Week 3 - LS Who?!?

Week 3 - LS WHO?!?


It may sound crazy, but I left after the game last night a bit disappointed.  Here's why:  You see, during my senior year of college State won 3 football games.   Not much to get excited about these days, but you see, that is the number of games the 'Dogs had won my first 3 years of college combined.  That 1969 team was obviously no powerhouse.  A few of my buddies and I drove to Houston and saw the Cougars squeak by the Bulldogs 74-0 in a game that wasn't really as close as the score indicates.  Near the end of the season I went with some of the same guys to Baton Rouge to see our guys take on the Fighting Tigers of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College.  The 'Dogs had clearly improved, as they only fell 61-6 to LSU.  And near the end of the game LSU's 3rd team QB, a guy from the N.O. area named Butch Duhe, led them to their final TD in the waning moments ... and the heartless bastards went for 2, and of course, made it.  By all accounts Butch Duhe was a great guy (who tragically died of a brain aneurysm a few months later).  But I have carried malice in my heart for the Corn Dogs since that day.  So last night when our scrubs were driving and eating up the last few minutes, but Dan the Man employed the "victory formation" and had La. freshman Keytaon Thompson take a knee twice, I booed vociferously ... and felt cheated.  I wanted us to score, go for 2 and make it, then let the guy who scored run over to the LSU sideline, flip them off, drop trou, and moon the entire lot of the players, coaches, the Golden Band from Tigerland, and the 9 purple and gold-clad fans still in the stands.  Hold that, Tiger!  [The fantasy alone makes me feel better; I may be able to finally let this thing go ... one day.] 

Back to last night ... I don't give myself enemas or go to Tiger Stadium to be abused often, but I have seen us whip the Tigers a few times in my 60 years of following the 'Dogs.  Heck, after his first few seasons Emory Bellard couldn't beat much of anyone in the SEC except LSU ... and those were glory years for the Tigers.  Other than the 2014 game when Josh and Dak waltzed through the Chinese Bandits like the Japanese did China in the '30's, I can recall few other State-LSU games in which State's line manhandled the Tigers and imposed their will.  Our fans love to complain about John Hevesy and the O line, but twice in 4 years now his no name bunch of 3 stars have made the vaunted collection of 5 stars LSU always seems their bitches.  Whodat indeed!  And the defensive line was just as, if not more, dominant than their offensive brethren.  Although the last few years the Bayou Bengals have clearly not been in the league with Nick "the Great" Satan's UAT teams, they are always considered one of the most physical teams not just in the SEC, but in the country.  Well, as the late Jimi Hendrix sang in Fire, "move over, Rover ...!"  The butt kicked up and down Scott Field all game last night was striped.

At this point in the season I've now seen three points, which I recall from my math days, are supposed to form a line.  Most assuredly we'll know lots more about Miss. State in a few more weeks, but certain themes have emerged.  Here are my ass[kicking]sumptions after Week 3:
  • Our defensive and offensive coordinators are damn good.  If anyone doubts that we have good schemes and are well prepared, they should be required to watch the game film of last night's game with Coach O (without a translator or bodyguard).  It's funny ... LSU supposedly hired the "best and brightest" defensive and offensive coordinators in the game the past couple of years.  I'll take Todd Grantham over any DC in the country.  His philosophy, as he told our QB Club a week ago, is simple:  1) Stop the run.  2) Pressure the QB and force him to make mistakes.  We thought we had the hosses to do that last year ... and apparently we did.  [My final parting shot at last year's DC:  Remember how mediocre Clemson looked offensively against Auburn last week?  Then last night they played against our former DC and looked like Deshaun Watson had never left (nor had any other offensive All-American who had ever played for Clemson).  Bobby Petrino must be thinking, "WTF was I thinking?!?  No wonder I took that motorcycle ride that cost me the Arky job!  For a smart coach I can do some stupid shit!"]  And Dan can figure out the puzzle pieces he needs to develop an offense that can give almost any team fits.  Heck, last night could have been much worse if Fitz had been on target earlier.
  • Aeris Williams is a man.  He is tough, determined, strong, hits the hole hard, a good receiver, a tough blocker, and a smart runner who knows how to set up his blocks and be patient enough to follow them.  He is exactly what we need -- our workhorse.
  • Keith Mixon, the "Pocket Rocket," is steadily becoming the type of player I expected him to be when we signed him.  He has both speed and quickness, good hands, and what a tough little guy!  Can you imagine when Malik Dear returns and we have at least one of those guys on the field every play?!
  • Still loving the way we are using our tight ends.  They are very reliable receiving threats, and those SOB's block!  If they weren't our guys, I'd say it's really not fair for some 5'10", 180 lb. cornerback to look up and have 3 of those monsters lined up across from you ... and eyeing you with bad intent.  "He'p me!"
  • Our offensive line is really developing.  Those guys get after you!  They blew holes in LSU's front 7 all night, even better than they had Chucky Southern's and La. Tech's ... and protected Fitz, as they have all season.  When they shoved LSU back like they had roller skates on for that first TD (when Fitz just hopped up and over, into the end zone), I knew it was going to be our night.
  • And we have a kicker!  My God, when Christmann kicked that line drive field goal from 46 early in the 3rd quarter, I really, really knew it was our night.  
  • Fitz impressed me as a QB last night.  He consistently made good decisions, taking what was there rather than trying to force something.  Great poise and looked like he was in charge.  And damn, that boy is tough as a pine knot!
  • The defense -- where do you start ... and where do you end?!  I'm almost afraid I'll leave someone out.  Fast. Physical.  Aggressive.  That's what Grantham preaches ... and that's what we've seen.  Other than the one drive when the shanked kickoff gave LSU field position, and they ran some funky unbalanced line wrinkle that helped Guice get outside a few times, we handled the run. Grantham adjusted.  Etling was pressured and was who we thought he was. Except for the first long pass when they cheated and got caught, we were all over their deep throws.  When is the last time we could say that against LSU?!  Our guys ran to the ball and gang-tackled all night -- ironically the trademark of the Chinese Bandits.
  • The DL group has some big, bad boys.  Simmons is a wrecking crew.  Fletcher Adams looks like Preston Smith reincarnated, as does Spencer.  And Hoyett just keeps on making big plays. Cory Thomas, Tre Brown, Gerri Green, and Grant Harris all just keep the pressure on.  Great depth!
  • Leo played like he was relieved to have the TSUN Judgment at Nuremburg crap behind him and could concentrate on hitting people.  He was all over the field.   And J.T. Gray may have played his best game as a Bulldog ... tough against the run and pass.
  • The secondary played LSU tight, conceding nothing, and brought the lumber.  They made tackles if a guy caught a ball, as well as on the rare occasion a runner got past the front 7.  As always, LSU ran hard; our guys just tackled harder.  Abrams is becoming a real demon out there.  Brandon Bryant looked like he did two years ago.  
  • I am convinced that once the game film from last night is shown in Athens and Auburn, new orders for Depends will be placed and/or orders for more brown coaching pants.  No one is going to want to see State popping up on their schedule.  
  • And finally, I must admit that I have badly underestimated our fans, who absolutely have gotten on board with the whole "ring responsibly" thing.  I didn't think we could/would do it for one season.   Sat. night the cowbells were deafening ... until the bad guys' beleaguered center touched the ball, then the bells grew silent and the yelling picked up ... until Simmons, Green, Lewis, et al slammed yet another unlucky Bayou Puddytat to the turf, at which time Hell's Bells recommenced.  All night long!  I'm delighted to have been so wrong.  Way to go, Bulldog fans!!
So now the real season has begun -- and started very well, I should add.  These next 2 weeks can make or break the season.  I had suspected that LSU was overrated ... but I don't think they're a bad team by any stretch, whether coached by Coach O or Les or Pepsodent Paul Dietzel.  But my point is that we still don't know who we've beaten and how good we or they are.  All we know for sure is that after 3 games (one a ranked opponent) we're far superior to all the teams we've played.  If we can just use LSU as a launching pad, as we did in '14 ...!

Stay tuned.


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