LSU @ South Carolina

[E.T.G.]

I know we got a few LSU fans here so please add any thoughts you have




Chris Smelley and Ryan Succop were the two best players on UK's team this past weekend. Smelley was horrible, there is no other way to put it, careless with the ball and couldn't hit an open WR if he was 10 feet from him. I was ready for the Garcia era to kick off at Ole Miss but then Smelley came out and threw for 327 and no one could really complain about him. This past weekend, he would of given Wakefield a run for his money with the knuckle-balls he was throwing. Succop is a reliable kicker but he missed 4 field goals which is very wierd for him. He had a slight ab strain this week but I don't know if that was the issue for him because he was booming his kickoffs. All in all, South Carolina was able to over come the 4 turnovers and 4 missed field goals and leave Kentucky with a road win. Stephen Garcia played very well and he can make all the throws. I think he came into a tough situation (on the road and losing) and he performed great. He is going to have his ups and downs but there is a reason to be excited about this kid, he can make plays. I believe this team is going to get better every week where as last year they were getting worse. South Carolina needs to win 2 of their next 3, which are all at home (LSU, Tenn, Arky). South Carolina also needs to protect the ball much better.


As far as this matchup goes, South Carolina is going to do what they've done all year, drop back around 35 times and throw the ball in 4-5 WR sets because the OL pass blocks better than they run block and the WR's have been making plays. South Carolina just doesn't have a run game that would put fear in anyone but they move the chains throwing the ball. Jason Barnes has stepped it up big time at WR (11rec-164yds-2td) over the last 2 games since being inserted as a starter. The OL will probably give up their customary 3 sacks a game but for the most part the QB's have had time to throw the ball and they've faced some pretty good DL's the last 2 weeks (Ole Miss, UK). LSU can be thrown on, their secondary is clearly a weakness on their defense.

Jasper Brinkley is finally starting to look like Jasper Brinkley of old over the last 2 weeks and he will be needed big time this week to help stop the bruising Scott. Having 2 LB's that are 260lbs should help SC contain the rush but I don't think they'll be able to do it from their preferred 4-2-5 formation.

This South Carolina game is sandwiched between @ UF and UGA for LSU but they are coming off a loss and the situation would of been much more attractive if they were coming off a win. As many have mentioned already, I was pretty shocked to see UF win the battle in the trenches like they did.

Can SC win this game? Sure, anything can happen but it won't happen with 4 turnovers. They really need to take care of the ball, simple as that. LSU still has a ton of speed, they have a good DL and a good OL, they have a power run game thats been successful every week cept against UF, they have talent at WR, and dangerous special teams. I think South Carolina should be real excited about this game having picked up 4 straight wins and the last 2 on the road in conference but I can't stress enough how important it is to take care of the ball. SC has won the turnover margin in 1 game this season (Ole Miss). I'm still waiting for SC to string together an impressive-full game performance


Whats the status with Ricky Jean-Francois?


I think there might be an over-reaction to the LSU loss this past weekend and the line is going to be a little short in this game. I will predict LSU-3?

No lean to either side until I see the line but LSU is a team who scares me

 

[ynnhoj316]

Seems like LSU would at least be -7

 

[Blue_Chip]

LVSC opened LSU -3

I'll add thoughts later in week, but I expect a 7-10pt win from LSU.

 

[sirwinzalot]

South Carolina +3 for me...........1st game that stuck out to me on the card.


Va Tech +2
G-Tech +4
Arizona +1
Puke +6
Maryland +1
Iowa State +6

 

[E.T.G.]

Random notes:


LSU has scored 21+ points in 26 straight games.

LSU is giving up an average of 30 points per game in their last 11 BCS games.

South Carolina offense is 2nd in SEC in 3rd down conversion (46.8%)

South Carolina has lost the turnover battle in every game this year except Ole Miss.

South Carolina has not been out gained in a game this year.

2nd half adjustments, Ole Miss scored 21 in the first half and UK scored 17 in the first half, they were held to a total of 3 points combined in the 2nd half

In the 4th qtr against SEC competition - Georgia, Ole Miss, Vandy and Kentucky - SC is giving up 2.5 points, 26.5 yards, 1.75 first downs, forcing avg of 2 punts, and forcing 0.5 turnovers per game.

LSU - against Florida, Miss St and Auburn is giving up 12.7 points, 93.7 yards, 3.33 1st downs, forcing 1 punt and has no turnovers.

 

[TroyStacks]

this game to me s as easy as you think LSU-3 to the bank IMO out talented and coached by far

 

[E.T.G.]

this game to me s as easy as you think LSU-3 to the bank IMO out talented and coached by far

While I think this line is a little short and I am going to need +4.5 or more to get on SC, they are not out coached in this game, not even close.

And looking at this game position by position


OL - LSU
RB - LSU
QB - PUSH? Both RS-Frosh.
WR - SC slightly
DL - LSU
LB - SC
DB - SC


LSU does have an advantage in the trenches on both sides of the ball, no doubt about that

 

[E.T.G.]

October 13, 2008

ANSWERS WILL COME THIS WEEK

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Bryan Lazare
TigerBait.com Senior Writer
<SCRIPT language=javascript>document.write("<div id=contentcontainer style='font-size: " + currentsize + "pt;'>");</SCRIPT>Talk about it in Tiger Penthouse


As difficult as it would be for most LSU supporters to admit, the Tigers had very little going for them in the matchup against Florida on Saturday night in The Swamp.

<!--Start Les Miles, 200 vs UF Image--><SCRIPT language=Javascript>document.write(insertImage('http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/886/703433.jpg', '703433.jpg', 0, 268, 200, 1, 'Les Miles and his staff have a lot of fact finding and work to get done', 'Ap', 1223914405000, 'Les Miles, 200 vs UF ', 886, 'Align=Left'));</SCRIPT><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=202>

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</TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>Les Miles and his staff have a lot of fact finding and work to get done</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- End Les Miles, 200 vs UF Image-->First, Florida is the best team in the Southeastern Conference.

Second, Florida has the best player in the Southeastern Conference.

Third, Florida felt like it truly deserved to win the game against LSU last year in Baton Rouge.

Fourth, Florida had lost its previous game at home against Ole Miss.

Throw in the additional facts that there was an electric atmosphere for the nationally-televised game and LSU was certainly due for a poor game.

All of these statements should have meant a comfortable victory for the Gators.

Well, it was more than a comfortable victory for Florida. The Tigers absorbed one of those past Steve Spurrier-type beat-downs.

The 51-21 pounding was definitely an embarrassment for the proud LSU football program. The Tigers did nothing necessary to come away with a victory on the road against a talent-laden squad.

First, LSU was unable to run the ball. The Tigers finished with 80 net rushing yards.

Second, LSU was unable to stop the run. Florida finished with 265 net rushing yards.

Third, LSU lost the turnover battle. The Tigers had three turnovers and one takeaway.

Those three statistics should have meant an easy victory for the Gators. That's exactly what took place.

Let's examine a few things which took place at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

If LSU's offensive line plays poorly, the offense is in trouble. The veteran line was unable to clear any space for Charles Scott. These Tigers are not going to move the football without a running game.

Jarrett Lee did not have a bad night considering how little help he received from his offensive line. He did throw two interceptions, but many of his teammates performed much worse.

Don't forget that Lee, with some help from Andrew Hatch, got LSU back into the game with consecutive scoring drives sandwiched around halftime. Understand that Lee is not ready to single-handedly win a shootout against a Tim Tebow-led offense.

The Tigers offensive linemen had a poor night. It would be very surprising if these guys do not respond with an outstanding effort against South Carolina. There should be no doubts that the running game will rebound.

Now, the feeling may be different when it comes to talk about the other side of the football. A disheartening trend is beginning to form.

In LSU's last 11 games against BCS teams, it has an 8-3 record. However, only one time has the opposition scored fewer than 21 points. The Tigers beat Tennessee 21-14 in last year's SEC title game.

In the other ten games, LSU's opponents have scored 319 points. That's an average of nearly 32 points per contest. The Tigers would need five touchdowns per game to top that number.

Is there a gradual slide taking place on defense?

Undoubtedly, former coach Nick Saban was a master of coming up with blitz packages. Those different looks provided advantageous matchups for LSU defenders.

The Tigers defenders were victim to the match-up game against Florida. Coach Urban Meyer continually matched up his speedy players, primarily Percy Harvin, against slower LSU defensive players.

Bo Pelini didn't have the same defensive playbook as Saban. Doug Mallory and Bradley Dale Peveto do not have that book either.

Everyone knew that there were going to be growing pains in the secondary with three new starters. But, the main defensive problems against Florida stemmed from what happened up front.

The defensive line appeared to be a step slower than the Gators offense. Marlon Favorite and Charles Alexander seem to be nothing more than guys who can give 15 to 20 effective snaps per game.

Without a very productive Ricky Jean-Francois, the middle of the LSU defensive line is becoming rather ordinary. On the outside, Tyson Jackson has been steady. But, there have been no defensive playmakers on the flanks.

The linebackers did very little against the Gators. Perry Riley made some tackles, but Darry Beckwith was no factor. One must assume that Beckwith was bothered by the knee injury.

Then, there continues to be some confusion as regards getting the proper personnel into the game. At least a half a dozen times against Florida, the Tigers defenders were not ready when the ball was snapped.

Finally, there's the status of Chad Jones. Coach Les Miles has said on more that one occasion that Jones needs to be on the field. Jones saw limited playing time against the Gators.

LSU rarely used a dime back – Jones' primary role - and Danny McCray was the nickel back for most of the night. Why can't the Tigers find a place for Jones if he is as talented a performer as Miles has stated? Are there other problems?

Following the loss, Miles said that the staff was going to evaluate the defense – both the personnel and the call (system). Teams can't win high-scoring affairs every week, particularly teams with a freshman quarterback.

Florida tried that method last season and lost four games. The defense must get straightened out in a hurry. The South Carolina offense is nothing like the Tebow-anchored Florida group.

This week's game against the Gamecocks should provide some clues as to whether or not, the LSU defense is going to come around. A poor defensive performance against South Carolina does not bode well for the second half of the season.
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[J Galt]

this game to me s as easy as you think LSU-3 to the bank IMO out talented and coached by far

Comparing Les Miles to arguably one of the 10 best college football coaches of all time is downright absurd, Troy.

 

[RetroVK]

I assume the comment about Miles being a better coach than Spurrier was to be funny......


However , sirwinzalot pointed out that spurrier might be a bit upset on the inside that les miles converted that trick play on him with the flip over the head on the fg ....... must eat at him a little when you consider yourself an offensive genius and get out done by a man who can barely speak a coherent sentence.

ETG any talk about that in gamecock country ?

 

[E.T.G.]

I assume the comment about Miles being a better coach than Spurrier was to be funny......


However , sirwinzalot pointed out that spurrier might be a bit upset on the inside that les miles converted that trick play on him with the flip over the head on the fg ....... must eat at him a little when you consider yourself an offensive genius and get out done by a man who can barely speak a coherent sentence.

ETG any talk about that in gamecock country ?

I know every fan remembers that play, it came at a pretty crucial time too with the score 14-7 before half, they made it 21-7 and than Emanuel Cook dropped a wide open pick 6 to start the half, after that it was over but they were clearly outclassed in that game and Jasper went down in the 1st quarter.

So I think that play stings Spurrier a little, it was a very nice play to Miles's credit.

 

[E.T.G.]

This is a big home game and the crowd will be very loud as long as they are in the game. This is also a huge recruiting weekend with around 50+ players and if they did pull out a win it would be a big win over a named team in the conference. Turnovers are a big question. South Carolina will pass on LSU.

 

[Mags]

ETG - knowing that the total is not published yet, any thoughts on high or low scoring game here?

 

[E.T.G.]

ETG - knowing that the total is not published yet, any thoughts on high or low scoring game here?

Well, LSU has 26 straight games of 21+ points, South Carolina, you really don't know what you are going to get. Garcia looked good last week and Smelley had open WR's all day but couldn't hit them. I would guess the total is set around 44-45.5 points but just a guess


RJF for LSU is a big factor in this game.

 

[nawlins51]

ETG I have this one capped at what the spread is.Linesmakers will not give out gifts on big games like this. No way in hell.

How do we know LSU will cover this one. Its there 1st loss of the season and Spurrier always outcoaches LSU. Spurrier just doesn't have the talent like LSU.Anyway lets see how LSU reacts to that loss before we pound them. You have young QB's who are now facing adversity for the 1st time.LSU seems like the play but we must see how they come out. If its very close in the 1st half and it seems like LSU can take over this game then lets look for a 2nd half play.Other than that leave it alone is my advice.Too many what if's as the factor.GL fellas.

 

[E.T.G.]

Five Things We Learned From The USC-Kentucky Game
posted by Scott Hood on Sunday, October 12, 2008
<!-- posted by Scott Hood, Sunday, October 12, 2008 -->
South Carolina pulled out another SEC road win on Saturday afternoon with a hard-fought 24-17 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington. Here are the five things we learned from that game:

1. Steve Spurrier Knows What He Is Doing, The Sequel: When you’re a quarterback for Steve Spurrier, you understand the HBC has a point of no return. That’s when he determines the starter has exhausted his usefulness and it’s time to switch quarterbacks. Saturday, that point was reached in the third quarter when USC punted for the second time after advancing just one yard. Spurrier decided the offense needed a jolt of energy, so he turned to Garcia. Was it a risk? You bet. Remember, Garcia had taken all of three snaps against a SEC opponent when he strode onto the field with 6:46 left in the third quarter. You knew things might be different when Garcia scrambled for eight yards on his first snap. Three plays later, he tucked it for 25 yards. Without question, the decision to put Garcia into the game threw the Kentucky defense off a bit. Afterwards, multiple Kentucky players acknowledged Garcia altered the pace of the game with his athleticism and arm strength. So, you have to credit Spurrier for his determination that USC’s best chance to win the game rested with Garcia, not Smelley, and to take a risk by giving the largely untested freshman a chance to see what he could do.

2. Stephen Garcia Has Turned The Page: After his performance on Saturday, there’s no question Garcia is now ready to start against a SEC opponent. It wasn’t a mistake when Spurrier said following the game that Garcia had performed well in his first “meaningful” action of the season. Was that a subtle shot at UAB? Possibly. But the message was clear: don’t start bragging until you’ve actually done something in a SEC game. Now that Spurrier has seen what Garcia can do against a conference opponent, the head coach has more confidence in him. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be throwing him out there against a defense as good as LSU’s, Saturday night’s debacle against Florida notwithstanding. I’m impressed by how easily Garcia has put his past problems behind him and moved forward with focusing on football. The way Garcia played against UAB and Kentucky, it makes you wonder just how good he would be right now if he hadn’t missed nearly all of two spring practices and been in Columbia working out with the team this past summer. Right now, he’s doing a great job making up for lost time. Statistically, Garcia is off to a good start: 23-of-35 (65.7 percent) for 300 yards and two touchdowns.
.
3. Winning Teams Are Successful On Third Down: Are you searching for a good reason to explain USC’s recent four-game winning streak? Look no further than the team’s third-down conversion rate. The Gamecocks have been successful on 30 of 57 third-down chances during the four-game, an impressive conversion percentage of 52.6 percent. Against Kentucky on Saturday, USC was a robust 5-for-9 on third-down opportunities when they needed to gain 10 yards or more for a first down. USC was 4-of-6 on third down after Stephen Garcia entered the game midway through the third quarter. In the fourth quarter alone, they converted a third-and-14, third-and-10 and third-and-12. Through seven games, USC is converting 47.0 percent of its third down chances, the top mark in the SEC. Saturday, the biggest difference between the teams was the amount of success on third-down. Kentucky was a poor 1-for-16. Not surprisingly, UK head coach Rich Brooks decried the Wildcats’ lack of playmakers following the game. We’ve heard that before, except it was Spurrier doing the talking.

4. It’s Actually Possible To Win In The SEC Despite Four Turnovers and Four Missed Field Goals: USC played far from a perfect game on Saturday. The offense kept turning it over in the first half, and Ryan Succop was flat out atrocious, missing field goals he’s typically made with ease in the past. I can excuse the misfires from beyond 50 yards, but you need to split the uprights on a 39-yarder at this level, especially with the game on the line. USC won because they got a couple of huge special team plays in the first half that produced a pair of touchdowns and they maximized their scoring opportunities when they weren’t turning it over and Succop wasn’t missing field goals. A key statistic in the game was USC punted only twice, while Kentucky kicked it away eight times. Out of their five “true” possessions beyond the turnovers and field goal failures, USC scored two touchdowns to go along with Succop’s only success of the afternoon.

5. USC Has A Road Warrior Mentality: I realize USC lost at Vanderbilt earlier this season, but there’s something about the road that suits the Gamecocks. Maybe it’s because there are fewer distractions and players and coaches are forced to take an “us again the World” approach. Whatever it is, it works the majority of the time. USC is now 8-7 on the road in SEC games under Spurrier, including a pair of wins at Kentucky. Over the same stretch, they’re just 5-8 against conference opponents at home. Spurrier discounts the whole home versus road thing, but I think there’s something to it. Do the players tense up with their families and girlfriends in the stands? Do they feel a negative energy from the home crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium? Do they bond together better on the road? Are there less distractions on the road? I suspect the answer to all those questions is yes.

 

[TroyStacks]

spurrior is not a good coach where do all you guys get off saying he is better than miles. Miles has balls and talent on his team. Spurrior has always been a fraud getting florida (the big name school) to recruit from. He has done nothing worth mentioning at SC. They get one big win a year and thats it. If I am wrong and they win this weeknd maybe you are right but at -3 how can you not say talent wins over everything. OL gets on their LBs all game ad runs the ball all over the SC defense.

 

[Blue_Chip]

South Carolina will pass on LSU.

Not if LSU's DL does their job.

 

[E.T.G.]

Not if LSU's DL does their job.

RJF is key in determining that.

 

[sirwinzalot]

I will be impressed if LSU covers as easy as TroyStacks says and I will give him his due. I just can't see how you think LSU -3 here is so easy. I think in a game like this when you are that overly-confident, I just don't see it. Am I confident in South Carolina? Yes, I am. Can it lose? Yes. However I feel the edge is with South Carolina in regard to situation, home field. I feel like South Carolina will be a 2nd half team this year, and I doubt Spurrier lets his team fade down the 2nd half like they did last year.

 

[RetroVK]

Les Miles makes bad coaching decision after bad coaching decision .. sometimes those decisions paid off for him ( see auburn last year ) but it doesn't change the fact they were terrible.

Yes Miles has more talent but the disparity isn't anywhere near what some are making it out to be. Georgia has similar talent to lsu but with a tested QB in stafford and they still struggled mightily on the road at south carolina. In fact , I would argue that south carolina was the better team that day in defeat.

At some point i think i have to start capping as if south carolina loses the turnover battle as that has been their problem all year.

In a tight game , i dont mind having succop on my side either.

Another thing to note is that there is a big difference in this south carolina offense with McKinley in there as opposed to out and that will pay dividends.

Just don't see why some expect the lsu side to run away and hide from south carolina here....

 

[HUNT]

This is a big home game and the crowd will be very loud as long as they are in the game. This is also a huge recruiting weekend with around 50+ players and if they did pull out a win it would be a big win over a named team in the conference. Turnovers are a big question. South Carolina will pass on LSU.[/quote]

A lot.

 

[TroyStacks]

has anyone watched SC play?

Their QBs suck dick ad lead the SEC in INTs thrown they are garbage. Jesus I'm either compltely clueless or the only one on this site who knwos what good football is hahaha.

Good health to all...


"That is why they play the game"

"SC is who I thought they were, and Les Miles let em off the hook"

haha needed some comedy here this is getting too serious lol

 

[HUNT]

Talent doesn't always win games Troy..just my two cents.

 

[RetroVK]

has anyone watched SC play?

Their QBs suck dick ad lead the SEC in INTs thrown they are garbage. Jesus I'm either compltely clueless or the only one on this site who knwos what good football is hahaha.

Good health to all...


"That is why they play the game"

"SC is who I thought they were, and Les Miles let em off the hook"

haha needed some comedy here this is getting too serious lol

yeah you are right to think sc has interception problems ... not saying lsu cant go in there in win or anything ..just dont think its easy to go into columbia at night and blow gamecocks away .. dick sucking qb's and all.

 

[TroyStacks]

haha both hunt and vegas you are correct.

 

[E.T.G.]

can u say with confidence Lee/Hatch will out play Garcia? I think its a crapshoot with 2 redshirt frosh QB's at the helm

 

[E.T.G.]

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<HR color=#cccccc noShade>This does not surprise because I have been hearing some things on him.




This was RG, he was benched against UK, he has been having problems with going to class/attitude problems and its sucks cause he is a talented Sophomore who started 5 games last yr and started the beginning of the yr. Not sure who is going to replace yet.

 

[pags11]

troy,

I hope that you don't feel that any of us are ganging up on you...I respect your opinion tremendously, I just think your reasoning is off for playing LSU here...in the interest of full disclosure, I'm on South Carolina...GL bud...

 

[O-State]

SOUTH CAROLINA
KENTUCKY------74-62 rushing, 274-156 passing, 2-4 TO’s, block field goal TD
OLE MISS-------78-118 rushing, 327-243 passing, 3-1 TO’s, fumble return for TD
UAB------------158-67 rushing, 195-140 passing, 3-3 TO’s
GEORGIA--------18-106 rushing, 271-146 passing, 2-0 TO’s
VANDY----------92-135 rushing, 233-90 passing 3-1 TO’s
NC STATE------171-89 rushing, 189-49 passing, 4-4 TO’s

LSU
AUBURN---178-70 rushing, 220-250 passing, 2-1 TO’s, Lee picked off for TD
MISS ST---166-110 rushing, 261-175 passing, 0-2 TO’s, recovered fumble TD
FLORIDA---80-265 rushing, 241-210 passing,1-3 TO’s, Lee picked off for TD

I think we know a lot more about Carolina than LSU. LSU will win the rushing battle. Carolina has gotten their passing attack in order and will win that battle. I would say Carolina definately has the beterr pass defense. Both qb’s are turnover prone. Two great defenses. Georgia dominated the rushing department and struggled to come out of their with a victory.


I think this is a tough one.

 

[TroyStacks]

pags this is part of the purpose of the forum bro i understand. i just feel like the minority here. its unusual but then again i had the worst week ever last week so maybe i am off. i'm not mad or feel ganged up on by any means. this is teh forum at its best!

 

[3wiggler]

Five Things We Learned From The USC-Kentucky Game
posted by Scott Hood on Sunday, October 12, 2008
<!-- posted by Scott Hood, Sunday, October 12, 2008 -->
South Carolina pulled out another SEC road win on Saturday afternoon with a hard-fought 24-17 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington. Here are the five things we learned from that game:

2. Stephen Garcia Has Turned The Page: After his performance on Saturday, there’s no question Garcia is now ready to start against a SEC opponent. It wasn’t a mistake when Spurrier said following the game that Garcia had performed well in his first “meaningful” action of the season. Was that a subtle shot at UAB? Possibly. But the message was clear: don’t start bragging until you’ve actually done something in a SEC game. Now that Spurrier has seen what Garcia can do against a conference opponent, the head coach has more confidence in him. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be throwing him out there against a defense as good as LSU’s, Saturday night’s debacle against Florida notwithstanding. I’m impressed by how easily Garcia has put his past problems behind him and moved forward with focusing on football. The way Garcia played against UAB and Kentucky, it makes you wonder just how good he would be right now if he hadn’t missed nearly all of two spring practices and been in Columbia working out with the team this past summer. Right now, he’s doing a great job making up for lost time. Statistically, Garcia is off to a good start: 23-of-35 (65.7 percent) for 300 yards and two touchdowns.

I know this is taken from a SC website but I wouldn't be so quick to say Garcia turned a corner as much as Spurrier just showed how great of a coach he is. Kentucky was playing a pressing man style coverage all game against the WR sets of SC. When Spurrier made the switch, he knew Garcia's running style would work against the man coverage. Kentucky had absolutely no ability to adjust and with every yard he gained on the ground his confidence grew. It would be interesting to look at how scrambling quarterbacks not named Teebow have done against LSU to figure out how well LSU's defense can handle a scrambling QB

 

[E.T.G.]

I know this is taken from a SC website but I wouldn't be so quick to say Garcia turned a corner as much as Spurrier just showed how great of a coach he is. Kentucky was playing a pressing man style coverage all game against the WR sets of SC. When Spurrier made the switch, he knew Garcia's running style would work against the man coverage. Kentucky had absolutely no ability to adjust and with every yard he gained on the ground his confidence grew. It would be interesting to look at how scrambling quarterbacks not named Teebow have done against LSU to figure out how well LSU's defense can handle a scrambling QB

Garcia has talent, that much is for sure. He is only a RS-Frosh though and has not practiced in the spring yet. He hasn't arrived yet but he needs to play this year out for the good of himself and the program. He has those natural leadership qualities and he brings a lot of energy and confidence to the offense. He might look terrible this weekend or he might set the world on fire, no one knows. He has been on campus for 4 semesters now and has had 1 semester worth of meaningful practice. With that said, he wouldn't of come in the game if Smelley could hit an open WR because SC had open WR's all day. Garcia is a passing QB, he just has the ability to move around a little bit but he is not anywhere near the type of running QB Tebow was last yr. Yea, he has a few designed run plays but he is back there to throw the ball, he has a little bit of mobility to escape the broken pocket and make a throw on the run. I could see SC rolling him out some this week to help the OL pass protect.

 

[E.T.G.]

October 14, 2008

Spurrier's Confidence in Garcia Growing

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Scott Hood
GamecockCentral.com Staff Writer
<SCRIPT language=javascript>document.write("<div id=contentcontainer style='font-size: " + currentsize + "pt;'>");</SCRIPT>Talk about it in The Insiders Forum




Every time Stephen Garcia completes a long pass on third down, every time he successfully scrambles away from trouble, the confidence meter of South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier and the rest of the Gamecock team in the redshirt freshman quarterback inches upward.

Garcia, coming off an impressive performance against Kentucky last Saturday in relief of starter Chris Smelley, will make his first career start Saturday night against No. 13 LSU at Williams-Brice Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. and the contest will be nationally televised by ESPN.

"Stephen has his chance. Hopefully he'll be as ready as he possibly can to play here Saturday night," Spurrier said Tuesday afternoon during his weekly press conference at Williams-Brice Stadium. "I think he will be. We all gained a lot of confidence from his performance last week. But it was one game."

After entering the Kentucky game for the first time with less than seven minutes remaining in the third quarter and USC facing a 17-14 deficit, Garcia completed 10 of 14 passes for a career high 169 yards to direct the Gamecocks to 10 unanswered points and USC's second road victory in consecutive weekends and the fourth straight overall.

Garcia, of course, didn't act alone. Spurrier noted he was helped in his efforts by adequate protection from the USC offensive line, even though he was sacked three times.

"We need to pass-block," Spurrier said. "If we pass-block pretty decently, he can throw it in there. He's got a lot of arm and he can move around."

In 13 possessions this season, Garcia had led USC to three touchdowns and three field goals for a total of 30 points. Only one drive has ended with a punt. Garcia is averaging 2.3 points per drive, higher than backup QB's Chris Smelley (1.9 points per game) and Tommy Beecher (1.3 points per drive).

Spurrier said Garcia didn't look like a young, largely untested quarterback on most plays when the ball was snapped against the Wildcats last Saturday.

"We thought he had a lot of potential," Spurrier said. "He still does. He can throw the ball beautifully, as we found out last week. He can move around a bit. It was encouraging. He actually checked out two receivers a couple of times, which is unusual around here. If this guy is covered, hit the other one. Stephen did that two or three times the other day. It was encouraging."

In the fourth quarter, Garcia was 7-of-11 for 132 yards. Four of his completions went to fellow freshman Jason Barnes of Charlotte, N.C., while two went to Weslye Saunders and one to Joe Hills.

Garcia connected with Barnes for first downs on a pair of third-and-long situations. With Garcia playing quarterback, USC converted four of six third down opportunities in the fourth quarter after making 4-of-11 in the first 45 minutes.

Garcia enjoyed some success in the passing game in the win over Kentucky despite the lack of a running game. USC totaled 152 rushing yards on 69 carries in the pivotal road wins in Oxford and Lexington, an average of just 2.2 yards per attempt.

Spurrier hopes to enjoy watching Garcia throw the ball Saturdy night in conjunction with a healthy running game and effective blocking along the offensive front.

"The potential is there, but the guys around him have to play," Spurrier said. "The offensive line has got to play a little bit better than we've been playing. The running game, we need to make a few more yards when it's there. We've got to obviously give the quarterback as much help as possible."

One key member of the USC offensive line should be absent for the foreseeable future – redshirt sophomore Heath Batchelor has been suspended indefinitely for violation of team rules.

Spurrier responded "pretty much" when he was asked if Batchelor had been suspended for academic reasons.

After a series of off-field incidents slowed his progress, Garcia made his career debut against Georgia by stepping on the field for three snaps. He saw his first extended action against UAB on Sept. 27 when he replaced Smelley on the second possession of the game and finished 13-of-20 for 131 passing yards and 86 yards rushing.

Last week, Garcia replaced Smelley again, though this time it took until the second half for it to happen.

"We go pretty much week-to-week until guys definitely prove themselves," Spurrier said. "Heck, I thought Tommy Beecher was going to go the distance this year. And he went one game. We give them all an opportunity to go play. If it doesn't work out, something happens, we give the next guy a chance."

With Smelley going the distance at Ole Miss before sharing snaps with Garcia last Saturday at Kentucky, the USC offense has finally sprung to life following lethargic performances against Wofford and UAB.

Over the last two weeks, USC has totaled 753 yards of total offense and scored 55 points, though seven points in the Kentucky win came on Captain Munnerlyn's 81-yard return of a blocked field goal. USC outgained Kentucky by 130 yards, including 215-55 in the second half, and punted twice compared to eight times for the Wildcats.

USC leads the SEC in first downs (148) and is second in third-down conversion rate (46.9 percent) behind Georgia. The Gamecocks were successful on 15 of 30 third down opportunities against Ole Miss and Kentucky.

But there's one statistic that troubles Spurrier: USC has attempted 19 field goals, most in the SEC by a healthy margin. The second highest team (Kentucky) has tried 15 field goals.

"Yeah, the offense is better," Spurrier said. "We're not punting much and we're making a bunch of third downs. But we're not scoring touchdowns. We're still firing at them and we're going to keep firing at them. Maybe Stephen can hit some that we've been missing and so forth."

Spurrier proclaimed one of the reasons for the offense's recent surge has been increased production from the wide receivers. Kenny McKinley has 11 receptions for 146 yards in two games since returning from a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for three games and most of a fourth.

But the most pleasant surprise has been the emergence of Barnes, who also has 11 receptions for 164 yards and two touchdowns in the last two games after signaling his long-awaited arrival in the UAB game with three receptions.

"Jason Barnes has come around the last two games," Spurrier said. "Gosh, he's got a game ball in each of the last two games. He's had big catches to help us to win the game. Kenny's back. Jared Cook, Weslye (Saunders) has caught a ball or two, but he still had a few drops last week, also. Joe Hills is coming around better. We're a little bit more encouraged with our wide receiver play.

"(The ability to get open) has a lot to do with it if the quarterbacks can hit them when they're open. But they're getting open better. That's the thing. Three weeks ago, we had trouble getting off man-to-man coverage and so forth. I think our guys are running better routes."

The fact USC now has multiple pass-catching weapons at receiver and tight end marks a significant change from earlier in the season when McKinley and Cook were labeled by outsiders as USC's lone threats in the passing game.

"I think some Georgia player told one of our guys, if you can stop 84 (Cook) and 11 (McKinley), ya'll got nobody else to throw to," Spurrier said. "I thought that was possibly true in the third game of the season. Now we've got more guys to throw to. It's encouraging the way it's happening. Jason Barnes is a freshman. Stephen Garcia is a freshman. So we hopefully can build on a lot of guys coming back. Got a few seniors, but overall it's a good solid group for the next two or three years."

The USC offense will encounter a LSU defense this weekend that was scorched for 51 points and 475 yards by Florida last Saturday night in Gainesville. LSU, the defending national champions, is 4-1 despite a defensive unit ranked No. 9 in the SEC in total defense (303.6 ypg) and No. 10 in scoring defense (22.4 ppg).

A victory over LSU, still one of the most talented teams in the SEC, if not the nation, would extend USC's current winning streak to five games and give the Gamecocks three straight conference wins for the first time since they won six straight games during a span bridging the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

USC's first home victory over LSU since 1930 would also guarantee the school's fifth straight year of a .500 or better record in the regular season.

"This is a key game for us. They've all been the last couple of weeks," Spurrier said. "But LSU is sort of a big-name team, as we know. But what we're really trying to do this week is playing the best that we can. We're not worried so much that we're playing the defending national champions, a team that's got a tremendous history, tradition and all that. Let's just go see if we can't play a lot better than we've been playing in some of these games."
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[E.T.G.]

October 14, 2008

Small Mistakes become Big Mistakes
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Bryan Lazare
TigerBait.com Senior Writer
<SCRIPT language=javascript>document.write("<div id=contentcontainer style='font-size: " + currentsize + "pt;'>");</SCRIPT>Talk about it in Tiger Penthouse


Linebacker Darry Beckwith was eagerly anticipating his return to the lineup last Saturday against Florida in The Swamp.

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</TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>Dickson says LSU saw an entirely new Gator defense Saturday night</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- End Richard Dickson vs App. St. 250 Image-->Beckwith, the most experienced player on the defense, had been out since suffering a knee injury against North Texas last month. However, Beckwith's first night back was not good.

Individually, Beckwith made just two tackles. He was beaten by Percy Harvin for a first-quarter touchdown reception. Florida scored 51 points, the most by a LSU opponent in 12 seasons.

"You have to have tough skin in this business," Beckwith said. "This is a tough league. You can't do small things wrong in this conference. Small things lead to big things."

Beckwith and his defensive teammates took on a Gators offense which was at its peak. Florida finished with 475 yards. They ran it for 265 yards and Tim Tebow threw it for another 210 yards.

"Florida brought its 'A' game," Beckwith said. "They have a lot of weapons. It's like they have four or five Trindons (Holliday) back there. They have guys who can take it the distance. They had some good matchups."

One of those matchups involved Beckwith having to cover Harvin in a man-to-man situation on a third-and-goal from LSU's 7. Harvin got inside Beckwith and made a touchdown catch which put the Gators on top 17-0 after the extra point.

"I was acting like I was blitzing on the play," Beckwith said. "When I jumped back, I jumped back too much and (Harvin) got underneath me. As a defense, we didn't execute as well as can."

Linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, who is in his first year as a starter, couldn't believe what the Florida offense was doing against the Tigers defense.

"I was shocked they got up on us like that," Sheppard said. "I've never seen our defense get exposed like that."

The offense, particularly the running game, also had its problems Saturday. Apparently, the Gators used a different defensive alignment when LSU went to its I-formation.

"Florida had a great defensive scheme," Tigers tight end Richard Dickson said. "We expected one thing from them and they showed another thing. Florida had run the same defense all year and they came out with something different.

"It seemed like there was one mistake by (offensive line) on every play. The defensive line was pinching a lot. We would get used to one defense and they would change again."

Scott verified that the Gators unveiled a revised defensive game plan.

"There were some new wrinkles on defense and we couldn't respond," Scott said. "There was a guy here and a guy there making a mistake. If one guy messes up, it screws up the play. We just didn't execute."

The players appear to be quite confident that they will remedy the situation this week when they take on South Carolina in Columbia.

"We go up from here," Scott said. "That's the only way we can go. We're going to work hard and be ready for anything the defense throws out there."

LSU can expect to see many different offensive packages from Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier. South Carolina will go with Stephen Garcia at quarterback for the first time this season. Garcia has more mobility than Chris Smelley, who had been the No. 1 guy.

"We have another big challenge this week," Sheppard said. "South Carolina will come in with multiple personnel groupings. I'm sure they'll try to give us the same looks as Florida. We have to show people we're still a good team."

The players watched the tape of the Florida game at 6:45 Monday morning. It was not a happy time.

"There was a sick feeling in everybody's stomach," Dickson said. "Nobody wants to feel like that again."

Beckwith stressed the Tigers were in similar situations a year ago after overtime losses against Kentucky and Arkansas.

"We have to keep our heads up," Beckwith said. "The defense is disappointed. We're shocked that we didn't play as well as expected. But, we've been in this situation before. There were a lot of points put up by Arkansas and Kentucky last year.

"It was obvious that we didn't play our best football Saturday. We'll get it corrected. We have to step up and meet the challenge. We have to move forward. It's not where you start, but where you finish."

 

[E.T.G.]

BlueChip, Nawlins, Purple & Gold, any LSU fans....


What your biggest reason for some of these stats

SEC:

Total D- 9th
Pass D- 9th
Rush D- 7th
Scoring D- 10th
Sacks By- t10th (only 9 on the season)
Red Zone D- last
Turnover Margin- 9th (-4)


Granted, UF had to skew those stats but the lack of sacks is very surprising to me.

 

[pags11]

stacks,

for sure bud...:cheers:

 

[Blue_Chip]

Position-by position by Don Long (local)

QB. Steve Spurrier of South Carolina will start true freshman Stephen Garcia (6'2", 221) who threw for over 8,000 yards in high school and rushed for 1,500 yards in three years. Garcia has a strong throwing arm and great foot speed. He has completed 23 of 35 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns this season. Chris Smelley, who has started four games this season, will replace Garcia if Steve Spurrier is not happy with the freshman. Smelling has completed 108 of 180 passes for 1,276 yards and 10 touchdowns. Smelley has also thrown eight INTs. LSU will start Jarrett Lee who has all the tools to be a great quarterback at LSU before his career is over. Lee has completed 68 of 115 passes for 852 yards and eight touchdowns. Lee has also thrown five INT’s. Andrew Hatch will also see some playing time, mostly as a running quarterback. Hatch has completed 21 of 40 passes for 250 yards. Slight edge South Carolina.

RBs. Mike Davis is the Gamecocks leading rusher. Davis is a bruising power running back. He has rushed 87 times for 354 yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Stephen Garcia is the Gamecocks second leading receiver with 26 carries for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Charles Scott leads LSU in rushing with 83 carries for 570 yards for a 6.9 average. Andrew Hatch has rushed for 115 yards on 24 carries. Richard Murphy and Keiland Williams have each carried the ball 17 times. Murphy has gained 75 yards, Williams has rushed for 65 yards. Advantage LSU.

WRs. South Carolina likes to throw the football and they like to go deep. Jared Cook leads South Carolina with26 receptions for 386 yards. Moo Brown has 21 receptions for 334 yards. Kenny McKinley, who is a great pro prospect, has 20 receptions for 206 yards. Brandon LaFell leads LSU with 29 receptions for 407 yards. Demetrius Byrd has 16 catches for 226 yards. Richard Dickson has 14 for 130 yards and Chris Mitchell has six receptions for 95 yards. Even.

OL versus DL. South Carolina's starting offensive line averages 6'6, 312. The Gamecocks return three starters from the 2007 team and a total of nine players who have started games. LSU's offensive line averages 6'5", 312 with four returning starters from the 2007 BCS national championship game. South Carolina's defensive line is made up of five returning starters and a total of eight players who have started games. LSU returned four starters in Kirston Pittman, Tyson Jackson, Charles Alexander and Ricky Jean Francois, and two players, Drake Nevis and Marlon Favorite, who started games in 2007 and this season. Slight advantage LSU.

Linebackers. The South Carolina linebacker position is very deep with great experience and is led by Eric Norwood and Jasper Brinkley. LSU linebackers have shown improvement since the start of the season except the Florida game. Darry Beckwith and Kelvin Singelton are LSU's two top linebackers. Advantage South Carolina.

DBs. The Gamecocks start three juniors and one senior in the defensive backfield. The four starters are a little on the small side, but all four runs sub 4.4 forties. LSU defensive backs have a size advantage over South Carolina and as much speed. Slight advantage LSU.

Special teams. South Carolina's kicker and punter is Ryan Succop who is very good. Succop is 18 for 18 on PATs, 12 of 19 for field goals including six of nine from 40-50 yards. Colt Davis and Josh Jasper are 16 for 16 in PATs. David is six of seven in kicking field goals. Advantage LSU.

 

[Blue_Chip]

Total D- 9th
Pass D- 9th
Rush D- 7th
Scoring D- 10th
Sacks By- t10th (only 9 on the season)
Red Zone D- last
Turnover Margin- 9th (-4)

LSU has been missing two starters from the DL most of the season in Francois and Alexander, but this is supposed to be a deep group so that should be little excuse. I guess the group is not as deep as thought to be.

Other reasons are DBs and inconsistent QB play. I mention the QB here because he should be running more often with 2-3 capable RBs. This would limit turnovers and keep the defense off the field longer.

"The defensive backfield problem is a mystery to me because LSU has recruited several highly-touted, five-star defensive backs the last three years including Jai Eugene, Phelon Jones, Patrick Peterson and Chad Jones. The four players I named could have signed with any school in the nation. Besides the players I named, you can throw in Harry Coleman, Curtis Taylor, Chris Hawkins and one or two more that skip my mind. In my opinion, LSU has plenty of talent in the defensive backfield and should be making more plays than they are.

As for the quarterback position, it is understandable. We all know that LSU lost Matt Flynn by graduation and Ryan Perrilloux was kicked off the team leaving LSU with a major void. Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch took all the snaps in Spring practice and made great improvement in Fall camp. Jarrett Lee was slowed in Fall camp with a high ankle injury and back problems, injuries that slowed down his progress at the start of the season. Andrew Hatch started the season at quarterback but suffered a mild concussion in the first half of the Auburn game and was replaced by Jarrett Lee who played very well the second half of the game and started last Saturday at Florida. Lee will be making his second road start of the season at South Carolina Saturday night and I believe he will perform well. I believe the game will be a low-scoring one and that LSU will pull out a very close win."

 

[E.T.G.]

Injuries bugging LSU Tigers

Posted by James Varney, The Times-Picayune October 14, 2008 9:39PM

Categories: football
BATON ROUGE -- If history is any guide, as opposed to LSU Coach Les Miles' guide to history, the Tigers might be facing some injury issues.
Miles shut down the limited access to practice he had been allowing this season, a lockdown step he took last year after wide receiver Early Doucet, among others, experienced an injury that forced him to miss games. In addition, Miles said Monday he anticipated having all of his players in uniform by the middle of the week but sidestepped who might miss practices as No. 13 LSU (4-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) prepares to play at South Carolina on Saturday night.
"I think there are a couple of guys that are a little nicked that probably won't get practice time today, certainly, but again, I expect that by Tuesday or Wednesday everybody would return to practice, " he said.
Miles smiled and declined to provide jersey numbers when asked.
Junior defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois did not make the trip to Florida last week, reportedly because of injury, and Miles said earlier this week his status is not clear. Jean-Francois' linemate, senior Charles Alexander, also has been nursing an assortment of nicks throughout the season, although he played in the Tigers' 51-21 loss to the Gators.
Alexander said Tuesday that pain has been a constant during his LSU career, an odyssey that has seen him miss whole seasons and lose most of last year's after earning a starting job. He plans to play against the Gamecocks (5-2, 2-2), he declared.
"I'm feeling pretty good, " he said, adding he did some running during Tuesday's drills. "It's all about being a warrior. If I feel I can walk, if I feel I can run, I want to go out there and contribute in the best way I can."
For the most part, the Tigers came out of their defeat in Gainseville, Fla., with team health more intact than their pride.
Tigers senior linebacker Darry Beckwith returned to action against the Gators and insisted Monday he was fine, as did junior tight end Richard Dickson, an important cog in LSU's passing attack who had a touchdown catch at Florida but took several hard hits in the game and afterward was seen wearing a protective boot. Dickson said Monday the boot is gone, but on Tuesday he was in the parking lot during practice with his left ankle and calf heavily taped.
FALL FROM GRACE: LSU finds its statistical positions headed in the wrong directions after the Florida debacle.
On some of the power rankings, for example, LSU is down in the 30s.
Meanwhile, junior tailback Charles Scott, the subject of a fledgling Heisman Trophy campaign two weeks ago, now has slipped out of the top 10 NCAA running backs rankings. Scott, however, saw little daylight against the Gators, and neither he nor the team are worried about his ability.
The defense, long an LSU staple, is another story, according to the NCAA tables. In the SEC, the Tigers have slipped to an uncharacteristic ninth in total defense. The best in the conference in that stat, which is based on yards surrendered per game? South Carolina, LSU's next opponent.
South Carolina is third nationally in that category, but the Gamecocks are slightly behind (the difference is less than a yard per game) in rushing defense.
Perhaps most troubling of all for the Tigers' faithful is that, at the moment, LSU isn't even the best defense in Louisiana, according to the NCAA. The Tigers rank No. 32 in total defense nationally. That puts them three spots behind No. 29 Tulane.

 

[spanishshark]

Troy is correct in saying that Spurrier always had Florida as a recruiting advantage but where he is incorrect is that the reason Florida became a recruiting magnet was because of Spurrier. Spurrier made that team what it became, one of the best Football programs in the country. And before that it was always Miami or Florida State that got the recruits. So I do agree with some of these guys that Spurrier is probably the better coach in this game and should not be outcoached. And if anybody loves to kick someone when they are down it's Spurrier. I always thought he was a prick for doing that but I'll never be a coach either. hahaha. As for me, I can't under estimate him and I will probably throw something on the Gamecocks. :cheers:

 

[E.T.G.]

I'm sure Ellis Johnson is prepared to face whatever Les Miles has in his bag of tricks but Holliday in space = touch down.




October 15, 2008


New Offensive Package
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Bryan Lazare
TigerBait.com Senior Writer
<SCRIPT language=javascript>document.write("<div id=contentcontainer style='font-size: " + currentsize + "pt;'>");</SCRIPT>Talk about it in Tiger Penthouse



Everyone has been pleading for LSU offensive coordinator Gary Crowton to design ways to get the football in the hands of Trindon Holliday.

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</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>AP: Bill Haber</TD></TR><TR><TD height=3>

</TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>LSU offensive coordinator Gary Crowton want the ball in Holliday's hands more often</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- End Trindon Holliday, 250 Image-->In the first four games of the season, Holliday had just six touches on plays from scrimmage. Lost in the demolition which took place at The Swamp last Saturday was an offensive package primarily designed to get Holliday the ball.

Crowton unveiled the new system on the Tigers' fourth series with Florida ahead 17-0. Andrew Hatch was the quarterback with Holliday in the backfield. The wide receivers were R.J. Jackson, Jared Mitchell and Ricky Dixon – all considered top blockers.

On the first play, Hatch and Holliday ran an option play. Hatch kept the ball for a two-yard gain. Crowton went back to this package a few times during the rest of the game.

LSU picked up some big plays, including a 20-yard run by Holliday and a touchdown run by Hatch. Holliday had three touches against Florida in this set. He caught a three-yard pass and ran for 26 yards on two attempts.

"Coach Crowton told us early last week that we were going to use this package," Holliday said. "He designed a couple of plays where I can make something happen. We started doing some more things this week. It will be a bigger part of the offense."

Holliday's 20-yard run set up the Tigers' touchdown at the start of the third quarter. Holliday shifted from wide receiver to the backfield and took a handoff from Hatch. The result was a gain which moved the ball to the Gators' 3.

"That play was nothing special," said Holliday, who was part of a hook-and-ladder play in the first half which led to LSU's first touchdown. "I read the offensive tackle, cut off his block and tried to make something,"

After Holliday's run, Hatch scored a touchdown on the next play. It was obvious that Hatch's role in the game plan against Florida was as a runner. He carried four times for 14 yards and completed two of his three passes.

"It was a little bit of a new package," Hatch said. "We've been putting something new each week. It was a good way to get Trindon the ball more. Trindon had a couple of nice runs and a scored a touchdown. We moved the ball with it."

LSU coach Les Miles was very satisfied with the production from the newly-implemented package. After falling behind by a couple of touchdowns in the second half, the Tigers put this set of plays away for another week.

"I liked it," Miles said. "It provides a change of pace. We can mix in the option as well as other things. It presents a matchup problem for the defense."

Hatch agreed that it is difficult for defenses to switch their mindset from the passing-designed plays with Jarrett Lee at quarterback to these running plays in the middle of a series.

"The defense will have to make a lot of quick adjustments," Hatch said. "If we do a good job of blocking, we can get some big plays out of it. We're going to continue to expand what we do with this package."

 

[PURPLE & GOLD]

My reasoning for those stats are spread offenses from most of our opponents, soft zone coverage, and 2 defensive coordinators carrying on Pelini's soft zone coverage.

Not sure if things are complicated or we are having communication breakdowns but all year long the plays and personnel have been slow to be setup for the ensuing play.

I think the talk of Rickey Jean is overstated. He can be a dynamic player but we have about 8-10 guys (DL) that can bring it just as hard or harder on every play.
My personal favorite is Drake Nevis and he doesnt even get much playing time.

 

[Blue_Chip]

My reasoning for those stats are spread offenses from most of our opponents, soft zone coverage, and 2 defensive coordinators carrying on Pelini's soft zone coverage.

Not sure if things are complicated or we are having communication breakdowns but all year long the plays and personnel have been slow to be setup for the ensuing play.

I'm not putting this on Mallory and Peveto yet. You could see our defense blowing coverage last year. Hell, watch the NC game and you will see multiple occurences. We were able to overcome it in the big game because of the disparity in strength, speed, and talent. We can't afford to fuck up against a Percy Harvin or a Timmy Tebow. The slowness in setting up likely comes from having young kids on the field.

 

[E.T.G.]

VK, you asked about that fake field goal......Spurrier was asked after practice one day about it and he just smirked......I also found this quote from Jordin Lindsey..................................With LSU coming to town, memories of last season's fake field goal for a touchdown by the Tigers will be revived. Lindsey was in the stands at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. watching the game and his reaction was similar to most Gamecock fans. "I had a lot of emotions about that play," Lindsey said. "It made me feel like they thought they could toy with us and it pissed me off. It made me mad even more, but we'll be ready for them this year."

 

[MrMulligan]

While I think this line is a little short and I am going to need +4.5 or more to get on SC, they are not out coached in this game, not even close.

And looking at this game position by position


OL - LSU
RB - LSU
QB - PUSH? Both RS-Frosh.
WR - SC slightly
DL - LSU
LB - SC
DB - SC


LSU does have an advantage in the trenches on both sides of the ball, no doubt about that

:cheers:

 

[MrMulligan]

ETG I have this one capped at what the spread is.Linesmakers will not give out gifts on big games like this. No way in hell.

How do we know LSU will cover this one. Its there 1st loss of the season and Spurrier always outcoaches LSU. Spurrier just doesn't have the talent like LSU.Anyway lets see how LSU reacts to that loss before we pound them. You have young QB's who are now facing adversity for the 1st time.LSU seems like the play but we must see how they come out. If its very close in the 1st half and it seems like LSU can take over this game then lets look for a 2nd half play.Other than that leave it alone is my advice.Too many what if's as the factor.GL fellas.

:cheers:

 

[MrMulligan]

Comparing Les Miles to arguably one of the 10 best college football coaches of all time is downright absurd, Troy.

:cheers:

 

[MrMulligan]

Troy is correct in saying that Spurrier always had Florida as a recruiting advantage but where he is incorrect is that the reason Florida became a recruiting magnet was because of Spurrier. Spurrier made that team what it became, one of the best Football programs in the country. And before that it was always Miami or Florida State that got the recruits. So I do agree with some of these guys that Spurrier is probably the better coach in this game and should not be outcoached. And if anybody loves to kick someone when they are down it's Spurrier. I always thought he was a prick for doing that but I'll never be a coach either. hahaha. As for me, I can't under estimate him and I will probably throw something on the Gamecocks. :cheers:

I went to UF '91-'95 and agree 100% with you, my friend....:cheers:

 

[Blue_Chip]

:cheers:

:cheers:

:cheers:

I went to UF '91-'95 and agree 100% with you, my friend....:cheers:

Should we re-titled this thread "Mulligan has a huge man-crush on Spurrier?"