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Story Archives: LSU stepped up in Cotton Bowl
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LSU stepped up in Cotton Bowl
So that's what happens when you throw the ball down the football field.
When LSU's brain trust of Les Miles and Gary Crowton decide to let Jordan Jefferson throw the ball more than 30 yards, good things are going to happen.
Why they did not do that more during the regular season I wish I knew.
It was a great game plan and superb job on offense and defense -- AFTER the first two possessions.
Crowton came up with sets I have not seen all season long.
The play-calling was the best it has been all year. And the adjustment on defense after A&M's first two series was perfect.
And how about Spencer Ware? Everyone knew he has the speed, but he showed a lot of great power and balance.
And you can't help but feel good for Stevan Ridley, who should be a preseason All-SEC first team pick at running back.
Looking to 2011, and what a great summer of anticipation it will be with the matchup against Oregon slated for Sept. 3.
LSU needs to bolster its linebacking position and find depth in the offensive line. And, of course, the position of quarterback will be an interesting one.
Jordan Jefferson is supposedly going to be pushed by JUCO signee Zach Mettenberger.
I would like to see Mettenberger and Stephen Rivers, who will be a true freshman, get a lot of work before next season.
Mettenberger will be available in the spring.
The strong-armed slinger is 6-5, 235 pounds, while Rivers, the brother of San Diego quarterback Phillip Rivers, is 6-6, 200.
I doubt LSU has ever had two quarterbacks that size come into the program at the same time.
Jefferson will undoubtedly get the start against Oregon and I would think how he performs against the Ducks will say a lot about the rest of the season.
I do like LSU using the up-tempo and believe the whole team benefits.
And now that we know Les Miles is staying, we can concentrate on the spring.
After the Texas A&M game I felt there was no way he was leaving. I thought the A&M was a huge game to determine the success of the season.
But then Miles seems content to hear what Michigan has to offer.
It would not have broken my heart to see Miles leave in the same way when Nick Saban left, but he is a great recruiter. I believe Miles was just being respectful to his alma mater and intended to stay all along. Say what you want about the man, but he does have class.
Now if he can beef up the defensive line and put the best linebackers out there, LSU will be hard to move the ball on next year.
If LSU can come up with the same kind of offensive game plan it had against Texas A&M, the potential to score at will is there.
But still it's always fun to play the "Guess the Coach" game. This game would have been extremely interesting.
Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini's name came up quite a bit. Pelini was the defensive coach at LSU before taking the Cornhusker job, but his track record is not really impressive.
Pelini is still learning as a head coach, but I like his enthusiasm and he certainly knows defense.
Other names that scared me were Houston Nutt and Tommy Tuberville.
Nutt supposedly did not want to offer quarterback Tyler Wilson a scholarship to Arkansas, but when Nutt went to Ole Miss, Bobby Petrino jumped on his to come to Fayetteville.
Anybody who saw Wilson against Auburn knows the Hogs have a great replacement for Ryan Mallett.
Names that were intriguing are Chris Peterson of Boise State (can't see him leaving), former Alabama coach Mike Shula (he can recruit, but still not sold. However, how much fun would the Alabama game be), Urban Meyer (not going to happen, thank goodness), Mike Gundy (may be a sleeper as far as top-notch coach), Skip Holtz (wow, Lou having to pull for the Tigers?), Butch Davis (he's done), Jon Gruden (that would be so much fun) and Dan Mullen (excellent coach).
Gus Malzahn's name came up last week. Imagine that.
The main thing would have been getting a great staff in the same way Will Muschamp have done at Florida with Charlie Weiss and supposedly Kirby Smart in the near future.
There are a lot of bright young coaches out there with some great offensive ideas. But something seems to happen to those guys when they get to a big program and then go conservative.
It will be an interesting spring in Tigertown, even with Les returning.
Then again, what's new? |
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