I’m a little shocked at how accurate my prediction was for what would go down in the LSU / UGA game. It was a game of poor defense ultimately decided by the capabilities of the opposing quarterbacks.
Jarrett Lee didn’t come through. He needed a big game with few mistakes. He had his best game by production (287 yards, 3 TDs), but also his poorest overall effort (three interceptions, 50% completion rate) on Saturday. In the simplest of terms, he lost this game for LSU.
Forgetting Lee’s mistakes for a moment, LSU was in control of the game. The Tigers actually had an effective run game early, with Charles Scott laying down 41 yards on LSU’s second possession. Mixing good passes in, LSU marched 72 yards with ease to tie things up at 7 – 7.
Sure, LSU had no defense early, but they clamped down on the Dawgs in the second quarter and got the game to 21 – 17 with five minutes to go in the half and the ball in Lee’s hands. But instead of driving the Tigers down the field to either take the lead with a touchdown or make it a one-point game with a field goal, Lee chucked a horrible pass into the UGA secondary, got picked off and ended up handing the Dawgs another three points.
That 24 – 17 lead became 38 – 24 after a disastrous third quarter in which Lee didn’t complete a pass and got yanked for Andrew Hatch. Only a big Charles Scott run kept the game somewhat close. Things, of course, got really out of hand with Lee’s third interception and not even the generous Georgia defense could save LSU at that point.
Gary Crowton had a great gameplan for Georgia. The Tigers dropped more rushing yards and passing yards on the Dawgs than any opponent this year (497 total yards – also LSU’s biggest output of the season) and only Alabama has scored more on the Dawgs. The ugly reality was that LSU had to put up big numbers to compensate for the horrible Tiger defense, and they did. With a competent quarterback, this would have been about a 48 – 45 win.
But the bigger problem does still lie in the Tiger defense. As Leslie himself said:
“It certainly has to be reviewed as to the specifics of what happened and who and why,” Miles said, and on the word ‘why,’ he put strong emphasis. He then went back and forth on if what defensive co-coordinator Doug Mallory is calling is too complicated or not.
“And if the answer is not an easy one, then it’s maybe can’t,” he said. “Can’t we call something that the guys can figure out? But to me just off mind’s eye from the game, I don’t think the coverage was particularly difficult. It’s not like we were involved in a bunch of combo coverages and a bunch of different things. It was pretty simple.”
Your problem, Mr. Miles, is that you don’t have a defensive coordinator. Mallory has position responsibility for the defensive backs – how much in-game coaching are they getting when their coach is sitting up in the press box trying to plan for the next UGA possession? If he’s on the phone with them explaining what they need to be doing, who’s planning the defense – the linebackers’ coach who also carries the ridiculous “co-coordinator” title? His guys also need a lot of in-game attention, you know.
After this week’s game, the Tigers sit at No. 35 nationally in total defense, No. 68 in scoring defense, and No. 61 in pass defense. The strong spot (if you can call it that) is that LSU is No. 27 in rush defense. And, not coincidentally, they have a full-time coach working with the defensive line.
To recap recent history:
- 2000: 46th in total defense (Phil Elmassian)
- 2001: 75th in total defense (Gary Gibbs)
- 2002: 8th in total defense (Will Muschamp)
- 2003: 1st in total defense (Will Muschamp)
- 2004: 3rd in total defense (Will Muschamp)
- 2005: 3rd in total defense (Bo Pelini)
- 2006: 3rd in total defense (Bo Pelini)
- 2007: 3rd in total defense (Bo Pelini)
- 2008: 35th in total defense (Nobody)
It’s not surprising that “nobody” is a better choice for defensive coordinator than Gary Gibbs, but it’s easy to see the effect of the coordinator role on defensive performance. Muschamp built the defense; Pelini maintained it; Miles destroyed it.
Elsewhere in the SEC:
I was surprised at the level of defensive collapse by Auburn Thursday night. Lack of a consistent offense wasn’t a shocker, but looks like it’s time for Tuberville to fire somebody else.
And I guess Duke winning was an upset. I blew the pick, so it has to be. Otherwise, Florida laid serious wood to an incomplete Kentucky team, Alabama was sufficiently ready for Tennessee, Houston Nutt got his revenge and Croom beat a patsy.
For the week: 5 – 2
For the season: 51 – 14
