re: Les Miles is groundhog day

Never mind...I'll answer my own question.

Les Miles stayed with JJ all that time because he CLEARLY never got over 2008 when Lee straight up cost LSU games with turn overs. I always felt that was unfair to Lee that whole blame on Lee, as he was only a RS freshman and he was being asked to do things by the staff that he should not have been doing. It was a cluster from all sides.

In JJ he saw a safer option. If he could get production out of him, great. If not, we'd win running the ball and killing teams on D.

This mindset never changed while these guys were here...even after Lee started 2011 really well. When Lee went all deer in the headlights in Tuscaloosa and Miles turned to JJ who promptly stopped turning it over and LSU hung on to a win, Miles' mind was made up. Safer was the way to go when you think you can't throw it without a high risk of turning it over...even if it means you stagnate your own offense.

No one has to agree with him...but anyone that refused to see this is what the situation was and is is being intellectually dishonest.

So...that brings us to today. At least to this point, Miles seems to think Harris must pose a bigger threat to turn it over than Jennings, which is why Jennings is still the guy even though the offense under him has been stagnant.

It's not "favorites." It's a mindset that we all ought to know by now. When he has a guy under center HE THINKS can sling it effectively without being a turnover machine and hurting the team's chance of winning, he turns him lose. When he doesn't, he goes old school and pounds.

quote:

---

It's not "favorites." It's a mindset that we all ought to know by now.

---

Not even suggesting "favorites" - my target is that mindset you so ably spelled out before us in your post. His unwillingness to let his really talented people grow and stretch and even make the occasional mistake is what I'm focused on. Seems like he'd rather opt for safe mediocrity and frustration. And I believe that is something, as you said, we've all seen time and time again. AJ and Harris and our RBs and TEs and stable of young, talented receivers are merely the latest manifestation.

I want to see our talented players, recruited well by this same staff, coached up and UNLEASHED to play to whatever level of excellence as they can reach, win or lose. But it seems like there is some hand restraining them, slowing them. And that is a coaching philosophy (or something like it) that is legitimate to question.

quote:

---

Seems like he'd rather opt for safe mediocrity and frustration.

---

Yes...when he thinks he does not have a better option. You and I and others are free to think he's wrong...but it's obvious that when he has a guy he has confidence in he turns him lose. when he doesn't, he doesn't.

quote:

---

I want to see our talented players, recruited well by this same staff, coached up and UNLEASHED to play to whatever level of excellence as they can reach, win or lose.

---

I tend to agree, honestly...but I'm not paid to win games for LSU. It's fairly easy for you and I to sit here and proclaim that we'd like to go with Harris because we think he has a higher ceiling (I do) and risk whatever failures we have because we think the reward will be greater long long (I do again.) But, unlike Miles, other than being a little mopey about it, I face no real consequences for that decision. Hell...I was pissed in 2004 because Saban REFUSED to turn Russell lose even though Randall was not getting it done. Literally the same reason.

quote:

---

But it seems like there is some hand restraining them, slowing them. And that is a coaching philosophy (or something like it) that is legitimate to question.

---

Ask to what end? We already know the answer. He's safe when he thinks he has to be and let's lose when he thinks he can. Maybe the next guy will come in all Cliff Kingsbury style throwing it around like he's coaching an EA Sports game. if so, hopefully he's as successful as the guy he took over for.

quote:

---

You and I and others are free to think he's wrong...

---

I think we're mostly agreeing here. It may just be a matter of communication style or level of frustration felt. So let me just say it as dispassionately as I am able: I think CLM is WRONG for locking onto the perceived safe player, when he could see to it that the far more talented one is properly coached and allowed to play (develop) to his potential. Now having said that, I want to also say I recognize CLM has a fabulous win record at LSU, and we are still living off the golden aura of recent previous stellar seasons. But in looking over the current problems on defense (2nd year running), and the new-emerging mess that is the OL, and seeing yet another QB controversy being fostered by an over-cautious coaching philosophy (personality quirk?), I'm growing more concerned that maybe this time, we're in the twilight of our golden era. And I think it is unnecessary, given all the talent we have had and still do. I can't get past most of this being bad coaching decisions - even if made for what appears to be the best of reasons.

quote:

---

of how Landry and Odell use to drop perfect passes that hit there hands as Freshman and Sophomores.

---

That is true. Those guys were true winners to improve as much as they did.

quote:

---

Sorry if I confused you. Wasn't disagreeing with your Mett views - was connecting those to dots I see relative to this being a fairly consistent pattern of coaching - one that predated Mett - and now seems to have also followed his time as a Tiger. What I was trying to say was

---

I completely disagree with that. This team had a completely different mindset offensively with Russell/Flynn/Perrilloux/Mett and Lee/Jefferson/Hatch/Jennings.

We just have to be patient for Harris to be ready to fully run the offense.


Well scratch that, I misread some of you post. I see where you're going with that but I guess I think people are too quick to think about 2005-2007

Go look at it, do your homework, look at what he did per game too, look at scores and how many of those late in game passes it was forced as well

MettStats

I think GeauxTigerTM nailed this. Russell, Flynn, and Mett all had some growing pains but Les trusted them more or les.(on purpose). He might have trusted RP, we will never know. The sad deal is that we have only signed Mett and RP under Miles. Not blaming Miles on the RP deal. We had the baseball player(name escapes me) signed and Gunner was committed. Maybe the pitcher would have been good...we will never know. The jury is still out on Gunner, but he has looked lights out so far.

The rest of the QBs have been average or worse. Now we have the two new ones. After about 5 and 1/4 games, Jennings looks like a competent game manager. Unfortunately, he does not look to possess the skills to put a team on his back and win the game. He is not blessed with a solid group of blocking personnel to this point and he has young albeit talented wide outs. Remember the WRs had 8 total career catches before this year. They are still learning as well.

Who knows about Harris in such limited time and not getting the benefit, like Jennings, of a red shirt year. He looks to have more quickness, and speed than Jennings, which isn't a shock looking at their sizes, and a much stronger arm. I think quirky and stubborn Les realizes that Harris has more upside and realizes with Cam's insistence that the old ways of pound and ground are slipping away.

Perhaps as evidenced by the hire of Grimes(zone blocking). I believe all the coaches felt the veteran OL would pick this up fairly quickly...they didn't. Meaning Jennings could win the old way in most games with a solid run game and good D and STs until Harris was ready to take the reins. They also realize that they have only two QBs and that running AJ off leaves them with one guy and no legit back up(hence the Foster move who is now injured).

Les also doesn't want to rush Harris, but at this point he doesn't have much choice. If Auburn beats us similar to State, he will give Harris the starting role. If Harris is not starting by the Kentucky game it probably means things are looking up for the Tigers in my opinion.

Finally, if the front seven and our large group of blockers do not improve, nothing the coaches are doing will matter much anyway.

quote:

---

Les Miles stayed with JJ all that time because he CLEARLY never got over 2008 when Lee straight up cost LSU games with turn overs. I always felt that was unfair to Lee that whole blame on Lee, as he was only a RS freshman and he was being asked to do things by the staff that he should not have been doing. It was a cluster from all sides

---

Yes, totally unfair! Love or hate him, but Gary Danielson broke this down better than anyone when he showed the repetitive pass patterns and routes that any HS coach would pick up on! Interceptions are always blamed on the QB but sometimes its on a WR for being in wrong spot, and WITH LSU its often times the fault of the OC/HC because they keep calling the same patterns over and over and routes get jumped or cut off and TO happen, and they do! Just as the lines get stacked to stop runs on 1, 2 down, and the cover our 1-2 receivers every 3rd and 7 with ease!

Nothing has changed with Les Miles in allll of these years, not even at OSU! and he was also constantly criticized at OSU for not making halftime adjustments! But hey, poor ole gundy got a lot of that blame, we all know he sucks at offense right??

quote:

---

Who knows about Harris in such limited time and not getting the benefit, like Jennings, of a red shirt year

---

Look around the SEC, Look at OSU! young qb's do just fine! Look at Winston! But also go look against Winston's early season cupcakes! Go look what they did to get him in rhythm with receivers and comfortable! They did not play cupcakes and smash it up the middle 75% of the time and grind it out! That is the problem here! We never get backups enough reps, and we never prepare our QB and offense in games we should! BAD COACHING!