re: What explains the difference in performance between 2011 LSU and 2012?

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jddawg58

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I was under the impression that everyone thought that Beckham and Landry were waiting for Randle to leave so that they could be the guy.

LT is usually the second most important offensive position behind QB and just ahead of C.

I think the problems are much deeper than the offensive line. I don't think the defense creates turnovers like last year's defense did. I think Wing has been average and last year he was a huge weapon. LSU misses Mo and Tyran more than anyone imagined.

Les doesn't trust Mett with the game. LSU play calling has, in an effort to take pressure off of Mett, actually put more pressure on him. Lsu's lack of creativity offensively, not using TEs, not throwing screens, relying too much on the run, makes the offense predictable and defensible.

Bama did not flourish until Nick trusted A.J. He had a lot of easy throws in the BCSCG that LSU was not anticipating on first down.

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I disagree on a certain level.

I heard the same things you did. Landry doesn't have track speed but he can put his foot in the ground and-quite honestly-has some of the best hands in the conference. The problem-again-is the ease with which our passing game is defended.

As for Beckham, I think he is a very, very hard worker, and you can see that he's transformed his body under Moffitt in the offseason which bolsters that opinion. But a lack of concentration on his part has stifled the pass-game. The Florida game might've turned out much differently had OBJ3 hauled in that long pass and not gotten stripped from behind.

I'd heard in the leadup to Fall Camp that Henry was working with him on NFL-level techniques and whatnot. I watched lots of tape of Fall Practice and he caught every single pass thrown his way. It seems the bright lights and cameras and stadiums filled with fans have broken his concentration.

But both of those two lack the height & speed necessary to be a difference maker lined up near the numbers on the edge. Heck, you don't even need height as long as you have the speed.

They would be DEVASTATING with a Randle over the top. Quantavious Leslie is a 6-2, 200 pound type that's done nothing but that in JUCO this year, but he won't be here till Bowl Practice as a part of the Class of 2013, unfortunately.

Bottom line is that if you can't stretch a defense vertically with the pass, or at least threaten competency in making a team pay when you do stretch them vertically, a stacked box is what the QB's gonna see when he breaks the huddle and walks to the line.

I think Les is blocking the stacked box using innovative methods but bottom line this team has one stumbling block each year that simply won't allow our formula to be successful. That's you guys.

Its hard to say, "Well we need to change things up," when we've lost 4 games in almost 3 seasons. But the bottom line is that we need vertical speed merchants over the top, and a QB that develops some consistency & rhythym in the passing offense. That brings confidence.

Its obvious that AJ McCarron is a different player this year, and a huge part of that is mentally knowing he has what it takes to perform in a pressure, clutch situation on a big stage. His performance on 1/9 has made all the difference.

If Mett could get one of those performances we'd see a different player start to emerge. Unfortunatley, he's not going to be trusted to make those plays IMO. Its sort've a vicious cycle. At some point, you have to try and let this kid let 'er rip.

Not saying we should do that against ya'll. But it should've been done before now.

Anyway, that's my tangent response.

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O-line injuries is my best guess. Mett is usually running for his life after 2 to 3 seconds which doesn't allow for deeper routes to develop. ETA: we also haven't had very good play from our wide receivers. It all adds up to one hell of a bad year for Mett.

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TigersRuleTheEarth

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Agreed!

LSU has 5 starters in this game that started in BOTH games last year



probably says more about the difference than anything


plus they are playing 15 freshmen

all adds up and not discounting much of what has already been said

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LSU has 5 starters in this game that started in BOTH games last year

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Lonergan, Mingo, Montgomery, Reid, Minter , Ware?

Which of these 6 didn't start?

I would love to think it was this

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Or are you just lying in wait, like a snake in the weeds, waiting to resurrect your season and dash the NC hopes of an undefeated Alabama.

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But sadly i think it is this

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Is it mainly an ineffective offense, due to Oline injuries, dropped passes, below average QB play and ineffective play calling.

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how many fron bama, anyone know?

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Offense: Jones, Warmack, Steen, Fluker, Williams, McCannon

Defense: Lester, Williams, Johnson, Mosely, Square, Milliner

You can argue about starters but all those were starters in one of the personnel packages used by Bama. Milliner was the nickel corner but it was played more than the 3-4 base.

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What explains the difference in performance between 2011 LSU and 2012?


12 is alot


from a 5 perspective. I was surprised it was that low

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All Bama heard after last year was how far they would drop because all their starters were in the NFL.

Hell, looks like LSU is the one who lost all the players. Bama should stomp a mudhole in LSU if only 5 starters from the 2011 team will suit up Sat.

The difference between last year and this (and it showed up at times last year) is actually the offensive scheme and play-calling from what is best only a serviceable Offensive Coordinator that now has had time to implement his offense. What could-have-would-have-been if Kragthorpe were the O.C., or even Gary Crowton. Studwara is a great guy and a great coach in his own area, but offensive genius he is not.

The effect of the lack of offense coupled with bad play calling, is that injuries on the offensive side continue to pile up, and LSU's time-of-possession per game has gone way down from 2011, while their offensive turnovers have significantly increased.

This has forced the defense to be on the field markedly more than in 2011, and often on short-field situations. Hence the statistics on defense have overall gone down. For instance, a very telling statistic pair: Overall passing yards allowed is up this year, but pass defensive efficiency remains very high (2nd -- behind Alabama). Number of plays ran against the defense has increased as well.

In other words, given that the opponents are on the field longer because of the inept offense, the defensive stats are going to look worse as compared to last year.

And all this is against much weaker opponents... this is all about offensive, not defensive ineptitude, and that starts with Greg Studwara... and unfortunately, ends with Les Miles, who gets paid the big bucks to take responsibility and do something about his OC.
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Yes, Kragthorpe was supposed to be the OC until right before the season began last year. No offensive scheme changes were made until the Alabama game, and that, after Lee threw a couple of picks. Up 'til that point, the offense was fine and balanced. From the point of insertion of Jefferson back to the starting qb, the offense was like a yo-yo, and Lee never, ever got put back in for more than clean-up, even after JJ was getting killed in the BCS title game.

Then, during the 2012 offseason, Stud inserted his offense (as far as one could call it that). Results: high penalties, increased turnovers, confused WRs and QB and way more injuries, and D is on the field trying to cover that up.

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We can talk a lot about whose to blame for Mett's failure to launch. We could say he may not be the player we thought he was. We could say he has bad receivers. We could say he hasn't been consistently protected. We could say there is a lack of sophistication and coherence in the scheme.

Really, I think it's a combination of all those factors. There is no real true smoking gun.