re: Things you learned last night...

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1. The defense isn't "back". What we thought was "back" was really just the result of playing against a terrible UF "O" and an MSU team that lost heart after LSU regained control of that game in the 2nd half.

2. Our ability to stop the opponent on 3rd downs, particularly in the last drive of the game is abysmal. It happened against in both our losses this year and against several last year, including Bama. It's a problem that has continued throughout Chavis' tenure.

3. Our Linebackers are too small and too slow. We have no presence of a defense past the DL.

4. Our O-line's pass protection has major issues against "stunting" DL's.

5. There still seems to be a lot of indecision as to who our starting secondary is. We have a lot of interchangeable parts. Last night Ronald Martin played over Corey Thompson, who seemed effective the last couple of weeks.

6. Coaches changed up the running backs last night, there was a lot of RB by committee with Hill, Hilliard, Blue and Magee all getting carries in the 1st quarter. This didn't make a whole lot of sense last night and still doesn't today. Is there something else going on behind the scenes causing this coaching decision?

7. This D allowed over 500 yds offense last night for what seems like at least the 4th or 5th time this season. The likelihood for losses against UA and aTm are legit. Being a 4 or 5 loss team again this year is a definite reality.

8. Imagining this team without offensive players like Mett, Hill, OBJ, Landry, Collins and Blue combined with defensive issues that aren't easily fixable is concerning for next year. Having a young team may be a problem we end up having to deal with every year.

9. Les Miles confirmed once again he is a terrible time manager. It appears to stem from his lack of situational awareness and an inability to make a quick decision and act upon it. Example, deciding to go for it on fourth down late proved wise, but not making that decision until 17 seconds was left of the play clock is inexcusable. The lack of situational awareness and knowing what he had intended to do in that situation caused doubt, moment for thought and oops... a burned timeout. Had that TO not been burned and the other not wasted at the end we could have kept 2 TO's in our pocket for the end of the game that would have left us with over a minute remaining to tie or win the game.

10. Lastly, I have no idea what it will take to get this team and program back on the right track. When your game plan is to win on talent alone and you start losing underclassmen to the NFL you've got a major problem. In addition to the technical and game management side of things I think Les needs to work his arse off to "recruit" our 3rd round and higher type underclassmen to stay in school for another year.

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i didn't know what to think clicking on this thread i thought it would be a troll attempt but i agree with just about everything you say (except 10). we still need talent. anyway, good post.

Jeremy Hill was a no show

I didn't learn anything that wasn't already apparent could happen with this team, but it did reinforce Bama 25 - OM 0. Factor in OM rebounding from a painful loss the prior week and one has to give them credit for manning up and making something happen. LSU, on the other hand, can't seem to decide what type of effort they want to give from week-to-week. I'm glad losses don't bother me as much as they used to.

quote: "I think I learned that my passion for LSU football is perhaps declining."
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I'm with you, lsursb. I'm gonna stop wearin' my LSU colors with my golf group on Saturday mornings in the fall. No more LSU polos, sweaters, vests, hats, toboggans, belts, ball markers, LSU-stamped balls, not even my $250 purple-white-gold spectator golf shoes. By the way, I caught hell yesterday. One guy told me we were worse than Georgia.

Well said tigergirl26. Well said.

mytigger well thought out and well stated but be careful your critiquing of the program will thrust you right into the Nega-Tiger pool like everyone else who points out the obvious and refuses to live in the "nothing is ever wrong with LSU football land" By the way welcome to the pool the water is fine.

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Our O-line's pass protection has major issues against "stunting" DL's.

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That is a coaching fault and needs to get fixed now because if the layman can see it, what do you think defensive coaches can see!!!

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Our Linebackers are too small and too slow. We have no presence of a defense past the DL.

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Through 8 games whoever can't see we have the wrong personnel on the field at the LB spot is freaking blind, including our coaches. What is a bigger problem is if what we have on the field is the best we got, then we are really screwed and means we either can't evaluate talent, recruit talent or coach the talent better than what we have. Pick your poison but it is one or the other. But something has to change damn-it because we have issues at the linebacker play big-time.

And what people don't get is that if you can freaking fix the linebacker play, the DL will look a whole lot better. I could go into why it is important for the linebacker to play gap sound defense but it is too long and boring. But if they could fix the linebacker play, I can promise you the entire defense would look almost to old form. Please note I said ALMOST.

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Is there something else going on behind the scenes causing this coaching decision?

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Miles admitted he basically benched Hill for a majority of the game because of the fumble. He is the coach, and he has to live with the decisions he made. I will never jump on the coach for disciplining a player, but he has to be consistent with his decisions. Hill's fumble didn't cost us anything we recovered it. Mett's not one, but 3 really shitty decisions to throw into coverage cost turnovers and without a doubt took points off the board. You have to be consistent coach all the players see it and respond to it accordingly.

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I think Les needs to work his arse off to "recruit" our 3rd round and higher type underclassmen to stay in school for another year.

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I could not agree more with you, Miles has got to understand that times have now changed and he has to change with them if we truly want to win NC's here at LSU. It is great that you play a bunch of freshman but you win with experience. We need to start recruiting kids to stay in school and continue to mature and grow up and your payday will be better the following year. I hate to forecast this but the writing is pretty much on the wall.

Look at the issues we are having on defense this year because of the lack of experience going in because of the starters who left last year. This is probably what our offense is going to look like next year, and if this doesn't concern you than you truly are a Madden NFL-er and have never played the game.

Offensive losses at the end of the season.

Mett -sr
Copeland -sr
Blue - sr
Boone - sr
Wright - sr
Neighbors - sr
i assume these will be the early declarations
OBJ
Landry
Hill
Collins

This is going to be a huge freaking problem next year on offense. I don't want to be right, but mark the post down and watch and see. It sure would be nice for Miles and Co. to figure out a way to convince OBJ, Juice, Hill & Collins to stay, but personally I don't think there is any chance.

Miles should have sat Mett down for a series in the first half after throwing into double coverage.

If you are going to disipline Hill for fumbling, you have to do the same with Mett for throwing into double coverage with wide open WRs.