I'm sure everybody else has asked themselves why we don't establish the running game more at times, especially last night in the second half. Why, mysteriously, Jimbo feels compelled to call bubble screens when we were running it down their throats at the time. (The last drive where we kicked the field goal.) The only thing I can come up with is that the coaches are trying to establish the identity of the offense through Mauck. That he is the oldest, the leader and they want him to be focus of the offense because they believe it is the only way for LSU to be successful against the better teams. The running back situation is great but a committee of freshmen is probably not reliable against the better competition. Any ideas on this, because otherwise I don't understand the playcalling in certain situations, and I know Jimbo knows what the hell he's doing. (I would have liked to see Broussard run over their LBs and DBs for the entire 4th quarter) :geaux:
My theory is that our offensive line cannot blow open huge holes allowing our awesome running backs to gain 10 yards at a time when the defense is packed tightly in the box. It is called the theory of balance. Those little bubble screens are brutal to defend when we are running the ball well. And it is brutal to defend the run when the bubble screens are working. So having both in the arsenal causes problems. Trying one establishes the other. Even if one isn't working, you have to keep going to it to keep the other working. So many, many games, fans moan and groan about "why do we keep doing such and such when this other thing is working so well". Well, why do you think the draw is working so well? Is it because the LBs are scrambling into pass coverage? Could be!!! With the WRs we have, why not try to get the ball into their hands in the open field? The WRs and the pass blocking are the strengths of this team. Use them. I think that it is more of Fisher trying to use the talents of Clayton, Henderson, and Green more than anything about establishing Mauck. I think that it is more to do with trying to avoid getting a QB (ay QB) into a situation where he HAS to come up with the big throws. Get yardage on 1st down. Then move the chains on 2nd.
The bubble screens you saw happen when Mauck sees 7-8 in the box for a Jimbo called running play. So Mauch audibles to the bubble screen instead, so that is why you see it so much. Saban tells him to call that play if that many people are in the box. We still threw the ball to many open receivers. Oh and I want to thank the team for nto having so many damn penalties and killing ourselves. I definitely see the result of a good week of practice.
Bubble screens vs the run IMO Fisher is doing what this team does best. If Mauck had an arm like Rohan Davey we would stretch the field opening up the running game. Most of Maucks long passes are under thrown allowing the the DBs to recover. This permits the DBs to play closer to the LOS. The bubble screen is within the range of his arm and the players do an excellent job or executing the play. Mauck does a great job of playing within his capabilities but the interception last night could have been a TD if he had a stronger arm.
I think that is just Jimbo's type of offense. We go threw streaks where we throw the ball 2 to 3 times more than we run. We get in these modes like last night of throwing 14 times to 5 runs when we really did not establish the run in the first place. I think Saban steps in sometimes and forces us to establish the run like he did against Mississippi State last year (when Saban stepped in and we ran it every time down the field for TD). It will be interesting to see him as a head coach and see what offense he establishes there. Late in the game when Broussard started rumbling we should have just kept feeding him the ball. Run the clock and break their spirit completely. They wanted nothing of Broussard late in the game.
