re: Do you consider Miles aggressive? Unorthodox?

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i just wish LSU were more aggressive and relied on speed more. might i be wrong? sure.

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I agree with you here-- I consider Miles average with regards to being aggressive, and sometimes wish he would open it up a little more.

Defensively, LSU (last 2 years) has not put much pressure on opposing offenses or dictated the pace. Instead, they have gone to a play your position / read & react / don't give up the big play mode, which has ironically given up more big plays due to the lack of pressure. Definitely not aggressive, and when they have tried to blitz, it has been mostly ineffective. (To clarify before I get bashed by others-- this has nothing to do with Saban, I like Miles well enough, and from what I have heard through here and the media, I fully expect the defense to be more effectively aggressive this year under Chavis.)

Offensively-- I would say average in aggressiveness; the emphasis is more on ball control than on scoring. It seems LSU starts out games with safe running plays and 5-10 yard safe passes (well, usually safe, though a couple of quick throws to the sideline last year didn't turn out so well), looking to find it's rhythm and hoping to out-execute it's opponents. Over the past couple years or so, there seems to be little risk, especially early in games, that LSU would go deep early in a game. I was actually surprised to see the deep Jefferson to Lafell TD pass against Georgia Tech (that was regrettably called back)... but that was later in the game after LSU opened up a huge lead. Even with JR and Flynn, there was a preference for shorter (arguably safer/higher pecentage) passing. The distance that passes are thrown is not entirely a fair qualifier to distinguish aggressive from conservative, but the mix of power running and short passing (especially early in games) employed by LSU does strike me as a conservative / control the ball and grind it out style. Miles has had success with trick plays which doesn't make him entirely conservative, but this seems more like him lulling his opponents to sleep with conservative play, then tricking them.

I find it interesting that someone has called UGA more conservative than LSU. I haven't watched them much, except when they play LSU, but in every game since 2003, they have come out swinging against LSU, looking for big plays and quick scores to jump up on us. And from the recent thread about what Urban Meyer said about Tiger Stadium being quiet if you can get a quick lead on LSU, it is likely that they are going to try to spread LSU's defense early, and go for the quick score.

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here's FL depth chart at RB:

Demps 5-8 183
Rainey 5-9 175
Moody 6-0 210 (transfer)
Mike Gillislee 6-0 190


Ours:

Scott 5-11 235
Williams 6-0 221
Murhpy 6-1 200
Holliday 5-5 161

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And how many times over the last 3 years have Scott and Williams bullied and wore down our opponents in the 3rd and 4th quarter. It's a legitimate strategy, just because it's not Florida's speed strategy, doesn't mean it isn't valid.

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the combination of Daryl Clarke (athletic qb) and a young offensive line.

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they ran spread option in 2005 also with the "savior" anthony morelli in the wings

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unless he keeps recruiting Tyrel Pryor clones the Buckeyes will always have the 'featured back' philosophy.

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you do know in 05 and 06 they ran spread option also, right?

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what do you think they will be doing when Colt McCoy graduates?

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running spread with gilbert or spread option with harris

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all of these great coaches have traditionaly and will continue to utilize ball control power football.

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that is changing

and USC doesn't use "ball control," they're just pro-style

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deshawn wynn
fason

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Horrible examples compared to the talented RBs that have come out of the SEC in that time frame......

a. didn't fason lead the SEC in rushing 1 year?

b. wynn fell into a bad spot with the new offense, but as an UDFA got PT in the NFL

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Do you consider Miles aggressive? Unorthodox?
honest question

while we do sprinkle in trick plays/fakes here or there, in my view our overall gameplan (on offense and defense)is quite conservative

i don't see nearly enough of these plays to offset our general gameplan. hell even when we're down in games, we don't get too aggressive.

that's my opinion...how do you see it? i will admit i always chuckle a little when i hear people talk about how miles is "crazy" or how he's "the mad hatter," when i think he's rather conservative. earlier today i saw somebody said he's unorthodox...i have to ask, how?

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I disagree. One bad year and everyone freaks out and has to find something to bitch about. The offense didnt actually do that bad last year considering how terrible JL was. In 2007 the offense was one of the most prolific offenses in LSU history. And thats considered conservative? If anything the offense was too aggressive last year (asking JL to do stuff he couldnt handle yet). Sept 5 cant get here soon enough.

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If anything the offense was too aggressive last year

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yes, but Crowton didn't have the luxury of a defense that was likely to give up 20 points or less.

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If anything the offense was too aggressive last year

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no way

when we went conservative our offense shut down

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yes, but Crowton didn't have the luxury of a defense that was likely to give up 20 points or less

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The offense was putting the defense in the hole before the defense even got on the field.

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The offense was putting the defense in the hole before the defense even got on the field.

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Before the Georgia game, and 82 year old Tiger Fan who saw the Tigers win all 3 national titles live, sits next to me and says, "Well, I hope Miles and Crowton take it easy on Lee today. Let's run the ball to start and get in a rhythm."

8 seconds into the game he looks at me with his eyes of wisdom, turns his faded Charlie Mac hat backwards, and says "This is gonna be a long season."