9-10-09: Washington Recap. Vanderbilt Preview.

9-10-09: Washington Recap. Vandy Preview.


The Stats:

Score:

LSU - 31
Washington - 23

Rushing / Passing / Total Offense:

LSU – 149 / 172 / 321
Washington – 157 / 321 / 478


WARNING: What you are about to read is an honest, objective, analysis of the Washington game. I’m not going to pour on the pessimism, nor am I going to spew a million excuses. Those who are expecting, and hoping for, a Les lashing should probably stop reading now. However, if you’re a logical and sensible follower of college football…read on.

I don’t want to sound like a complete homer, but I feel that I cannot follow the lead of the local media and the sentiments of the LSU fan base. After re-watching the game twice, all I want to say is “CALM DOWN PEOPLE!!” What you witnessed on Saturday night was in no way alarming. Washington had a huge emotional advantage in this game and it showed. They made LSU look a little flat, but the Tigers still found a way to win. That’s what good teams do.

The defense looked bad. No question about it. LSU gave up 478 yards on defense and 25 first downs. Washington was 11/19 on 3rd down and 1/1 on 4th. LSU didn’t even force a single 3-and-out series. But I’m not going to define the defense by the manner in which they play this game. Remember, Bo Pelini had a similar rough start when he arrived. Re-watch the game and you’ll see the scheme wasn’t bad. A few well-timed screen plays and some horrible tackling really hurt LSU. LSU got great pressure in the backfield all night.

One thing to be concerned about is the defensive ends. LSU lost containment several times. Many times, the defensive ends would intentionally take a skinny route to the backfield, leaving the end wide open for the linebacker to step up and take the lead blocker. This puts more pressure on the cornerback to shed blocks and make plays. As we saw, Hawkins struggled with this on the defensive left side. On the right side, Petterson sheds blockers as if they weren’t there, and this is why most of the big plays this season will be on Hawkins. I think Jai Eugene may be a better fit at this position because of his physicality, not coverage skills.

I think we can all agree that the LSU offense performed well. The Tigers averaged more yards/play than Washington but only ran 48 plays compared to Washington’s 83. The offensive game plan was very simple. This was done to give Jefferson a better chance to have a good game. Right now, it’s not about racking up huge stats. It’s about getting Jefferson comfortable in this offense. The playbook will surely open up, and become more balanced, as the season progresses. The down side to this approach is that it makes it much harder to get into a rhythm and drive the ball down the field. This means more pressure is put on the defense since they’re on the field longer.


Quick Hits:

Special Teams looked good, except for the punter. Helton needs to step it up.

Patrick Peterson is the best cornerback I’ve ever seen at LSU. He was making plays all over the field.

LSU played a very disciplined game. Very few penalties. (3 for 35 yards, 15 of which was on a bad call)

LSU did not have any injuries, although Pep Levingston may be slightly hurt.

Jefferson wisely threw the ball away on several occasions. Were you watching Jarrett Lee?

Oops…

Charles Scott had a rare fumble. Can’t do that in a close game.

Richard Dickson dropped a touchdown pass in the endzone.

Ciron Black had a costly penalty on 3rd and goal from the 2 yard line. However, Jordan Jefferson messed up the snap count.

Terrance Tolliver dropped a pass for a first down.

Final Thoughts:

It wasn’t pretty, but LSU still rolled out of town with a W. Furthermore, the game was never in doubt. Not 1 single time did I think LSU would lose that game. To the fans who flipped out during the game, please be aware that your lack of football knowledge and perspective showed big time. Keep your heads about you people. The sky is not falling. However, if we do not see steady improvement in the next few weeks, feel free to freak out as much as you want. I’ll be right there with you!

Game Balls:

Jordan Jefferson: 11/19 for 178 yards, 3 TD, 0 int. Very good game.
Jacob Cutrera: 5 tackles and 29 yard pick 6.
Patrick Peterson: 9 tackles and many great plays.
Terrance Tolliver 4 catches for 117 yards, 2 TD

Honorable Mention: Keiland Williams, Drake Nevis

Needs improvement:

Les Miles/John Chavis: Coach better.
Derrick Helton: Punt better.
Chad Jones: Tackle better.
Chris Hawkins – You need to learn how to shed a block. Teams are going to start picking on you if you don’t get better at this.


Oh Les…

Lester, why did you call timeout before halftime? This bonehead move gave Washington 2 extra plays and they turned that into 3 points. That was dumb!


Whack Stat:
Washington rolled up nearly 300 yards in the first half. That’s Whack!!


Never Again:
I’ll never listen to another broadcast by Mark Jones and Bob Davie. This has got to be the worst broadcast team ever assembled. Great job ESPN.



VANDERBILT PREVIEW:

Vanderbilt @ (11) LSU
Baton Rouge, LA
6 pm
ESPN U


Point Spread:
LSU -14.5


Head Coach:
Bobby Johnson


Record: 1-0
Week 1: Defeated Western Carolina 45-0


Know thy Foe:

Vanderbilt is historically the bottom dweller of the SEC East. The worrisome thing about Vandy is that they always seem to have at least one big SEC upset per season. Last season, Vandy won 5 games as underdogs. Since 2005, the Commodores have beaten 4 SEC teams that were double-digit favorites.

Vanderbilt always starts off the season strong. For example, last season they started 5-0, but finished the season 6-1. The reason they do this is because they’re not able to recruit depth due to their academic standards. Since they typically start strong, LSU better not come out flat for this one. Furthermore, they return 18 starters from last season in which Vanderbilt won their first bowl game in 53 years against Boston College.

The strength of the Vandy offense is the run game. Last week they had two rushers with over 100 yards. The starting quarterback is Mackenzi Adams and he runs a lot of no-huddle offense. Therefore, Chavis better get the plays in quick this week. Mackenzi Adams is not a great quarterback so don’t expect to see him go all Jake Locker on the LSU defense.

Vanderbilt has a decent defense led by a very good linebacker corps which has an All SEC linebacker and a Freshman All-American linebacker. Like last week, LSU will be able to move the ball IF they balance out the rushing/passing plays.


Game Prediction:

Vanderbilt has only had 2 winning seasons in my lifetime, however, don’t let that fool you into believing LSU will win this game with ease. The Tigers will need to play very good football to beat the Commodores.

My prediction: 31-20


Flyover:
If you’re going to the game, don’t be late. If you’re late to your seats, you may miss the flyover which is scheduled for pregame this weekend. Keep your eyes to the north since they usually fly north to south.


Games of the Week: (Predicted winners in CAPS)

Clemson @ GEORGIA TECH (Thursday night)
South Carolina @ GEORGIA
Notre Dame @ MICHIGAN
USC @ Ohio St.


Lock of the Week: (0-1)
Fla International (+34) @ Alabama


See you next week! Geaux Tigers!!

THURSDAY ! THURSDAY!

THURSDAY!!


Now that the season has started, The Samson Report will be making the switch to Thursday morning.

2009 Season Preview / Washington Preview

9/2/09: 2009 Season Preview / Washington Preview


Strike up the band…its game week! I don’t know about you, but it was a lot easier getting out of bed this week. I’ve got an extra bounce in my step and I can’t stop watching highlight videos on youtube. If this season doesn’t start soon, I may need an intervention.

Since I’m a week behind, I’ll preview the entire season and then I’ll preview the Washington game. I’ve already written about the new coaches, the new players, and the depth chart; so now it’s time to talk about the schedule and make some dangerous predictions. Of course, these predictions are subject to change and immune to hindsight criticism.

Here’s the Schedule:

Week 1: @ Washington
Week 2: Vanderbilt
Week 3: ULL
Week 4: @Mississippi St.
Week 5: @ Georgia
Week 6: Florida
Week 7: OFF
Week 8: Auburn
Week 9: Tulane
Week 10: @ Alabama
Week 11: LA Tech
Week 12: @ Ole Miss
Week 13: Arkansas

LSU’s schedule sets up perfectly for a young, developing QB. We’ve got 4 relatively easy games leading up to our first real test. However, the SEC gauntlet waits in week 5. Any unanswered questions must be answered before we leave town for Athens. After the UGA game, the Tigers will return home to prepare for seemingly the biggest game of the season against Florida. While this is not true, the hype for this game will be huge. LSU’s off week comes in week 7 this year. The timing of this off week can be good and bad. Good because we’ll need the rest after two tough weeks. Bad because the team will want to get back on the field quickly if they suffer a loss to Florida. After the off week, LSU’s remaining tough games are a little more spread out, and not nearly as intimidating as 4 consecutive SEC games. Road trips to Tuscaloosa and Oxford will decide the SEC West. Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the more intriguing games of the season.

Up first are the Washington Huskies. This game is extremely similar to LSU’s first road game in 2003 when the Tigers traveled to Pac 10 Country to play Arizona and put a beat down on the Wildcats, 59-13. Like ‘Zona in ‘03, Washington is a team on the rise, but they’ve got a lot of rising to do before they can compete with LSU. LSU will once again be in redemption mode after a disappointing season. I look for this game to be dominated from the first whistle. LSU will be very impressive and the fan base will be buzzing with optimism. While this optimism should be tempered by a little rationality, the impressive performance will be undeniable.

The next game of note is against Georgia. The Dawgs are going to look a lot different this season without Stafford and Moreno. I really feel that this game will be an eye opener to the country that LSU is a very strong team; DAMN strong as some might say. Even if they don’t win, LSU can make a strong statement that they are a contender. This game will set the tone for the season.

LSU and Florida could easily enter the game on October 10th undefeated. Either way, this game will certainly receive a tremendous amount of hype. At this point, most people think Florida will win, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this attitude changes as we get closer to game time. I definitely think LSU has a good chance to win, but if we lose it won’t be the end of the world. If we take care of business against teams in the west, we’ll get another shot at the Gators in Atlanta.

Auburn is down right now, no doubt due to the rise of Alabama. They’ll be debuting a new coach in Gene Chizik. I’m not sure that this hire was right for Auburn, so I don’t see any significant improvement in this program for at least 5 years. They’ll give LSU a good game, as they always do, but LSU should win this game with relative ease.

Tulane is a joke, and if LSU would revoke the 10 year football contract, Tulane athletics would probably go the way of their engineering program. Down the tubes. I don’t think it should be LSU’s responsibility to pass out welfare checks to all of the smaller state schools. By the way, did you notice that we play 3 of them this year? I don’t like it.

Alabama. Oh Baby! This is the game that I have circled as the biggest game of the year. If you don’t know what the stakes are for this game, then you haven’t been paying attention. This is a must win if we want to have a great year instead of a good year.

No, I didn’t forget about Ole Miss. I know that they’ve been the trendy pick to win the SEC West. Well I’m not buying it. Despite having a good QB, a good coach, decent talent, and a favorable schedule, the Rebels have not yet earned their place at the top. They don’t know what it’s going to be like to have a target on their backs. The last time they were in this position, they fell flat on their face. Or should I say, Manning fell flat on his back. The good news is that Houston Nutt has Ole Miss relevant again. The bad news is that they will not be overlooked by anyone this season. To be fair to the Runts, they do have an outside chance to go to Atlanta this season for the 1st time. Don’t look for it to happen though.

The Arkansas game from last year still has me pissed. However, LSU’s defense will not have another melt down this season and LSU should win this one, although it’ll be a tough one as usual.

Every indication from practice is that this team is vastly improved in areas that tripped up the Tigers in ’08. The problems have been fixed. Specifically, the play of QB’s Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee has improved significantly since they left the Georgia Dome. Also, the defense has its swagger back. No more crazy substitution packages, no more out-of-position defensive backs, no more easy defensive reads for opposing offenses, no more mismatches, no more Mallory, no more Peveto.

Maybe I’m an eternal optimist, or maybe I’m viewing the world through my gold colored glasses, but I have big expectations for this team. By most people’s estimation, there is as much talent on this team as there has ever been at LSU. The coaching staff is greatly improved. The quarterbacks are more experienced. Senior leadership is back. The “MOJO” has been positive during the offseason and LSU is still benefiting from positive momentum created in the Chick-fil-a bowl win.

I’m going to go out on a limb here… LSU will win 11 games this season. No, I’m not drunk. Here me out. The tigers will split the Georgia/Florida games and they’ll split the Alabama/Ole Miss road games. LSU will win all of the games that they “should” win. Therefore, my prediction is 10-2 for the regular season. Time will tell if this will be good enough to play Florida in the SEC Championship game. If they do, this could be the most watched game of the entire season for any team. Instant classic. A blowout bowl win, which has become a Miles trademark, will put the win total at 11. This will generate the perfect blend of pre-season hype that LSU will need to make a run in 2010.

Bowl Possibilities:

I’m almost sure that we’ll see an SEC team in the National Championship Game in Pasadena. This leaves the Sugar Bowl as a very possible destination for an at-large SEC team or an SEC Championship loser. If I had to guess now, I’ll put LSU in the Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma St.

Now, let’s look at the game on Saturday…

(11) LSU @ Washington
Husky Stadium
9:30 PM
ESPN

Point Spread:

LSU (-17.5)


Head Coach:

Steve Sarkisian (1st season as UW head coach, former OC at USC)



Know thy Foe:

Washington did not win a single game last season, and they have lost an amazing 21 of their last 23 games. They have not had a winning season since 2002. The 2008 Huskies are the only team in Pac-10 history and the only team in the country to finish the season without a single win. However, this program has already hit rock bottom and they’re moving up. With new HC Steve Sarkisian, the Huskies could be a very respectable team by the time they make the return trip to Death Valley in 2012.

The Huskies return their starting QB Jake Locker, who is a very good quarterback. He compares favorably to Vince Young. He is big and mobile. Locker is very dangerous if he has running room. LSU will need to be very quick to the ball when they see him tuck and run, which will happen a lot. I think he’ll be the leading rusher for U-Dub. The key to stopping Washington is to make Locker one-dimensional and make him put the ball in the air. His passing stats shouldn’t be great but they’ll be respectable. One thing is clear; the Huskies will not line up and move the ball on LSU with any consistency. Washington may even try a few trick plays to catch LSU off guard. In fact, I’m calling for a halfback pass back to the quarterback, probably sometime in the first quarter.

Rain is forecasted for the game Saturday, so I think that favors Washington slightly (although the field is not a grass turf, it is field turf). However, that may be the only thing that favors the Huskies. Usually I do an in-depth comparison of the LSU defense vs. the UW offense and vice-versa. However, such a breakdown is completely unnecessary for this game. Suffice to say that, on paper, LSU is far and away the dominant team. Once the game is secured, LSU should use this opportunity to get a lot of players on the field. I have a few true freshman that I’ll be looking for.


Game Prediction:

Tigers win big. The game will be out of reach by the middle of the 2nd quarter. After halftime, LSU experiments with a few new players and this will allow Washington to make the score respectable. Unfortunately, this big win will fly under the radar nationally. Everybody in the country who went to sleep in the first quarter will see the score in the paper Sunday morning and not realize that LSU could have won by many more points.

LSU – 38
Washington – 14


Games of the Week: (Predicted Winners in CAPS)

LA Tech @ AUBURN (-13) (Sunday game)
Georgia @ OKLAHOMA STATE (-5.5)
Virginia Tech vs. ALABAMA (-7)


Lock of the Week!

LSU (-17.5)


Upset Special!

None this week.


Whack Stat!

Washington has NEVER played a Div. II team.

8/19/09 Depth Chart Review

8/19/09: Depth Chart Review


Key Losses:

Demetrius Byrd, WR
Herman Johnson, OL
Quinn Johnson, FB
Brett Helms, OL
Cold David, K
Darry Beckwith, LB
Marlon Favorite, DL
Tyson Jackson, DE
Kirston Pittman, DE
Rick-Jean Francois, DL


Linebackers: (Preseason Grade = B)

At linebacker, LSU returns two starters in Kelvin Sheppard (Sam LB) and Perry Riley (Will LB). Senior Jacob Cutrera (Mike LB) has also made 5 starts during his career. Converted safety Harry Coleman has made the move to strong side LB last spring. Coleman, who led the team in tackles last season, will bring a lot of speed to this position and I would expect that Coleman will win the Sam position from Sheppard in fall practice. Chavis understands the need for speed at this position, and he’s known for converting safeties to linebackers. Filling in the two-deep, LSU has a lot of good young talent including Ryan Baker, Barkevious Mingo, Kevin Minter, and Kyle Prater.


Defensive Line: (Preseason Grade = C)

On the D-line, LSU returns a 6th year senior at the tackle position in Charles Alexander. He was granted another year of eligibility due to injury. The other tackle spot is still up for grabs. Senior Al Woods and Junior Drake Nevis will battle for the starting spot, but both will see a lot of playing time. My guess is that Nevis will be the starter, and Woods will come in to relieve both tackle positions to keep fresh legs in the game. There’s not much depth at D-line, so a few injuries could put LSU in a real jam. Filling in the depth chart is JC transfer Akiem Hicks, RS freshman Cordian Hagans, and true freshmen Chris Davenport and Josh Downs. Once a perennial strength, the D-line is now LSU’s biggest vulnerability.

Replacing both defensive ends, including the #3 overall pick in the NFL draft, Tyson Jackson, won’t be easy. The defensive ends will most likely be Rahim Alem (Sr.) and Pep Livingston (Jr.). Both of these guys did great things in limited action last season. I’m not worried about the starters; however, every single backup at this position is a freshman. Talented…yes. But still very inexperienced. Two young players that stand out are Sam Montgomery and Michael Brockers.


Defensive Backs: (Preseason Grade = A)

The defensive backfield was rated as second worst in the conference in 2008. LSU intercepted only 8 passes, down from 23 in 2007. The D-line production was down as well, which gave opposing QB’s more time to throw. Combine this with softer coverage and an inability to check-off to different looks, and it’s not hard to see why LSU’s defense was not very good last season. Patrick Peterson will be the starter at one cornerback spot. The other will probably be Chris Hawkins, but don’t be surprised if Jai Eugene is in the conversation. All 3 of these guys are considered “shut-down” corners. They can be put on an island and play man defense without any problems. Brandon Taylor is also in the two-deep at the corner position. At free safety, you’ll see Chad Jones. This is his natural position, and he should flourish after playing most of 2008 at dime back. Senior Danny McCray and Brandon Taylor will vie for the nickel spot. It seems though, that new defensive coordinator John Chavis and new defensive backs coach Ron Cooper prefer a cornerback type player at the nickel spot, so that’s not good for McCray. The strong safety position will be filled by either Ron Brooks or Karnell Hatcher. Both of these guys are young, but very talented. Ron Brooks really emerged at the end of last season, and made some big plays on special teams. True freshman Craig Loston may get some playing time if they don’t put a shirt on him.


Offensive Line: (Preseason Grade = A)

On the other side of the ball, LSU looks to have one of the best O-lines in the conference. Although LSU did lose two senior starters in Helms and Johnson, left tackle Ciron Black turned down the NFL to return for his senior season. He is now projected to be taken in the first round of the draft. The left guard position will be filled by Josh Dworaczyk, a very talented sophomore. Replacing Helms at the center position will be either Patrick Lonergan or T-Bob Hebert, son of the Cajun Cannon. Hebert is still recovering from a torn ACL, but his rehab has gone very well and I project him as the starting center going into the season. At right guard will be Lyle Hitt, a very experienced back up who will get his chance to start. Junior Joseph Barksdale will man the right tackle position with plenty of experience. The two-deep roster has Greg Shaw and Alex Hurst at tackle. The second team guards will be Will Blackwell and Thomas Parsons.

LSU is very deep at tight end. Senior Richard Dickson, 2nd Team All SEC, is the clear-cut starter. Unless he gets hurt, he WILL set new LSU tight end records for receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. This is probably the deepest position on the team with backups Mitch Joseph, Tyler Edwards, and DeAngelo Peterson very capable of playing if needed.


Quarterbacks: (Preseason Grade = C+)

At quarterback, Jordan Jefferson will get a chance to start the season. However, Jarrett Lee WILL BE counted on at some point. And, I’m fine with that. Lee got a bad rap last season, but he didn’t play that bad for a freshman. Unfortunately, his mistakes were very costly and conspicuous. Everyone remembers his 16 interceptions, including 7 for touchdowns, but does anyone realize that he completed 53.2% of his passes and had a QB rating of 116.93. That’s not bad for a freshman in the SEC. In fact, those numbers were good enough for 6th best in the conference last year. Jordan Jefferson had a completion percentage of 49.3% and a rating of 112.87 in his limited action. The real difference between the two is the turnover/TD ratio. Jefferson’s ratio is a 0.25, while Lee’s ratio is over 1 (1.14 to be exact). If Lee can find a way to reduce the interceptions, and get a little more mobile, he could be a very good QB. Jefferson is the man to beat this season, and I’m excited to see how much he’s developed since the Chick-fil-A bowl. Also getting some PT at QB will be Russell Shepard. His greatest asset is his legs, and I’m sure Crowton is drawing up some nice plays for him. Chris Garrett will probably get a redshirt, but he will be a very solid backup one day. Both Shepard and Garrett participated in spring practice.


Wide Receivers: (Preseason Grade = A-)

The wide receiver corps will be led by Brandon Lafell, who briefly entered the NFL draft last spring before withdrawing his name. Lafell has shown steady improvement every season, and he will be the #1 option for the first time in his career. If Lafell has a good season, he’ll be a first round draft pick next April. The #2 guy will be Jr. Terrance Tolliver, who has made modest contributions since his heralded arrival at LSU as the #1 receiver prospect in the country coming out of high school. Another player who shares that distinction, Rueben Randle, will fill the #3 spot as a true freshman. For LSU to have a good season, both of these guys need to step up and play to their potential. RJ Jackson, Chris Mitchell, and Chris Toliver are very good receivers and will all see playing time this season.

LSU will have a lot of options for the slot receiver. In the past, we’ve seen Crowton utilize Trindon Holliday and Richard Murphy. This season, you can add Russell Shepard to that list. Shepard will be an exciting player to watch when he gets the ball in his hands. I’d love to see Shepard run the Skylar Green special, the slip screen. It’s an easy pitch and catch for a young QB and it gives the receiver some space to dance.


Running Backs: (Preseason Grade = A+)

LSU likes to use a lot of backs. Over the last 8 seasons, LSU has had 7 different players finish the season as the leading rusher. Only 1 of those players, Jacob Hester, repeated the next season as the leading rusher.

“Chuck the Truck” is the clear starter at tailback. Charles Scott (Sr.) rushed for over 100 yards in 6 of the first 9 games in 2008. He averaged 109 yards/game going into the 10th week of the season, when LSU’s offense fell apart. He finished the season with 1174 yards and 18 TD’s. He’s looking to give LSU back-2-back 1000 yard season for the first time since Kevin Faulk got 3 in a row from 96-98.

Keiland Williams (Sr.) is in his money year, and I hope he can hit the hole hard and break some tackles this season, or he’s not going to be drafted very high. His speed and quickness are NFL caliber, but his toughness is questionable. He is very timid with the ball in his hands. He has one more season to live up to his potential.

The rest of the group includes Trindon Holliday (Sr.), Richard Murphy (Jr.), and Michael Ford (Fr.), although Ford may redshirt this season.

At fullback, there is a lot of competition. Sophmore Steven Ridley is almost fully recovered from a knee injury he suffered in spring practice. Ridley is more of a tailback than a fullback, but fullback is probably where he sees the most playing time. He will compete with Junior Richard Dugas and true freshman Dominique Allen, who is an absolute beast at 255 lbs.



Upcoming Pre-season Reports:

8-26-09: 2009 Season Preview & Fall Camp Update


10 Days till Kick-off!!

8/12/09: Coaching Changes

Les Miles cleaned house on the defensive side of the ball after the2008 season, and we all know why so no need to re-hash those painful memories. Needless to say, the changes were mandatory, as far as the LSU fans were concerned.

Also, it should be pointed out that Les Miles handled the whole situation PERFECTLY. I don’t want to go into all of the details, but the way Miles conducted the firing/hiring process is the reason why he is more respected as a person than as a football coach.

As a coach, however, Miles went out and got some of the best coaches available, though he missed out on Ed Orgeron. Although it wasn’t a good fit between LSU and Orgeron right now, I hope that one day he is on the LSU sidelines. Here’s a brief description of the three new coaches on the defensive side of the ball.

JOHN CHAVIS, Defensive Coordinator

Age 52.
Nickname – “The Chief”. He is the only Native American coordinator or head coach in major college football and the NFL.
Played DL at Tennesse in late 70’s.
Chavis has been the Volunteer defensive coordinator since 1995. Since then, his defense has ranked in the top 4 in the SEC 10 times.
Chavis coached the linebackers at Tennessee for the past 19 years.
He is known for developing great linebackers. Since 1997, Chavis has coached four 1st Team All Americans at the linebacker position.
In 2006, Chavis was named the Assistant Football Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association.
Chavis runs the 4-3 base defense.
Chavis was one of the first coordinators to use the zone blitz.
In 2008, Tennessee was ranked #2 in the SEC and #3 in the nation in total defense.
In 2008, Tennessee only allowed 263.5 yards/game.
In 2008, Tennessee was #2 in the SEC and #4 in the nation in pass defense allowing 160.4 yards/game.
Chavis was replaced by Monte Kiffin, father of new Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin.

RON COOPER, Defensive Backs

Age 47.
Played for Jacksonville St. University in the early 80’s.
Ron Cooper comes to LSU from South Carolina, where he’s been coaching since 2004.
While Cooper was at USC, the Gamecocks ranked #1 in the SEC and #2 in the nation in pass defense allowing just 160 yards/game.
Cooper also has served as head coach of the following schools: Eastern Michigan University (1993-1994), University of Louisville (1995-1997), and Alabama A&M (1998-2001).


BRICK HALEY, Defensive Line

Age 43.
Played LB for Alabama A&M from 1984-1988.
Haley was most recently the defensive line coach for the Chicago Bears for 2 seasons.
Haley was inducted into Alabama A&M’s Hall of Fame.
He was the football MVP in 1988 and won the Inspiration Award in 1987 while at Alabama A&M.
Last season, Haley’s Bears ranked #5 in the league in rushing yards allowed per game.
In 2007, the Bears finished 6th in sacks.
He has SEC experience as MSU d-line coach from 2004-2006.
Haley has served as Defensive Coordinator at Baylor and Troy.

Tiger Trivia:

1. How many consecutive games did Andrew Whitworth start during his career?
2. What is the only number to be retired by LSU?
3. In 1986, LSU coach Bill Arnsparger resigned to accept what position?

Next week, it starts to get real. I’ve got a good report coming that will be everything you need to know about who’s playing where and who might surprise us. (Of course, if you read my report, it won’t be a surprise to you!)

Upcoming Pre-season Reports:

8-19-09: Depth Chart Review
8-26-09: 2009 Season Preview. Fall Practice Update.

Answers:

1. 52
2. 20
3. Athletic Director at Florida

2009 Recruiting Recap

LSU closed out a difficult season with one hell of a recruiting class. Ranked #1 by some, and #2 by others, this 2009 recruiting class may prove to be as good or better than Saban’s best recruiting classes in 2001 and 2004. We shall see. As with every class, there is always a small handful that stands out. I’ve highlighted 5 of those players with asterisks, and given a little more detail on them below. I think all 5 of these guys have a good chance to eventually go in the first round of the draft.

Last week, the poll question asked what is more important, good players or good coaching. Most people agree that it’s the players that matter most. Good coaching gets the most production from each player, but you can’t make chicken salad from chicken crap. It’s no coincidence that the teams that consistently recruit the best players have the most championships. Get used to these new names, because you’ll hear them a lot over the next few years.

Michael Ford: Running Back

Voted as a Parade All-American, Ford finished his high school career with 20 straight games of 100+ yards. In his senior season, he had 9 games of 200+ yards. With 2,447 yards as a senior, he broke the single season rushing record at Leesville High, a record that was held by former LSU Tiger Cecil Collins.
He was hurt much of his junior year of high school, and only played in 3 games. As a result, he didn’t get as much national attention as he would have otherwise got.
If I had to compare him to another LSU running back, it would be Charles Scott. Both guys are very well rounded and smart. They both hit the hole very hard and never go down on first contact. Neither possesses amazing top end speed, but they have enough quickness to make people miss. I have all the confidence in the world that Michael Ford will be a great one. It will be very interesting to see if Ford receives a redshirt this year. I think he’s ready to play, but we have a lot of good talent at that position right now.

Craig Loston: Safety

This guy is a sure bet. As a Parade All-American, he was ranked as the #1 Safety prospect in the nation by several recruiting services. His natural ability is on the level of two other LSU defensive backs, Chad Jones and Patrick Peterson. He will need surgery on his wrist, so he may miss the beginning of the season.
The only downside is that he may not have enough smarts to be a leader in the defensive backfield. I’ll wait and see, but it’s not good that the guy is still struggling to get cleared by the NCAA clearinghouse. Although clearance is expected to happen in a few weeks, he has not been able to work out with the team this summer so that may set him back. Because of the injury and the bad grades, I would expect a redshirt for Loston.

Sam Montgomery: Defensive End

Each recruiting class has a few surprises. The surprise pick up of 2009 was Sam Montgomery out of South Carolina. Montgomery was an unexpected pick-up late in the recruiting season. No doubt that Chavis had something to do with this. He is a speedy defensive end with enough size and strength to play early. With the recent transfer of Sidell Corley, this is a position of need for LSU, and he will get playing time this year. By next year, he’ll probably be a starter. Quickness is crucial for the defensive end position, and he has a lot of it.

Rueben Randle: Wide Receiver

As the #1 wide receiver prospect in the country, RR made us sweat it out last recruiting season. He delayed his commitment until national signing day, and strongly considered the Crimson Tide of Alabama. In fact, Les Miles was put in a very difficult position, and was forced to rescind the scholarship offer to DeAngelo Benton to secure Randle. Benton ended up at Auburn, but I didn’t like the way that situation played out. RR, a Parade All-American and All-USA selection, is the best wide receiver prospect that LSU has had in a very long time, so I think the end justifies the means in this case. Randle is the one true freshman that I think will have the biggest impact on the 2009 season. He won’t make a Julio Jones type impact, but he will contribute a lot. He has great hands and great size. He is a very smooth and fluid runner and his speed is very deceptive (think Tyrell Pryor but faster). This guy is a 1st rounder if I’ve ever seen one.

Russell Shepard: QB/Ath

If you don’t already know who this guy is, then where in the hell have you been for the last year. Shepard, another Parade All-American, is the crown jewel of the 2009 class. All the things that they say about Shepard are true. He is lightning fast, shifty, elusive, and smart. He is a unique combination of Pat White (dual-threat QB), Tim Tebow (leadership), and Reggie Bush (quickness). He will play this year, but his position is unknown. He may have a limited QB package, but he’ll more than likely play as a slot receiver this season. Besides his extraordinary athleticism, his leadership abilities may be his most outstanding quality. As a high school senior, he took it upon himself to contact the best players in the country and recruit them to LSU. He had a major impact on several LSU recruits, including Craig Loston who is his cousin. He has an infectious confidence and a magnetic personality. He is the whole package and many consider him a once-in-a-decade recruit. Expectations couldn’t be higher for Mr. Shepard, no matter what position he plays. Wherever he ends up, he’s sure to break ankles for many years to come. He enrolled at LSU in January and took part in spring practice.

Some other signees that deserve honorable mentions are Barkevious Mingo and Chris Davenport on defense, and Chris Faulk and Chris Garrett on offense. Drayton Calhoun and Morris Claiborne may get an opportunity to return punts this season.

Who we lost out on:

DeAngelo Benton - Auburn
Janzen Jackson - Tennessee
Dexter Pratt – Oklahoma St.

Looking ahead to 2010:

The 2010 class is shaping up nicely. Currently, LSU has 21 commitments and is ranked as the #2 class in the nation. While I don’t expect LSU to hold on to this ranking through signing day, LSU will finish with a Top 10 class and maybe a Top 5 class if they can get a few of the big fish in the pond. 2010 is considered a down year for LA high school talent, so Miles & Co. have been pulling recruits from all over the southeast and midwest. Next year however, the LA talent is expected to be very, very deep and LSU should finish with yet another Top 3 class in 2011. The rich get richer in the world of recruiting.

Tiger Trivia: (answers at the bottom)

1. Who holds the school record for most passing yards in a single game? How many yards?
2. Who holds the school record for most rushing yards in a single game? How many yards?
3. Who is LSU’s all-time leading rusher with 4,557 yards?

Sorry for the late post. I've been having computer problems. Thanks to Jason Brakel, my one man IT department for helping my get my computer back online.

Upcoming Pre-season Samson Reports:

08-12-09: Coaching Changes
08-19-09: Depth Chart Review
08-26-09: 2009 Season Preview. Fall Practice Update

31 Days till The Battle in Seattle!!

Answers:

1. Rohan Davey (528 yards)
2. Alley Broussard (250 yards)
3. Kevin Faulk

2008 Football Season Recap

7/29/09: 2008 Football Season Recap

Game 1: LSU def. Appalachian St., 41-13
Game 2: LSU def. North Texas, 41-3
Game 3: LSU def. Auburn, 26-21
Game 4: LSU def. Miss. St., 34-24
Game 5: Florida def. LSU, 51-21
Game 6: LSU def. South Carolina, 24-17
Game 7: Georgia def. LSU, 52-38
Game 8: LSU def. Tulane, 35-10
Game 9: Alabama def. LSU, 27-21 (OT)
Game 10: LSU def. Troy, 40-31
Game 11: Ole Miss def. LSU, 31-13
Game 12: Arkansas def. LSU, 31-30
Bowl Game: LSU def. Georgia Tech, 38-3

As we count down the days until September 5th (T-minus 38 days), I think that it is my duty to recap the good and the bad from last season. Let’s start with the good…

The Good:

· LSU actually traveled to Auburn, AL and was able to overcome the referees and a late game deficit to win the game in dramatic fashion. However, this win proved to be fool’s gold for LSU fans as Auburn went on to a 2-6 SEC record and 5-7 overall. Still, it was a good win.

· Freshman phenom Patrick Peterson stepped up and did a solid job at cornerback. He will be an All-American and a first rounder before his career is done.

· Near the end of last season, we saw the emergence of Jordan Jefferson. The true freshman displayed a natural instinct to make plays. His form was raw and unpolished, but he impressed me with his poise and vision. Because of this, he will enter fall practice as the #1 QB. The sky is the limit for JJ, but I still want to see how he performs against an SEC defense.

· LSU continued its bowl game dominance as they put another beat down on Georgia Tech, 38-3. The Yellow Jackets entered the game as an unknown, running the out-dated triple option offense. With 3 weeks to prepare, LSU’s soon-to-be-ousted defensive coordinators were up to the challenge and put together a terrific game plan. However, it wasn’t enough to save their jobs.

· Despite a disappointing season, the coaching staff was able to secure the #1 Recruiting class in the nation for 2009. I will dedicate an entire report to this subject next week.

The Bad and the Ugly:

· LSU’s defensive coaching staff was a huge disappointment all season. LSU’s defensive backfield had more holes than a donut shop. Sometimes, I think Les Miles has holes in his head for promoting from within.

· The quarterback play was atrocious. Jarret Lee, although only a RS freshman, could not handle the pressure as the starting QB. His never-ending parade of interceptions for touchdowns was enough to give Jamie Howard a chuckle. I think Lee could be a good quarterback, assuming irreparable harm was not done to the guy’s psyche last season. I can’t imagine how it must feel to incur the wrath of the entire LSU fan base. If he can bounce back from this, he will be an asset for the next few years. Andrew Hatch, now back at Harvard, was called on to take the pressure off Lee, but he belongs on the scout team, not running a Crowton offense for LSU. With Andrew Hatch as LSU’s best option at QB for much of the season, is it any wonder why we went 8-5?

· LSU lost to Ole Miss… At home... By a lot of points. Enough said.

· LSU trailed Troy 31-3 midway through the 3rd quarter. That should never happen. However, the Tigers scored 37 unanswered points to pull off the miraculous win, so maybe this should be in the previous section. I’m proud to say that I was there to witness the greatest comeback in LSU history.

· LSU gave up 50+ points twice. Once to Florida and once to Georgia.

· LSU fell out of the AP poll for the first time since 2002.

What does it all mean Basil??

Ok, we had a bad season. It happens. No excuses, no apologies. My poll question last week asked who should bear the responsibility for the poor season in ‘08. The response was overwhelming; but after tallying all 5 votes, it’s clear that the assistant coaches are to blame. I agree, however, my opinion is that Miles should ultimately be accountable for the assistant coach hires. Nobody would disagree with that, especially since Miles has received so much credit for the good hires that he’s made in the past (Crowton, Pelini). Miles made the decision to promote Peveto and Mallory. To his credit, Miles has admitted and corrected this mistake.

The momentum pendulum swung the wrong way in 2008. One problem compounded another until the train ran off the track. For example, we know about the problems on offense and defense, but what were the underlying causes? The passing game was terrible, so opponents stacked the box to shut down the run game. With 8 people in the box and no passing game, LSU had a lot of 3 and outs. This kept the defense on the field too much and caused the defense to fatigue quicker. This, along with poor coaching, is the reason it always seemed like we were out of position. When you’re always out of position, good teams will exploit you. When you’re being exploited, you lose all confidence and desperation sets in. When you’re desperate and playing from behind, you start putting the ball in the air to catch up. When a red-shirt freshman is asked to throw this much, it leads to a lot of interceptions, and pick 6, and finger pointing, and upset fans, and so-on and so-on. It’s a vicious cycle that wasn’t broken until bowl season. Hopefully, the Chick-fil-A bowl is evidence that the pendulum is headed back the other direction.

Last season really demonstrated the “weakest link” theory. LSU has some of the most premier athletes in the country. When the Tigers walk out on the field, they can match up with anyone. Furthermore, the athletic department spares no expense to attract the most qualified coaching staffs in the country. It only took one or two weak links to bring down the entire season. The good news is that corrective action has been taken so that we don’t go through the same misery in ’09. We’ll be back. One bad season is not enough to eradicate a decade’s worth of progress. LSU is an elite program, and will be for a long, long time.

Hindsight Lessons Learned:

· Miles should have pulled the red shirt from Jordan Jefferson much earlier than he did.

· Miles should have manned up and hired a real defensive coordinator (obviously).

· Danny McCray had a very hard time with man-on-man coverage.

· Linebackers are not as fast as running backs. Who’d have guessed???

· Houston Nutt has outcoached Les Miles the last two years, with two different teams.

· Some LSU players gave up last season (cough…cough…Demetrius…cough…Byrd…cough).

· LSU is not as deep at D-line as we thought.

· Although an MVP in ’07, Ricky-Jean Francois was a bust. He should have stayed one more year.

· Senior leadership was hard to find last season.

· Nobody in the defensive backfield had a clue (mentally).

· When it rains, it pours.

Interesting fact:

After peaking at #3 in week 5, LSU finished the 2008 season unranked. The last time LSU finished the season unranked (2002), they won the National Championship the very next season (2003). Also, in 2003 they were pre-season ranked #15, which is about where they’ll start the 2009 season. That’s a good omen.

NEW!!! Tiger Trivia: (answers at the bottom of the report)

1. Who was the leading rusher in the 2003 season?
2. What year did Tiger Stadium open?
3. LSU didn’t sell-out a football game until what year?
4. How many times has LSU won the SEC Championship?
5. In the 2007 season, how many top 25 teams did LSU defeat for a new school record?

One more week…

The long, sport-less summer is almost over. Fall practice starts next Wednesday. Finally, some LSU football news to get us through to September.

Call for Tickets:

We still need more tickets for the Georgia game.

Here is a list of the upcoming pre-season reports:

8/05/09: 2009 Recruiting Recap
8/12/09: Coaching Changes
8/19/09: Depth Chart Review
8/26/09: 2009 Season Preview. Fall Practice Update

Don’t forget to vote in the poll questions. I want better participation this week you slackers!!

Along those same lines, some people had trouble leaving comments last week. I think that problem has been fixed. I left better instructions below.
See you next week. Geaux Tigers!!

Answers:

1. Justin Vincent (freshman)
2. 1924
3. 1958 (against Ole Miss)
4. 10
5. 7

Welcome Back Samsonites

7/22/09: Welcome Back Samsonites

Hello Tiger Nation and welcome back to The Samson Report. I know I’ve been gone for a while, so let me give a big “GEAUX TIGERS!” to all of the loyal followers of The Samson Report. All 5 of you!

This report will be short and sweet, but next week I’ll start breaking it down!

Now, let’s quickly reflect back on the past 20 months since the last report:

· LSU wins 2007 Football National Championship. Les Miles gets some crystal hardware to go along with his impressive record.

· Bo Pelini leaves for corn land, and Les Miles makes the biggest mistake of his coaching career by promoting the duo-of-dumb. The LSU defense under Doug Mallory and Bradley-Dale Peveto sucked a fat one!

· Ryan Perrilloux can’t get control of his deep-seated stupidity, and it costs him his position on the LSU team. It will also cost him dearly when he’s drafted into the NFL. Goodell is already having nightmares about this guy.

· Stepping in for the departed RP, sophomore Jarret Lee sets an all-time galactic record for pick-six in a season. Talk about a Whack Stat!!

· Because of the last few bullet points, LSU stumbles to a disappointing 8-5 record. Reality hits LSU fans in the gut like a late-night Louie’s omelet. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, don’t ask.

· Temporary bowel relief comes in the form of another blowout bowl win. Georgia Tech gets blown off the field, and LSU fans get a glimpse of the next potential superstar, Jordan Jefferson.

· Miles rights his mistake, and John “The Chief” Chavis is named Defensive Coordinator. More about him later.

· LSU signs the top recruiting class in the nation. Good job Lester!

Ok, that’s enough. Time to look ahead to the ’09 season. Here’s the schedule.

09/05/09 – LSU @ Washington
09/12/09 – Vanderbilt @ LSU
09/19/09 – ULL @ LSU
09/26/09 – LSU @ Miss. St.
10/03/09 – LSU @ Georgia
10/10/09 – Florida @ LSU
10/17/09 – OFF
10/24/09 – Auburn @ LSU
10/31/09 – Tulane @ LSU
11/07/09 – LSU @ Alabama
11/14/09 – LA Tech @ LSU
11/21/09 – LSU @ Ole Miss
11/28/09 – Arkansas @ LSU

The New Format…
Here’s how it’s going to work. Every Wednesday morning, The Samson Report will be updated. The streamlined once-a-week report will cover the previous game in detail and look ahead to the upcoming matchup. I’m going to scale back the statistical analysis a little, and offer more personal opinion. Why? Because every time I talk football with someone, they ask me what I think about the game. They don’t ask me how many receiving yards the second string tailback has, or what the opposing cornerback runs in the 40. But don’t panic you stat junkies; I will continue to provide the important “water cooler” stats.

As always, your participation is encouraged, so feel free to inject your dim-witted opinions by leaving a comment. Just be sure to leave your name so we can make fun of you. Just kidding (Not really). I know some of you love to argue with each other, so feel free. Just remember, your mother may be a closet Samsonite, so keep it relatively clean. No F-bombs! No trump-cards! No derogatory references to anyone’s ancestry!

Also, I’ve been asked several times about guest columnists. The Samson Report is an interactive, open forum so freelance columns are always welcome. The Samson Report is better when everyone gets involved. So get off your lazy ass, gather your opinions, and send me a report.

Do you think Jarret Lee is still a good QB? Write a report!
Do you hate Les Miles? Write a report!
Do you hate the new scoreboards, and wish LSU would stop adding on to the stadium? Write a report!

By the way, all of the preceding opinions belong to Samson Report followers, you know who you are.

Road Trip!
Also, it’s time to start making plans for Georgia. I will be in Athens for the weekend of October 2-4. I have 2 tickets already and a hotel in Athens. Keep your eyes and ears open for more tickets. Let me know if you want to make the trip. Come one, come all.

Before I go…
Although this forum concentrates on the football team, I would be negligent if I didn’t say congratulations to the LSU baseball team who brought home another trophy from Omaha. Life is better when LSU baseball is winning. I am a little bitter that work obligations kept me from making the trip to Rosenblatt AGAIN this year. Why do refineries have to catch on fire the week before we leave?? If it happens again next year, “ We don’t need no water let the ***** ****** burn! Burn ****** ****** Burn!!!”

Here is a list of the upcoming pre-season reports:
7/29/09: 2008 Football Season Recap (painful but necessary)
8/05/09: 2009 Recruiting Recap
8/12/09: Coaching Changes
8/19/09: Depth Chart Review
8/26/09: 2009 Season Preview. Fall Practice Update

45 Days and Counting!
See you soon!