LSU v. Bama 11.8.08

I wish there was more than just a Win column and a Loss column. What we needed tonight was a “we beat ourselves, so technically the other them didn’t beat us, so we should share the win” column. I cheered my heart out for the Tigers, from kickoff to when they exited the field when the game ended. It was a good hard fought loss.

I don’t want to insult your intelligence by stating the obvious, but I’ll start with the obvious, and throw in a few other tid bits.

The Obvious
We need a new QB.

Other Tid Bits:
Game Day
The fans showed up en masse, and were loud and proud. The signs were ok – I did like the return of the poster depicting that Sylvester the Cat and Lou Holtz were one in the same. The crew made the same picks I would have made, had I been a “neutral” sportscaster. I was glad to see LSU keep the game “closer than the experts think.”

To Kirk Herbstreit
You had some pretty strong words to share about why some LSU fans hate Saban…jealousy I think you alleged? Yes, we all know that his move to Bama was not directly following his coaching tenure at LSU, and that said fans shouldn’t take it so personally, but what you failed to mention is that after taking the Bama job, stories were reported that Saban proceeded to bash and trash the Tigers on recruiting visits, and in other “questionable” ethical circumstances. That leans more toward hatred, than jealousy. For you fans of “The Office”…“Let’s get ethical, ethical!”

Coincidence, I Think Not
We lost by six points…Lee threw his sixth “pick 6” in the second quarter. Coincidence…I think not!

Jarrett Lee
Bless this kid’s heart, but he is not a good QB. He is setting records, but to be leading the nation in “pick sixes” isn’t what the Tigers need. A small portion of my thinking (about 0.005%) likes Miles’ coaching decision to stick with the kid and let him grow, but the rest of me thinks he’s done. He’s had chance after chance and he is not progressing. Several first half throws were so far off the mark that even the other team couldn’t catch them. Sure, I know that three of the INTs were probably not Lee’s fault entirely, but the last one was, and it hurt. The OT INT was Lee trying to force a ball into tight double-coverage in a move to go from zero to here on one play. Let’s just stick with mediocrity. Positives: Lee ripped two REALLY nice downfield throws, one to Byrd for a TD and one to C. Mitchell that hit him on the hands and he should have reeled in. Hey coaches, if Lee throws down the field so well, where in the heck has that play been?

Coaching
SUCKS. I’ve been disappointed with play calling, making adjustments, and getting the ball to the right people all year. The D coaches had a much better day than the O. Crowton’s play calls bordered on questionable in certain situations, and the QB decisions make me crazy.

Defense
Holla. This group played a fantastic game from start until finish (not counting OT). The only think lacking was getting a little more pressure on JPW. In the end it really didn’t matter. They only gave up 14 pts in regulation to a very solid Bama offense. They forced punts and turnovers, and really put the team in a position to upset #1. Too bad the offense had to play too.

Best Game All Year?
Sadly, yes, this was the most complete game the Tigers have played. The Defense was very stingy and the offense ran the ball extremely well. Even the special teams did a nice job on coverage and forcing the fumble (sorry Colt, you missed badly). When put in the right plays, the pass game had a few nice plays, but bottom line is the Tigers didn’t get it done.

Largest Crowd Ever In Tiger Stadium
93,000 + were loud and energized! So the motivation for the raucous crowd may have been a little skewed at the beginning (Saban Haters), but they got behind the team and were just incredible when it counted. Best two parts were when the stadium divided in half and chanted “Geaux” “Tigers” back and forth, and when everyone started throwing it down.

Dan Borne
This guy practically read my mind. I was just thinking to myself, “Self, the sun has set and we now have a night game in Tiger Stadium,” when lo and behold, to start the fourth quarter, Borne announced that “the sun has finally he sun has found its home in the western sky."It's now Saturday night in Death Valley!" Very cool and great timing.

Student Section
Funny – on “Hey, Baby” the students changed the words to “Heeeeeeyyyyyy, hey Saban, I wanna knowooooo, if you’ll be my girl (or maybe another expletive).” Not so funny – following the game, the chants were not so nice and geared toward Saban. Come on kids, show a little more class than that.

Chad Jones, Chad Jones
The first big play of the game, a Bama fumble out of the end zone for a touchback, was caused by an incredible play by Chad Jones. Of course, in the pandemonium of the play, I didn’t see “live” what happened. When I saw the highlights on ESPN and saw the stretch and swipe by Jones, I was thoroughly impressed with the effort.

Blocked Field Goal
As several fans around me headed toward the exits following Bama’s final time out in regulation I did mention that they’d be sorry if Tiffin missed and we went in to OT. I did that a lot in this game – calling what was going to happen next. Anyway, that block was one of the most exciting plays I’ve ever seen. Too bad we didn’t capitalize. I guess those who left before the blocked FG were better off in the end!

Pandelirium
Ricky-Jean Francois’ block of Tiffin’s potential game-winning FG sent the stands, and me included, into complete pandelirium (you know, a combination of pandemonium and delirium. I for one was jumping up and down like a lunatic, screaming and hollering with the other lunatics, and I was so fired up that I grabbed my sister and shook her, then started slapping at her repeatedly. For the record, it’s all a little fuzzy. And I plead, “caught up in the emotion.”

Name of the Offense’s Favorite Play
It’s gotta be “3 and out.” They ran it over and over again, so I have to think it’s one of the favorites.

Patrick Pederson
Julio Jones wasn’t the only stand-out frosh on the field. And yes, Pederson gave up the 24 yard pass to Jones in OT, but he played really solid all night, mostly covering Jones and even got his first INT as a Tiger. We’ve got a bright future at corner with this kid.

Trindon the Decoy
We’ve gotten away from this play. Now it seems that every time he’s in the game on offense (ok, so that’s only twice a game, if he’s lucky) he actually gets the ball, instead of using him as a decoy on a reverse or something to free up someone else to make a play. Might want to put this back in the playbook.

C. Scott Run
As usual, Scott and his band of blockers took it to another supposedly stingy run defense. Scott and Keiland Williams racked up over 200 yards on this heralded Bama D. We certainly needed it with our pass game in shambles. Good job guys!

Chris Mitchell
Wow, so your HUGE drop didn’t really cost us the game (thanks to 4 INTs by J. Lee), but perhaps you could borrow J. Mitch’s baseball glove to reel in those kind of game-changing plays. Would have been a big catch and possibly a score, but it’s not all your fault.

OT
Did that really happen? Did we fight tooth and nail to get to OT only to throw an INT into tight double-coverage on third and four? Take the short game and live to see another day (grant it that day may be short and you could still die a quick but painful death, but give yourself a chance).

I Never Thought I’d Say This, But…
Where is Andrew Hatch when you need him? Yeah, I know he’s hurt and out for the year (probably), but it would have been a nice change of pace to have a QB that could be a multi-threat. Hey, the way our passing game looked tonight we would have been better off with Hatch throwing the ball too! Get well soon.

The Jefferson
If we’re going to salvage this season, and begin building for next year, Jordan should be “movin’ on up” the depth chart this week.

Post-Game Shows
So all of the talking heads on the radio want Lee out, and I don’t blame them. Lee did do a great job in post-game interviews. He seems composed, mature and positive – where is that mentality on the field?

Troy State
We’ve got them right where we want them. Actually, this rent-a-win couldn’t come at a better time, especially if JJ gets a fair share of the snaps.

“I” of the Tiger Update
Just in case you were wondering, the “I” was again replaced by a cheerleader that could actually keep up. Though after LSU’s first score, the “TIGER” flags didn’t make it out on the field – the “G” had some issues, the flag fell off the pole.

Golden Band from Tiger Land
Fantastic job. You kept the crowd in the game and fired us up when it counted. The shining moment had to be when you took the field at halftime, following Alabama’s “Million Dollar Band’s” terrible performance – they should get their money back. Bama’s rough lines, wacky formations and awful uniforms only made The Golden Band from Tiger Land look that much better – not that we needed it. USA, USA.

Tiger Players
Post-game, I was hanging out at a tailgate (with a laser light show - NICE) between the stadium and the player’s dorm and was able to congratulate a few players on a hard fought game. It was a tale of two sides of the ball, as Derry Beckwith smiled and thanked me for the positive remarks, and Brandon LaFell looked like a beaten puppy dog that had someone travelled across the country and couldn’t find his way back home. Which side of the ball do you think was happier with their effort…

Time to Move On
Ok people, it’s time to get over Saban coaching at Bama. Stop acting like a jilted lover that repeatedly talks about your ex until you drive people crazy. The best thing we can do is to cheer our team on to victory and not worry about booing the other team.

LSU de ja vu?
Bama’s season has resembled LSU’s 2007 run to the NC – except for the whole undefeated thing. Winning close games, pulling it out of you know where when necessary, with solid QB play, backed by a stingy defense. We know where that can get you.

Good Luck Bama
Yeah, I know that won’t be liked by all that read this (though I’m sure Mrs. Carroll loves it) but I do wish them good luck. They are in the best position to make it to the National Championship Game. How great would it be for the SEC to win three National Championships in a row?