How We Can Beat LSU

[Zeek 16,649]

This break down is almost exclusively made looking at the box score for each of LSU's games. While stats can be misleading, looking at a team's performance over four games can tell a story or two. Here are the stories that can be told from looking at LSU's performances so far this season:

• LSU's pass rush is good-not-great. They're leading the country in sacks (20) but it's notable that 15 of those (75%) came against McNeese and Central Michigan. They registered one against Mississippi State (air raid makes sacks difficult) and four against UCLA (before their star DE went down with an injury).
• They're bad at 3rd down conversions. 6/15 against UCLA, 4/16 against McNeese, 6/11 against CMU, and 5/13 against Miss State. The objective should be to force them into 3rd downs and execute once we're there. Don't let them get plays past the sticks.
• They shouldn't be able to run the ball. LSU averaged 2 yards per carry against UCLA, 3.4 against McNeese, 3.5 against CMU, and 2.3 against Miss State. If they have a field day on the ground against Auburn bucking this trend I just might get sent to a mental ward.
• They are going to throw the ball well and score touchdowns doing so. The Tigers have yet to throw for less than 3 touchdowns yet. We just have to make them drive and look for opportunities to pressure the quarterback (more on that later).
•  LSU has thrown 1 interception every game except for McNeese. Auburn needs to force at least one in this game.
• If it's not already obvious, they pass the ball to succeed and that includes picking up first downs. LSU has thrown the ball for 52 first downs and rushed for 22.
• They don't care about TOP or at least they don't seem to need it to win. LSU has lost the TOP battle in all of the games they've won. The only game they lost this year they actuall won the TOp battle by 28 seconds. Again, we can't give up huge chunk plays. We have to make them drive on us and accept they're going to complete a high volume of passes. The more we force Max to throw, the more likely a pass rush gets home or we force a turnover.
• Run the ball to march but pass to score. The gameplan should be to establish the run. The Tigeuxs gave up 115 yards rushing to an air raid team after all. However, if we want to score touchdowns then they need to come through the air. LSU hasn't allowed a single rushing touchdown against their last three opponents after giving up 2 to UCLA. Meanwhile, opponents have thrown for 9 passing touchdowns on the Tigers over the last 4 games (5 over the last 2).
• Their passing defense isn't stellar either... the Tigeuxs have given up 260 yards passing to UCLA (on just 9 completion), 91 to McNeese (though 9.1 per completion), 228 to Central Michigan, and 371 to Miss State. A consistent passer should be able to keep them from completely loading the box.

What the offense has to do to win:

• Stay ahead of the sticks. If we're in 3rd and one-to-four-yards I really think we can convert on the ground more often than not.
• Establish a decent pass threat. Connecting on literally even one deep ball early would force LSU out of the box. They're going to sell the house in attempting to stop the run. Fortunately, their pass defense has been suspect... can the wide receivers get separation and will the quarterback make the easy throws against pressure?
• Need our Penn State OL not the Georgia State one. If the OL can do what they did against Penn State we will be in great shape. However, getting overwhelmed by a loaded box and missing assignments will kill us against LSU. If TJ is the QB we can't afford constant pressure with his lesser mobility. If Bo is the QB we can't afford to have him hurried on already inconsistent throws.
• Tank needs to be patient. He's dying to get to the LOS and look for a big busted play. We don't need that. Just get us 4 yards consistently and we can own this game. Their own fans don't believe in their LBs so all it takes is getting to that second level once and a big run opportunity is there.

What the defense needs to do to win:

• Bend don't break. I know, I sort of recoil at that concept but it's the truth in this game. We're not switching to press-man coverage anytime soon and LSU has a QB and some receivers that are going to pick our zones apart. We need to keep the ball in front of us and make sound open field tackles consistently. We can't afford for uncovered players this week.
• Generate a pass rush. Don't care if we have to throw a walk-on in at DE but someone has to get to the quarterback. We need at least two sacks based on the UCLA and Mississippi State games. The secondary can't cover Boutte for 4+ seconds. I know it's a difficult balancing act blitzing without giving up an empty zone but we have to keep Max from being comfortable. If we can generate half a dozen quarterback hurries I think we see some turnovers.
• Don't let up. Pay attention and be prepared. Coach O and the staff know they're on the verge of fighting for their jobs after an embarrassing UCLA loss and a poor performance against Mississippi State. The offense isn't going to produce consistently in Death Valley (likely ever). We have to pay attention to fakes and other trickery because coach O will do anything to avoid losing this one.
• Get off the field on 3rd down. Field position will be vital in this game. Don't be surprised if 3rd and short we see them play action or drop back for a pass.

What the special teams need to do:

• No turnovers
• Good punts and fair catches. LSU's punting is not great. The opportunity to methodically gain the field position advantage is there. We need our improved punting to continue and we need someone to catch the punts at the very least. While their punter doesn't have a cannon for a leg, he does a good job of downing the ball within the 20 if LSU chooses to punt around midfield. We need to make sure the ball is on the 10-20 and not let it roll to the 5 or 1.
• Pay attention to fakes as stated above. This is a must win for LSU and coach O. 

[Barnacle 9,064]

Agree about Tank. Not a lot has been talked about his play vs GA State. Although I don't believe he's operating anywhere near 100%, he needs to show more patience running behind zone blocking. Tries to cut back too early and too often, or bounce plays outside, rather than taking the 4-5 yard gain, as you mentioned @Zeek. 

[Zeek 16,649]

4 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

Agree about Tank. Not a lot has been talked about his play vs GA State. Although I don't believe he's operating anywhere near 100%, he needs to show more patience running behind zone blocking. Tries to cut back too early and too often, or bounce plays outside, rather than taking the 4-5 yard gain, as you mentioned @Zeek. 

I wonder, and this is absolute speculation, if he feels a little pressured to out-perform Hunter? He's a competitive alpha so I wouldn't be surprised if he feels the young buck chomping on his heels and thinks "man I just gotta rip a long one".

[Barnacle 9,064]

3 minutes ago, Zeek said:

I wonder, and this is absolute speculation, if he feels a little pressured to out-perform Hunter? He's a competitive alpha so I wouldn't be surprised if he feels the young buck chomping on his heels and thinks "man I just gotta rip a long one".

I don't know about that. Maybe, but I think he's just such a competitor that he wants to hit it as big as he can every play, rather than understanding sometimes you have to take what the defense and blocking is giving you. Hard to nit pick such a great back though. 

[aubiefifty 16,755]

24 minutes ago, Zeek said:

This break down is almost exclusively made looking at the box score for each of LSU's games. While stats can be misleading, looking at a team's performance over four games can tell a story or two. Here are the stories that can be told from looking at LSU's performances so far this season:

• LSU's pass rush is good-not-great. They're leading the country in sacks (20) but it's notable that 15 of those (75%) came against McNeese and Central Michigan. They registered one against Mississippi State (air raid makes sacks difficult) and four against UCLA (before their star DE went down with an injury).
• They're bad at 3rd down conversions. 6/15 against UCLA, 4/16 against McNeese, 6/11 against CMU, and 5/13 against Miss State. The objective should be to force them into 3rd downs and execute once we're there. Don't let them get plays past the sticks.
• They shouldn't be able to run the ball. LSU averaged 2 yards per carry against UCLA, 3.4 against McNeese, 3.5 against CMU, and 2.3 against Miss State. If they have a field day on the ground against Auburn bucking this trend I just might get sent to a mental ward.
• They are going to throw the ball well and score touchdowns doing so. The Tigers have yet to throw for less than 3 touchdowns yet. We just have to make them drive and look for opportunities to pressure the quarterback (more on that later).
•  LSU has thrown 1 interception every game except for McNeese. Auburn needs to force at least one in this game.
• If it's not already obvious, they pass the ball to succeed and that includes picking up first downs. LSU has thrown the ball for 52 first downs and rushed for 22.
• They don't care about TOP or at least they don't seem to need it to win. LSU has lost the TOP battle in all of the games they've won. The only game they lost this year they actuall won the TOp battle by 28 seconds. Again, we can't give up huge chunk plays. We have to make them drive on us and accept they're going to complete a high volume of passes. The more we force Max to throw, the more likely a pass rush gets home or we force a turnover.
• Run the ball to march but pass to score. The gameplan should be to establish the run. The Tigeuxs gave up 115 yards rushing to an air raid team after all. However, if we want to score touchdowns then they need to come through the air. LSU hasn't allowed a single rushing touchdown against their last three opponents after giving up 2 to UCLA. Meanwhile, opponents have thrown for 9 passing touchdowns on the Tigers over the last 4 games (5 over the last 2).
• Their passing defense isn't stellar either... the Tigeuxs have given up 260 yards passing to UCLA (on just 9 completion), 91 to McNeese (though 9.1 per completion), 228 to Central Michigan, and 371 to Miss State. A consistent passer should be able to keep them from completely loading the box.

What the offense has to do to win:

• Stay ahead of the sticks. If we're in 3rd and one-to-four-yards I really think we can convert on the ground more often than not.
• Establish a decent pass threat. Connecting on literally even one deep ball early would force LSU out of the box. They're going to sell the house in attempting to stop the run. Fortunately, their pass defense has been suspect... can the wide receivers get separation and will the quarterback make the easy throws against pressure?
• Need our Penn State OL not the Georgia State one. If the OL can do what they did against Penn State we will be in great shape. However, getting overwhelmed by a loaded box and missing assignments will kill us against LSU. If TJ is the QB we can't afford constant pressure with his lesser mobility. If Bo is the QB we can't afford to have him hurried on already inconsistent throws.
• Tank needs to be patient. He's dying to get to the LOS and look for a big busted play. We don't need that. Just get us 4 yards consistently and we can own this game. Their own fans don't believe in their LBs so all it takes is getting to that second level once and a big run opportunity is there.

What the defense needs to do to win:

• Bend don't break. I know, I sort of recoil at that concept but it's the truth in this game. We're not switching to press-man coverage anytime soon and LSU has a QB and some receivers that are going to pick our zones apart. We need to keep the ball in front of us and make sound open field tackles consistently. We can't afford for uncovered players this week.
• Generate a pass rush. Don't care if we have to throw a walk-on in at DE but someone has to get to the quarterback. We need at least two sacks based on the UCLA and Mississippi State games. The secondary can't cover Boutte for 4+ seconds. I know it's a difficult balancing act blitzing without giving up an empty zone but we have to keep Max from being comfortable. If we can generate half a dozen quarterback hurries I think we see some turnovers.
• Don't let up. Pay attention and be prepared. Coach O and the staff know they're on the verge of fighting for their jobs after an embarrassing UCLA loss and a poor performance against Mississippi State. The offense isn't going to produce consistently in Death Valley (likely ever). We have to pay attention to fakes and other trickery because coach O will do anything to avoid losing this one.
• Get off the field on 3rd down. Field position will be vital in this game. Don't be surprised if 3rd and short we see them play action or drop back for a pass.

What the special teams need to do:

• No turnovers
• Good punts and fair catches. LSU's punting is not great. The opportunity to methodically gain the field position advantage is there. We need our improved punting to continue and we need someone to catch the punts at the very least. While their punter doesn't have a cannon for a leg, he does a good job of downing the ball within the 20 if LSU chooses to punt around midfield. We need to make sure the ball is on the 10-20 and not let it roll to the 5 or 1.
• Pay attention to fakes as stated above. This is a must win for LSU and coach O. 

i thought you were gonna say with a baseball bat  lol

[Zeek 16,649]

Just now, aubiefifty said:

i thought you were gonna say with a baseball bat  lol

If I could knee cap their QB for the team I'd make that sacrifice /sarcasm

[Quietmaninthecorner 1,945]

turn overs.   We need a couple INTs  or fumble recoveries,  and we need to protect the rock! 

NO MORE bread loaf carries or daylight between the ball and body.    

[aubiefifty 16,755]

3 minutes ago, Zeek said:

If I could knee cap their QB for the team I'd make that sacrifice /sarcasm

four games i have wanted bad this year are the white out, lsu night game, and beating bama and jawja. so far i am 0 and 1. at sixtysix i need these wins quicker than they are happening.

[The Freak 2,526]

5 minutes ago, Zeek said:

If I could knee cap their QB for the team I'd make that sacrifice /sarcasm

[aubiefifty 16,755]

lets feed the whole lsu team with extra schrooms on their pregame meal. we win and get to laugh our ass off as well..............

[ThereGoesDavis 179]

31 minutes ago, Zeek said:

 

• They shouldn't be able to run the ball. 

As a seasoned Auburn fan, I interpret this as "LSU will have a historic night running the ball against us".

[cole256 17,043]

Score more points than them!

Edited October 1, 2021 by cole256

[auskip07 930]

13 minutes ago, Zeek said:

If I could knee cap their QB for the team I'd make that sacrifice /sarcasm

anytime this happens the QB2 plays much better for the team.    I dont know if my perception is skewed but QB2 looks like world beaters against us .   

 

Im pretty sure we knocked out an LSU QB  only to have Matt Flynn light us up and lose the game.  

[Zeek 16,649]

9 minutes ago, ThereGoesDavis said:

As a seasoned Auburn fan, I interpret this as "LSU will have a historic night running the ball against us".

The entire time I was writing this I just shook my head thinking of them going for like 300 on the ground.

6 minutes ago, cole256 said:

Score more points than them!

Almost put a "in before someone says score more points than them"

3 minutes ago, auskip07 said:

anytime this happens the QB2 plays much better for the team.    I dont know if my perception is skewed but QB2 looks like world beaters against us .   

 

Im pretty sure we knocked out an LSU QB  only to have Matt Flynn light us up and lose the game.  

Isn't that the truth? I think we helped Arkansas find out that Ryan Mallett should have been their starter all along. 

[auskip07 930]

Just now, Zeek said:

The entire time I was writing this I just shook my head thinking of them going for like 300 on the ground.

Almost put a "in before someone says score more points than them"

Isn't that the truth? I think we helped Arkansas find out that Ryan Mallett should have been their starter all along. 

Add Kyle Trask   (didnt he have his 1st full start against us a few years ago? )

[cole256 17,043]

Lol. I'm trying to fit in better. Gotta get my corny dad joke game up!

[Zeek 16,649]

1 minute ago, auskip07 said:

Add Kyle Trask   (didnt he have his 1st full start against us a few years ago? )

My wife is a Florida fan. We went and watched that game in the Swamp. The whole car ride she was hemming and hawing how we were going to whoop them and they didn't even have Feleipe. I vividly remember telling her that we were about to make Trask look like a Heisman contender. 

[auskip07 930]

8 minutes ago, Zeek said:

My wife is a Florida fan. We went and watched that game in the Swamp. The whole car ride she was hemming and hawing how we were going to whoop them and they didn't even have Feleipe. I vividly remember telling her that we were about to make Trask look like a Heisman contender. 

when feleipe went down and was out for the season i was less confident we would win the game.   I knew we could beat a Franks led Florida team.    Trask was an unknown 

[api1957 1,783]

29 minutes ago, cole256 said:

Score more points than them!

[EagleEye67 1,939]

When I saw the thread title, I was sure it would involve salmonella outbreaks and snipers.

 

 

Darn.

[W.E.D 11,070]

How We Can Beat LSU....

....Don't start Bo Nix

[ValleyTiger 2,894]

LSU and Johnson like to throw it in those short and intermediate (10-20 yards) windows and they're getting a ton of YAC yardage so sound tackling will be key. Of course Boutte is their #1 but the TE/WR Bech is emerging as a reliable guy for them, too. Smith is their deep ball guy.

Johnson has faced a ton of pressures this year, but he's been pretty good under it. We'll need to get pressure obviously but we've got to eliminate the busted coverages and be good open field tacklers. They'll use some pace so we must get lined up and get our eyes in the right place, 👀 safeties.

They're good at passing on RPOs, but interestingly bad at rushing with them so our middle field coverage needs to be playing pass first then react run. They don't use pure play-action much been when they do it's been successful.

For us offensively, we MUST make it easier on our QB, whichever guy it is. Stop asking for the most difficult throws. Give them hots and outlets so they can have a chance against their pass rush. Get back to the timely max protection play-action shots. Let's use some RB screens to slow their rush and lean heavily on our RBs. 

We need to run out of more 10 and 11 personnel. Our efforts out of 12 personnel have been umm not good. 

Continue to mix it up in the run game.

Finally, protect the football considering it might rain, but it will for sure still be a soggy field bc of all the rain down there this week. Special teams continue to be a plus, please.

Edited October 1, 2021 by ValleyTiger

[tgrogan21 6,198]

Other than the most obvious things (Good QB play, run blocking, and DL play), I truly believe the coaches have got to find a way to get Shivers involved more. 2 carries is not gonna cut it. I get everyone loves Hunter because I do as well but Tank and Hunter are similar backs. Shivers is the perfect change of pace back that can line up in the slot as well. You need to get him involved to spread out LSUs defense even more.

[Zeek 16,649]

7 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

How We Can Beat LSU....

....Don't start Bo Nix

Far from enough to win. Defense has to keep it from a shootout. Neither of our quarterbacks are throwing up 35+ in this game.

[ThereGoesDavis 179]

39 minutes ago, Zeek said:

The entire time I was writing this I just shook my head thinking of them going for like 300 on the ground.

Yeah, that little muscle hamster at Georgia State made us look like JV, so…