Originally posted by TigerEducated
Russ, I'm with you...the votes of no confidence in Randall are pure poppycock, and if anything, it DOES show that people here clearly like LSU, but DISLIKE LSU football players.
It's a sad and tired horse, but Randall and Mauck are no further apart than experience. Randall was CLOSE to the starting job when he blew out his knee in the spring before his sophomore year in the spring game. Everyone who is close to the program KNEW that Saban was disappointed that neither distanced themselves.
He blew his knee out, and Mauck got the benefit of the off-season, and the fall camp. He was the starter, and he was allowed to mature into a role against inferior competition. The Citadel, MofO, and MSU were not "staunch" competition, and Mauck got to grow in those performances and get comfortable at the controls.
Witness the horrible 4-12 performance in which LSU shut DOWN the passing game in the first half of the MSU game last year. Mauck had the worst passing day of any quarterback in modern LSU football history. FACT.
What happened? Mauck struggled, but perservered, overcame adversity, and began to click. Finally, he became the excellent QB he now is in the UF game...But, he got hurt, and the rest is history.
Enter Marcus Randall. There are no Citadel's for Randall. No Swiss Cheese Defense in MofO. No putrid Moo U's to play. There is no time to help him gel with his offensive teammates, and the continuity is lacking, and tangible.
You also deal with the loss of LSU's best player on defense last year, outside of Bradie James. Damien James-when he left because of his inability to stay away from the "dozure"-was the key cog in our defense. We lost him after South Carolina. It showed, and ANYONE who says our defense didn't decline in performance because of this has an alternate agenda, or simply didn't keep up with the season...
So, we have an offense adjusting to a new quarterback, a defense losing the guy that calls ALL the defensive checks and sets, and overall, a team that lost two of its top 3 or 4 leaders on either side of the ball.
We also ran into the HEART of our conference schedule. Auburn remembered us rooking them for the SEC West the year before. They had us at home, with a chip on their shoulder. Then, we went up against Alabama, who remembered the record setting performance and the absolute pistol-whipping we handed them AT HOME the year before.
We played a flawless game on offense against Arkansas, and the player of the game on CBS was Marcus Randall. FACT. He was RESPONSIBLE for giving us the lead...
Another defensive back was responsible for not allowing anyone deeper than he was. He didn't do it, and the rest is history?
Notice a difference here? I didn't mention his name, even though I and others know it, but we don't make a habit of BASHING players who don't deserve it.
LSU handed it to Texas in the 1st half...If you ask what cost LSU the most in the 2nd half, it would be the IV that got put into the throwing arm of Marcus Randall at halftime...Ever felt what it's like to get an IV in your arm after you get it taken out?
I've donated blood and plasma and had an IV before, and they ALL make your arm numb. There have been MULTIPLE trainers say that the IV went into Randall's throwing arm...Could THAT be a reason for the Texas 2nd half performance?
The bottom line is that we had a MUCH tougher schedule for Randall to adjust to. We had a MUCh less potent defense, and we had MANY more inspired teams playing us with Randall at the controls in comparision to Mauck...
Please, someone refute ANY of this information...
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