So, I’ve decided
to break the silence. After the debacle in the “Game that Must Not Be Named”, I
couldn’t write anything PG rated, especially that wasn’t alredy thought, said,
tweeted, posted, blogged, etc by someone else. To sum up the “Game that Must Not
Be Named” in one word today, I would use embarassing. So, let’s move on!
LSU: 2012 Edition
With the Tiger faithful anxious to put
the “Game that Must Not Be Named” behind them, the mood in the stadium was
exciting. There was a hum of anticipation and talk of how good it will be to
have a QB (and not a QB controversy), the potential of the front 7 of our
defense, and our limitless supply of starter-caliber running backs. From the
Golden Band’s first notes of pre-game, until about mid-way throught he first
quarter, the game was fun. Then, it turned into a time-out infused beating for
me.
QB Starved
It would be an understatement to say
that LSU fans are starved for a quarterback that can be entrusted to manage a
game, against quality opponents, while utilizing the various weapons around
you. Zach Mettengbergers ovations, anytime his name was mentioned or his face
appeared on the jumbo tron, were loud and enthusiastic. At least in the
beginning…
Captains
Taking the field representing your peers
as one of their captains says a lot of how highly these four boys are regarded.
It was a very good sign, to me at least, to see the LSU starting QB as one of
four captains chosen by the Team. Your QB must be a leader, but also must be
respected by the team and coaches.
Mike’s impersonation of Les
As interst in the game dwindled early
and often for me, my attention turned to Mike the Tiger for entertainment and
he didn’t disappoint. He appeared dressed as Coach Miles, complete with
windbreaker and ill-fitting white cap. It was funny, but it was missing
something. Needed grass…
Creepy Tiger Eyes
The Video Jumbo Tron in the North
endzone is something to see. LSU utilizes this nugget of technology to
introduce the starters. High def images of each player appear as the player is
introduced. A new wrinkle is each player appearing with tiger eyes and face,
morphing into their actual eyes and face. As cool as it is, it is kinda creepy.
Our TAF fees at work.
You’re my boy, Blue
Tiger fans sometimes get a bad rap for
being “fair-weathered,” only supporting our team when they’re winning. Just to
set the record straight for anyone watching on TV that couldn’t tell, the LSU
faithful are not “booing” running back Alfred Blue. In fact, we are showing our
support and love after each successful run by the talented running back, using
his last name as a rally-cry: BLUUUUUUEEEE!
Innocent Until Proven Guilty
This old adage is tried and true. The
key part of this phrase is “Prove”. I keep going back to this phrase anytime
Mett is mentioned as LSU’s savior at QB. (And not because of his prior legal
issues.) As talented as he may be, we don’t know yet what his legacy at LSU
will be. Will he be the answer to our QB deficincies of year’s past? If so, he
needs to PROVE it.
SWA
There is NO
DOUBT that Mett is very confident in his abilities as a QB. Just ask him. But,
being a successful quarterback takes more than just self-confidence. It also
takes talent, preparation, your team’s trust and execution. Without these
things collectively, all that SWAGGER is useless…all you’re left with is just
some SWA.
I Hate the Red Hat
When I am at home, I love a TV game.
When I’m at the game, I hate a TV game. When the “man in the red hat” takes the
field, signaling a TV timeout, it makes me want to take him out at the knees,
Tanya Harding style. Saturday’s game seemed to be the worst ever. It seemed at
every opportunity ESPNU was taking a commercial break, and they lasted forever.
Pair the long commercials with an uninsteresting game and quite possibly, it
was the Slowest. Game.EVER.
OBJ
Most years, a new player emerges in Game
1 that will have a huge impact on the Tigers’ season. (See Tyrann Mathieu vs
Oregon in 2011). Odell Beckham, Jr is Mr 2012. Making a splash as punt
returner, returning two for a TD (yes, I know one was negated, but that
shouldn’t diminish his effort), and further cementing hisself as the go –to
receiver, OBJ is going to be a pivotal part of LSU’s success this season.
I LOATHE You
O the bubble screen, how I loathe you!
It started out innocently as just a little annoyance in the first quarter, but
as the frequency of this play increased, the higher on my hate meter this play
rose. Until, finally, it boiled over onto loathing. And we’re just in the first
week of the season. It’s going to be a long, bubbly season.
Fast, Faster, Fastest
This little English lesson could easily
be a description of the LSU’s defensive front 7. The interior lineman are fast.
The Linebackers seem faster. And there is no doubt that the defenseive ends are
fastest in the land. No one will run on LSU this year. Passing, that’s another
story…
Sacked
Never in my wildest dreams would I be
writing that the hardest sack, and the only sacks recorded, in this game would
be by North Texas. LSU’s highly taughted defense didn’t register a sack, while
I was in attendance. (I did leave early, b/c I was BORED). Mett took a shot to
the chest that I witnessed on replay from the consession stand (yummm, nachos).
With a secondary that has been forced to play some untested players, it will be
extremely important that our front 7 make it more difficult on the opposing QB
to get that pass off. And soon. Washington’s going to exploit any DB
weaknesses.
Reid
Eric Reid is the face of LSU football.
He is a great person and student, and a heckuva safety…as long as he doesn’t
have to cover 1 on 1. He got burned several times when the corner blitzed and
he was left to cover the receiver. Loston didn’t help much, grossly overplaying
on one play in particular. See above on how our front 7 have to get pressure on
the QB, especially when we send 8.
Australian Rules
With Brad Wing visibly limping, LSU was
forced to rely on Aussie2.0 for punting. Add this to the Ooops section below,
but the first punt of the season was almost a disaster. The snap was high, but
Aussie2.0 whiffed at the catch and had the ball go over his head, forcing him
to scramble, scoop, close his eyes (I’m not sure this actually happened, but I
can imagine he probably did) and swing his leg wildly, connecting with the
foosball and exactly the right time. And he got a good bounce, too. Lucky Mate.
Mettenberger
Could LSU finally shake the cloud of
shoddy QB play in recent years with the emergence of the Mettsiah? Largely
unproven, but extremely talented and confident, Zach Mettenberger could be a
good QB. But, against N Texas, he wasn’t the best player on the field. He
double clutched often, over threw receivers, held the ball too long (he
probably learned his lesson on that one), and the INT at the goal line, right in
front of me, was BAD. But, he seemed to be a leader, made some nice throws, showed
toughness. I do think he has a ways to go, but he didn’t need to do much
against N Texas.
WR
Mett came out a little anxious, I think,
putting a little to much on the first big throw, but enter the acrobatic talent
of Jarvis Landry. A one-handed grab for a first down, and a tough two-handed
grab late in the game showed some of the potential he has to complement OBJ.
Imagine when Mett hits them in stride, in the numbers…these guys will be good.
RBs
Surprise…LSU likes to run the ball. I’m
finally getting on-board with this run-first concept. Of course, it’s easy to
enjoy with Kenny Hilliard, Alfred Blue, Michael Ford and eventually, Spencer
Ware. There are two other guys, Hill and Magee that aren’t to shabby and a
fullback the size of Hurricane Isaac. Two 100 yard rushers in one game for the
first time in 5 years. Clearly the strength of the offense. Lucky for this
group, this year’s passing game may actually be a threat to opposing defenses,
which will allow the RBs some breathing room, b/c they won’t be able to stack
the box. Props to Keith, who sits behind us, for making this prediction: LSU
will lead the SEC in rushing TDs. I agree!
O-No Line
It’s hard to complain about an offensive
line that paved the way for 2 100-yard rushers and over 500 yards of offense,
but, they weren’t that spectacular in pass protection. N Texas got too much
pressure on Mett. Come on big boys, tighten up!
Oops…
As usual, the first game of the season
was riddled with mishaps. Well documented are the abundance of LSU penalties
and the Isaac damaged scoreboard in the South Endzone, but how about the lesser
recognized blunders: As the Golden Band from Tiger Land took the field, the
drum major, alone on a island, leading the band, dropped his baton as he
marched toward midfield. DOH! On the opening kickoff, LSU’s kickoff specialist
Hairston, could be spotted scrambling to pick up the tee before the first
offensive play could be run. Guess they didn’t discuss who’s responsibility “tee
recovery” would be. Note: an LSU assistant was seen fetching said tee for the
remainder of the game. Not to be outdone, the North Texas tee fetcher made a
mad dash to recover their tee after their first kickoff. As he hustled off the
field, and hit the sideline, he took quite a spill onto his keester. (Didn’t
witness this personally but by the reaction of the crowd, more than a handful
of people did. It sounded like someone had tried to go over the big red balls
on “Wipeout”) OOOUUUCH.
Overall
This was one boring-a$$ game. I was
yawning by half-time, after drinking a coke (which is big b/c caffeine usually
has me bouncing off the walls!). I understand that LSU didn’t want to “tip
their hand” by running any plays that weren’t more flavorfull than plain ol’
vanilla. But, for the love of Mike the Tiger, could we at least make this
entertaining? Seriously the most memorable thing I’ll take away from this game
is that it was the first time I’ve ever eaten jalepnos on my nachos. Why
haven’t I done that before? So tasty.
Anyway, I wasn’t overly impressed with
the Tigers. It’s the same gripe I’ve had every time we play a lesser oponent in
the Les Miles era – we only do what has to be done to win. Unlike “The team
that must not be named” and those pretty-boys from S. Cali who both took their
lesser opponents to the woodshed. Instead we come out flat…Dominant is one word
not in our vocabulary.
Shameless Self-Serving Plug
For Sale: Townhouse in BR – 4144
Jefferson Woods. Check it out online at FSBOBR.com. Don’t hate, it IS my blog!
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