Started off slow, but got it done

Discussion in 'The Tiger's Den' started by BostonBengal, Aug 31, 2003.

  1. BostonBengal

    BostonBengal Founding Member

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    Listened to the game via internet broadcast and after the first quarter and some sloppy play, mostly due to the weather conditions, I believe we settled down nicely.

    Considering it was the first game of the season, and one that was obviously against an opponent that was seemingly destined to lose, I felt pretty good.

    Mauck, dispite throwing the pick deep in ULM territory, played pretty well. Randall was excellent in his own right as well.

    Clayton, not surprisingly, had a great game and Addai looked good. I think we'll be fine in the running game...

    Good to see good play from our safeties. Hunt's INT TD return and some, from what I could hear, solid play from the freshman safeties.

    In other news, WOW, what can I say about Georgia?! IN all honestly, I didn't think they would beat Clemson--let alone MAN HANDLE THEM with all of their problems entering the season. I also knew Auburn was over-rated, but I didn't think they would get shut out by USC...let alone have their "best offensive backfield in the country", finish the game with 43 yards on 36 carries and NOT getting any closer to the goal line than the 33 yard line.

    USC gave the perfect blueprint on how to beat Auburn: Stack the line; stop the run and force Campbell to beat you throwing--and he showed, what many of us knew, he can't do it.

    Ole Miss looked a little sloppy against Vandy...Florida looked good albeit it was against SJSU (and for the record, I don't think anyone can win a title substituting QB's all game long).

    The "OTHER" USC (i.e. South Carolina) almost lost to ULL! They're in trouble!

    Next week's game vs 'Zona will give better insight on where we stand, but, after week 1, I'm liking our chances throughout! :geaux:
     
  2. SabanFan

    SabanFan The voice of reason

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    Good analysis BB.
     
  3. r_bear42

    r_bear42 Founding Member

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    I have to admit, I was really disappointed in the first quarter and for the first half of the second quarter. However after some what seemed to me to be "out of sync" play, the Tigers came out strong and played two and a half quarters of pretty good ball. I didn't say excellent. With that said however, on talent alone the Tigers should be able to beat an in state rival such as ULM. I'm not taking away anything from ULM because they did come to play and it was obvious in the first quarter. They were simply out manned.

    Hopefully the Tigers will have put everything together for next week in Tuson. The Georgia game is shaping up to be a really tough contest. LSU can't afford not to play 4 quarters of good football and expect to come out on top against Georgia. I think next week will tell us a lot about the character of this group of Tigers. :geaux:
     
  4. red55

    red55 curmudgeon Staff Member

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    I was very happy with what I saw at the game. Can't say enough good things about Addai, Clayton, Carey, and some others. Mauck was steady and the defense was aggressive. Special teams played smart.

    I only saw two things that bothered me:

    1. Matt Mauck still follows his primary receiver with his eyes the whole play, tipping the defense. He did the same thing last year. A good quarterback coach should have broken him of that by now.

    2. Our big, fat offensive line did not perform well. They couldn't dominate a defensive line that they outweighed by almost 100 pounds a man because they weren't very mobile. Those rolls around their waists are not muscle, they're anchors.
     
  5. Jetstorm

    Jetstorm Founding Member

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    #2 bothered me too Red. I was a little disappointed that in the first half, when it was clear the weather and miscommunications were hurting our passing game, that A) our O-line wasn't getting good movement against a heavily undersized ULM D-line, and B) Jimbo Fisher didn't just get into the I-formation with two tight ends and relentlessly POUND! I think he gave up on the running game way too soon. Now I'm not the coach. Maybe Fisher came into this game wanting to work a lot on multiple passing formations. But it kind of bothers me, because it seems like Fisher and Saban really want us to be a wide-open, West Coast offense, when we're probably better off just pounding the football ahead on the ground. I am reminded of the series against Mississippi State last year, when we were so inept throwing the ball, Saban finally said screw it and just started running Davis straight up the gut every play. What happened? We scored and pulled away from the Dawgs. Well, that moment never happened against ULM, but next week against Arizona, I hope they will stop trying to throw the ball if it ain't working and go with what does work.
     
  6. EliteLSU1

    EliteLSU1 Founding Member

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    Are you guys real??

    On a field like that, who do you really think it will help the most? Like you said, we outweighed them by 80 lbs. A smaller quicker man will win on a field like that every time. If they can't hardly stop moving in one direction how do you suppose that a man 100 lbs heavier will cut. I tell you what to do. Take your wife out in the yard(hopefully, she weighs about 100lbs less than you), wet the grass down with the hose and try to tackle her. Then come back here and write about how you looked trying to cut with her.
    It has only been one game(that we won by 42) and you guys are here talking about how fat and bad that we are.
    After last year, don't you think that we needed to work on the passing game? After last night I bet Arizona isn't going to try to put 8 or 9 in the box.
    I think that the coaches knew exactly what they wanted to work on and what they wanted to accomplish. Some of you people need to sit back and read the garbage that you are putting out. It's always so negative. How do we expect them to go out and believe that they are going to win when ya'll sit here and cut them down.
     
  7. red55

    red55 curmudgeon Staff Member

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    It's a forum for discussion, amigo. We're just talking here. You're entitled to an opinion, why can't you just give it without lecturing everybody else.

    Sometimes we talk about things that need improving. Did you read the props we gave the Tigers as well? Its not about being negative, its just a discussion. I've never understood people who get bent out of shape when there is the slightest talk about problems. Take an aspirin or something.
     
  8. Bengal B

    Bengal B Founding Member

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    I didn't noticed these things at the game but I watched the replay tonight on Cox Sports. Mauck had 3 passes dropped. One by Bennie Brazzell, One by Eric Edwards that would have been a touchdown and even one by Michael Clayton. Mauck seems to have regained his mobilty to run the ball but he never did try to scramble out of the pocket to avoid the rush and give himself time to find an open receiver. Several times Mauck had to rush his passes and throw off balance because his pass protection broke down quickly. The offensive line did a great job on running plays in the first half but should have been a lot better on pass blocking against a team like ULM. Mauck's completion percentage was under 50%. He needs to get it up around 60% or more for when they get into the SEC schedule and the O line hs to be able to give superior pass protection. Addai is an animal and he needs to get at least 20 carries and 4 or 5 pass receptions per game. Randall's first pass was completed to Henderson but it was tipped first and should have been intercepted. Randall got lucky on that play but otherwise played pretty well. After seeing what Georgia did to Clemson and how well they played against a real opponent I'm glad LSU has a few more weeks to get ready for that game.
     
  9. Jetstorm

    Jetstorm Founding Member

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    I noticed a lot of dropped balls to. I'm not really concerned about that, the weather and first game jitters were to blame. Next week will be an improvement on that, I'm sure. I'm really not bothered by the fact that ULM got a pass rush on us either; ULM was bringing a lot of blitz pressure from different angles and positions (one of the few things they do well, linebackers are the strength of their D). The O-line will get better about that. But run-blocking is a different matter. Our O-line against their puny D-line, running out of our most basic offense, should be able to dominate. The weather was a bit of a factor, but it was raining on them too, and it should have affected them just as it affected us. But I'm confident that these problems will be addressed in time for Arizona.
     
  10. SabanFan

    SabanFan The voice of reason

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    Re: Are you guys real??

    Can I get a Saints exemption to this rule?
     

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