Grimes can only do so much technique OL coaching. What you see is what you get. They are not playing smart because they're not smart individual players. Will take a few years of recruiting to correct this. Grimes has been quoted as saying he wants smart OL's that can play technique, know their reads/assignments and play together as one unit. He doesn't have 5 on the field that can do that currently. Vastly over rated talent wise. Better go up North for OL's and do whatever it takes to keep Womack from flipping to Bama. (He just got an offer from the Red Devils)
I do not think they are vastly overrated on physical talent, but there is clearly a problem with mental agility there somewhere. In the morning paper Les suggested that there may be a new starting lineup as they try to find "the right starting five". They want Pocic and Washington to get more snaps, so those linemen that keep missing blocks because they don't know who to block may have earned a ticket to the second string very soon.
Kevin Mawae was talking yesterday about what Grimes is doing with the OL, the past two games, getting other linemen ready for SEC and in-game play. Having a Washington play three diff positions Sat night. He also talked about with Studs, it was like a player was, do your own thing. He has Grimes, teaching all playing as one, learning technique, adjusting. Getting other players ready if a player was to go down. He also talked about KJ Malone, playing the LOT position, making young mistakes, but a very athletic player. At one time thought to be an OC, then moved to OG, now being looked at for the tackle position. This is another thing Grimes and the staff wants, athletic, quick, some of the reason many were made to drop some weight.
That all sounds good, but when can we expect this veteran OL to start playing like a veteran OL? SEC play starts this week.
While OBJ was known to muff a punt (at usually a disastrous point in a game), Tre, to me, is trying to channel the Honey Badger and his decidedly unique style of fielding a punt. However, because I'm not even sure how Mathieu was able to field punts that way, I certainly would not recommend it to mere mortals like Tre White.
It has to be. Last season one of the State defensive linemen burned Hawkins for three sacks. This season the LSU O-line is 10th in the SEC in sacks allowed. LSU is also 10th in the SEC in yards per rush, despite leading the conference in rushes per game. No O-line dominance at all and lower-tier performances.
I think we all believe it's time for our line to gel and get their act together. But I believe Grimes will get them going.
