LSU struggled last year, going 8-5 amidst whispers of “Saban’s players are gone.” Confusion reigned on defense, but quarterback play got the headlines—LSU had seven interceptions returned for touchdowns, and 16 overall. LSU fans expect both to be fixed this year—but the whispers won’t go away until the football team delivers on the field this fall.
What went wrong?
Problems on defense were obvious: Substitutions arrived late, players were often caught looking at the sideline for play calls or coverage assignments while the ball was being snapped, and blown coverage (particularly by linebackers and safeties) was frequent. The co-defensive coordinator experiment was a bust.
The offense performed well for most of the season—gaining more yards against Georgia and Alabama than any other team did—but self-destructed with those interceptions.
After the Alabama game (four interceptions) the starting quarterback, Jarrett Lee, regressed, and the offense sputtered the last few games. Lee’s passer efficiency averaged 140 through seven games, but only 81 for his final four games. This wasn’t just about interceptions, but also about the fragile psyche of a freshman quarterback.
Offensive coordinator Gary Crowton has a history of starting strong and then tailing off in subsequent years (Oregon, Chicago Bears, BYU)—was the pattern repeating itself at LSU?
Crowton has done better inheriting a quarterback, than he has in developing his own; could he have managed Lee better?
The Road Back Begins This Spring.
The entire defensive coaching staff was replaced. John Chavis, formerly of Tennessee (nine top-three SEC defenses in 14 years at UT), is the new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
Joining him are defensive backs coach Ron Cooper (who led the Gamecocks to consecutive top-four pass defenses), and Brick Haley (from the Chicago Bears), on the defensive line.
Changes are apparent already. Charles Alexander, granted a sixth year of eligibility, said it’s more like the old way of doing business.
When asked if that meant the way Bo Pelini coached, he said "I think I might take it all the way back to my true freshman year when coach (Nick) Saban was here, it's backs to the wall and nothing but maximum effort. Not to take anything away from coach Pelini, but this style is more intense. It's what we need after last season."
Chavis is also scrapping the “chess-match” approach of last year, where the co-defensive coordinators tried to shuttle players on and off the field with every offensive package change, to get the perfect personnel match-up.
Chavis says he only has two packages; base (4-3), and dime. He relies on using speedy linebackers—perhaps even a converted safety—that can cover; his fastest starting linebacker is his nickel back.
The biggest losses on either side of the ball are on the defensive line, where LSU will have at least three, and possibly four new starters this fall.
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