Safeties’ Physicality

quote:

---

Gilbert

---

There were a couple plays where he should have made the initial contact on the wr and ended up not even being involved in the tackle...talk about shying away from contact

I get it that the game has changed with personal foul penalty rules protecting offensive players, but how about Jamal Adams type safeties? He was a sure tackling machine that loved the contact.

Great point. Seems like they whiff or step back at times. Gilbert was awful Saturday night he seems to not know how to wrap up and hold on he tries to hit hard and bounce off or just miss.

quote:

---

See this time and time again by Gilbert and Ryan.

---

There was a funny sequence i think in the second quarter where a Florida guy goes in motion. Sage signals for Gilbert to go with him. Gilbert’s like “bet.” Gilbert goes, the guy gets the ball, cuts through the hole and Gilbert goes low and misses him completely. He gets up after the guy is finally gang tackled 10 yards down field, looks at Ryan and they both kind of shrug.

And less heralded guys like Jesse Daniels and Brandon Taylor were light years ahead of what we've got now.

quote:

---

Safeties’ Physicality

---

LSU safety play has been the worst in the league the past two years.

The fact that other guys aren't at least getting rotation reps is worrying me for next season. There's no way the younger guys could play worse, and at a minimum, you might find a guy who plays with a little fire.

I have to believe Gilbert is protecting an injury. I don't think I've ever seen someone avoid contact at least to some extent like he does.

To be fair, the entire team lacks physicality. LSU is a finesse team. When teams bow up to them, they crumble. Major red flag when USC bullied LSU week 1. It turned out not to be a fluke.

eta. When your starting QB acts like he's injured every time he's tackled, that attitude permeates the team.

quote:

---

I have to believe Gilbert is protecting an injury. I don't think I've ever seen someone avoid contact at least to some extent like he does.

---

I believe that Someone reported a few weeks ago that he had a bum shoulder. Maybe someone else can confirm?

I actually watched the 2005 Peach Bowl the other day and the talent disparity we have now in the secondary is glaring.

Jesse Daniels was easily the worst player in secondary on that team amd he would be the best DB we have on this team by far.

The others were Prude, C. Jackson, Laron Landry.

Brandon Taylor would look like a 5 star on this team. Would kill to have a guy like that on this team as he was a great leader and could play ball.

It goes to show you how much talent we lack nowadays. It kills you when you get high 4/5 stars and they just either don’t play or pan out (Sage/Gilbert).


This is on Kelly for his poor initial defensive staff hires and I think that he either:

A) assumed that high level players just recruit themselves to LSU

B) underestimated the talent/depth of other rosters in the SEC

C) doesn’t have good talent evaluation as it compares to SEC competition vs talent he needed at ND

I suspect it’s mostly A and B as any coach can miss on guys and he has had some wins ala Mason Taylor and getting JD etc.