LSU’s ‘Cage Rush’ defensive gameplan vs UT and how it will be fixed.

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Cliffs.......

LSU junior safety JaCoby Stevens said the Tigers have learned a lesson after giving up the most passing yards in nearly a decade. At first it will sound cliché. Glib, even. "I feel like we need to respect our opponents," Stevens said Monday.

Orgeron made it clear he believed Ehlinger "can throw the football." He was just more concerned about the Longhorn's threat as a runner and built a game plan focused on that danger.

Orgeron had his defensive linemen execute what he called a "cage rush," in which the linemen bull rush their blockers to box in the opposing quarterback. Chaisson was also sent off the edge to jam another blocker into the pocket, creating pressure on the quarterback.

That kind of scheme won't produce many sacks, since the majority of the rushers aren't truly attempting to get into the backfield. But it still followed a long-held theory by New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick that pressure on the quarterback can lead to more bad plays than sacks do.

On first-and-10 at the LSU 36, Tigers defensive end Glen Logan shoved the left guard nearly into Ehlinger, and the quarterback was still able to complete a 28-yard pass to Brennan Eagles down the left sideline.

The very next play, defensive end Rashard Lawrence overpowered the Texas right guard and was able to swat Ehlinger's pass attempt incomplete. It was the first play in what would be LSU's first of two goal line stands.

He tabled the attacking scheme against Georgia Southern's gun option in Week 1, and Orgeron said Monday if he could go back and plan the Texas game again "I would go ahead and rush them the whole time."

Instead, LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda came up with another formation within the same game plan to create a pass rush (pictured right). It used two defensive linemen — Lawrence and Justin Thomas — who drew double teams from both guards and tackles. Inside linebacker Patrick Queen blitzed inside to draw the Texas center toward the left side of the field, which left open a free lane for Chaisson to stunt inside and sack Ehlinger.

"(Ehlinger) did a hell of a job adapting to that and still made plays," Chaisson said.

Orgeron said he was "disappointed" with the way LSU "let them score the way we did," but history might be on his side.

A solution must come, since LSU has plenty of dual-threat quarterbacks remaining on the schedule, from Florida's Feleipe Franks to the Alabama's Heisman frontrunner Tua Tagovailoa.

For now, that solution can remain simply said. “If you don't respect your opponent, things like this are going to happen," Stevens said. "You're going to give up 400 yards passing if you don't respect the pass. Sam is a good quarterback. He's definitely going to be playing on Sundays."