fuck it, here is the whole thing:
[h=1]Q&A with Mike Detillier on LSU football, Miles’ offensive philosophy & the QB position[/h]<!--/.col-ctr-content--> <!-- Responive Ad 1 --> <ins class="adsbygoogle responive-ad-1" style="display: inline-block;" data-adsbygoogle-status="done" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-5636301111760169" data-ad-slot="8870109288"></ins>
<!--/.mobile-ad--> Posted 11/19/14
Scott: Mike, after back-to-back losses including the worst offensive performance in nearly 40 years, many Tiger Fans I'm hearing from are very concerned about the direction of the LSU football program, and understandably so. What's your take?
Mike: Scott, some people were upset with my comments that LSU would have trouble winning games without better play at quarterback leading up to the Ole Miss game and would struggle down the stretch to win games. What has happened is no surprise to me.
What is surprising, and I give John Chavis great credit for this, is how well Chavis' front seven has played against Ole Miss, Alabama and even Arkansas. To get his front seven to play as well as it has with little help from the offense, points wise, is commendable. I have spoken all year about LSU's secondary being the best in the SEC and arguably the best in the country, but where they have really improved is in their gap control against the run. Totally different than earlier in year.
You've got what you've got at quarterback. Part of the problem is, as you've mentioned in your Mail Call, the inability of the staff to adapt its scheme to the talent level at quarterback. Guys like Matt Flynn, Jamarcus Russell, Jarrett Lee and Zack Mettenberger were drop-back "pro-style" quarterbacks. That is not what Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris are. They are "pistol" or "spread-option" quarterbacks and they have had trouble in a major way being that traditional drop-back signal-caller. You just can't figure that talent will adjust to your scheme. If you want a drop-back, "pro-style" quarterback, you better start recruiting the Texas, California and Arizona high school ranks because that is where you find them today, not in Louisiana. One thing Frank Wilson, who coordinates recruiting, may have to do also is get a plan in place to go after the top JUCO "drop-back" quarterback, if that is what the staff seeks in a signal-caller.
To win in major college football, you better have a dominant defensive line (especially at defensive tackle), a very competent quarterback that can win games late in a contest, and playmakers at wide receiver and in the secondary. Just look at the teams that have won it all and they all have those common threads.
Until LSU can solve the quarterback issue, they will struggle to compete for conference championships or national championships.
This LSU coaching staff needs to take a long look in the mirror and realize that at the most critical position on the field, the philosophy of what they are doing has to be adjusted to match the talent they have.
The talent at the other spots are here to have a contender in 2015, even with early losses to the NFL, and I expect that again, but that quarterback spot has to be adjusted from a philosophical standpoint coming from a state that is being known nationwide for its ability to produce so many defensive linemen, secondary people and now, at the highest level, wide receivers.
Scott: What's your response to those who say Coach Miles' will never change his philosophy, LSU will never win another national championship with him at the helm, and that it's time for Miles to move on?
Mike: Les is not going anywhere. His general philosophy works, but he has to do a better job of adjusting it to the personnel on hand. Nick Saban runs a similar offensive scheme, but because Blake Sims is more of a "movement" quarterback, he adjusted to his skill-set. Look around the SEC and the Deep South and you'll see that other than Jameis Winston at Florida State there is not another pure dropback quarterback around. The vast majority are “movement” or “spread option” quarterbacks.
I could see that this team was not adjusting to the skill-set of Jennings or Harris and they would struggle offensively. Teams are just stacking the line of scrimmage with eight men and daring LSU to throw the ball downfield. They have become too one-dimensional.
Scott: I know Anthony Jennings is a hard worker and is giving his all. Do you think he has what it takes to develop into a successful SEC quarterback?
Mike: In a down year in the SEC at quarterback, Jennings is struggling to be middle of the pack. His erratic passing is troubling this late in the year, and at times he does not have a good feel for checkdown throws. Where he excels is throwing the deep ball, but you can't have a high percentage of hits on throws just deep downfield. He just isn't a very accurate passer in the short to medium range areas. But I will say this: in the past two weeks his receivers have not helped out with their untimely drops. But back to your question, there is no way I can say yes.
Scott: You and I both thought that Brandon Harris would have been the starter by now. Neither of us are privy to everything that goes on in the program, on the practice field, in the film room, etc, so we can only speculate as to why this hasn't happened. What's your guess as to why he isn't seeing the field? Talent, coachability, work-ethic, size, maturity?
Mike: It's not just one thing. Like middle linebacker or center, a quarterback has to know what the hell he is doing on every play and also be able to get people in the right spot when needed. Harris is struggling with the mental part of jumping from high school to college. And also, as you've eluded to, he was a "spread option" guy and they call plays that have him more like a drop-back guy. He's also a bit of a risk taker and that does not sit well with the coaching staff.
Harris has flashed it at times and also looked bad at times. It is part of maturing as a player, but I see his problems being one of not grasping the total package mentally. But there is no doubt he is immensely talented. Anyone who tells you different about Harris does not know what they are talking about.
Handling quarterbacks and developing them is an art form today because of what is coming out of the high school ranks. Quarterbacks are not sitting and learning for two or three years, waiting patiently to get their shot. You have to develop them quickly or they leave to go somewhere else. It is college football, and to be honest it's also what you see society-wise in the workplace too. No waiting. No patience. All these guys were stars in high school, so if it doesn't work out quickly they are gone.
It has been rough time, for the most part, as a true freshman for Harris, but he is very gifted as a passer. He just has to calm down and not try to do too much. It is the nature of a quarterback to try to win games by himself, and at this level, early on, it doesn't work that way. But, in time, Harris is going to be a game-changer at quarterback for LSU.
Scott: One of my readers suggested that perhaps Miles is scared of losing Anthony Jennings by starting the younger Harris, which would leave them with only one scholarship quarterback. While that's an interesting take, I think the greater danger may be in losing Harris by not giving him a chance. Another reader suggested that Harris is just too thin/fragile at this point in his development and the staff doesn't want to risk injury and be stuck with only Jennings and a true freshman (McMillan) next year. How much do you think these depth concerns factor into Coach Miles' decision to go with Jennings?
Mike: No, this year I believe Les Miles really thinks Anthony Jennings gives him the best chance to win. I would be more concerned about Harris leaving, to be honest. Then you are kind of stuck in the same boat again next year. It is a great balancing act and I have talked to so many head coaches with similar stories. There is no patience from young quarterbacks and then they want to move on. It is part of the changing world of major college football.
Scott: I know you spoke to Dak Prescott a few times. What is the real story of his recruitment by LSU?
Mike: It's urban myth that LSU did not recruit him as a quarterback. I spoke to Dak at length at the Manning Camp and he told me it boiled down to LSU having a national recruit verbally committed, then he changed his mind and the Tigers offered Dak. Mississippi State recruited him from start to finish. This stuff about fullback and tight end is just what it is, talk. He told me every school talked to him about what position he could play if things didn't work out at quarterback, but LSU recruited him as a quarterback, not a fullback. That talk (and he laughed about it) is what happens when you make a choice other than your state school. Deep down, he really wanted to go to LSU, but they got on the recruiting trail late, and offered late, while Mississippi State was there from start to finish. Give State credit, they saw something in Prescott early in the process that LSU didn't see. The same thing happened a few years back when I spoke to June Jones about recruiting wide receiver Damaris Johnson from Destrehan High School and he really turned the heat on him when he got the job at SMU, but Tulsa was with him early on and he felt more comfortable there and went with the team that stuck with him from start to finish.
Scott: Ok, let's move on and talk about a couple more positions on offense before talking more about next year. What do you make of the running back position, and of Leonard Fournette only getting five carries against Arkansas?
Mike: I don't get that at all. I understand the running back by committee situation at LSU, and you do have some strong talent there, but you have to get a running back in a groove rushing the ball and not have him touch the ball in the first quarter and then not touch it again until the third quarter. Les' philosophy deep down inside is to run the ball 50 or more times a game. When your star back has only five touches, I don't get it. The running back position is deep and talented, but use it like they do in the NFL. Terrence Magee is one of the best "situational" players in the SEC and he needs his touches, but not having Fournette involved more is a mystery.
Scott: LSU's offensive line sure wasn't as dominant against Arkansas as it was in previous games. To me, that speaks to what Vadal Alexander and Elliot Porter bring to the table and how their absence was felt, but it also raises concerns about depth. What's your take?
Mike: No question. I agree 100%. The loss of Alexander and Porter was felt in a big manner, and remember, this is five guys playing as one. This unit was not dominant early in the year, but look at what they did to Florida, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Alabama. They kicked the dust off the opposing teams' rumps running the ball with little help from an anemic passing attack. It's not so much about talent, although that is somewhat of an issue, but it is about experienced talent and working as one. That center spot is tough to replace, too. I think a whole lot of Ethan Pocic, but he is a better guard than center. It's about five working in unison.
Scott: Now for the receivers. With LSU's passing game being so stagnant, it's hard to tell just how good this receiving corps is. Early in the season they were catching everything thrown their way, but in the last two games there have been several drops. How much of a concern is this to you?
Mike: Wide receiver is the least of LSU's problems, but they have to get the tight ends more involved in the passing attack. Travin Dural is one of the best receivers in college football. Malachi Dupre is the next AJ Green, and that is saying a lot. Trey Quinn has had some issues with drops, but we all know he is sure-handed for the most part and a very good route runner, but he is also a true freshman. I'm surprised a little that John Diarse has really fallen back some since earlier in the season.
I am not concerned about the wide receiver position one bit, and LSU has one of the best wide receiver coaches in the nation in Adam Henry. This state is loaded at wide receiver and is a great "feeder system," but these top receivers see the struggle at quarterback, too. But LSU has that certain appeal that will always have them in the talk for the top wide receivers in the South, not just in Louisiana.
