WIth our current position as a team with a weak QB position I feel it's only sensible that we establish ourselves as a hard-nosed running team. Our OL needs to start taking on the identity of tough guys that will knock you back and talk trash while doing it. I think if we can establish this then the rest (passing and designed QB run plays) will be a heck of a lot easier. I said this after the Spring Game. It was obvious that the quality of our QB pos. would drop off drastically. I really thought that the strategy of Jimbo's offense would be centered around the running game. I knew that Jimbo's "O" never ran the ball much in the past but I still thought he'd adapt to what he had. Not the case in the VT game but I think I'm seeing a team that is coming to grips with reality. This is not to say that we won't pass the ball at all this year. I think we will. I'm just saying, run the ball until we get good enough to start passing primarily and running secondarily. Geaux LSU Fighting Tigers !!!!!!!!!!
A strong run game would go a long way in helping Mauck. A couple of things that might help establish it are: 1: Don't run up the middle every time. I think that the play calling in our running game is very predictable and has been since Jimbo took over. The difference is that last year we had the weapons to pick up 3rd and long, and we had to frequently, and our running game played off of the passing game so the LB's didn't always play run first. It will be different this year. 2: I think we need to use a true fullback, but using Addai there may be more effective. Time will tell Hopefully we see the same improvement over the season as the last 2 years.
Offensive Schemes Coach Saban indicated, on his radio show the other night, that this team would change its philosophy from passing to set up the run to run to set up the pass. He also said it wasn't the play it is lack of execution. I don't think it is precictability of the play calling by Fisher. I think it is lack of execution by the entire team. If you watched the Marshall game last night you saw that Leftwich had all night to throw the ball. Mauck had to run for his life. Toward the end of last season LSU went about five games without giving up a sack. The OL was playing well together. I don't think LSU has the experienced depth to just plug in new OLman when one leaves or is injured. In the LSU vs VT game it appeared that backs were trying to run through the wrong hole. The OL and TEs were missing their assignments and leaving mauck to run for his life. I saw, on one play, Demetri Robinson block out and the VT DE ran to the inside and no one touched him until he reached Mauck. In addition to all the obvious mistakes, blocks in the back, dropped passes, and fumbles, it's the WRs running wrong routes, missed assignments, and hesitation because of being unsure of assignment that is killing us. I think this hesitation is killing the passing game, throwing off the timing of the routes. It probably is Mauck as well as the receivers.
I absolutely agree... We have some of the best RBs in the nation and (supposedly) a great O-Line. Let's run it until they stop it. I know that's "old school", but I think that we should have run more against VT and tried to wear them out.
