Lonn Phillips Sullivan
Oct 6, 20204 min
Orgeron's LSU may have throttled Vanderbilt 41-7 but there was no surprise at the victory....the shock from some anti-LSU people was centered on the result itself:
This coaching staff and squad needed an emphatic victory, after all that's the only LSU the core of this team has ever experienced (Stingley still 16-0 in his LSU career). Ensminger deliberately ran up the score until the final minutes, when Kevin Faulk ran out Josh Williams for some positive rushing plays.
Passing the ball around to eleven different guys, looking in control of the offense while his line protected him with finesse and brutality in the trenches, Myles Brennan responded how we expected him to...now what???
Our Tigers should build further confidence from the Missouri game, but the decisions our coaching staff make in that second half (when we have a massive lead) must be primed for Florida preparation.
Sadly, our starting left guard (and one of our strongest performers over 2 games) Ed Ingram now joins left tackle Rosenthal as another banged up offensive lineman, his status questionable for Missouri; Orgeron even said "we're discussing sending Joe Evans back to O-line to play guard"...#94's third switch between the trenches since March.
Losing Ingram could be pivotal for LSU heading into the Swamp...luckily his injury appears to be insignificant, so he should be held back as much as possible for full health in less than two weeks...expect Anthony Bradford or Marlon Martinez to fill that spot at left guard...but if James Cregg prefers (former center and current DT) Joe Evans for left guard, he won't hesitate....he will make his decision based on which player provides the most overall chemistry to the line.
Other news regarding left tackle Dare Rosenthal: during his press conference, Coach O said he was "trending in the right direction" health-wise and could potentially force his way back into the starting lineup vs Missouri. It may prove difficult for Dare to recover his spot after Cam Wire's confidence boosting chemistry alongside Ingram, Shanahan, Hines and Deculus vs Vandy, allowing 0 sacks and 3 hits from 7 sacks and 12 the week before, the team rushing for exactly double their rushing amount vs Miss State (80 yards to 161 vs Vandy).
Their collective performance was an upgrade from the catastrophic week prior and will give James Cregg much to consider over the next 10-12 days.
Elsewhere, senior DT Glen Logan returns to the fold after sitting out the first two games for reasons we won't disclose here; point is, he hurt the team and himself via his absence, but watch his return become a massive boost for Johnson & Orgeron's already rampant & impressive defensive line.
Speaking on his favorite subject, the D-line, Coach O called Jaquelin Roy "our most athletic DT" and singled out his robust disruption on Saturday night in Nashville. Look for Roy to continue establishing himself while Logan and Farrell continue building strength for our bout vs Florida.
On offense, he was proud of Brennan's rebound, saying they put Myles through the paces, even making Drew Brees highlight footage "cut ups" as Orgeron called them, crediting Russ Callaway for his work with Myles.
In fact, Orgeron said he "couldn't be more proud of his coaching staff. Our guys coached their butts off this week" specifically highlighting Pelini and Linehan's recovery after a bad week 1.
While our minds are now on Missouri, we also have a slight eye ahead to the true test @ Florida in Week 4...this is the week where Orgeron's Tigers must find out who LSU's fixed starters will be.
It will be important for LSU to start strong and build a quick, unassailable lead, affording our coaching staff all flexibility in the personnel department, capable of experimenting across every position group.
We have strong info coming in about this team's bond being strengthened, saying "this team were going through the motions a bit, but they found out about the responsibility you have when you wear that uniform when they got whooped on. Now, they're back to doing the things we all saw at the back end of 2018 into 2019..."
Another source made sure we understood "there's a vibe here...we're not sure if it IS something or if it's building to something, I'll just say this team has presence..."
Presence....chemistry...a vibe...
Right now, who would YOU start vs Missouri AND Florida? Tell us on Twitter, Facebook, right here & more.
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by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
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