LSU Preview

[Cie]

LSU should be a very good squad this season, but I wonder if they will find ways to win close battles with QB Randall at the helm. Defensively, they should be outstanding. There is speed galore @ LB and DB.

O line is actually better this year than last although losing a pair of starters, so the young stable of talented backs should roll. Vincent is a difference maker and a great example for the other young backs in the way that he approaches practice and conditioning.

QB Randall, who is being pushed by redshirt freshmen Russel and Flynn, is a 5th year senior with game experience. He has every tool that a QB should possess in the physical sense including speed, elusiveness and a very strong arm. The question is, can he eliminate mistakes??? 2 seasons ago, in the absence of Mauck, he made some of the worst on-field decisions that I have ever seen. It will be interesting to see if the game has slowed down for him since then.


They have as much speed and depth at WR as any team in the nation, but experience seems to be a weakness. Freshmen Carter, Doucet, Hawkins, junior skyler Green, and senior Brazell have wheels (Brazell will represent the USA in Athens as a Hurdler) and Bowe and Davis have size @ WR. RS frosh Amp Hill is a ? due to reconstructive knee surgery last year. My guess is the next 2-3 years LSU will have the best WR corps in the nation. TE depth is outstanding.

Defensively they should be very good again, but D line is a concern of mine. You do not replace the motor of a Chad Lavalais at DT. 6'7'' 300 lb DE Marquise Hill had just begun to learn the game when he left for the NFL a year early. There is much depth, but not as much experience as I would like.

LBs are better this season than last talent-wise due to a a couple of key additons and the loss of only one starter---converted safety eric alexander.

Departed SS Hunt was a leader on the field, but the secondary is LOADED with athleticism and both CBs are back.

As for special teams, I honestly do not know how we are going to replace punter D Jones who is currently in the NFL, but I can assure you that Skyler Green is a dynamic returner and our coverage teams should be good due to overall depth in athleticism and speed.

Hope this preview helps. I will update any depth chart changes, injuries, etc. as I hear it.

GL this season:weed:

 

[Scott4USC]

Nice write-up Cie Grant and thought I post this article in the LSU preview thread. How has LSU looked in practices so far? I here the defense has chance to be better than last years defense. :scared

Booger McFarland spoke of the LSU train

Tigers ready to claw back up mountain
Glenn Guilbeau / Louisiana Gannett News

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Six years ago at the Southeastern Conference Media Days LSU talked the talk.

After all, it was coming off three consecutive winning seasons after six losing ones and two Independence Bowls around a Peach Bowl!

Defensive lineman Booger McFarland spoke of the LSU train and that it was coming and would be coming again and again. McFarland and then-coach Gerry DiNardo thought they were basking in the light, but that light was actually an oncoming train. And LSU played like a rusting locomotive for the next two seasons, going 4-7 and 2-8 with a school-record 10 straight SEC losses.

LSU appeared at the SEC Media Days Thursday as the reigning national champions and barely bragged at all. LSU coach Nick Saban wore a dark, pin-striped suit that made him stand out, and the media guide was distributed with him holding up the national championship trophy. Center Ben Wilkerson and cornerback Corey Webster wore paperweight-size national championship rings, but they were not flaunting themselves.

There was no talk of trains or a dynasty either, even though the very next day the Tigers would receive their highest preseason ranking since No. 1 in 1959 after the 1958 national title. The ESPN coaches poll ranked LSU third behind USC and Oklahoma Friday.

"The national championship was good, but it's time to start next season," Wilkerson said. "In a few months, there will be another national championship and whether we're there or not depends on us."

 

[Scott4USC]

Classic case of getting fat and happy. Not good AT ALL for LSU. Is LSU not motivated to repeat? Saban is going to have a tough time getting them in shape in time.

Overweight Tigers rile coach Sabanat preseason camp

Glenn Guilbeau / Louisiana Gannett News
Posted on August 9, 2004
BATON ROUGE -Evidently, the low carb craze did not hit all members of the LSU football team.

The Tigers reported to preseason camp on Sunday 105 strong, but some showed up with more of themselves than svelte coach Nick Saban wanted to see.

"There's some guys that came in here fat and overweight and out of shape that you might think is a pretty good player that's not going to play," a testy Saban said, "because I'm not going to put my job on the line depending on them when they don't put enough value and pride in their performance to do what they need to do for the team.

"So put that in your depth chart wherever you want to put it."

A question related to LSU's depth chart sparked Saban's first tirade of the young, 2004 season, but the fire originated on the practice field earlier in the day when some of LSU's linemen did not perform well in 10, 40-yard dashes Saban put the defending national champions through.

"I was not particularly pleased with the way we ran," Saban said. "I think we have too many of our big guys who probably weigh too much, which is not good. Most of our skill guys looked pretty good, but I was not as pleased as I was hoping to be in the way we ran."

The oversized Tigers had Sunday night to cut down on the carbohydrates because there will be 16 110-yard dashes today, then practice for the varsity at 3 p.m., followed by the freshmen at 6:30 p.m.

Saban had most of his team on campus over the summer for strength and maintenance work, but many went home after the second summer school term ended on July 9.

"It's very interesting to see how important, how much of an investment in terms of the commitment, passion and all of that that people made this summer," he said. "The toughest time for a football player to me is the summer. It's the greatest indicator of how important it is and how much value he places on it and how much pride and performance he has. That is the time that there is a lot of other opportunities to do other things, a lot of temptations to do other things and probably the time that we have the least control over."

Saban said a lazy summer could come back to haunt some players this fall.

"It will certainly have something to do with how we try to form the chemistry of the squad relative to the people that we feel the summer is the most important to," he said. "Some of the younger guys I think have some lessons to be learned in that regard."

As for the depth chart, Saban said every job is open.

"Nobody has their job locked up," he said. "We have some good players around here who have certainly proven they can play, and we're going to assume they're going to still be able to play. But everybody has a responsibility and an obligation to do what they need to do to be able to perform, and their performance will get evaluated all the time."

There was only one surprise no-show to camp. That was signee Jeremy Jones, a tight end from West Jefferson High in the New Orleans area who did not report because he failed a recent physical.

"I have not communicated with him, so I don't really know what his future is," Saban said. "You know, he had an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament knee injury) at the end of last season, and we recruited him with the idea that he would be fine by now."

Junior wide receiver Bennie Brazell also did not make it to camp. A top sprinter on the LSU track team, Brazell will be competing in the Olympics and is not expected back until late August. Sophomore tailback Barrington Edwards, as previously reported, will be transferring to another school.

Signees Max Holmes, an offensive lineman from Parkview Baptist in Baton Rouge, and Harry Coleman, a linebacker from West St. Mary High in Baldwin, did not report as expected. They will join the team in January and were recruited with that in mind, Saban said. They are academically eligible, but Saban did not have scholarships available.

Saban said his entire class is academically eligible except for one player awaiting certification from the NCAA Clearinghouse, which reviews transcripts and test scores.

Junior defensive end Melvin Oliver, who has an arraignment hearing on Aug. 17 in Baton Rouge for a battery charge, did report.

"Melvin Oliver has done all the things that we have required of him to do to this point in terms of community service and police ride-arounds," Saban said. "Melvin Oliver has never had a problem since he's been here in four years. He's always been a good person, a good leader. Unless something happens unforeseen in the future, I'm hopeful that this thing will work out in a positive way for him."

Freshman walk-on safety Joe Lawrence, a 27-year-old freshman and former Major League Baseball player, reported and took part in the conditioning and strength tests after injuring his knee in the spring game in April.

"I don't know if he's 100 percent," Saban said, "but he ran today and did fairly well. He'll be practicing on a limited basis."

Saban said freshman Herman Johnson, a 6-foot-7, 380 pound lineman from Denton, Texas, and freshman lineman Tim Washington of Sugar Land, Texas, will miss practices this week because of bug-bite infections. Freshman Luke Sanders, a linebacker from West Monroe, is expected to miss some practice because of a minor knee injury.

 

[Cie]

Scott,

Nick Saban is extremely demanding of his players in terms of conditioning. The reality is that the team came back in great shape after the 3 week layoff in late July. 8 more players (nearly 10% increase) passed Saban's outrageous fall conditioning test this season than last.

Also, in his interview to the media after practice, Coach Saban said that Nate Livings accumulated the most points of all the players in the strength and conditioning drill. Saban said Livings was the first linemen he has ever seen win the overall accumulated points award. Coach Saban said that 25 players accumulated 75 points or more which was very good. Marcus Randall scored a 74, the best he has ever scored. 60 is the passing grade.

In other words, I would not put stock into the 'fat and happy' theory.



FYI, weights of linemen which I copied from a highly credible LSU website:

Ben Wilkerson reported back to Fall practice weighing 300 compared to 297 last year and Ryan Willis reported back to practice at 275 compared to 266 in 2003. Rudy Niswanger reported at 293, the same as last year. Andrew Whitworth reported to camp at 325, plus five from last season. Nate Livings reported to camp at 295 which is five pounds less than last season. Marcus Spears reported to camp at 298 compared to 289 a year ago and Saban got on Spears about his weight. Brandon Washington, who moved from the defensive line to the offensive line, reported to camp at 305, 10 pounds more than his playing weigh last season. Kyle Williams reported in at 299 compared to 288 a year ago. Carnel Stewart reported at 297 compared 285 a year ago. Terrill McGill reported to camp at 325, about the same as last Fall. Garrett Wibel reported back to camp at 295 compared to 303 last season. Doug Planchard reported in at 287 compared to 275 last season. Ryan Willis reported back to camp at 275 compared to 254 a year ago. Brian West reported at 261 compared to 244 last season. Claude Wroten, who signed with LSU out of junior college weighing 315, reported to Fall camp at 293.

Hope this helps:weed:

 

[Scott4USC]

Looks like the article exaggerated some stuff. Although they had Saban quotes.

What is your opinion on the LSU vs Oregon St. matchup? Ithink LSU wins hands down but I am not sure they cover the 17. I am thinking about making a good size wager on the Beavers. I know LSU has history starting out slow and they breaking in a new QB. LSU last year had few gimmies to get the season started but this year they will be facing an opponent that can beat them if they do not come to play. This makes me think 17 is too many pts and the line is more of a reflection on LSU winning the NC last year.

I think OSU has excellent DB's and overall a fast defense. LSU will not have much success throwing the ball but I think they will run the ball effectively. Saban prob. prefers to go conservatively in the 1st game and let his defense win the game. 17pts is a lot of pts especially for the 1st game. If OSU does not turn the ball over (QB has history of doing that) then I see a closer game than people expect. A game where LSU dominates but does not blow out the opponent.

 

[Cie]

Looks like the article exaggerated some stuff. Although they had Saban quotes.

In my opinion, Saban is the one exagerrating

Saban prob. prefers to go conservatively in the 1st game and let his defense win the game. 17pts is a lot of pts especially for the 1st game.

I couldn't agree more. I look for LSU to try to run a ton. They did it last season as well. Teams loaded the box and we would continue to run. Look for Jimbo Fisher to use play-action and bubble screens to get Randall in a groove.

The points are to many to lay. No play for me. Unless Beavs turn the ball over, they should stay inside the number. My local book already has this line up @ 20.5. My plan is to wait for it to move to 3 TDs before playing the Beavs large and then middle it off through CRIS @ 17.