You watch the first half...You tell the team at halftime-as reports indicated-that "everything you could have done wrong, you did..." They come out in the second half and play...the same... The defense gives up a solitary touchdown in the 2nd half. Your offense-for whatever reason-scores ZERO points in either half. Continual penalties, silly decisions, breakdowns, mental lapses, and "brook trout looks"... You head into the locker room, almost relieved that the nightmare is finally over. But, it's really just the beginning of the work you're charged with doing... My question is...What is your next move? What is the problem, in your mind, and what is the solution? How do you address this team, asess its mental state, and correct the problems that plagued us Saturday? Do you think the team polices its lack of discipline and intensity and lack of execution on its own, with minimal interjection on your part? Or, is there a clear and present need to address specific situations in your mind? What do you do?
If I'm Nick, First of all, I would've sat Mauck down one series after the 3rd series of punting the ball,keeping in mind how the offense has struggled in the beginning of the games this season. You are looking for a spark from Marcus Randell, or if nothing else to help settle Mauck down, have the coaches talk to him and discuss the gameplan reminding him of what we want to do. Teams don't alway's practice to your 2nd string quarterback tendencies. That is what happened to Tennessee when we beat them in the SEC Championship game. I've seen this happen quite often in college and sometimes in the NFL. If all the penalties happened in the next game and the offense struggles I would send a message and put in the second string offense a series or two. It would give some other guys a chance to play and maybe they would be able to make a big play or something. This is college football so you never know. I think however, Overall it was just ONE game and things just got from Bad to worse. Think About This, Maybe we got our BAD game of the year out of out system. Maybe the way we lost has sent the message. Maybe the rest of the year will be like 2000 when we won our final 8 games and The Sugar bowl. Let's hope so!!!! :]
That's what I was thinking, too, Sour. Put Randall in for a series. He couldn't have been any worse than Mauck was. What we saw yesterday was a Florida team that still has a lot of talent but had not been coached very well for the most part this season; that had just suffered an embarrassing home defeat; that was seeing its season going down the crapper; that was facing a team that punked it on its own home field the prior year; that was expected to lose by 10 points; that could prove something to themselves and the world agianst the #6 team in the country on their home turf... Add it all up, and it was going to be a very difficult challenge for the Tigers. Saban tried to preach this all week. Unfortunately, the Tigers were not up to the challenge. Why it didn't seem to get through to everyone is a mystery. But, be sure that it will be a learning experience for the Tigers. I think they will grow from the experience and it will serve to be a positive for this and future LSU football teams. :geaux:
I hope Jack Hunt gets healthy quick so I can move Daniels back to his natural CB position and stop watching Prude get smoked.
putting in the 2nd team would have served as a wake up call to the starters to get it together. Your right
I would sit down with the team and ask any player that believes he played with intensity and focus to stand up and explain to the team why he didn’t contribute to the poor performance. My next question would be do they want to practice the rest of the season the way they played? Next – is everyone satisfied that the UF game is the best we can do? Next – do you want to be a part of a special season or just another high hopes and falling short, wait until next season? I would talk to Matt and have Jimbo with him as well. Here is the deal Matt. Dental school starts after the season. Do you want to lead this team through the second half, or do you prefer Marcus lead the team? I’d also have Marcus ready to go and let him know it may be time for him to take a leadership role and lead his team to victory one game at a time. Next - I’d sit down with the offensive lineman. I’d remind them how I told everyone this is the best unit I’ve had since being here and that I believe they are and they need to prove that I was correct. It’s time to start knocking people in the mouth on every play. I’d finish with – if you want to be a paper tiger then don’t follow me to the practice field, only players who want to be the real deal, practice and play every down like the real deal is allowed on the practice field. Either we play smash mouth FB with the first team, or the first team will watch the second team from the bench. I'd have similar discussions with the defense and special teams. Ground Rules: I’d let the team decide how to handle penalties. Perpetrators will be punished. If it’s sitting out a few series or not starting a game. Penalties are unacceptable. We may get beat by a better team, but we’re damn sure not going to help them beat us.
What I'd do if I were Saban. First off, I'd take the offense and have them do grass drills until they passed out from exhaustion. Second . . . well . . . I guess I'd have them go take a shower after that. :geaux: :lsug:
