Bluegrass Misery

Week 7: October 13, 2007
(17) Kentucky defeats (1) LSU, 37-43
Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky

Game Recap:

So, LSU takes one on the chin. It happens. The recipe for upset was set up perfectly, as described in my last report. That doesn’t make the loss any easier to take, but it shouldn’t have come as any big surprise. There is only so much gas in the tank, and LSU was running on fumes after pushing themselves to the limit vs. Florida. The way that I see it, LSU’s loss was 3 part:

Part 1: The Flags
I thought LSU killed themselves with HUGE penalties in the game. I think all were legitimate, but I also think the ref’s were a little trigger happy against LSU. We were flagged 12 times for 103 yards. It is often said that a penalty can be called on every play, depending on the prerogative of the referees. Maybe so, but LSU certainly was NOT the beneficiary of any game changing penalties, while UK had about 3 or 4 go their way that had a serious impact on the outcome. That’ll happen more times than not when you’re playing a close game on the road. This is not “THE” reason why we lost.

Part 2: The Gameplan
The offensive and defensive game plans were not appropriate, and it showed. Where was the blitzing? Where were the confusing defensive packages that other qb’s have had trouble recognizing all season? Woodson simply walked up to the line, read the defense, audibled, and marched the ball all over LSU. LSU didn’t check out of any defensive schemes when it was clear that Woodson was reading us like a novel. Every time Woodson checked at the line, I knew that something bad was about to happen. Offensively, we abandoned what was working. I don’t know why we didn’t see more from Charles Scott in the second half. He averaged 13.4 yards per carry. In the second half, he saw the ball only twice for 3 yards. Where was Ryan Perriloux and the new looks that he provides? What was going on with the game management at the end of regulation? The coaching staff dropped the ball this game and Miles took credit for the loss after the game, as he should have.

Part 3: The Players
The players had a bad game, plain and simple. I don’t think any player would be happy with their personal performance. The game was full of mental errors, lack of intensity and focus, especially on offense. Kentucky was hungry and wanted it more than LSU. As the cheer goes, “You gotta want it, to win it!”

Still, with all of that, LSU had plenty of chances to win the game. There are about two dozen “If’s” that we can look back on as missed opportunities. Doing that, however, will only drive you crazy.

So what’s next???
Well, Auburn is next. You must have a short memory when you win, and when you lose. Put this loss behind you and realize that Auburn can, and will, beat you if you don’t flush this loss and move on. Don’t make the same mistake twice. This Kentucky loss has added some fuel to the tank and the upcoming bye week should top it off heading into the home stretch of this season.

Game Stats:

Rushing: LSU-261, UK-125
Passing: LSU-142, UK-250
Total: LSU-403, UK-375

Game Ball:
Charles Scott. Good game on offense and special teams. He is becoming the most consistent player on the team. Did you see him hit those holes in the first half? Impressive!

The worst part…

The worst part of any loss is listening to some of the fans. Every fan base has a doomsday crowd that emerges after a loss. So many people suffer from a lack of perspective and common sense it makes me sick. Some people always have to whine and complain about something. The “I told you so” crowd always comes out in force to make themselves heard. If there is one type of person in the world that I hate, it would be the person that, deep down inside, wants LSU to lose so that they can bitch and complain on Monday morning. These are the know-it-alls that take a contrarian view point on every topic to try to lend credibility to their “superior knowledge.” My goal is to always see both sides of an argument. If I criticize the players or coaches, I’ll be the first one to praise them when they succeed. After all, The Samson Report is the home of “objective” homerism. You must be fair. I don’t listen to people who are so one-sided. Your opinion is crap to me!

The type of fans that I respect are the ones that had a good attitude on Monday morning. The ones that realize that everything is still well within reach if you bounce back and continue to work hard. I like the people that know the grass is not always greener; the ones that respond to adversity with character. What type of fan are you? Are you Chicken Little? If so, Shutup! Stand up! BE A TIGER!

Week 7 Games of the Week:

Oregon St. def. (2) California, 31-28
(4) Boston College def. Notre Dame, 27-14
(6) Oklahoma def. (11) Missouri, 41-31
Penn St. def. (19) Wisconsin, 38-7
(22) Auburn def. Arkansas, 9-7
Wake Forrest def. (21) Florida St., 24-21

BCS Mess:
The BCS Poll was released for the 1st time this season. Despite a disappointing weekend, LSU is in great shape to make a run the title game. LSU comes in at #4 due to the quality of teams LSU has played thus far. We are the highest ranked team with one loss. LSU is #5 in most other polls. Here is the BCS Top 15:

1. Ohio St.
2. South Florida
3. Boston College
4. LSU
5. Oklahoma
6. South Carolina
7. Kentucky
8. Arizona St.
9. West Virginia
10. Oregon
11. Virginia Tech
12. California
13. Kansas
14. Southern Cal
15. Florida

2007: The year college football goes psycho!
Take a good look at the polls. What’s going on? This season has been crazy. The Top 10 teams have been shuffled more times than a deck of cards. The NC race is still wide open. This is how college football should be. It’s not as fun when 1 or 2 teams stay on top all season long like years past.

Closing Thoughts:
It’s never as good as it seems when you’re winning and it’s never as bad as it seems when you’re losing. Most people understand that you can’t win every game. College football has its ups and downs. This is what it’s all about. Embrace it. Geaux Tigers!!