Lonn Phillips Sullivan
Oct 19, 20207 min
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By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Tell the Truth Monday is here and it's another GAMEWEEK for Orgeron's Tigers. 2020 LSU is looking to bury their historic struggles & defeats vs Miss State and Missouri....but more than personnel questions, potential coaching firings, hirings or decisions.... most if not all are wondering:
WILL LSU TURN IT AROUND?
Since it's Tell The Truth Monday, we are honestly dissecting that question.
The biggest obstacle in the 2020 Tigers' way? It's not the defense, actually...it's the health of their starting quarterback, an "unproven" starter who came out from behind Joe Burrow's shadow and delivered a trio of gutsy outings, nearing Joe's 2019 stats through 3 games (and against vastly difficult opposition than Joe faced through 3 weeks).
Brennan has launched 1,117 yards through the air, 11 TDs, threw only 1 INT of consequence, eerily mirroring Joe's 1,122 yards, 11 TDs and 1 INT (2 fumbles); remember, this was supposed to be the year Myles "learned to be a quarterback"...and he's already light years ahead of Joe's 2018 progression.
Although could the sinister hit he willingly accepted on his left shoulder (or his left hip being consumed on the touchdown pass) really keep this stone cold Tiger out for the season???
Myles Brennan's left shoulder injury is healing, but we won't know where he's at until he throws a football again...but rumors swirl about Brennan's left hip injury, suffered when throwing the touchdown pass on the run to Marshall only two plays later.
Myles was smashed into the ground with contact near his left hip, and when #15 hobbled to his feet heroically, he tried to hide his slight limp and unnatural, rigid-looking torso movement.
He did a damn good job of hiding the injuries, throwing for 2 more touchdowns and a significant amount of his 432 yards after a moment alone inside the medical tent.
Now we are hearing about a surgery, a season in jeopardy and potentially torn ligaments in the hip, completely affecting his movement.
LSU weren't saying a word, they were keeping Myles' injuries under wraps, duh...keeping the media off track during press conferences. First it was reported he injured his right, then left shoulder, back and forth then it was a hip / rib thing....now is it actually an ankle surgery???
What we've heard is Myles' shoulder injury was healing and his hip was still being monitored with Dr. Bankston's assistance ...we're sure LSU will let us know when they feel necessary to do so, but until then it actually helps LSU's opponents to know his status and injury locations.
If we hear anything, LSU ODYSSEY subscribers will be the first to know, but we won't broadcast this news for LSU's opponents.
Right now, Myles is our starting quarterback...so with that, we look at LSU's offense:
Ensminger's unit racked up 116 points and 1,402 yards of total offense, nearing 2019's 165 points while playing a trio of SEC opponents and without last year's balance on the ground.
The hardcore problem on offense lies on two fronts: Ensminger's offense have proven themselves to be ineffective or impatient at running the football, we've failed too often in the red zone and we're an unfathomable 9/40 on third down opportunities.
No matter how many points you put up, if you can't convert when it matters most, when you can't control the clock via the ground game, who the hell cares about stats?
Myles doesn't give a damn about stats, Terrace doesn't, Ty, John, Austin don't care: only winning will do.
The one misconception about 2019 LSU's offense? That they were a pass-only team...this couldn't be any more false. Burrow and co threw the ball 564 times with 508 rushes....the definition of ultimate balance.
Clyde's unparalleled abilities would wear down a defense, establishing the tempo offense and set the table for Joe to eviscerate defenses left and right.
Coincidentally (NOT), when 2020 LSU has remained patient on the ground (3rd quarter vs Miss State or vs Vandy in spots) they've been a medieval freight train of hate pain, an unstoppable ferocity unbound.
Is this about the mix of running backs LSU are deploying?
No, this failure at running the ball (3.2 per carry) is on our offensive line and our play calling. Our O-line's strength isn't up the gut behind massive Lloyd Cushenberry...
Ensminger needs to be running the ball around the outside off the edges where James Cregg's undersized O-line are strongest and Tigers backs Ty Davis-Price or John Emery are most explosive.
Once TDP and Emery gash defenses on the outside from more tosses or sweeps, the middle of the field opens up for Chris Curry up the gut or Myles on the quarterback draw if the space is available or...if he can move.
Don't let this be misunderstood:
Once LSU's offense starts running the ball, Brennan and co will convert far more 3rd downs and they'll start scoring in the red zone with impunity as our guys should with all those weapons (just throw it to Terrace or Arik).
We must commit to giving Ty 15+ carries and John at least 15 a game and to accomplish an establishment of balance on offense LSU'S offense need more plays.
To grab more possession, our defense needs to stop someone and start playing like the defense we believed they could be...RIGHT NOW.
While our offense racked up 1,402 yards of total offense, Pelini's defense allowed the Tigers to be out-gained by opponents over 3 games, surrendering a dismal 1,484 yards of total offense to Miss State, Vanderbilt and Missouri, all as the Tigers' defense allowed 96 points through the first 3 games, the most since Curley Hallman's catastrophic 1994 opening debacle....which of course ushered the Di Nardo era's successful revitalization and transformation of the program.
Is that where we're headed, without a Pelini firing? A mini-defensive revitalization after rock bottom?
Can Ed Orgeron help Bo fix this defense?
Or is this something Bo needs to get right himself?
What are Corey Raymond and Bill Busch's roles in this profligate start?
From the best in the business, I'm hearing this is a shared problem between Pelini, Raymond, Busch and to a far lesser extent, Bill Johnson's defensive line (a young D-line unit on the cusp of brilliance if you ask me).
LSU's defensive coaches were given extensive raises and signed big contracts over the off-season (Raymond and Busch deserved every dime of their money) yet the questions will continue if LSU cannot get off the field, keep getting burned by the long ball or the crossing routes...but the calls for Pelini's firing will echo loudly if we see anymore of the horrific tackling we've seen these past three / four weeks.
How can LSU's defense get back to the unit which intimidated opponents?
It all begins with playing LSU's most tenacious and aggressive players in every position, no experiment is too wild at this juncture:
LB Devonta Lee switched over to linebacker to shore up the spot...so, play the young man. Orgeron once called him "the best defensive player on the field" during the night of Lee's state title game performance.
Cox and Clark shouldn't lose starting spots alongside Lee, but as much as we believe in Damone, we feel Pelini needs to use Damone for tighter formations as a run stuffing backfield menace (what he's best at) and deploy Jacoby Stevens in his place when teams stretch us with four or five wide. At the back end, Busch would deploy both free safeties Todd Harris and Mo Hampton to ensure enough ball hawks on the field (Stingley and Ricks at corner).
If guys aren't getting it done, we have an army of other options willing and waiting to make an impact, the hardly used Jordan Toles at free safety, Phillip Webb at LB/DE, Jaquelin Roy at DT, Ojulari at DE, Josh White at LB and 6'2 speedster Dwight McGlothern at CB.
The absolute lack of rotations at linebacker specifically remains a monumental failure from Pelini and one we never expected.
He needs to trust his talent again and put them in positions to succeed...he needs to understand the strengths of every guy on his squad inside and out, whether he feels he already knows what they're made of or not.
In spite of everything, LSU lead the SEC in turnover margin, rank 3rd nationally in the same category, harassed the quarterback for 8 sacks and 51 pressures (acc to PFF), forced 4 fumbles and recovered 4 (1 fumble was forced & recovered by Racey McMath and Quentin Skinner on special teams) scored LSU's first defensive touchdown since 11/28/18 and picked off 4 passes (Cox, Eli x2, Todd).
There are still some bright spots within this defense which is why their overall awful play has been so disappointing.
Despite remaining 1-2, LSU outscored Miss State, Missouri and Vandy 116 to 96, pointing to the inherent problem which dictated every one of LSU's mishaps:
The Tigers inability to get out of their own way and refusal to stop shooting themselves in the foot is why LSU stands at 1-2....where they GEAUX from here is up to the team of course, but if you call yourself a Tiger fan, then dispel with the incessant overkill of cynicism...
OUR TIGERS COULD USE YOUR SUPPORT NOW MORE THAN EVER...
BLACK LIVES MATTER
by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Copyright 2020 Uninterrupted Writings Inc LLC
SHOUTOUTS: Chelsea my lady for her patience, A.D...YOU KNOW WHY BRO💜💛, CLAYETH my EVH brotha, Stacie Davis-Price for being The Truth.