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The criticism of Coach E, is it based on the lack of game time adjustments?

Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:08 am
Posted by GumboPot
Member since Mar 2009
138911 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:08 am
Just trying to nail down the criticism. Some quick stats:

Scoring - LSU Offense 40 out of 127.
Rushing - 107
Passing - 15
Total offense - 35

In terms of comparing the 2020 total offense to previous years:

2019 - 1
2018 - 69
2017 - 54
2016 - 59
2015 - 39


I mean, our offense this season is not terrible and the drop off from last year's national championship team seems like it can be more attributed to 2020 circumstances:

1. Junior attrition, especially Jamar Chase.
2. New starting QBs.
3. Injury at the QB position.
4. Uncertain starting QB from week to week.
5. OL not playing as well as last year for a variety of reasons: chemistry, QB issues, talent, etc.
6. Opt outs.

All things considered the drop from the number one offense to 35 this year is not that terrible. Probably not worth firing Coach E over given the circumstances out of his control.

But back to the main criticism. Is it the stale play calling at the second half of games? Is that enough to fire Coach E over? Overall it seems like he doing a good job and is cable of putting together a number one offense again with the right pieces. I'm just concerned that the rush to get rid of E that we end up with someone worse. I don't want to repeat the Pelini situation on offense.


Posted by bnb9433
Member since Jan 2015
14734 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:10 am to
quote:

2018 - 69


he was OC with pretty much the same group as 2019... no thanks

time to move on
This post was edited on 12/22/20 at 9:11 am
Posted by Magician2
Member since Oct 2015
14553 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:10 am to
For me it's his 3rd down conversion and red zone scoring.
Posted by thekid
Anna, Tx
Member since May 2006
4039 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:11 am to
I think the offense is fine...they looked well coached under the circumstances...the defense looked clueless and lacked a working scheme
Posted by GumboPot
Member since Mar 2009
138911 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:14 am to
quote:

For me it's his 3rd down conversion and red zone scoring.


Those are the most important spots.

LSU was 102 in third down conversions and 69 in the red zone.
Posted by GumboPot
Member since Mar 2009
138911 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:18 am to
quote:

I think the offense is fine...they looked well coached under the circumstances...the defense looked clueless and lacked a working scheme




That is my general sentiment too. I feel like the offense under Coach E and returning players can be top 10 again. Heck, with some of previous years defenses we would have loved to have the 2020 offense. The defense this year was just unacceptable.
Posted by drdoct
Atlanta, GA
Member since Oct 2015
1609 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:18 am to
It's not a stat problem. It's an eye problem.

This offense felt like the 2018 offense. It was ok. Except there were times where we seemed to take a whole possession off and just accept a punt. We would go totally unoriginal or even attempt a 1st down. It wasn't just 1 time in a game either. Pretty much every other offensive possession it felt like the play calls were just 'off'. Then add in not really redzone, but within field goal range it's like we just played for the 3. Same could be said this year. I can't count how many times it felt like we weren't even trying for a touchdown.

This year we would be 3rd and 10 and run all routes where none were even 10 yards. It's like the plays didn't correspond to the yards needed to gain for a first down or touchdown.
Posted by r2d2
Member since Dec 2006
6902 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:19 am to
Saban has owned E but against everyone else he has done well. I don't think he needs to go, he is good.
Posted by GumboPot
Member since Mar 2009
138911 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:32 am to
quote:

This year we would be 3rd and 10 and run all routes where none were even 10 yards. It's like the plays didn't correspond to the yards needed to gain for a first down or touchdown.





If you remember last year under Burrow, Burrow would hold the ball to the very last second because he had faith that one of his WRs would break open beyond the yard to gain. I noticed in the UF game that Max had WRs open beyond the yard to gain on 3rd downs if he would have just released the ball a fraction of a second later but instead settled for the underneath route which did not gain the first down. QB play is just not to the Burrow level (which is to be expected for a first time starting freshman QB).

I hope we can get Max to the Burrow level. I believe it is possible with a lot of film room time. What I mean by that is pre-snap reads. Even Saban last year couldn't rattle Burrow. Burrow had/has the ability to recognize and anticipate were the defense is not. This is NFL level QB stuff and when it can be applied to the college level the QB becomes VERY productive.

I sure hope Max spends a lot of time with his dad in the film room this spring and summer so he gives the coaching staff the confidence they need to let him lose and call audibles at the LOS based on what defenses are showing.
This post was edited on 12/22/20 at 9:36 am
Posted by CalTiger53
California
Member since Oct 2011
9671 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:32 am to
(no message)
This post was edited on 12/22/20 at 12:56 pm
Posted by Tigers0891
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2017
7072 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:34 am to
He has one run play

The motioning out of the running back stopped.

Creativity instantly dropped.

Pass plays take too long.

Red zone sucked.
Posted by Big EZ Tiger
Member since Jul 2010
26205 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:40 am to
Ensminger is generally good with preparing the QBs and can call good games at times, but he seriously lacks creativity on 3rd downs and in the red zone when it's crucial ( he lacks creativity in the running game as well). LSU's playbook seems very small compared to other schools. I feel like in short yardage situations, he often just calls what he is used to calling rather than making the defense have to guess.
Posted by sta4ever
Member since Aug 2014
17390 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:41 am to
The criticism is based on a bunch of rantards thinking there is something wrong with the playcalling when in all honesty, there’s nothing really wrong with the offense, and the OC.
Posted by OneMoreTime
Florida Gulf Coast Fan
Member since Dec 2008
61860 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 9:57 am to
Here’s some per play stats that show that we just haven’t been very efficient under E (except for last year of course).

Points per play
2020 - 62
2019 - 2
2018 - 42
2017 - 69
2016 - 41
2015 - 17

Yards per play
2020 - 76
2019 - 2
2018 - 83
2017 - 34
2016 - 13
2015 - 11

Yards per pass attempt
2020 - 62
2019 - 5
2018 - 43
2017 - 13
2016 - 39
2015 - 36

Yards per rush attempt
2020 - 109
2019 - 21
2018 - 87
2017 - 36
2016 - 3
2015 - 3
Posted by Big EZ Tiger
Member since Jul 2010
26205 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 10:09 am to
quote:

The criticism is based on a bunch of rantards thinking there is something wrong with the playcalling when in all honesty, there’s nothing really wrong with the offense, and the OC

The ending of the Mizzou game and the first drive of the Bama game say otherwise when a QB sneak was the obvious call to make, but it didn't happen.

The offense played very well at times, but we also finished with the 107th rushing offense in the nation. That is bad. The lowest LSU has ever been in rushing offense in the last 10 years was 60th and that was last year with the best passing offense of all time. Even though we had some injuries in the last two games, he lacks creativity in the run game.
Posted by doubleb
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2006
41681 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 10:22 am to
Our O actually out performed my expectations considering how we finished up.
We lost Chase then Brennan, then Gilbert, Marshall, Price, Emery and we were left with our third QB, without our projected starting WRs, our beast TE and our best TBs.
Somebody out there had to be doing something right coaching up all these young guys.
Posted by ccomeaux
LA
Member since Jan 2010
8184 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 11:08 am to
game plans could be better, play calling is bad at times.
Posted by Tiger1988
Houston
Member since May 2016
29584 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 11:33 am to
Show the three games against Auburn, Alabama and Texas A&M. And then ask yourself why LSU never changed to Ensminger o calling the fricking third down and goal line situation plays when Linehan clearly was failing from the beginning of this year. Also, ask yourself what moronic dumb arse manager would allow this shite to happen that long during the season. Then ask yourself if you cared enough to give two shits to try to help the defense out by developing a run game that was not fricking so predictable. Go back and look at the time the ball was held when Joe Burrow was quarterback and when these freshmen have been playing. Even Brennan. That impacts the run game it impacts the passing game it impacts everything. The lack of preparation affected how well the offensive line played. Not who they were.
This post was edited on 12/22/20 at 11:42 am
Posted by suman
Member since Jun 2009
72 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 11:37 am to
E needs to be held accountable for the lack of depth at QB. He has done nothing to recruit and develop the QB position. LSU should have back up plans at QB besides starting a true freshman.
Posted by UntamedTig3r
Baton Rouge
Member since Nov 2011
243 posts
Posted on 12/22/20 at 11:47 am to
I’m cool with a change but what’s funny is that if one player, Burrow, had been our QB this season with this same staff, players, and opt-outs we’d be 8-2 and much of this criticism on E would be nonexistent.
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