LSU-Auburn-MSU-Georgia Tech

Taking a look at the Tiger defense performance the past couple of games against Auburn and MSU, I think people are really not putting enough emphasis on the effects of several things on the overall play of the Tigers.

I am not making excuses, but hear me out. The Auburn game is always a wildcard. The defense gave up only 14 points to a team that always plays us hard and both teams left their all on the field. Yes, there were mistakes in that game and blown coverages, but that accounted for much of the yardage and scores. Also, the change of pace/up tempo rhythm messed up the defense play calling and setup, but that is a fixable coaching issue.

Against MSU, a team that got beat up by Auburn a week before, they struggled against Georgia Tech and badly. Many teams will after losing the heartbreaking defensive struggle the week before. Their offense stalled under Carroll and did better with Lee at QB, but turnovers killed them in that game.

Look at the following wasted drives:
Q1: 5 plays to GTech 1 and a MISSED FG
Q2: Turnover on downs at GTech 42
Q2: Interception at Gtech 15
Q3: Punt at GTech 30
Q4: Turnover on downs at GTech 10
Q4: TD - Rushing
Q4: Fumble at GTech 12

7 Drives into GTech territory
5 Drives into GTech redzone
3 Drives inside GTech 10
1 TD, 1 INT, 1 Fumble, two turnovers on downs, and 2 punts (1 in FG range).

Reality is that MSU's offense simply 1) shot itself in the foot and 2) the defense forced them to give up potential FGs by allowing GTech to score a lot and early.

They weren't as bad as their stats, and simply played a horrible offensive game against a really good defense in Auburn the game before. LSU had a hangover, plain and simple, and people should've expected that. Look at LSU against UF in 1997. We won a big game of extreme importance, and overlooked an overmatched team in Ole Miss the next week and lost. At least we didn't lose this game.