Bleacher Report - Articles by Micah Caffey

The 2009 LSU Fighting Tiger Defense Getting Back on Track

Micah Caffey — Sun, 31 May 2009 04:45:39 -0400

Well, it's that time of year again.

The time of year you get to thinking how your team will shape up this fall under the big lights in the most crucial games of the season.The time when preseason magazines dub the nation's best and worst, and often give very talented teams no respect.

Ah, no respect.

Something the LSU defense has suddenly, after just one year, become accustomed to hearing. The defense which was torched for 50 points, more than(insert gasp) one game. The defense which couldn't stop running backs such as Knowshon Moreno and Glen Coffee, among other backs who took it to LSU's front four.

The secondary couldn't even cover guys like Julio Jones and Percy Harvin. The teams that once feared the smashmouth, nightmarish LSU defense now have yawned at it and thrown a couple of touchdowns against it.

So just what is it going to take to get the bengal tiger D back on track again and out of the Dangerfield quotes?

First is the fact that the tigers have John Chavis at DC. Chavis didn't have much talent to work with at UT, and Eric Berry was the only star player on the Vols defensive front. Chavis is expected and already has brought a new attitude to the LSU D.

An attacking, relentless style that reminds many of the way Pelini's defenses were. We should ALL pay attention to how much improvement Chavis' arrival on the LSU coaching staff makes.

Adding heralded secondary coach Ron Cooper out of USC was a plus also. LSU's secondary is as talented as Cooper has worked with, and coach cooper worked with some very talented secondaries at USC.

In comes Brick Haley, a former defensive line coach from the Chicago Bears, to try and shore up a line that was constantly burned or held back from the quarterback last year. Haley will get a hungry tigers' line ready for action.

So what position shall we start with? How about the line! The tigers have a relatively talented bunch coming back, led by senior Rahim Alem, and tackles Drake Nevis and Charles Alexander, along with under-achieving(so far) Al Woods.

Alem is a speed rushing DE who will always be near the qb.Nevis is an aggressive player, much like a bowling ball at 6'1 300. Charles Alexander adds depth and experience, being the oldest player on the line, and Al Woods is a man-child who, if he plays to his potential, could leave offensive tackles in the dirt.

Defensive end Pep Levingston is an athletic end with lots of strength, and sophomore Sidell Corley is one to watch for this year as well. One who could be making waves is defensive end Chancey Aghayere, a former standout end from Texas.

The tigers might have to rely on guys like Lavar Edwards, Chase Clement, and Cordian Hagans for depth. The freshmen, guys like Josh Downs, Chris Davenport, DE Sam Montgomery, Michael Brockers, JC Transfer Akiem Hicks, and Benny Logan could all be used to some degree and probably will be.

Grade the line?

The tigers have some experienced starters coming back, but if someone gets injured, the backups are thin, and this could hurt the tigers. I give them a B- for good players, but lack of depth.

Let's move right behind these land-movers to the linebacking corps. Perry Riley, Luke Cutrera, Kelvin Sheppard are all guys that will probably start. Look out for hard-hitting sophomore and kickoff teams star Ryan Baker, as well as Kellen Theriot, freshman Kevin Minter, and newly transitioned safety to linebacker Harry Coleman, who should make an impact with his speed and athleticism.

As long as the linebackers can take care of business and stop the run, the rest should take care of itself. The linebackers of the 09 class will have to be counted on for backups, and all haven't played a down.

It will be interesting to see how this goes, but the linebackers should manage. If they don't, well, this could be a similiar situation of LSU's, just like last year. Getting beat. I grade them as a so-so C+. No star at linebacker but a couple of very capable starters in the SEC.

Now we move to the cornerbacks, and things start to look up for the tiger's defense. On one side is potential All-SEC lockdown corner Patrick Peterson. On the other, seniors Jai Eugene or Chris Hawkins.

Look for Ryan St. Julien, Derrick Bryant and Brandon Taylor to make runs at the starting positions opposite Peterson, but expect the seniors Hawkins or Eugene to get the job. The corners are pretty good. Definetely SEC caliber.

The Tigers have a couple of shining spots on D and this is one of them. I give this section of the defense a tad bit of a bonus. I give them an A-. They will be solid. That is all i will say.

Safety. At free safety we have playmaker Chad Jones. The guy can do it all. Sack the quarterback on a free safety blitz, throw a 90 mph fast ball, return punts and cover receivers and swat away balls like it is his job(as it someday will be).

Jones is a strong point on LSU's D and will start for the next 2 seasons at least. Expect Karnell Hatcher to vie for playing time and get some, but not beat out Jones for the job. Stefoin Francois is another big-time player who should compete for PT though he is nursing an injury from the Peach Bowl.

Okay, strong safety.

The most likely candidates are Ron Brooks, a speedy and hard hitting convert from corner, and Danny McCray. But the biggest newcomer to this spot will be signee Craig Loston from Aldine, Texas.

Loston's athletic ability is raw but by mid-season he could be starting at strong safety, and play there the next 2-3 years after, securing the spot to his own. He is that good. Overall, this is the Tiger's second most solid position, but Jones will be making plays all over the field, so I'll give the bayou bengals a good A- mark.

The safety play will be spectacular, in my humble opinion. Wait till the season starts. Ron Cooper is doing wonders with a talented group of DB's in Chavis' scheme.

So, the final word? LSU's defense will have much more confidence this year. No more confused looks to the sideline or the back of player's jerseys. Think faster, stronger, and more reliable. This is what LSU's Defense was always heralded as and is meant to be.

Like fighting bengal tigers on the attack. Expect some good things from the defense as long as the line can stay healthy. Overall I'd give this defense a B+. Aggressive, slightly thin along the line and at linebacking, but excellent in the secondary with talent at every spot.

Get ready for the fear of the LSU defense to return to opponent's heads as they enter raucous Tiger Stadium this fall. As always Geaux Tigers!

BCS Aftermath: LSU Tigers Reload for 2008

Micah Caffey — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 04:19:21 -0500

The Bayou Bengals celebrated their dominant victory over Ohio State in chilly fashion at Tiger Stadium Saturday afternoon, with 15–20 MPH gusts blowing and the temperatures in the upper 30s.

That didn't dampen the celebration one bit.

The Tigers' coach, Les Miles, congratulated his team and thanked the 30,000 or so fans that had come out from their warm homes or dorms to celebrate the crystal trophy's return to Baton Rouge.

Now, the question undoubtedly becomes: Do the Tigers have enough firepower, tenacity, and strength to make it back? The odds are stacked even higher against them this year, but in all reality, it is possible.

Obviously, this is too early to predict anything about college football, with the National Signing Day still two weeks away and the spring game not even on the horizon, but I'm going to try to put together a little something.

In a couple of weeks I will come out with an extended, position-by-position estimated starting lineup, providing that national signing day gets here quickly and the days are still short.

Here's my first crack at it. It is an overall report on the defensive and offensive sides of the football. Hopefully, it will give a little boost to Tiger fans who think that the next "run" will be a while from now.

Offense:

The Tigers will have arguably the best and most explosive offense in the SEC next year, led by run-pass threat junior Ryan Perrilloux, one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation before he chose LSU. Perrilloux is big, has a strong arm, and can run the option or quarterback sneak when needed.

His targets will be plentiful. The Tigers have talented wideouts in senior Demetrius Byrd, junior Brandon LaFell, sophomore Terrance Toliver, and will have quick young wideouts in freshmen Deangelo Benton and Chris Tolliver, along with one of the best tight ends in the SEC in junior Richard Dickson. Dickson's backup, Jordan Corbin, will also get some playing time and is a tremendous blocker.

On the offensive line, protecting Perrilloux will be the job of seniors Herman Johnson, Brett Helms, and Will Arnold; junior Ciron Black; and sophomores Jarvis Jones and Joseph Barksdale.

At running back, the Tigers have a stable of runners to supplement a strong, fast offense. Juniors Keiland Williams and Charles Scott will take turns pounding the ball, while sophomore Richard Murphy will provide a burst of speed to the outside.

But the real speed will be shown when and if junior Trindon Holliday returns. At 5'5" and 165 lbs., Holliday can make defenders miss, and is almost impossible to catch once he gets by an opposing player.

The backup to quarterback Ryan Perrilloux will be strong-armed redshirting freshman Jarrett Lee from Brenham, Texas.

Defense:

The Tigers will be returning six starters from the 2007 defensive front this year, including explosive defensive ends Tyson Jackson and Kirston Pittman. Both cornerbacks will depart to the NFL, but athletic sophomore Jai Eugene will likely lock down one side of the ball and it will be a toss up between Chris Hawkins, Phelon Jones, and Ron Brooks for the other spot.

Also vying for quick playing time will be the number-one cornerback prospect in the nation, Patrick Johnson. Johnson is a hard hitting, lockdown corner with the potential to easily become an All-American before he leaves LSU.

At strong safety, hard-hitting sophomore Chad Jones should secure this spot. Jones, a player in the mold of Laron Landry, is great in coverage and hits as hard as a veteran linebacker or defensive end on blitzes—as some teams, like Alabama, already know.

As for free safety, senior Curtis Taylor should start at this position and is a very good, hard-hitting football player. His backups will be sophomores Stefoin Francois and Shomari Clemons.

At linebacker, the most questionable position this year, Darry Beckwith should hold down the middle, and lead a group of young, yet very talented LBs into 2008. By his side will be juniors Jacob Cutrera and Perry Riley—who is a very good tackler. Overall the linebacking should be thin but good, with new recruits, such as freshman Ryan Baker, coming in to help in certain packages.

At defensive end, I assume that big Tyson Jackson will take one spot and reshirt senior Kirston Pittman will take the other. Pittman was injured for much of 2006 and is a very talented football player. In addition, sophomore Sidell Corley, senior Rahim Alem and junior Pep Levingston will push for some playing time.

At defensive tackle, the Tigers will have a star in junior DT and sometimes DE Ricky Jean-Francois. Jean-Francois is a driving force in the middle and will be hard to handle this year. Backing him up should be sophomore Drake Nevis, a fast, bowling ball of a defensive lineman who loves contact and can plug up the middle or run down a ball carrier.

The other DT spot should either go to highly-regarded junior Al Woods, senior Charles Alexander, or junior Marlon Favorite. All should see significant playing time for a very young but ferocious defense in 2008.

The Tigers' toughest opponents in-conference will be Georgia (at Tiger Stadium), and Florida and Auburn—both on the road. I think all these games are winnable, and by no stretch of the imagination should LSU not be in the title race this year.

Hopefully, through some strange set of events, LSU can play USC for the crown and settle the score with our powerhouse friends in the west.

Until then, which is seemingly light-years away, I will stick to hoping that this year's Tigers have what the 2007 team had—strength, character, respect, and a great work ethic.

Again, I will come out with a position-by-position report in about two and a half weeks, once we get more information about the players who have signed with LSU.

My 2008 College Football Top 10

Micah Caffey — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:28:41 -0500

Here are my 2008 preseason Top 10 rankings. They are completely biased, so don't bother to hunt me down if you think your team should be ranked higher.

1. Georgia

The Bulldogs have a very balanced, talented football squad returning to Athens in 2008. Super-sophomore Knowshon Moreno will lead the rushing attack, and will likely be an All-America candidate. Matthew Stafford is returning at quarterback and will have a good offense behind him.

2. USC

The Trojans should get the quarterback situation taken care of over the offseason, and with two good QBs, Mark Sanchez and Mitch Mustain, the Trojans will be looking to fight on again—this time, all the way to the title game. I shouldn't even have to talk about the offense, with Joe McKnight headlining a group of skilled offensive playmakers.

3. Florida

The Gators are returning All-American and Heisman winner Tim Tebow to Gainesville, along with a group of playmaking offensive weapons and a good, young defense led by CB Joe Haden and LB Dustin Doe. Look for new recruits WR Carl Moore and Athlete Will Hill to come in and add an extra boost to the offense.

4. Oklahoma

The Sooners will return Sam Bradford to quarterback and sophomore DeMarco Murray will most likely start at running back, with talented DE Auston English headlining a good defensive front. A talented recruiting class will help OU, with new guys like RB Jermie Calhoun and DE R.J. Washington getting some playing time, both of whom will probably be future stars at Oklahoma.

5. Missouri

The Tigers return most of their offense, and I'm positive they want to revenge two losses to OU.

6. LSU

The defending national champions will return six starters on defense, including big DE Tyson Jackson and LB Darry Beckwith. On offense, LSU will have one of the best receiving corps in the nation with Demetrius Byrd, Terrance Toliver, Brandon LaFell, TE Richard Dickson, and newcomers Deangelo Benton and Chris Tolliver. Look for the Tigers to make some sort of run. The game against Auburn will likely decide the SEC West, and a game at home against Georgia will be pivotal. Also, new QB Ryan Perrilloux could be a Heisman runner-up—if he stays healthy, and out of trouble.

7. Ohio State

The Buckeyes are coming off a sore loss to LSU, but should come back strong with Malcolm Jenkins returning to Columbus, and James Laurinitus if he stays. Running back Chris Wells is the best in the country, and should find more room to run with the help of bruising O-Lineman. Look out for new recruit wideout DeVier Posey—he will be special.

8. West Virginia

Despite losing Steve Slaton to the draft, if Pat White stays, this offense will be rolling all the way to another BCS game. Super-talented Noel Devine should assume the starting running back position, and new coach Bill Stewart will have his WVU team fired up for another great season.

9. Texas

The Longhorns might lose Jamal Charles, but Colt McCoy is a great quarterback and the 'Horns have a shot at a BCS game this year. You usually can't keep Mack Brown's team down very long, and I expect them to contend this year.

10. Kansas

I never really thought that Kansas was good enough to compete with BCS teams. I may still be right, or they could prove me wrong. The Jayhawks return QB Todd Reesing and should be ranked at least 10th in the AP preseason poll. They can make believers out of me by winning out this year, but I don't think Virginia Tech was tough enough competition.