RIP RUFFIN.....LSU LEGEND
HAPPY BIRTHDAY 1971JIMBROWN!!! ONE OF OUR COOLEST SUPPORTERS! WE LOVE YOU BROTHER!
by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
On paper, LSU vs A&M is the worst kind of mismatch for the current woes of Orgeron's 2020 Tigers...but on the field, A&M's mental toughness will be tested for 60 minutes beyond anything Fisher's team has been through previously:
These 5th ranked Aggies are Saturday's consensus favorite for the first time ever, although the pressure could prove too much to bear.
While many would scoff at anyone arguing for an LSU win (allowing 807 more yards of total offense than A&M, sporting our 124th rated pass defense, 111th ranked overall defense and shameful 400+ yards allowed per game), there's still enough circumstantial, historical or psychological evidence to support a case for a Tigers victory....
On paper...it doesn't look good.
The Tigers' 3-3 record vs Texas A&M's #5 overall ranking, A&M's surprise #1 rated SEC defense vs a freshman quarterback...a balanced offense throwing for 8.17 per passing attempt and rushing for 250 yards per game against our big play surrendering hipster defense.
On paper, this looks bad for LSU...this appears like loss #4 at Kyle Field....
However, nothing concerning Orgeron's 2020 unit has been (or will be) straight forward...in fact, these Tigers are the most unpredictable squad I've ever seen in purple and gold.
From Monday's start of gameweek to the second they first take the field, nothing is ever guaranteed:
Certain guys could be lighting it up one week before being unable to play the next: Stingley's ER visit on the night before Week 1, Ed Ingram was out for the loss vs Missouri, Myles Brennan was setting records on par with Joe Burrow until his injury, Eli Ricks went from being a shutdown corner to sitting on the bench (following a pathetic refereeing decision leading to his targeting ejection) and Stingley went down once again with a "concussion / head injury" alongside Ricks, completely changing the complexion of LSU's second half pass defense.
And so the season has gone....one complete shocker after another for the Tigers, maddening defeats, atrocious play across the board defensively while LSU's offense failed to generate rushing momentum or 3rd down conversions.
Zach Von Rosenberg is our most consistent player ....
He's the punter....
Somehow...as LSU prepare to face #5 A&M behind a freshman quarterback, without the #1 overall pick talents of Ja'Marr Chase, the loss of 6 different defensive linemen (led by 1st Round talents Tyler Shelvin and Apu Ika), starting quarterback Myles Brennan's season-ending abdominal tear....I still feel the Tigers have a weird psychological edge.
Not only do these Tigers still want revenge after 2018's 7OT game (many 2017-18 upperclassmen remain on roster) this team has nothing to lose geauxing into this battle....possessing more confidence and momentum than they've had since before Week 1.
2020 LSU isn't expected to win this game...nearly every analyst, fan or pundit in the country is betting on Jimbo...maybe even before the season began, most analysts, fans or pundits would've still crowned A&M, the sexy preseason hype.
In spite of how this Aggies team has delivered on their preseason bluster, Fisher and Mond actually have far more pressure on their heads than Orgeron's LSU.
Win or lose, Orgeron won't be losing top recruits to Jimbo....and if Fisher chokes, the continued narrative of his impotence against SEC competition will continue, especially given how off LSU has been so far.
Orgeron's Tigers have nothing to lose coming into College Station, but they also have little to fear: the moment when the Aggies go to take the next step usually means a big coughing choke is around the corner.
I have a feeling Orgeron's Tigers have done their share of choking for 2020, I have a vibe that Pelini's message is somewhat beginning to penetrate the fractured psyche of his defense (at least fundamentally speaking the Tigers' defense slightly improved, stopping big plays from becoming automatic touchdowns);
I've gotta feeling T.J Finley is ready to destroy the Aggies in their own stadium...but there's many factors that must turn in LSU's favor for the upset.
The Tigers must sustain drives, continuously finding themselves at 3rd and manageable situations much like last week vs Arkansas. The improved showing from LSU's under-fire offensive line greatly helped pave the way for Ty Davis-Price's rushing attack; meanwhile, freshman QB T.J Finley led Ensminger's offense to their best day on 3rd down all year:
The Tigers' offense went 8/11 with Finley popping 5 3rd down completions and 15 first down completions overall.
LSU must stay patient and give the ball to Ty Davis-Price, letting him unleash his high octane flow. Although his receiving touchdown was unfairly stripped from the board, Ty has proven himself to be a strong pass catcher out of the back too, as well as a tyrannical pass protector (watch McMath's TD vs Arkansas).
Time after time, the work of TDP earned LSU favorable positions on the field, constantly setting up the offense in fine fettle, wearing down defenses as he showed off surgical versatility.
Finley must target Arik Gilbert: Passing Game Coordinator Scott Linehan needs to position Gilbert on the outside (with Marshall in the slot) far more often, and the freshman QB must look for Jaray Jenkins and Kayshon Boutte, both making delirious catches as of late.
This could be a great game for Terrace Marshall: this #1 defense may have earned their ranking so far, yet they haven't faced receivers who are as athletic, multi-dimensional or as physical as Mickey Joseph's receiving corps...there may be too many weapons to shut down.
As far as Bo Pelini, he has no choice but to pull off a trajectory-changing stunner for his second act in Baton Rouge...
What better game to win back the fans' favor than an absolute domination of Fisher's #5 Aggies heading for coronation????
....can he do it???
We believe he can...
Pelini knows who he can trust among his defenders now, and we're hearing he's digging deeper within his squad for solutions:
I'm hearing from team sources that Pelini is using more exotic blitzes tied to base-appearing sets, placing guys in different scenarios than they're normally accustomed... and the results have been working in practice.
It better work...
A&M complete over 60% of their 3rd down opportunities....staggering success. However, LSU's refusal to allow Arkansas a single 3rd down (while letting Franks throw for 339 yards) will prepare Pelini's men for what must be done.
We're hearing the healthier and impactful Jay Ward is the third cornerback now, overtaking Cordale Flott (#25 will be utilized at nickel exclusively) and Derek Stingley is fit to play.
Will Micha Baskerville, Jacoby Stevens and Jabril Cox have the side to side speed to prevent major gains from Kellen Mond's best weapon, Percy Harvin-esque WR Ainias Smith (leading the Aggies in receiving yards and 2nd in rushing, totaling 7 touchdowns)???
As for the A&M Senior QB Kellen Mond...will he throw for 6 TDs like he did in 2018....or could he toss 0 TDs and 3 INTs like 2019? Somewhere in the middle?
Could Pelini's defense shut down or at least hamper A&M's stud running back Isaiah Spiller?
To gather turnovers and outfox Mond, LSU's level of play at free safety must be Excalibur high...in keeping with that statement, is the return of Mo Hampton a serendipitous moment for the Tigers' secondary?
Mo has endured a tough season thus far, however the pure talents he's displayed for the majority of his LSU career persuade me to believe he's going to execute a great showing if utilized.
Overall, I'm sensing a shootout...a wild game...a bunch of seething madness...
LSU have nothing to lose....this team should gamble and use the freshmen / sophomore depth of their defense to outlast the Aggies' solid rushing attack.
No one is giving LSU a chance...in fact, many have already clicked away from this article with a laugh and a trip to Target...however, Coach Orgeron will be the last one laughing.
Make no mistake...Texas A&M have always tried to be LSU, they've desperately wanted to be Tigers...but they can't fake their way to success:
...from the way they shoddily copied our state of the art facilities, sold their souls to join a thick and furious SEC West (shoving themselves on the crowded elevator with a tight squeeze and a fart), failed to capitalise on down seasons at LSU with a Heisman-winning quarterback...at every turn, A&M's oil money has attempted to buy the Aggies a championship...they even joined the SEC to steal whatever notoriety was available...but to win a title on the field, Fisher and Methuselah Mond will have to get through this dangerous Tigers team...
And a group of men are at their most dangerous when their backs are against the wall and they have nothing to lose....
LSU WINS 38-26
FINLEY: 344 Yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
TY DAVIS-PRICE: 212 Yards
(1 RUSH & 1 REC TD)
TERRACE MARSHALL: 1 TD 110 Yards
ARIK GILBERT: 1 TD, 143 Yards
ELI RICKS: 1 INT
STINGLEY: 1 INT
EVANS: 1 SACK
ANTHONY: 1 SACK, 1 PD
OJULARI: 1 SACK, 1 FF
ROY: 1 FR, 2.5 TFLs
BLACK LIVES MATTER
by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Copyright 2020 Uninterrupted Writings Inc LLC
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