I didn't get to see the game but saw his stat line and it said he had an int. What happened there? Tip ball? bad throw? WR not where he thought he would be?
Tipped ball, the ball was on the money. He also had a fumble, the DL came in almost unblocked. But like I said, Mett looked real good, he will be going against Jake Locker( LSU played him when he was at UDub). Locker has missed 14 games the last two seasons, due to injuries. Mett could be called on early. Also on the team are a couple more former Tigers, Lavar Edwards( Who had a TFL) and Al Woods.
I got my football autographed by the O-line yesterday. They are a pretty stout looking group. What surprised me was how tall Grimes is. I shook his hand and he stood up. I'm 6-2 and dude dwarfed me. I told him glad to have him aboard. Very nice guy and I noticed everyone he spoke to he was very engaging in the conversation. Great to see that kind of leader in our O-line coach. He told me them guys are working their butts off, so I hope we see it pay off. We will need a great O-line if our O is going to be productive. Or in my best Les commentary "have a want to be successful and play for victory!!"
Went Grimes left Va Tech, the OL coach from the first staff Les had at LSU, took Grimes place. Stacy Searels.
Mett looked really good in this game. That pass down the seam was a throw a lot of qbs just can't make. As stated, his only int was on a perfect pass. It went through the guys hands and bounced of his facemask.
BOT: Travis Dickson is one to remember, of all the players returning from last year, he avg 21.8 ypc. Even Dural was less with 20.7 ypc. Oh to add, Dicksons avg was also better the OBJ and Landry (19.5 and 15.5 ypc). On the OL, its known that its Hoko or Washington. Word is both will play. The thing they like, if someone gets bump or bruise, Washington can play both OG and both OT positions. Hoko is more in the OG position. If say La'el was to have to sit for a spell, Hawk would move over and Evan would play his spot at ROT. They also like that Pocic can play any position on the line. This is a money year for many on the OL, like I said, Washington being able to play a number of positions does him well for the Pro's, with the number limits, it adds to his value. His Dad played 11 years in the Pro's.
Thanks Shea, an all the time I thought it was to be Brumfield moving: Grimes moves Clapp to center 3 hours ago LSU freshman Will Clapp signed with the Tigers this past February as a four-star offensive guard, but after a summer in the program, the former Brother Martin standout is working his way to the field at a new position. One week into fall camp, Clapp said offensive line coach Jeff Grimes has been using him primarily at center, where he's taking reps behind senior Elliot Porter and sophomore Ethan Pocic. "Making the move to center has been fun," Clapp said. "Ethan and Elliot have been teaching me a lot. It's been pretty exciting getting into the swing of camp and trying something new, so I've been enjoying myself. I have gained about 10 pounds since high school, and they like where I am at. I'm 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, and I am feeling great and moving great." With experienced depth at guard, Clapp's move to center could pave the way for Pocic to shuffle around in years to come. While Porter holds the title of returning starter, head coach Les Miles told reporters not to be surprised if Pocic starts a few games this season. And once veteran names clear out from the tackle and guard positions next year, Pocic could find himself starting at a different position, which would open the door for Clapp to earn the starting nod at center. "It's an opportunity to get into the rotation," Clapp said. "They feel I can do well at the position. "Here, we start everything off with the calls and identifying the defense and all that. I am having to get used to learning the plays and snapping the balls, but the guys have been helping me a lot along the way. I think it will be an easy transition for me." The Tigers don't have a center prospect committed in the 2015 class, and all signs point to Grimes focusing his efforts on the offensive tackle position between now and National Signing Day in February.
This time last year......... LSU’s starting left guard, Josh Williford, suffered a potentially career-ending concussion at Thursday’s practice, according to Scott Rabalais of The Advocate. The injury is devastating news for Williford, who was sidelined for most of the 2012 season following a concussion he suffered against the Florida Gators. Williford sat out the final seven games of the season. The loss would be big for Les Miles and Co., especially after the massive exodus of underclassmen this past year. Williford is the only senior on the starting offensive line. If he is unable to go, the Tigers will look to sophomore Vadal Alexander to step into the role. For Williford, the most important thing is ensuring his well-being beyond football. Read more at http://gamedayr.com/sports/lsus-jos...career-ending-concussion/#RZgmhBGvtiK6cYmx.99
Good one........ A promise made to loved ones brought Kenny Hilliard back to finish what he started at LSU 8/26/2014 6:00:00 AM FAMILY MAN By JAMES MORAN Tiger Rag Assistant Editor The minimum salary for an NFL rookie is $420,000. Since the NFL instituted a rookie pay scale as part of the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, wages have steadily increased for late-round draft picks and undrafted free agents. With the maximum salary for a collegiate football player still sitting at a robust $0, most guys with even a remote chance at making an NFL roster have bolted college as soon as they became draft eligible. Few could wait on such a chance to make such quick money. Kenny Hilliard did. He could be spending this weekend cashing and spending his latest game check from the NFL preseason. Instead, he’ll be taking the field in Houston alongside his LSU teammates for the season opener against Wisconsin. LSU’s senior running back put his dream of playing professional football on hold to fulfill a promise he made to his mother and his two daughters — a promise to become the first son in his family to earn a college degree. "I sat down with my family, and I was just so close to my degree. That right there made me want to come back and get it,” Hilliard said. "I just want to do this for my mom and my daughters. That’s why I made my decision to come back.” Just six credit hours shy of a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies, Hilliard is set to graduate this December. There’s nothing but a social work course and an online sports class standing between him and that diploma. Under Les Miles, LSU has become the poster child for underclassmen declaring early for the NFL draft. From the running back position alone, Jeremy Hill, Alfred Blue, Spencer Ware, Michael Ford and Stevan Ridely each declared early since 2010 and left at least one season of college eligibility on the table. All five are currently on NFL rosters — even though neither Ford, Ware nor Blue ever authored a 1,000-yard season in college. With the combination of great natural size and an LSU pedigree — it’s difficult to remember a running back who played significant snaps under Miles that didn’t have at least a cup of coffee in the NFL — Hilliard would have been a pretty safe bet to make a roster. Still though, with all that money staring him in the face, he said coming back was the easiest decision he’s ever made. "Those guys made the best decision for themselves and their families, and I had to do what was best for me and mine,” Hilliard said. "I was only two classes from my degree. My mindset was I needed to finish what I started.” NFL running backs have a shorter window of opportunity than damn near any other professional athlete. Because of the physical toll and the overwhelming amount of punishment inflicted on the body, running backs have the shortest career lifespans this side of bomb diffusers or professional daredevils. Even with a growing number of backs leaving college early to maximize their monetization period, most are out of the league after just a few seasons. The money is good, but those who don’t save or invest the right way can end up bankrupt shortly after that. With a family counting on him to provide for the long haul, Hilliard said coming back was partly about making sure that didn’t happen to him. "Football is a short-term game, but your degree will be with you forever,” Hilliard said. "The NFL will still be there in a year. I had to do this first to ensure the future for the people who depend on me.” Family was his first priority — but prod a little deeper, and getting a degree wasn’t the only reason Hilliard decided to come back. The Patterson native was a revelation down the stretch of his freshman season back in 2011, running roughshod against ranked opponents in Arkansas and Georgia. He looked primed to be the next great back at LSU, as his eight touchdowns were the most scored by a Tiger freshman since Justin Vincent in 2003 and earned him a spot on the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team. But the two seasons since have been mostly forgettable for Hilliard, and he found himself a distant third string behind Hill and Magee by the end of last season. Hilliard came back because he, to quote the iconic words of Walter White, has "still got things left to do.” "On the field, things haven’t gone exactly how I wanted them to,” Hilliard said. "I haven’t put up the numbers I wanted to put up in my three years here. I want to get my degree, but I also want to leave knowing I gave 100 percent effort for this football team.” Looking back on his time in purple and gold, Hilliard is now mature enough to admit he didn’t work as hard as he could have during his sophomore and junior seasons. Once he started seeing his carries and playing time decrease, he said it just became a little too easy to stand on the sidelines. Hilliard vowed to change that since making the decision to return for his senior season. "I had to accept that some of that was on me, and I’ve learned from that,” Hilliard said. "If it takes you four years to get it right, it takes you four years to get it right. I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I’m trying to make up for them.” "I’m getting it right now.” His coaches and teammates have already noticed a difference. Despite sharing a backfield with Magee and the No. 1 recruit in the nation, Leonard Fournette, Hilliard’s has often been the first name Miles mentioned when heaping praise on his running backs during fall camp. Hilliard said he slimmed down to 230 pounds over the summer, and as a result he’s regained the explosiveness he flashed as a freshman. He’s been the Tigers’ leading rusher in every scrimmage Miles decided to share the statistics from. "Kenny Hilliard is poised to have a really big year,” Miles said in one such press conference. He called Hilliard "a special back” after another full-contact scrimmage in which Hilliard led all rushers with more than 100 yards. Few people know Hilliard as well as the man who lead blocks for him — fullback Connor Neighbors. Now entering their fourth season as teammates, Neighbors said he’s seen a brand new Hilliard thus far in 2014. "Kenny is one of my real good friends, and I’ve never seen him working this hard in the offseason,” Neighbors said. "I can just tell whenever he takes the field that he’s a totally different player. He’s about to graduate and has two kids to provide for, so he knows this is his time to shine. He looks as fast and physical as he’s ever been.” Redshirt sophomore wideout Travin Dural said Hilliard is one of the funniest guys on the team, and he remembers goofing off with him throughout his first couple of years in Baton Rouge. That sense of humor is still there — just not when it’s time for business. "He’s doing everything more fluid than he used to,” Dural said of Hilliard. "He’s not joking around as much. It’s his last year, and he’s come in focused. If I try to go up to him and joke around during practice, he’ll tell me not right now and tell me to catch him after practice.” Perhaps it’s a result of feeling more paternal, but by rededicating himself Hilliard has emerged as a leader on the Tigers’ young offense — especially to Fournette and another freshman running back, Darrel Williams. Hilliard has tried to impart some of the veteran wisdom he received from guys like Ware and Ford when he was a newcomer. He’s also added one lesson he learned for himself along the way — no matter what, work hard and stay consistent. "I tell them stay humble, stay in the playbook and stay watching film,” Hilliard said. "Work hard in the classroom and stay disciplined, and you’ll be all right.” The transformation from Hilliard as an underclassman to now is night and day. Most successful people like to point to one monumental moment in their life as the wake-up call that it was time to grow up. Hilliard’s light-bulb moment is exactly what you would think it is. "Since my daughters got here, that’s been my motivation and my focus,” Hilliard said. "I just want to make a way for them and show them what success is. I want to be someone they look up to.” With his family behind him and a graduation date in his sights, it will be a special semester for Hilliard no matter what happens on the field — but adding a few more touchdowns and gridiron memories certainly wouldn’t hurt.
