Lonn Phillips Sullivan
Oct 13, 20203 min
Falling out of the AP Top 25 for the first time since our #19 Tigers lost to #1 Alabama in mid-November 2017, starting their title defense at 1-2, losing 45-41 to Missouri, 44-34 at home against Mississippi State, allowing 500+ & 600+ passing yards in those games, missing tackles left, right and center, lack of communication or understanding on the field, an atrocious defense against the run, diabolical coverage in the secondary and our offense were 9/40 on 3rd down opportunities...
Yet LSU's offense scored 41 in two games and 27 vs Miss State (defense scored 7 more), Myles Brennan is exceeding expectations after being drilled and widely blamed for our Week 1 defeat, the best WR in the Nation (Terrace Marshall) is playing like Ja'Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson on a one man crusade, freshman Arik Gilbert remains dominant and every bit of the hype Orgeron assigned him, every game we've seen a new receiver step up (Jenkins, Kirklin, Boutte), TDP and John Emery would've had bigger plays behind a fully healthy offensive line instead of a new group each game, and still the pair combined for 2 TDs, averaged 5.3 yards per touch (319 rec/rush yards on 60 total touches)....and yet LSU still plummeted to 1-2????
41 points isn't enough against Missouri?
34 points can't beat a horrific Mississippi State team who went on to lose 21-14 vs Arkansas?
This is a defense that leads the SEC in turnover margin (3rd in nation), created 3 interceptions, forced and recovered 5 fumbles, ranked in the top 10 for fewest penalties and still we lost to Missouri and Mississippi State...two teams who also languish at 1-2.....but this start is beyond the wildest dreams of LSU's biggest haters.
Throughout my study of all the missed assignments, kindergarten tackling, horrorshow 3rd down play (offensively and defensively), our coaching staff letting our players down time and time again, the thing I noticed most about this Tigers team????
It wasn't the fact that we lost or who beat us, the sad truth is we beat ourselves in 2 games this season with hideous mental errors, lackadaisical play, underestimating our opponents (THIS author is responsible for doing this, we completely overlooked Miss State and Missouri as did everyone on planet earth)...we handcuffed ourselves mentally and physically, our Tigers appearing scattershot on the field and our coaches looking lost on the sidelines.
On one hand you're saying: "This team didn't deserve to beat either Miss State or Missouri and were so woeful on defense and in critical moments offensively that they're going to suffer this season!!!"
On the other side of the coin, you're feeling if one or two calls go LSU's way (Ika fumble recovery vs Miss State), if our offensive line provides Ty Davis-Price a little more push and momentum at the goal-line vs Miss State AND Missouri (and if we'd realigned under center pre-snap, TDP would've supplied the boost himself without the extra 4 or 5 yards from the shotgun formation in his way).... if Gilbert is in all 4 goal line plays at the end of the Missouri game....if a different sequence of plays are called at the end of that game....if Ed Ingram had been available....could LSU actually be 3-0???
This team isn't even close to as bad as their performances or results indicate, but we're in the business of winning at all costs, and possessing a staff full of National Championship-winners or Super Bowl ring-wearing coaches in every department, leading a squad full of top tier talent second only to Alabama in the SEC, we better be contending.
But it must be said...how these brutal defeats occurred is as mystifying as anything in recent LSU history...
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Copyright 2020 Uninterrupted Writings Inc LLC
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