After reviewing and re-reviewing the LSU vs. Auburn game, I’ve come to realize that there was indeed one thing worse than the officiating – LSU’s offensive game plan. Yes, LSU was likely cheated out of an opportunity to score late in the game by the zebras. Yes, Auburn junior defensive back Zach Gilbert nearly tackled LSU receiver Early Doucet on the infamous fourth down play. What could have prevented this from being relevant is LSU coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher matching LSU’s offensive strengths with Auburn’s defensive weaknesses. Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville suspended freshman Tray Blackmon and senior Kevin Sears on Aug. 1, leaving Auburn thin at linebacker. Compounding the problem for Auburn was its inexperience at defensive tackle. Junior Josh Thompson and freshman Sen’Derrick Marks both started their first games at Auburn in the the team’s season opener. Instead of trying to pound the middle of Auburn’s defense in the first half to set the tone, LSU took a very unbalanced approach, throwing the ball 17 times and only running it 10 times. There is no denying the offense’s poor play in the first half against Auburn, but the game was lost on first and second down play calling, which was dictated by the staff’s inability to run up the middle and call screen passes. LSU faced eight third downs in the first half with five being six yards or less. Four of those five third downs were created by LSU either throwing a screen or running up the middle on first or second down. Of the three third downs of more than six yards, LSU did not throw a screen or run up the middle on first or second down in two of those situations. In the second half, the numbers are similar. LSU had three manageable third downs in the second half, all resulting from a rush up the middle or a screen on first or second down. On the only sequence LSU did not rush up the middle or throw a screen, LSU faced a third and nine conversion. Overall the running numbers were ugly, but there are not very many teams in the nation who will torch Auburn on the ground. LSU ran 22 times for only 42 yards. LSU ran up the middle 11 times for 30 yards, while gaining only 12 yards on its 11 carries to the outside. With so much more success being found up the middle, one has to wonder why the Tigers ran to the outside that many times. Also missing from the LSU game plan were talented freshmen Trindon Holliday and Charles Scott. Holliday did not play offensively in the opener after dropping a punt, but he rebounded against Arizona, gaining 38 yards on two rushes. Holliday’s speed could have been utilized either through reverses or bubble screens, but for whatever reason, the coaching staff decided to show LSU’s trick plays to the entire country in a blowout against Arizona, rather than saving them for the most important game of the year. All Charles Scott did in his first two games of the year was lead LSU in both rushing yards and rushing average, which is an impressive accomplishment considering the talent LSU has in the backfield. Scott’s ability to break tackles could have added a fresh body to the offense, something that Justin Vincent, Alley Broussard and Jacob Hester cannot do, since all are still nursing injuries. Broussard and Vincent are still working their way back from ACL injuries suffered last season. Hester sat out a day of practice last week because of a minor injury. It is ignorant if not dumb to say that adding Scott and Holliday to the offense would have guaranteed victory for LSU, but with the rest the group playing so poorly, the risk of getting them into the game was far smaller than the potential reward.
—–Contact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]