re: What is Kelly not doing that Les did re: the OL/running game

First, let's dispel a Les myth, i.e., that he didn't recruit good OL talent. Our OL talent was probably at least top 10 across his tenure.

Our O overall wasn't very good because we became so unbalanced (run heavy; pass weak) and too predictable.

But all in all, we ran well because Les believed in building the OL from the inside-out, we were physical, we had OL talent and we had some pretty good RBs (Hester, Scott, Ridley, Ware, Hilliard, Blue, Hill, Fournette, Guice, and Darrell Williams). They were mostly big and they were physical).

Les was a former OL and while it was hard to watch his offenses at times, the OL had an identity. He wasn’t mixing in multiple schemes that require different types of OL every other play.

Any coach stupid enough to keep flipping back and forth between zone and man blocking schemes deserves to fail. This is Sloan in a nutshell. He’s a straight moron they thinks he’s smarter than everyone else when he is the stupidest person in the room.

LSU OL are not built to run zone blocking but they keep throwing it in there consistently. Then all the blame goes on the OL coach. Davis deserves blame, don’t get me wrong, but this is all Sloan.

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Les was known for using Zone blocking. Some people criticized it at the time; but we ran for days sometimes. Only remember really getting shut down once (Fournette vs. Alabama; I’m sure it happened more; I just don’t remember it)
My guess based on watching the teams is a Les’ scheme was more simple and run 1st; while Kelly’s seems overly complicated at times and tries to be balanced or pass oriented. Sometimes I also feel like they’re confused on who to block. But I’ve never coached a down of football; so TIFWIW.

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Seems like zone blocking would help this OL a lot. On the RPO formations they seem to freeze for a spit second as Nuss makes his decision to run or pass and at least three defensive lineman don't give a crap if it's a run or pass and immediately engage. What zone blocking would do is help prevent illegal man down field when Nuss decides to pass but the RB needs make sure he picks up the unblocked defender from the other side of the zone.

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Not mentioned enough in these replies is how physically weak this team is.

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That's probably why they are so clumsy. Always tripping over each others feed and just fail to move and then fall.

Lee also had a bunch of great running backs, Kelly has yet to have one of those special backs.

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What was Les doing, scheme-wise, that Kelly isn’t doing?

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Les believed in very tough practices, and his teams were very physical. He also recruited linemen to primarily run block and taught them to pass block. The result was that LSU had road graders who almost always got push on running plays but sometimes struggled in pass pro against more nimble pass rushers. Until the last few years, they only had issues rushing against the one team that recruited D lines and linebackers to counter LSU, Alabama.

Now we recruit to provide pass pro, I think, because primarily run-based offenses have gone out of favor.

These are my opinions and may only marginally be rooted in fact

Without a legitimate runner at QB, the read option becomes limited. We would do better to go back to an old pro style formation. Insert a fullback ( if such a thing exists anymore) and develop some run blocking tight ends instead of the tweeners currently playing.

I find that the RPO allows too much time for the defense to disrupt running plays. A lot of times I'm seeing DLs in the backfield before the RB has a chance to pick his hole

I’ll tell you what he’s doing the same — being a stubborn mule & trying to brute force his way around deficient approach/strategy.

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Les was an offensive lineman when he played at Michigan. So old-school physicality and toughness was in his DNA from Schembechler.

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Les would have the QB under center, with a deep RB and either a FB or 2 TE (one being an H Back), as base offense. And we'd be hammering the line over and over with plays like the Toss Dive to Kaleb Jackson, beating up the defense.

I don't think we have a FB, and our TE's are tall rangy guys, not stubby dudes. Probably would have one of the Weeks brothers playing FB instead of LB, and blowing up guys with blocks. We'd be bitching about how ancient the offense is, and running for over 200 yds a game vs everyone except Bama.

Quite possibly, Les would see Van Buren as his "Perilloux dual threat", go with him a few series and go out of the shotgun maybe 50% of the time. Still run heavy, but going read-option a lot with quicker backs.

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Les was known for using Zone blocking.

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Miles used a good bit of man blocking also before Studs left and running game somewhat regressed under Grimes.
LF7 would've been a more of a monster under Studs imo.