Through eight games, Bradie James has registered 100 tackles, two sacks, one interception and 11 quarterback pressures. So much for not living up to the preseason hype.
The senior middle linebacker is the undisputed leader of a defense ranked first in the nation. How good is he? Well, James is one of only 11 players in the nation to make the cut for the Butkus award and one of only 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi award. No it is not a coaching accolade but an annual award for the country’s best lineman or linebacker. James’ tackle total is second in the Southeastern Conference and 2002 marks the third straight year that he has recorded more than 100 tackles. His 363 career tackles ranks him second in school history.
James, along with fellow starters Jeremy Lawrence and first-year starter Lionel Turner, back a line that is allowing 110 yards per game on the ground — good enough for 22nd in the nation. That is pretty good considering 117 teams play Division-I college football.
The Tigers were torched for 216 yards on the ground against Auburn, but they did not get much help from the offense. The Tiger defense had to pick up the slack of five turnovers and, although the time of possession was nearly equal, the defense was noticeably tired by the end of the game.
Jeremy Lawrence has been steady. The senior outside backer has 29 tackles, but has been effective as a blitzer from his outside position. Lawrence leads the team with four sacks.
Both James and Lawrence performed well early in the season allowing Turner to develop. Turner, a sophomore from Walker High, played like a first-time starter early, but has entrenched himself as the starter through eight games. Turner has 45 tackles thus far and seems to always be near the action.
Prior to the beginning of SEC play, many questioned the legitimacy of the LSU defense. The Tigers were able to post impressive early season numbers by rolling rent-a-win teams. Through four conference games, the team has held on to its number one ranking, including limiting Florida to 74 yards rushing in the Swamp.
With a question mark at quarterback, the Tigers will go as far as James and their defense will take them.
No matter how good a team is statistically and how outstanding a player (James) may be, the bottom line is that the Tigers are 6-2, ranked number one in the nation defensively and are still in the driver’s seat for the Western Division crown. Barring injury, the Tiger defense, anchored by James, should keep the Tigers close in their remaining games.
This one is easy: A