was more, "Oh, crap, that big ole defensive end on the left is freaking fast. We better go to the right" or "Hey, that kid playing safety can run like a deer and hits like a ton a bricks. Let's not throw much tonight, ok?" From that we (when I was a coach and the coaches when I was a player) called plays and saw what worked. You know, something like, "Well, let's try that counter trey. Hey, eight yards. Write that one down, coach, we're coming back to it." I guess what I'm trying to say is that I entirely agree with you. The way I learned the game is that you run a play and if it works you go back to it. You use your best players and if you've got more best players than you can fit on the field at one time, you rotate them in and out. I don't know if you read the Tuesday Morning Quarterback on ESPN's Page 2, but one of his recurrent themes is that big time college and pro coaches try to make what's essentially a simple game and what should be fairly intuitive play calling into something mystical that only a very few can truly understand. That way, they can justify their huge salaries. I think I'm starting to agree more and more with him. :geauxtige:geauxtige:geauxtige
