When coach Ed Orgeron realized LSU wasn’t just physically outmatched by Alabama but also in the scouting department, Orgeron pleaded with LSU athletic director Joe Alleva to let him hire more assistants.
Alleva obliged, and Orgeron hired five more analysts this past spring to bring the team’s support staff tally up to 11. Among them were former UL-Lafayette offensive coordinator Jorge Munoz and longtime NFL defensive assistant Kevin Coyle.
“I think that the analysts that we have on our football team, we have so much more prepared this year than all of last year,” said Orgeron during the week of LSU’s game against Florida. “And [defensive coordinator] Dave Aranda was doing practically all the breakdown work, and now it’s all done on Sunday. Guys are giving more advice, we meet more as a football staff this year than we ever have.
“Guys are in their meeting rooms, offense, defense, special teams. We’re much more organized. I think those things give an effect to a better practice.”
While the analysts aren’t allowed to coach players on the field, they are allowed to help break down film and sit in meetings. Orgeron said at his media luncheon on Oct. 29 that the analysts’ preparation for Alabama began in the summer. They broke down every game from 2017 and all eight games this year.
It’s a stark contrast compared to previous years when it appeared Alabama knew exactly what LSU was doing and when the Tigers were doing it. As it turns out, it wasn’t just appearance. Alabama coach Nick Saban and his staff, which rivals the size of any Fortune 500 company, knew everything about LSU short of the players’ blood types.
Thanks to former Alabama offensive coordinator and current Florida Atlantic coach Lane Kiffin showing Orgeron one of Alabama’s previous scouting reports on LSU the information gap has been reduced between the two teams. The realization of how outmanned LSU was sprung Orgeron into action, hence the hiring of more analyst in the past year.
Defensively, Orgeron says Aranda has assigned each analyst a position group to study and gather as much information as possible on the Tide at those specific spots.
“We know what hurts them,” Orgeron said. “We know what they do well.”
Coyle has been assigned the passing game. The former Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator along with defensive backs coach Corey Raymond and safeties coach Bill Busch, have to stop Heisman-favorite Tua Tagovailoa and an Alabama offense averaging 54 points per game.
“It’s endless information always coming through,” said sophomore safety Grant Delpit, who is third in the nation with five interceptions. “Coach Coyle, he’s the first one to get there, last one to leave. Coach Busch and all those guys help really well. Definitely a lot more information.”
The information isn’t filtered out only to the defense. LSU’s offensive analysts have compiled quite a large scouting report themselves.
Senior running back Nick Brossette said they write up a book for players to look at. He says he picks out key things in relation to players’ tendencies and finishes up his studying in the film room.
The offensive analysts categorize everything the defense does by down and distance, including the tendencies of each player. Brossette described their work as “crazy.”
“They help. They definitely help,” Brossette said. “Having those guys, they break down everything for you. We just have to go out there and execute the game plan.”
LSU’s offense hasn’t executed the game plan to perfection for most games this season nor have they been the most efficient this year, but they have played against three top-15 defenses (Miami-No. 2, Mississippi State-No. 6 and Georgia-No. 14) and averaged 29 points in those three games.
Alabama’s defense is ranked No. 16, but the caveat is the Tigers haven’t scored 20 or more points against the Tide since a 24-21 victory in 2010.
Maybe the added information will help break the scoring trend and LSU’s seven- game losing streak to No. 1 Alabama or maybe the Tide continues to roll and sweeps up the Purple and Gold into a sea of crimson.
But only one thing is for certain — LSU-Alabama is finally here.