Paul Crewe
Jun 15, 2010 May 30, 2012 151 1049
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OT Ethan Pocic Commits!
Pocic visited this weekend and he's a big, big time offensive tackle prospect from Lemont, Illinois. 6'7", 285, so he's the size of the OL we typically pursue.
He's currently ranked 36th on Rivals, 57th on Scout, 87th on 247 to give you an idea of where he ranks nationally. Blue-chip OT.
Here's some tape. Great job by Les and Stud on this one.
JUCO TE Logan Stokes Commits!
Stokes committed this weekend. I'll be honest and say, I don't know a whole helluva a lot about this kid. Good size (6'5, 240). He's a JUCO. TE will be a big position of need going into next year especially, as we have no distinguished replacement once Clement graduates. Here's a pic after his commitment.
Here's some free tape. He's got some blocking ability. More importantly, he can catch a bit. I would imagine he'll likely be in line to start next season.
Quantavious Leslie Commits!
After a a month and a half of radio silence on the recruiting front, LSU landed big-time JUCO WR Quantavious Leslie today.
Leslie is precisely the type of big-bodied WR LSU was in the hunt for and he should be in line for playing time next season. Here's some highlights. Big kid that can really run. He signed with West Virginia out of high school but failed to qualify. Big addition to the class.
Post Draft Wrap-Up: Where Did They Land?
by Paul Crewe on May 2, 2012 2:00 AM EDT
in Football
on And The Valley Shook
Last Thursday I offered up a Viewer's Guide for the draft. Now that all the festivities are wrapped and the players are settled, I want to circle back and see where they landed. For the most part, everything went as I suspected. Actually, everything went about as I suspected, so kudos to me for reading way too much about the draft and getting lucky with my guesses. Your breakdown, after the jump...
NFL Draft Live Thread
by Paul Crewe on Apr 26, 2012 6:56 PM EDT
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Shea Dixon re-tweets an NBC reporter saying Mo Claiborne will be selected 3rd overall. Big news for the Vikings, if true.
I'll be here all night following the draft both for LSU and for other insight/perspective.
Looking forward to it fellas. Pop open a beer and get some wings.
NFL Draft Viewer's Guide
by Paul Crewe on Apr 26, 2012 9:40 AM EDT
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on And The Valley Shook
It's that time of year again. It's NFL Draft season, and I, for one, am excited all over again. I guess it's the inner amateur scout in me, but just as I love recruiting, so too do I love the NFL Draft process. College football's finest prospects are combed over time and again, their every strength analyzed, their every weakness magnified. Take a look at the NFL's most successful organizations over the past decade and you'll almost certainly see a common thread: They almost all draft well (Replace the word "draft" with "recruit" and you've all heard me say this before). Much like recruiting, value can be found up and down the draft board, even for some in the Undrafted Free Agent pool.
Sheer probability dictates that key contributors can be located in any round. For the 2012 NFL Draft class, LSU donates a handful of prospects, some of which will go high, some of which will go low, some of which won't go at all.After the jump, I'll take an extended look at all of LSU's draft hopefuls and project where they will go.
Recapping the Weekend Commitments and Recruiting News
by Paul Crewe on Apr 2, 2012 9:24 PM EDT
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The 2013 LSU Recruiting class is off to a furious start, nabbing a handful of the state's top prospects while swaying numerous others to name the Tigers their leader. If early returns mean anything (and they may not), the additions of Adam Henry and Corey Raymond add serious recruiting punch. For his part, Henry has already landed a prospect (John Diarse) that just a couple short months ago many felt was Bama bound through and through. After a seemingly endless run of bad news springing forth post 1.9.12 and through signing day, the good news hasn't stopped rolling in.
This past weekend LSU hosted a bevy of top prospects both in-state and out. A recap of all the news after the jump...
Winnfield DE Michael Patterson Commits!
Sonny Shipp tweeted just minutes ago that Patterson gave his pledge. To be honest, I know very little about this kid. Only sports 3 offers to date, but it's early in the process, so that doesn't worry me much. Pretty good size at 6'3, 230.
2-minute highlight take: moves all over the DL, even playing standing up at times. Decent burst. Plays with good strength at the point of attack. Doesn't stand out as being overly explosive/athletic (though he's not a plodder). Plays too high. Pretty good read n' react type of DE... diagnoses plays really quickly and is almost always in position to make the tackle.
Staff must really like this kid considering all the big fish still in play, especially on the DL.
Fehoko Fanaika Commits!
Honestly, don't know a whole lot about the kid other than the fact that he's huge. Looks like an interior lineman. Nice to add some additional depth to the position.
Hopefully he'll be as good as the last guy with a similar last name...
EDIT: Or Not Scarborough at TigerBait says his coach at College of San Mateo says Fanaika hasn't made a decision yet.
Previewing the 2012 LSU Football Depth Chart: The Defense/Special Teams
by Paul Crewe on Mar 2, 2012 9:39 AM EST
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on And The Valley Shook
On Tuesday, I dove into my impressions on the depth chart from the offensive side of the ball. As I noted then, LSU is in the fortunate position of having most starting positions settled, though the defense offers more question marks about who will fill in where. At some positions a host of bodies await opportunity, though we have little idea who is leading the back (like the CB 2 spot) and other positions have a host of bodies but a lead dog candidate (like Freak Johnson at DT). LSU will also be replacing three of three starters at LB (at least according to the depth chart, though Minter and Tahj Jones had more or less overtaken the MLB and SLB spots by season's end).
The 2011 LSU defense ranks as one of the best in school history. Freakish athlete flew all over the field, making plays, forcing turnovers and all in all wreaking havoc on SEC offenses. Is there any way the 2012 LSU defense could best that effort? It's unlikely... but not out of the question.
Previewing the 2012 LSU Football Depth Chart: The Offense
by Paul Crewe on Feb 28, 2012 8:01 AM EST
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on And The Valley Shook
The LSU basketball team is chasing a fleeting tourney berth. The baseball team is just getting kick started. But hell, Spring football is just around the corner, so how about a little depth chart talk?
Has [game redacted] wore off for you yet? I think I've finally moved on with signing day in the books, the NFL combine under way and the coaching staff finalized. I now turn my eyes to the season-to-be and the characters therein. In many ways, LSU returns a very similar team to what we saw in 2011, but with a few key losses. Who overtakes those positions? Will Mettensavior finally be the sole bearer of the QB position? Will any RB take on a leading role? Even on a mostly settled depth chart there are plenty of questions abounding. Let's dive into some of those after the jump.
On Jordan Jefferson's Comments
by Paul Crewe on Feb 14, 2012 4:28 PM EST
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In case you've been living under a rock, Jordan Jefferson chose to be the latest to come out and criticize the MNC game plan. DeAngelo Peterson agrees. It seems, Will Blackwell expressed some frustration as well, nevermind this is just days after he spoke glowingly of him. Three offensive players, three different, varying levels of criticism. Initially, I wanted to pass Peterson and Blackwell's comments as post-BCS letdown malaise. But it's been over a month, and the first opportunity Jefferson gets to speak on the matter since the post-game interviews, he digs up the dead bodies.
My question is, why? What's the point?
OL Josh Boutte Commits
by Paul Crewe on Feb 8, 2012 1:25 PM EST
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Boutte is a 6'5, 305-pound OL commit from New Iberia, LA. His highlight tape is rather comical, if for no other reason, he towers over his own teammates. It appears as if he's not fully getting into his stance, but he's just that large compared to them. Also, I'm unsure of whether or not he's related to former LSU DT Marc Boutte.
Shortly after committing, Barton Simmons tweeted:
Josh Boutte commits to LSU. I was just watching his film today. Really impressed. He'll be highly rated when we updated our rankings this wk.
That's a nice piece of praise from a national recruiting analyst.
There's typically two types of OL who excel at the next two levels: mean, nasty maulers and pure technicians. Obviously, some combo of both is what makes the elite guys like Jake Long, etc.
The first thing that sticks out to me on Boutte's tape is that he is one bad sumbitch and he wants you to know it. I LOVE OL who continue their blocks until their guy is on the ground. To me, that shows the tenacity and toughness required to be a superb linemen. I watch the tape of Vadal Alexander in awe, because he enjoys punishing his targets. In Boutte, I see the same. At 6'5, 305, he's got a nice frame without all the excess chubbiness. Obviously, almost every OL's body needs to be re-worked when they get to the next level, but Boutte seems to have a nice, naturally thick build without being tubby.
Beyond Boutte's aggressiveness, the way he fires out of his stance stands out to me. As a former (and terrible) OL, one thing our coach constantly reiterated was exploding out of your stance. Our center in HS was about 160 pounds, but I saw him absolutely melt guys weighing 270-280 pounds because he was not only tough, he fired out of his stance and got leverage. Those are two of the most important aspects in line play.
From the tape, Boutte will still need to work on coming out of his stance too high (a common problem for taller linemen), but that's a technical issue the coaches can work through.
The other noticeable point is that he really moves well. He pulls a good deal, and he looks really natural getting out in front of the play, locating his target and engaging them. Boutte moves well, and he doesn't labor.
Overall, I'm really impressed. Boutte is probably the top lineman in the state, and while he may not be quite to the level of a prospect of La'El Collins stature, he's only a step behind IMO. He likely projects to guard, but I could see him playing at RT, or even C in a pinch.
Here's a good, free read on Boutte and his commitment.
A Few 2013 Commitments and Recruiting Tidbits
by Paul Crewe on Feb 6, 2012 2:43 PM EST
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NSD is just days removed and the recruiting circus is jump started yet again. The recruiting grind is arguably the most arduous aspect to coaching at any level. It's also, in my opinion, the most important part to building an excellent program.
LSU picked up three commitments at their Junior Day this weekend. There's not a wealth of information about the three available just yet, but after the jump I'll talk about them and a few other LSU recruiting targets.
Assessing the 2012 Recruiting Class
by Paul Crewe on Feb 2, 2012 1:42 PM EST
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If you haven't already, I highly recommend you listen to this interview with LSU Recruiting Coordinator and Running Backs coach, Frank Wilson. Wilson does an excellent job breaking down how you build recruiting classes, while also addressing "recruiting rankings" and how coaches perceptions are often very different than what recruiting rankings say. He addresses what I consider to be a major weakness for all of the major recruiting networks, and that is the lack of attention given to the state of Louisiana and how they have a guy stationed in Oklahoma who is the "Louisiana" scout, but he's never been to Baldwin or Thibodaux and seen the kid actually play. I think it's a great point that has a lot of truth to it. Most of the national recruiting guys get to Louisiana a couple times of year (if even that), and most are going off what they hear others say. Not always the best means of evaluation.
That being said, we can't talk about the 2012 recruiting class without acknowledging the ones we missed. Gunner Kiel and Torshiro Davis were one-time commits that switched. Mario Edwards and Landon Collins were highly coveted targets that we simply whiffed on. Add any two of those four, and this is a top 5ish class nationally. Subtract all four, and you have national writers calling our class a "disappointment." To me, such reactions are puffed-up poppycock. Is it really that disappointing to finish with an average of 11.25 across the four major recruiting services? If that's failure, give me two spoonfuls. Arkansas fans would salivate over a class this good (in fact, when I expressed even a modicum of disappointment to one of my good Hog friends, his immediate reaction was, "Shoot, I wish we had half that many four stars." Perspective.).
That being said, I don't find it useful to stick your head in the sand and feel the need to act like everything LSU does is always great. In some ways, this class is a let down. But a let down is different than a failure. After the jump I'll delve into the class.
Let's talk about Corey Thompson
by Paul Crewe on Jan 31, 2012 11:28 AM EST
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On January 5th, Landon Collins committed to Alabama. LSU fans were aghast, particularly after receiving positive signals directly from the Collins camp. Safety was one area of need for the 2012 recruiting class and it seems Ron Cooper has found his men in Jerqwinick Sandolph and now, Corey Thompson.
Thompson, a long time Texas A&M commit (welcome to the SEC, boys), hails from Missouri City, Texas. Of the four major recruiting services, Rivals, Scout, ESPN and 247, the vote is split: Rivals and ESPN rate him a 3-star, while Scout and 247 rate him as a 4-star. Further, Scout is the only site of the four which lists Thompson as a LB. So where does he project? And what type of player is he? More after the jump...
Jeremy Liggins Commits!
by Paul Crewe on Jan 30, 2012 8:45 PM EST
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Image from Liggins commitment announcement in the heart of Oxford, MS, via SBN Atlanta's Steven Godfrey
I wrote about Jeremy last week. Liggins is from Oxford (I know, feel sorry for him). Rivals lists him at 6'3, 270 lbs, but some recent reports suggest he may be more like 6'4, 290+. If so, that sounds more like a DT or OG than a QB.
My thoughts on him remain the same: I'm happy to have Liggins on board, but I'd be shocked if QB is in his future at LSU. His arm, while under-developed, doesn't appear to have a ton of natural ability. He's a bit of a soft-tosser... think Chris Relf. That being said, the quality of the highlight tapes, combined with the lack of passing attempts doesn't give a great source of evaluation. He does show good touch, and his throwing motion is compact. Could he be a QB at the D1 level? I think so. But he needs to be in a spread-option based offense, and I'm not sure Miles is willing to make a transition to that fully.
Now, Liggins does have a tremendous reputation for being a "field general" and a leader. That being said, from the tape I see a kid who is a naturally gifted runner and I'll never, ever oppose LSU stocking up on big athletes that can run. Liggins' future could be at TE or even on the DL. If he does play QB, frankly, I'll be surprised, but the nice thing is he has the ability to be used in many places on the field.
At worst, Liggins gives LSU another body at QB. At best, he's another big athlete that we can find a spot for. He claims he prefers to play QB (that's all he's ever played), but that he'd do whatever it takes to help the team. Saying that and following through on it are often different things. It appears Brick Haley was given the lead on recruiting Liggins, which could speak to where they expect him to wind up. Or, it could mean nothing.
In short, Liggins is a nice get for LSU.
Lorenzo Phillips Commits!
As I stated earlier this week, Phillips was destined to be an LSU commitment, it was only a matter of time. The former Aggie and Gator commitment is is the 20th commitment, 21 if you count Jeremy Hill. More interestingly, he is the 5th LB in this class... which still may add yet another LB, Kwon Alexander, to the mix.
LSU is certainly in need of revamping their LB core, and it appears they've hit it hard this year. Adding Phillips and the possibility of Alexander could point to concerns with Trey Granier. Or it could just mean they want a lot of bodies at LB.
At any rate, Phillips is an explosive player with a knack for coming off the edge and being disruptive.
Recruiting Update: Gunner OH NOOOOOOZZZZ!
by Paul Crewe on Jan 19, 2012 4:47 PM EST
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on And The Valley Shook
Sorry for the less than timely posting, work took me out behind the shack and gave me the Bama treatment (too soon?). In a bit of shocking and depressing news, Gunner Kiel officially decommitted/switched/became a Domer on Tuesday after pledging to LSU around Christmas.
To many, the decision wasn't altogether shocking, as his family pulls were always strong. However, the news seemingly couldn't have broken at a worse time. And so it capped the seemingly endless black cloud which hovered over the program post [Game Redacted]. LSU's class remains QB-less for the moment. It's a tough pill to swallow, but I do believe it's best that Gunner made this decision now rather coming to LSU and leaving after a single semester or year. In the end, Gunner was always a long shot for LSU and having his commitment was an exciting moment.
Regardless, recruiting season chugs forward and Miles has been actively hitting the road trying to secure more signatures for the purple and gold. Who is left on the board and what are our chances? More after the jump.
The Sky is Falling Upward
by Paul Crewe on Jan 12, 2012 8:34 PM EST
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Since Thursday, January 5th it's been a seemingly endless wave of bad news for LSU. First, coveted safety, Landon Collins, commits to top rival Alabama. Days later, LSU gets drubbed by that same rival. More than merely losing the game, the outcome was embarrassing to many LSU fans. LSU was the first team to ever be shut out in a BCS bowl. They cracked the 50-yard line only once. They failed to accumulate even 100 yards of offense and 4+ years of poor QB play reared it's final painful blow. Two days later, wide receivers coach Billy Gonzalez announced his intentions to leave to take a promotion as offensive coordinator (may not be bad news depending on who you ask). Rumors floated that Kadron Boone is transferring out. Rumors swirled regarding infighting, players being angry at coaches, players being angry at fans, and players being angry at players. This was only aided by a few ill-thought tweets from Russell Shepard and swirling rumors of his pending departure.
Then today, star defensive players Mo Claiborne and Michael Brockers declare for the NFL draft, as well as LSU's most proven and experienced WR, Rueben Randle. The departures weren't altogether unexpected, though most held on to a sliver of hope that Randle and Brockers may decide to return for one last hurrah. Finally, 4-star OT prospect Patrick Miller somewhat unexpectedly swapped him commitment to Auburn and enrolled for classes there today. Though this was likely in the works for weeks, it just seemed to be one more tidbit of bad news for LSU fans.
All of this leads to a lot of questions for Les Miles. Prior to the MNC, Bruce Feldman tweeted that if Miles took down Saban, people needed to legitimately ask if he was the best coach in the country. Today, hordes of LSU fans want him fired, or, at the very least, to give answers: Why didn't Jarrett Lee get a chance? Why was the team so flat? Why did they seem so unprepared? How did the wills of an entire team break, so easily, after a year of being resilient and swaggerific? To paraphrase Vince Lombardi, just what in the hell is going on in Baton Rouge? Miles has questions to answer. But don't expect the answers to come via press conference. After the jump, let's talk about why there is plenty of reason to be optimistic and how every LSU fan should take a few deep breaths and step away from the ledge.
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Unfolding the Landon Collins Drama
by Paul Crewe on Jan 6, 2012 1:09 PM EST
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Landon Collins picked Alabama on National TV last night. The horror, the horror!
Is this the end of LSU's run of dominance? Will Nick Saban now pick and choose what Louisiana recruits he wants? Are the walls around the borders eroding? Has Les Miles lost his grip?
After the jump, we discuss just exactly happened with the Collins decision last night.
Under Armour All-American Game Thread
by Paul Crewe on Jan 5, 2012 7:14 PM EST
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LSU Commitments Avery Johnson, Ronnie Feist, Reid Ferguson and Vadal Alexander are playing in the game.
LSU prospect Landon Collins is set to make his announcement in the 4th quarter. I'm expecting good news, but stranger things have happened.
And... go!
How Good is Gunner Kiel?
by Paul Crewe on Dec 28, 2011 11:38 AM EST
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Is Gunner the next Peyton? Probably not, but who is?
Evaluating talent is difficult. Evaluating HS talent... remarkably so. There's a seemingly endless list of variables involved, most of which can also be said about attempting to evaluate college athletes as they transition to the NFL... except you are talking about 16, 17 and 18 year old kids who are born with smart phones and often believe they are entitled to any greatness they want. Really, they are just giant pains-in-the-ass.
Kidding aside, evaluating how a player will translate from one level to the next is often times 2 parts luck, 1 part skill. Sure, we can all applaud the genius of Les Miles when lightly recruited Mo Claiborne turns into a Thorpe-award winning, future top 5 NFL draft pick. But what about the (literally) dozens of lightly recruited players Miles recruited before this that never amounted to anything? Regardless this holds true no matter how regarded the players are. So how do we evaluate whether or not Gunner Kiel will be the "Peyton Manning" of LSU? Well, I'll my best after the jump...
Recruiting Update: Recapping the Defensive Commits Thus Far
by Paul Crewe on Dec 23, 2011 3:38 PM EST
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On Wednesday, I broke down the offensive commits as it currently stands. Today, let's flip to the other side of the ball and see what John Chavis, Ron Cooper and company are working on.
Since the hiring of Chavis, the recruiting philosophy on the defensive side of the ball has taken a shift. Under Pelini, in the first few years of the Miles' regime, LSU mostly recruited bigger, stronger type of defensive players. Speed was nice, but not necessarily an emphasis. We were playing DEs that were 260-290 pounds, and DTs that were 300+. The hire of Chavis signaled a transition to speed, speed, speed. Now we regularly field a defense with two DEs around 230 pounds. Our DTs both check in around 290. Our linebackers are smaller... and faster. And the dividends have been obvious. Let's see what weapons we've added to the arsenal.
Recruiting Update: Recapping the Offensive Commits Thus Far
by Paul Crewe on Dec 21, 2011 10:34 AM EST
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Dead period started today, so I figured, what better time for a recruiting update? I've slacked on my duties, so I'm hoping to bring everyone up to speed on the [mostly complete] recruiting class to date. A few major targets still remain on the board, but I plan to devote an entirely separate post to these guys. For now, let's turn our eyes to the recruiting class to date.
LSU currently sits at 21 commitments. I don't really have the time/interest/energy at the moment to calculate how much attrition will be required for LSU to ink a full class, but rest assured, there will be some. Playing in another National Championship certainly helps our recruiting prowess, but titles typically pay their dividends the next year in the recruiting world. That being said, the endless media coverage for LSU certainly only favors us for this year, next year and likely the next decade as young kids grow up seeing us constantly and we become a "dream school." Back to the subject at hand: 21 commitments. Let's learn more about them after the jump...
Game of the Century Part II: The One, in which, We Smoke the Hogs
by Paul Crewe on Nov 23, 2011 4:57 PM EST
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If LSU vs. Alabama was the Game of the Century, exactly what do you call this one?
Hindsight is always 20/20, but looking back, the Game of the Century doesn't seem as large or important now, since the two teams ended up exactly where they started. Suddenly, November 25th is the date to circle, Arkansas the team to star. So what made the LSU/Bama game the game of the century but this one... not?
Well, Alabama pummeled Arkansas. That takes some luster off the game, no matter how you slice it. Yet, anyone who expects because Alabama destroyed Arkansas, and LSU beat Alabama, that, LSU will crush Arkansas is misguided. Get that nonsense out of here. There's plenty of actual, logical reasons to believe the Tigers will smoke the Hogs, that you can find after the jump.
Scout Player Spotlight on Michael Ford
by Paul Crewe on Nov 11, 2011 5:28 PM EST
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Consistency.
To me, this is the only thing separating Michael Ford from being not just the best back on this team, but perhaps one of the best backs in the conference and the country. His high school mythology runs about as deep as any you've heard. From the weight lifting feats to the freakish pictures of him as a sophomore, to tales of him throwing up 250 yards on a sprained ankle. All of it makes you wonder what's to be believed?
To be clear there is absolutely no questioning Michael Ford's physical talents. He routinely tests out impressively in the weight room (I believe Tommy Moffitt, somewhere, mentioned that Ford is the strongest player, pound-for-pound, on the team). He looks like he's chiseled from granite. Forget Keiland Williams' calves, Michael Ford's biceps look like they've popped many a dweebs' neck in their hey day. And he's not just a muscle-bound plodder. I'd be willing to wager that Ford runs one of the faster 40s on the team, and I'd even wager his first ten yards may be the fastest of anyone.
At times, Michael Ford is the Hermes of running backs, complete with winged shoes, escorting the souls of dead defenses into the realm of Hades. And at other times, he's a Cyclops, a one-eyed giant without the proper depth perception to find the hole. Okay, that analogy didn't work as well as I would have liked.
Truthfully, he can really be a maddening player to watch. When he explodes, it's a thing of beauty. But at other times, he dances around behind the line of scrimmage and goes down without a fight. It's like a taste of potential... only to have it ripped away.
In college, a running back with great speed can often just kick it into second gear, break it to the outside and still make positive yards, and often time, big plays (see Bush, Reggie). Yet time and again we've seen these types of backs go to the next level and fail, while a slower guy (say Jerome Bettis) is able to piece together a near Hall of Fame worthy career. How is that? Well, it's partially due to speed being an overrated attribute for running backs. Sure, Chris Johnson's speed makes him truly elite, but if you truly watch Chris Johnson run, there's a lot more than speed to his game. Johnson knows how to get north/south and he's also a very tough runner, even for his size. He has the vision to see a crease and the speed/explosiveness to exploit it. Those abilities are what have propelled him to being one of the elite backs in the NFL.
Back to the point at hand: speed is useful, but not altogether necessary to be a very good running back. In fact, I'd value vision, decisiveness, toughness and durability higher. Thus far from Ford I've seen the speed, and" at times, I've seen the toughness (something I never saw from Keiland Williams), but the vision and decisiveness have been lacking. Dancing is a running backs worst enemy (typically). Hopping back and forth laterally generally results in no gains, at best, and loss of yards and fumbles at worst. Ford has been a victim of this mentality, at times.
However, against Alabama, I believe we got a picture of what a fully realized Michael Ford could be. Quite frankly, Ford looked to be going for leisurely jogs while everyone else was stuck trudging through mud. He was light on his feet and just downright explosive. But we've seen the speed before. To me, what Ford really showed out on Saturday was a decisiveness that has previously been missing. I took the time to re-watch the tape, remembering Ford had played well. The tape only heightened my opinion. These were the following comments I scribbled:
"JJ in... option time... Ford burst is sensational."
"Ford is running hot... ride that pony! Gets 5 falling forward."
"Ford running so hot... EXPLODING into hole."
"Flip 90 to Ford... good for 7... we can get wide."
Running "hot" is a phrase I like to use for running backs. It's hard to describe. Much like a hitting streak, when you can just tell a guy is in the zone... he's going to hit every pitch, no matter how good... and put it in play. Or when a shooter gets rolling and it seems like everything they throw up goes in. Running backs get this too. There's a difference in their vision and their explosion. They run with confidence and it seems every play breaks open for them. It's not bad defense... it's that player stepping into another realm of unstoppable.
That's how Michael Ford ran on Saturday. I encourage you to go back and watch his runs. He rarely, if ever, missed a hole. Every single time he touched it, he was ripping it and plowing forward... with decisiveness. No dancing. No timid shuffle. No lack of feeling for the hole. Ford was feeling it on Saturday and it was a sight to see. His cut on the option play in OT that set up the game-winning FG was truly magical. He stopped on a dime, cut back inside and exploded to full speed to beat 3 tacklers, who all had angles, down the sideline for a near score. That's special. I also must give pause to give credit to Spencer Ware, who ran his heart out Saturday (as he always does), and did battle in the trenches, which no doubt helped Ford to stretch the outside.
Now, Ford has shown these flashes before. Against Oregon, he looked down right unstoppable. Then he regresses. But seeing him run like this, against one of, if not THE, best defense in the country (particularly against running backs) is truly remarkable). Against Alabama, Ford averaged 6.5 a carry, running it 11 times for 72 yards. You have to go back to the Tennessee game last year to find a running back who touched the ball 10+ times and averaged over 6 YPC. Running backs just don't rip up a Nick Saban defense.
The sky is the limit for Michael Ford. If he learns to run with the toughness and attitude of Spencer Ware, then the rest of America should look out. But, for this year, he can be asset to the LSU offense in the way of big plays that Ware cannot provide. Ware will grind you to death and lull you to sleep, but you better be ready when that burst from Ford comes... because it might be six before you know it.
Head on over to Tiger Sports Digest and discuss Michael Ford and all the other great Tigers.
Scout Player Spotlight: Jarrett "The General" Lee
by Paul Crewe on Nov 4, 2011 11:20 AM EDT
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on And The Valley Shook
It's been a dream season for Jarrett Lee. A season he likely envisioned when he signed his LOI way back in 2007. The path wasn't smooth. In fact, I doubt Lee ever thought this would all play out like it has. From being tossed into the mix far too early in his career to never regaining the starting role until a tumultuous bar brawl that was sure to ruin LSU's season and National Title hopes. There is nothing new about the story I'm trying to tell. But to me, that doesn't mean it's not a story worth telling.
Eight days before the season-opening battle against an Oregon team fresh off a national championship appearance, Jarrett Lee gets the news: You are now the man. For how long, who knows? But that doesn't matter. What matters is that right here, right now, you are the man. Lee embraced the opportunity. He spent the offseason working himself into the best shape of his life, trimming off baby fat, tirelessly working with Kragthrope and Studrawa to improve himself as a player. He put himself into the absolute best situation to achieve... this before even knowing he would be the starting QB. It's a testament to his character.
Everyone and their mother (well, except Les Miles) thought Jarrett Lee should transfer. Jimbo Fisher told him to leave. Gary Crowton, in a final act of attempting to murder the LSU offense, thought it a good idea. His family likely even thought Jarrett should roll the dice and try to land somewhere where he'd no doubt be the starting QB. But he persisted and he stayed at LSU. Why? Well, we can only speculate. Jarrett Lee is the only person who really knows the answer to that question.
None of this unfolded as Jarrett Lee would have expected. Yet, I'm not sure he would trade the experience for anything. It would be easy to write an endless number of cliches about adversity here. It's not that they are untrue; it's just that they have already been written a thousand times by a hundred other writers. I can't say with any certainty that Jarrett Lee would be who is he today, doing the the things he is doing, without the painful 2008 season. I can't say with any certainty that he wouldn't be either.
It seems that Lee put in a call to Walt Disney (yeah, I don't care if he's deceased), asked him if he had any un-produced comeback sports stories lying around and Walt, generous as ever, dug something up for him. I mean, really?
When Lee signed in 2007, many expected him to be the QB of the future. We were in a position of tremendous depth, with Jamarcus Russell having a tremendous 2007 season, Matt Flynn waiting in the wings and uber-talented Ryan Perrilloux itching to get his chance right behind them. It was the perfect situation for Lee: come in, sit for a couple of years and by your RS So. or Jr. year, you are a mature, smart athlete ready to take the reigns. Except, it didn't happen that way.
In 2008, Lee became arguably one of the most hated players in Tiger history. Fans booed him. Teammates quit on him. Everyone was calling for the other guy (not so much Andrew Hatch, but more so Jordan Jefferson). Six pick sixes, a handful of blowouts and the "season that shall not be mentioned" later, and Lee landed himself squarely in back-up duty, seemingly to never return. He played sparingly in 2009. In 2010 his role increased, as he was brought in to jump start our pedestrian passing offense. But still, he was the back-up and his role faded as Jefferson's play greatly improved down the stretch.
Enter 2011, and once again, Lee loses the QB battle (if there even was one), and it appears that once again he'll be holding a clip board for most of the season. He looked like the fire extinguisher of QBs... break only in case of emergency. Rave reviews poured in for Jefferson, and not just from LSU beat writers... national pundits and analysts gushed about his improved throwing ability and the obvious strides which were made under Kragthrope and Studrawa. Whatever doubts were raised in 2010, seemed completely erased... until August 26th.
America loves their comeback stories. And by god, they've got one in Jarrett Lee. Yet, I cannot stress this enough: this is no act of fortune. Sure, the ball (maybe finally) bounced Jarrett's way after Jefferson's incident. But, the successes of Jarrett Lee should be attributed to Jarrett Lee.
He could have quit. He could have transferred. He could have simply mailed it in and been content to ride out his scholarship as a body, going through the motions. But he didn't. Lee embraced the frustration, and the anxiety. Lee embraced the struggle. He embraced the criticism. He embraced his teammates. He embraced the coaching.
I give credit to Kragthorpe and Studrawa and Miles for believing him. I give them credit for putting him in position to succeed. But Jarrett Lee is succeeding because of Jarrett Lee. But he'd the last person to tell you that. "Credit to the offensive line..." "Credit to Rueben Randle..." "Credit to Spencer Ware..." he's said it time and time again.
I'm not saying Jarrett Lee is the sole reason for LSU's success. No, I believe LSU would be successful notwithstanding Lee's performance. Yet, would they be this good? Sure, he may not throw for 500 yards like Landry Jones. Sure, the entire offense may not revolve around his productivity and decision making like Andrew Luck. Sure, he may not be a one-man wrecking crew like Cameron Newton last year. But, his quiet efficiency, his stability, his dependability... his doing exactly what he is asked is more than enough.
And again, I can't stress it enough: Jarrett Lee deserves all the credit in the world for that. Because if he didn't take it seriously, if he didn't put in the time, if he didn't endure the struggles, none of this would have happened. Lee didn't just hope for the opportunity to play again. He anticipated it.
Earlier I mentioned I could only speculate why Jarrett Lee stuck it out. True enough. But, I have to believe it's for game's like this. It's for Saturday. It's for playing Alabama for a chance to win the SEC and play for a National Championship. But, you say, he could have transferred to another school and had that opportunity? Not like this, though. Not with some of the best friends he'll ever have. Not at a school that's gone from loving to hating to loving him over a 5-year period.
The Jarrett Lee mythology grows seemingly by the week. With each victory a new chapter is etched into the stones. He continues to climb through the LSU record books. He continues to grow adoration in thousands and thousands of Tiger fans across the world. In many ways, he's becoming one of the most beloved and revered athletes in LSU history* and exactly none of this has played out like anyone ever expected.
*depending on how the rest of the season unfolds, of course.
So Saturday, when you take the field, Jarrett, take a moment to not credit everyone else for this. "Credit Jarrett Lee..." because you've earned this. You've earned this opportunity. You've earned this praise. You've earned the right to compete with this team. But I know you won't... because that's not you. You understand you are a part of a bigger whole. And frankly, that's exactly why you are where you are today.
Head on over to Tiger Sports Digest to talk Jarrett Lee and all our other beloved Tigers!
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Really Smart or Really Dumb, The Big-Picture Genius of Les Miles
by Paul Crewe on Nov 1, 2011 3:00 PM EDT
in Football
on And The Valley Shook
For six years, it's become common practice to mock Les Miles. First, it was rival fanbases. Then, our own. Then, the national media. Now, it's even some combination of the three. When an end of game scenario vs. Ole Miss is bungled, completely with potential clock-killing motion, fuel is only thrown onto the flames. When personnel messes nearly bungle a home game vs. an outmatched Tennessee team, only to be out personnel-messed into a "lucky" victory, the fire grows. When he jogs from the tunnel, out to the wrong sideline, the center is blue-hot, and the flames roar higher and higher. With every press conference and post-game interview, there seems to be more and more reason to mock. As LSU fans, we're accustomed to it. Put Miles into a public speaking situation and you get speech gumbo: take everything left in the fridge, throw it in a pot, and somehow, it comes out delicious, even if you don't quite understand why.
In some ways, the script has been flipped and members of the national media have taken to adoring him (see Van Pelt, Scott). But still, it walks that line. You just know we're one boneheaded play call away from "Miles is an idiot" being a primary talking point for the media nationwide. So frankly, I think it's time someone addressed the issue. Are we truly witnessing the luckiest man to ever don grass-stained Nikes and an over-sized hat? Or is there, perhaps, some type of twisted genius tucked under that now famous lid?
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Could Tahj Jones see an increase in playing time?
by Paul Crewe on Oct 21, 2011 4:16 PM EDT
in Football
on And The Valley Shook
Entering the season, if there was any one position of uncertainty for the 2011 squad, it was linebacker. Sure, there was Ryan Baker, but after that it was a wash of inexperience. Karnell Hatcher made the transition from safety (probably two years too late) and youngsters Jones, Kevin Minter, Lamin Barrow, Luke Muncie, et. al. were expected to hold up the rest of the rotation, along with uninspiring returning veteran, Stefoin Francois. Needless to say, not a lot to get excited about.
Every player has their fair share of flaws. Minter is more or less a downhill attacking LB without great speed sideline-to-sideline and limited coverage ability (which we've seen repeatedly this year). Hatcher is smallish and can't take on blockers. His coverage is merely okay, so he doesn't really compensate for it either. Barrow is reckless and often out of position, though he may be the most physically gifted of any of them. Muncie, well, we haven't seen much of. Francois never really stands out on tape, which I guess is both a good and bad thing.
And then we have Tahj Jones. Jones came to LSU thinner than a wet noodle. Turn on the tape and you can see what caught Chavis' eye: the kid can really run. But, he was/is tiny. Now midway into his third season, after seeing spare playing time last year, it appears Jones may be pushing for more and more time in this defense.
As I mentioned above, none of the other linebackers (sans Baker) have exactly inspired confidence. Minter had a very nice game against Florida, but responded with just one tackle vs. Tennessee. That's not encouraging, as downhill, N/S, I-Form offenses should be where his game excels. Nevertheless Minter is a MLB, so Tahj Jones' playing time should have little to nothing to do with where and how Minter factors in going forward.
At the SAM, Francois has been our "guy." You probably haven't noticed him, much. Why? Well, the primary reason is that he isn't on the field a whole lot. Baker plays just about every snap, regardless of defensive alignment. Hatcher/Minter are splitting the other duties, and Francois takes a seat on the bench when we go into Mustang packages (which we do, a lot). The secondary reason is that, well, he hasn't done a whole lot. In fact, he has only 5 tackles all year. Tahj Jones has 13.
Further, Miles went out of his way to mention Jones in his presser this week, saying he likes the way he's played. Is that a sign that Jones has taken over the SAM position permanently? I wouldn't be so sure. Miles is usually pretty coy in the way he talks about players. You usually must take what he says with a grain of salt.
So the question then becomes, is Jones and upgrade over Francois (even if he will only be on the field for limited snaps)? What does he bring to the table as a player?
Well, as previously mentioned, Jones possesses great natural speed. It would seem to hold true for Francois, but that hasn't ever seemed to transfer onto the field for the former U.S. Army All-American. Jones likely showed up at LSU weighing between 180-185 pounds. The roster lists him at 205, but he still looks rather thin, and certainly not 6'2, 205. For comparison's sake, Jarrett Lee is listed at 6'2, 206, and he looks noticeably thicker to me.
To me, that makes him a natural fit for playing against a team like Auburn, who will likely try and spread us out. But should we but putting another smallish player on the field for when we matchup with a team like Alabama? Well, that depends. Size isn't everything, to be clear. And it's not as if Francois gives us some huge size advantage over Jones. Like linemen, a LB's game is mostly leverage based. Big hits and sideline-to-sideline speed get a lot of the publicity, but most of the best linebackers have the ability to fight through blocks to make plays. Can Tahj use his speed and leverage to undercut big physical linemen and make plays in the running game? Let's hope so. It doesn't take all size and strength to beat a blocker. Tyrann Mathieu frequently beats blocks, using his quickness and craftiness to move around defenders and make plays.
Speaking of Mathieu, this is one reason we won't be seeing a ton of Jones going forward. LSU typically plays it's best defense out of those Mustang packages. Sure, the sacks and turnovers created from pressures get the most credit, but it's proven to be an effective run stopper as well. Why? Well, partially because we have our best 11 on the field, typically. Part of what makes Mathieu a truly elite player is that he is not afraid to stick his nose in there and make tackles on running backs. In this way, he is essentially a de factor LB, with tremendous coverage skills.
People keep trying to talk about making our fronts "bigger" so we can take on a smashmouth team like Alabama, but I'm not certain that's the best idea. I'll take my chances with our best 11 before I simply try to work a "bigger player" onto the field.
Back to Jones. Yes, I do believe he may have snatched the SAM job from Francois' grasp. How productive will he be? Who knows. But considering our LBs have lacked production most of the season, it certainly can't hurt to try out some fresh blood. It's not as if Francois has only had six games under his belt to get comfortable. This guy has started for a season and a half now and has yet to make any noticeable impact upon the defense. One final note, Francois went down early in the WVU game last season and (a smaller, lighter) Jones filled his spot for the rest of the game. Jones played quite well that night, in some of his first action. Let's hope that's a sign of great things to come.
Head on over to Tiger Sports Digest to talk Tahj Jones and other LSU football matters!
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