Key to stopping Oregon's Offense?

simple answer, our defense

Our offense actually. Only a couple of teams slowed them down last year, but the #1 prescription was to let them have a seat.

Two big things

A. T.O.P. - Our offense needs to stay on the field, limited Oregon's opportunities.

B. Don't allow long drives, have to disrupt Oregon's game flow by getting 3-and outs otherwise they will run your defense off the field with constant hurry-up.

Brockers is a solid pick.

I agree about keeping the ball out of their hands with our offense. Ware could play a major part in helping us maintain long drives.

I've also heard mixed reviews on Oregon's returning o-line. They looked decent in their spring game, but they could put it together in time.

quote:

---

Our offense actually. Only a couple of teams slowed them down last year, but the #1 prescription was to let them have a seat.

---

This.

Couldn't agree more, and I've said the same thing in the past. Run it down their throat early and often. T.O.P will be key. Eat up that clock and score on every drive.

We have the bigger, stronger line. They're faster in most positions. Overpower.

Win the battle upfront and stuff the run. Force them to pass and let the secondary do their work with giant linemen bearing down on their QB. Not any different from stopping a traditional offense.

Three main points about the NCG:

#1.) Oregon got cute on offense in that game & ran some two back sets that nobody had seen out of them all year. They did not look adept running it, and I think you blame that on Kelly trying to get too cute and going away from what brought him there. Especially early. Those kids were amped up to be in that situation, and trying to get them to "gotcha" someone had them flustered. Coupled with...

#2.) Kelly made another tactical error in leaving Fairley unblocked. He made a gross miscalculation about what leaving him uncovered on their midline option read plays would yield the offense. They thought they were too quick. They were very wrong. Their tempo is fast, but their athletes aren't faster. At all.

#3.) The offense Oregon runs is something like a tempermental woman. The slightest variation or problem throws the whole thing off. Things like miscalculating the "Gotcha" advantage of those early tweaks in their offense (#1) and the poor coaching decision to leave Fairley uncovered (#2) combined with the fact that the large amount of time off prior to the NCG itself to really throw Oregon's timing and tempo off.

My personal opinion is that offense runs rough at the beginning, and at the end. Look at its woes with Boise to start the year two years back (The LeGarrette Blount post-game punch). Look at last year. That offense wasn't ready to start right up and hum.

But, look at the mauling that Kelly & The Blur did once they got going. They need to find rhythm in not only the game, but in the season itself.

They're almost like Tom Glavine, the former MLB pitcher who had this weird deal about having incredibly shaky 1st innings. HOF pitcher, but would give up tons of hits & runs every now and again without ever escaping the 1st inning.

Oregon can get rusty very easy, simply because of what time off does to their tempo.

Now, I doubt that Kelly makes mistakes with #1 & #2 again. He seems to be too good a coach to not learn from his mistakes. But, with the brand & style & tempo that Oregon runs, I don't see how there's any way in hail they can do something about #3 except just get game reps and suffer through the rough starts & ends come bowl season.

I think the way we start & end bodes VERY well for LSU. Especially in comparison to how I see Oregon faring & the beginning and on the back end of their schedules.

quote:

---

My questions is, who do you think will be a key player in slowing down Oregon?

---

Chavis.

I don't care how good of players we have. If we have guys running all over the field like they're lost, it won't matter. (i.e., Ole Miss, Auburn 2010)

quote:

---

Every team that has beaten Oregon in the Chip Kelly era has done it with their defensive line play (see BSU, Ohio St., Auburn) with the lone exception as Stanford in '09. However, even in that game Stanford overpowered us. Ohio State gave up some yards on the ground (a lot on a yard per play average) but killed us with TOP.

Oregon has been playing undersized on the dline for the last two years due to multiple non-qualifiers at DT. The days of running up the middle and chewing up a lot of clock to keep the offense off the field are most likely gone with two run stuffers in Wade "special k" Keliikipi and Ricky Heimuli.

I would say great defensive line play.

---

I agree with this assessment.

On that note, LSU is excellent at DE. The weakness this year is DT. Specifically, we lost Nevis, who was a disruptive force and a key to our defense.

That said, we played Brockers and Downs a lot last year, and we've got the Freak now who will rotate in. We should be fine. I don't know if we'll be quite as disruptive, but we'll be fine.

Downs could be that disruptive force but he's not an every down guy because of his condition or whatever.