Les has Miles to Go Before he Lives this Down

Ole Miss 25, LSU 23!  

This is the headline of articles throughout the nation on November 22, 2009.  Subtitles read, "Time Management an Issue."  

This was a good, hard-fought SEC game won by the Ole Miss team favored to win by four, even though LSU was No. 8 in the BCS.  

Today, fans wonder if "The Hat" should be fired?

Fans wonder, "What was Les Miles thinking?"

It is not the fact that LSU failed to get a last second play off, it's that the coaching staff had no one in charge to calm the team down and try to get a play off.  Les has Miles to go before he lives this down.

Mistake No. 1

After LSU scored the potential game tying touchdown on a great play from QB Jordan Jefferson to freshman WR Reuben Randle (for his second TD of the game), LSU went for two to tie the game.  Interference was called, giving LSU the ball at the one and a half yard line.  The odds of running outside, or a quarterback sneak were greatly increased.

Putting Russell Shepard and Ridley in the game in a split set with three receivers would have been a great offensive set to put pressure on the defense.  With only a yard and a half to go, a quick pitch out to either runner would have had a much better chance than a pass to the corner of the end zone.

Mistake No. 2

LSU was at the Ole Miss 31 yard line with a minute to go after a beautiful onside kick. And what does LSU do? They tried to  pass.  Incomplete, clock stopped.  Then they do it again.  LSU could have run for three yards and kicked a field goal.  Instead, LSU called for a second pass and Jefferson was sacked.  

Mistake No. 3 

LSU has a third and 16 and they pass to Ridley for a seven yard loss.  The clock ticks, 24 seconds...23...22...21....20.  They don't call a timeout until there are nine seconds left in the game. Who calls a timeout when no one else does?  The head coach, that's who.

Mistake No. 4 

LSU connected on a pass to Toliver to the seven yard line.  The clock ticks two more seconds, down to one second, when the referee stops the clock for moving the chains after a first down. LSU has no chance to run another play unless it is a quick snap.  No chance for a field goal because it would take too long to set up.

The point is not that we could have kicked a field goal.  The point is that no one on the sideline took charge. That is the head coach's fault and the blame rests with him.

Les has Miles to go before he lives this one down.

In 2005, LSU was only able to recruit 13 players due to a lack of scholarships left by Miles' predecessor, a man who tends to sign more than he can keep, which catches up with any program.

Despite that, LSU's recruiting class ranked 19th in the nation.  Included in this class was Ryan Perilloux, who was not going to come to LSU with the previous coach.  Perilloux was dismissed from the team after his third year with LSU. However, he helped LSU win the SEC Championship Game, and ran several good plays in the National Championship Game against Ohio State.  

The real recruiting started in 2006, when Miles pulled in 25 players and ranked seventh in most polls.  These players are currently true seniors and redshirt juniors.

In 2007, the year LSU won the National Championship, Miles recruiting class had 25 players and ranked fifth in the county.

Chad Jones, Toliver, Drake Nevis, and Joseph Barksdale have all been strong players out of this class. Also included in this class was Steven Ridley, who will start against Arkansas two days after Thanksgiving with Charles Scott and Keiland Williams both out with season ending injuries.

In 2008, possibly one of LSU's best recruiting years, Miles pulled in a consensus number three to number five class, some of whom are already playing this year.  Two of the recruits are Patrick Peterson, a true sophomore, who is already one of the premiere cover corners in the nation, and Jordan Jefferson, the LSU starting quarterback.  

The 2009 class was ranked one, two, or three in virtually every scouting service as these players, Reuben Randle, Russell Shepard, and Joshua Downs have all made their presence known.

So what is LSU to do?  Les Miles can recruit, which is the life blood of any program.  He has shown steady improvement in his recruiting, despite a 7-5 season (with a solid bowl victory making them 8-5).  Each year his classes have improved, and next year's offensive line may even be more talented than this year.  

Miles' downfall is his game management.  Although it has hurt the team greatly, they often overcome the mistakes based on pure talent.  Thank God he can recruit such good players.

Miles hires good assistants.  The offensive coordinator, Gary Crowton, is a very talented offensive coordinator, although he is much better with an experienced quarterback, such as Matt Flynn, who lead LSU to the National Championship in 2007 as a fifth year senior. Crowton struggles with young quarterbacks, as he did last year with Jarrett Lee, a redshirt freshman and this year with Jordan Jefferson, a true freshman.

Imagine what LSU could have done last year with Ryan Perilloux as fourth year junior and this year a fifth year senior?

The dilemma facing Miles is that with a third year under Crowton, Jefferson should be a very good quarterback the next couple of season.  Maybe LSU should keep him.  Perhaps hiring a quarterback coach who stays on the sidelines would be a good addition to having Crowton in the box.

LSU has talented assistants at all positions as well as a good defensive coordinator.  If no one gets a promotion to another team, they should be set for next year.  

Ending the season with a victory would give LSU a 9-3 record.  A victory in a bowl game, whether it is the Capital One, Outback, or Cotton, would give LSU its fifth bowl victory in a row, a record unmatched by any LSU coach.

My suggestion is that LSU sit tight and keep its staff together.  Learn from the loss at Ole Miss.  Proceed from this successful season as a 10-3 team in the top ten, and build on this for next year when they will have a quarterback with much more experience than...say...the new Florida quarterback.

Of course, this all rests on LSU beating Arkansas.  If LSU loses, Les would have Miles to go...