Damn! Tiger fans are critical!!

I am also critical of the Tigers at times, but give me a break!

1. Washington is a much better team than the 0-12 team of last year. Jake Locker is the real deal and may be the best QB we face this year, including Tim Tebow. He is big, fast, smart and accurate. Their defense virtually shut down the Charles Scott.
2 . LSU's defense played much better than everyone thinks. Rarely was a receiver uncovered although sometimes the coverage was a little soft. That in itself bodes well since I believe that missed or blown coverage was the biggest fault in last year's defense. I think they will tighten the coverage as their confidence grows and the fear of giving up a big play subsides. I too was upset with missed tackles, but that can be fixed over time. He who continues to miss tackles can be replaced. There is some young, talented, aggressive talent waiting in the wings. I was disappointed with the play of Chad Jones. Is he a victim of not having to compete for his position or maybe basking in the glory of his role in a baseball national championship? I don't really know, but Patrick Peterson certainly didn't disappoint. He seemed to be everywhere.
3. LSU play calling was very conservative and unimaginative. Washington was stacking the line and effectively stuffing the run game, but Charles Scott kept getting the call. Granted, he could have broken a long one at any time, but he didn't. The most effective plays were QB keepers, sweep option plays, and passes to Toliver and LaFell. It appeared that the coaches were still afraid of letting Jefferson play to his capabilites, living in fear of what happened last year with JL. I believe we call it "playing not to lose". That will change after the confidence in Jefferson grows.
4. Helton was not effective in his punting role. However this venue is a far cry from Ft. Scott Community College or wherever he played last year. He will get better when he gets over the jitters. I hope he can handle the crowd in Tiger Stadium.

For the most part, I thought this team played hard and there were numerous players that were impressive. Bottom line - I like this team! The Washington game is the first game of the season in an unusual environment. There may have been some underestimating of the quality of their opponent or whatever. But this LSU team shows immense talent, is more comfortable on defense, is very fast, has a great attitude and team spirit, and Jordan Jefferson will be the best LSU QB we have had in a long time, with the possible exception of Matt Flynn. And that includes Jamarcus Russell, who I thought was a great passer but not a great QB. This team will get better and better as the season rolls on and has the potential to finish at least in the top 10 or maybe even at the top.