10/31/2020
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports!

    Happy Halloween Tiger Fans.. No treats for us on Saturday as LSU suffers an embarrassing 48-11 loss to the Auburn Tigers on the "Plains"...
    Enough is enough! Bo Pelini must go!.. As a head coach, Ed Orgeron must know by now that it's not going to improve or get any better defensively for his Fighting Tigers with Pelini running things.  After five games and a bye week there is still too much confusion and miscommunication in the secondary. Still too many missed tackles. Very Poor coaching. 
    The offensive sputtered without a running game. A true freshmen starting his first SEC game on the road has zero chance of success without an established running game. It's pretty obvious that with the struggles the Tigers have had all season long, they must run the football effectively and win the turnover battle if they want any chance of victory. They did neither today. Results, a Halloween Massacre....   
    A Game break down by quarter is below...
    



          1st QUARTER:

    Auburn would win the coin toss and defer, setting LSU up to take the opening kickoff. The Tigers would go three-and-out quickly.. 
    Both teams would spark short drives but continue to trade punts until LSU would mount a drive late in the quarter with 3:07 left on the clock. T.J. Finley would hit Trey Parker for a 24 yard gain across the middle on first down. The quarter would end with LSU looking at a 4th and four at the Auburn 36 yard line, after driving 44 yards on 8 plays. 



          2nd QUARTER:

    On the first play of the 2nd quarter, Cade York would miss a 54 yard field goal attempt,
just pushing it off to the right of the up right. 
    Auburn would take over from their 36 yard line and on first down, Bo Nix would swing to ball out to a wide open Eli Stove who would rumble for a 38 yard gain down to the LSU 26 yard line. Two plays later Nix would connect with Seth Williams on a nice back shoulder throw. Williams who was being covered by Derek Stingley Jr. made a great catch, however, Stingley would make a fantastic play punching the ball loose around the one yard line. The ball would end up going into the end zone and then out of bounds for a touchback, giving LSU the first turnover of the game. 
    Finley would come out firing away on 1st and ten from his own 20 yard line hitting Racey McMath for a 22 yard gain up to the Tigers' 42. Two plays later Finley would over throw Terrace Marshall and the ball ended up in the hands of Auburn's Nehemiah Pritchett for an interception. It seemed like Pritchett would return the turnover 52 yards for a pick-six, but after further review he was ruled to have stepped out at the four yard line. 
    Auburn would quickly draw first blood. After an illegal formation penalty, Bo Nix would hit a wide open Eli Stove who would take it into end zone thanks to a break down in the LSU secondary. Auburn kicker Anders Carlson would add the PAT giving the Tigers a 7-0 lead with 12:13 to go in the first half. 
    Both teams would exchange punts leading to LSU finding themselves starting a drive from their own 25 yard line. Two plays later, on 3rd and six, T.J. Finley would drop back to throw, hold onto the ball too long, then fumble the ball while being sacked by Derick Hall. Christian Tutt would scoop up the ball and return it 20 yards for the score extending Auburn's lead to 14-0 with 5:27 to go until halftime. 
     LSU would set up shop at their 34 yard line after a nice kickoff return by Trey Palmer but the Tigers would not be able to take advantage of the good starting field position and would be forced to punt the ball away after going only 11 yards in just six plays. LSU punter Zach Von Rosenberg would rocket a 54 yard punt that would be downed at the Auburn 1 yard line. 
    With their backs to the goal line, Auburn would begin to take control of the line of scrimmage.  Tank Bigsby would give the home team Tigers some much needed breathing room as he would turn the corner on 1st down and head up the far sidelines for a 26 yard gain. Auburn would then begin to gash LSU for huge gains on their way to another score, as Nix would find a wide open Ze'Vian Capers in the near corner of the end zone as the LSU secondary seemed confused on the play. The scoring drive would cover 99 yards in only eight plays. 21-0 Auburn with only 40 seconds left in the first half. 
    Trey Palmer would take the kickoff and almost return it for a touchdown for the second week in a row, but Auburn's kicker Anders Carlson, would make a touchdown saving tackle after a 33 yard return. Starting at their own 35 yard line with only 33 second left in the half, Finley would complete a 18 yard pass to Jaray Jenkins, then connect with Racey McMath down to the Auburn 33 with three seconds left on the clock. Cade York would hit a 50 yard field goal on the last play of the first half to bring the halftime score to 21-3.



          3rd QUARTER:

    Auburn would take the second half kickoff and begin their total second half domination of LSU. The home team Tigers would make it look easy going 75 yards in eight plays capped off by Bo Nix rolling out to the near side and out running the LSU defense, diving to the pylon for a five yard touchdown run. Carlson would convert the PAT for a 28-3 Auburn advantage. 
   LSU would begin their first drive of the second half 1st and ten at their 25 yard line. This is where the real nightmare would begin. Finley would drop back to throw and have his pass deflected up in the air at the line of scrimmage. The ball would be intercepted by defensive end Big Cat Bryant at the LSU 21 yard line. 
   Five plays later Tank Bigsby would punch it into the end zone from two yards out to put Auburn up 35-3. 
    Coach Orgeron would make a change at quarterback on LSU's next possession replacing T.J. Finley with Max Johnson. Johnson would fair no better as the Tigers would go three-and-out giving the ball right back to the Auburn Tigers. 
    The Auburn offense would continue to have their way with a beaten and battered LSU defense,  driving 69 yards in 12 plays, with Tank Bigsby trotting into the end zone untouched from three yards out. The drive was highlighted by a huge 21 yard scramble by Bo Nix for a big 1st down on 3rd and eight to keep the drive alive. With 1:33 to go in the 3rd quarter, Auburn would hold a 42-3 lead. 
    The one dimensional LSU offense would continue to struggle against an Auburn defense that played inspiring football all game long. Max Johnson would find Arik Gilbert for a 17 yard gain to the LSU 44 yard line before the drive would stall on the final play of the quarter as on a 3rd and one, John Emery would be tackled in the back field for a three yard loss. 



          4th QUARTER:

   The 4th quarter would begin with LSU punting the ball away to Auburn. Von Rosenberg would once again do a great job, booting a 41 yard punt out of bounds at the Auburn eight yard line. 
    With 14:48 left in the game and holding on a 42-3 lead, Bo Nix would attack for more. on the first play of the drive Nix would drop back and throw deep down the middle hitting a wide open Anthony Schwartz in stride for a 91 yard touchdown. Schwartz easily blew by the LSU secondary and was ten yards ahead of the closes Tiger when he pulled the pass in. The drive would officially go down as 91 yards on one play taking 11 seconds. Anders Carlson would miss the extra point and with 14:37 still left in the ball game, Auburn increased their lead to 48-3. 
    LSU could only manage one first down on their next possession before punting the ball back to the home team. 
    Gus Malzahn would begin to insert back up players into the contest on both sides of the ball. The LSU defense would be able to hold the Auburn second team offense in check forcing a punt after a three-and-out. 
    LSU would finally find their way into the end zone as Max Johnson would make a beautiful deep throw to Kayshon Boutte for a 43 yard touchdown. The drive would cover 71 yards in four plays. The Tigers would go for two points on the try after and convert it on a one yard scramble across the goal line by Max Johnson. With 8:43 left in the game, Auburn would hold a dominating 48-11 lead. 
    The Auburn second unit on offense would continue on working the clock, but would once again go three-and-out. 
   Max Johnson and the LSU offense would start their final drive from their own 20 yard line. The Tigers would drive to the Auburn 25 yard line and face a 4th and seven. Johnson would be sacked for a five yard loss as LSU would turn the ball over on downs. 
    Auburn would run out the final 2:59 left on the clock to capture a well deserved 48-11 victory over LSU.



    A total meltdown.  After last weeks 52-24 victory over South Carolina at home after a unscheduled bye week, things were starting to look promising for these talented young men in the purple and gold. But what we just witnessed is inexcusable. The Tigers were dominated by Auburn on both sides of the ball. A huge disappointment that LSU was unable to run the football against an Auburn defense that has given up a lot of yardage on the ground so far this season. John Emery was the leading rusher in the game with only 21 yards on nine carries. LSU finished the game with 32 total yards rushing.  LSU also had three costly turnovers. 
   "We tried to run the ball"  Orgeron said in his postgame press conference. "We couldn't block those guys." ... The offensive line which was coming off their best performance of the season really struggled against a very physical Auburn defense.  "We just got punched in the faceand absolutely killed. But we have to respond." Said center Liam Shanahan. "It's tough to say that now. It stings a lot right now, we just got embarrassed on a national stage. We're gunna get back at it. Get on the film and I'm sure there will be a lot to correct." 
    Both quarterbacks struggled as they were under pressure all game long. T.J. Finley finished 13-24, 143 yards passing, with 2 Interceptions, while Max Johnson went 15-24, 172 yards passing, 1 touchdown pass. 
   Arik Gilbert lead the team in receiving with 55 yards on six catches. Terrace Marshall has only 4 catches for 28 yards. 

    The defense actually played a solid first quarter, but once Auburn got two quick scores off of turnovers it seemed like the defense started to fall apart. Auburn rolled up 506 total yards of offense, (206 rushing and 300 passing).  Bo Nix had an outstanding game  for Auburn as he would finish 18-24, 300 yards passing, and 3 touchdown passes. He was also the leading rusher for Auburn with 81 yards on 11 carries and a rushing touchdown. The Tigers were unable to sack Nix as he always seemed to be able to slip away and escape from the LSU rush. 
    Micah Baskerville lead the team in tackles with 10 total, while Todd Harris and JaCoby Stevens would contribute 7 tackles each.  Blown assignments continue to happen in the secondary leading to several wide open receivers who were able to make big plays. Auburn was able to make adjustments to their running game early in the second quarter as they began to dominate the line of scrimmage and pound the ball down LSU's throat. When asked if there could be a change in staff responsibilities on the defensive side of the ball after another poor performance, Orgeron would say there will be no changes and he will evaluate the staff at the end of the season.  Hang in there Tiger fans. It's going to be a long season. 
    With the loss LSU now falls to 2-3 on the season. Next up for the Tigers is a bye week before hosting the #2 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in Tiger Stadium on Saturday November 14th. Kickoff is set for 5pm on CBS. 
    

             Photos By: LSU/SEC

10/31/2020
Article courtesy of: ESPN.com
By: Tom VanHaaren


        ESPN 300 safety Sage Ryan committed to LSU over Alabama on Saturday, adding to the Tigers No. 6 ranked class.
   Sage is a 5-foot-11, 195-pound recruit from Lafayette Christian Academy in Lafayette, Louisiana, and is the No. 62 ranked prospect overall. He's the No. 2 ranked recruit from the state of Louisana, as well, so it's a big commitment for LSU to keep him away from the Crimson Tide.
   Ryan is the second ESPN 300 commit from Louisiana, along with wide receiver Chris Hilton, but the Tigers still have a shot at landing the top-ranked recruit in the state in ESPN 300 defensive tackle Maason Smith.

   Adding Ryan to the class, LSU now has 14 ESPN 300 commitments in total. The highest ranked commit in the class comes from Michigan offensive tackle Garrett Felling, ranked No. 31, and California linebacker Raesjon Davis, who is the No. 44 ranked recruit in the class.
   Of the 14 ESPN 300 commitments in the class, eight are on the defensive side and include three ESPN 300 linebackers with Zavier Carter, Naquan Brown and Gregory Penn III.

10/30/2020
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports!

​    Below is Coach O's Thursday press conference...  Auburn is Tiger Bait!  Geaux Tigers!!

10/26/2020
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports!

    Coach O met with the media today on hid "Tell the Truth Monday" to discuss the South Carolina game some and do a short, quick preview of the upcoming Auburn game. 
    Below is the video of this mornings press conference, as well as photos from LSU's 52-24 victory over the Gamecocks...

Photos By: LSU/SEC

10/24/2020
By: Jordan Taylor
Da Boot Sports!


    T.J. Finley was impressive in his first start as a LSU Tiger and the defense took a step in the right direction, playing inspiring football all night long as LSU would defeat the South Carolina Gamecocks 52-24.  The Tigers would dominate in all three phases of the game. Offensively the offensive line simply punished the Gamecocks in the trenches helping LSU rush for 276 yards while protecting T.J. Finley allowing him to play an outstanding game. Finley would finish the game going, 17-21, 265 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns, 1 interception. He would also rush for 24 yards and scoring on a 1 yard quarterback sneak. Ty Davis-Price would lead the team in rushing with 135 yards on 22 carries and a score. Terrace Marshall Jr. had another big game, grabbing six passes for 88 yards, catching two more touchdowns. 
  The defense did show some improvement as they played with much more confidence and intensity. Jacoby Stevens and Jabril Cox both lead the defense with seven tackles each. Derek Stingley had a solid game. B.J. Ojulari was a nightmare all game long with four tackles and three sacks. The Tigers sacked South Carolina quarterback Collin Hill five times and made several big plays including Eki Ricks returning an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. 
    Special teams were great. Cade York continued to connect on all of his attempts. Kickoff coverage was solid, and Trey Palmer returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown which was the first kickoff return by a LSU player in Tiger Stadium since Eric Martin did it in 1981.  LSU went the entire game without needing to punt, 
    It was a fun victory on a nice cool evening in Death Valley where South Carolina showed up to have their dream of victory destroyed...  TIGERS WIN, 52-24....

    




      1st QUARTER:

    LSU would receive the opening kickoff and sprinting on the field for his first career start as a true freshman would be #11 TJ Finley. The game plan was simple. Let's establish the run and let Finley get comfortable.
   Tigers goes out and have a heck of an opening drive going  75 yards in 16 plays, capped off by a one yard quarterback sneak into the end zone. On the drive, the Tigers would call 13 runs & 3 passes to march down the field to take an early lead. The extra point was good by York and with 7:43 left in first, the Tigers were up 7-0. 
    South Carolina didn't push the panic button.  After receiving the kickoff, if you blinked you would of missed the Gamecocks striking back, taking only three plays for 75 yards in 54 seconds off the game clock as Kevin Harris would break lose for a 45 yard touchdown run. The PAT would be converted and things were tied up at 7-7 with 6;45 to go. 
    After the impressive first drive, the Tigers they would get their second crack at it and once again  the true freshman did an impressive drive to get his team down the field to score again.  The 10 play drive went for 66 yards, taking 4:35 off the clock, as LSU would send out the field goal unit and Cade York would knock it through to regain the lead for Tigers, 10-7.
    On South Carolina's next possession, the LSU defense would force a three and out sending the punting unit onto the field for the first time to boom it away.
     The first quarter would end with the Tigers starting their nest possession taking a 10-7 lead into the second quarter.




       2nd QUARTER:

    The Tigers would start the second quarter with another nice drive to extended their lead.  T.J. Finley would find his red hot wide receiver Terrance Marshall in the back corner of the end zone to go up 17-7. The drive covered 65 yards in nine plays.
    With 11:14 to go in the first half, the Gamecocks would march right down the field but blow a golden opportunity to get points as their kicker, Parker White would miss a 54 yard field goal attempt.
     T.J. Finley would make his first bad decision of the game, three plays into LSU's next possession  when he would under throw his receiver for his first career interception.
     South Carolina would take advantage of the turnover and snag points on their drive after drilling a 45 yard field goal to cut into the Tigers' lead.
    With 5:22 left to go in the half,  it would only take the LSU offense five plays to find the end zone.  Finley would connect with Marshall across the middle and Marshall would outrun the defense for a 51 yard touchdown. Cade York would push through the extra point and the Tigers go up by two scores, 24-10.
    When a offense tries to attack LSU, they usually stay away from Derek Stingley's side and that sets up others to be successful. Eli Ricks would step in front of a quick slant for an interception, returning it 45 yards for the score to put the Tigers up 31-10 with 2:43 left in the half.
   South Carolina would blow an opportunity to get points before the half as Parker White would miss his second field goal of the game.  LSU would run out the clock to end the half with a nice 31-10 lead.


 
      3rd QUARTER:
   
    The Gamecocks moved the ball with authority to start the second half showing they wouldn't just go away, driving 74 yard in nine plays scoring on a 1 yard touchdown by Kevin Harris.
    Trey Palmer would muff the Gamecocks kickoff at the LSU five yard line, pick it up at the
seven, then show why he's one of the fastest players on the team as he would go 93 yards untouched for a huge special teams score to put the Tigers right back up by 21 points,
    Disaster would strike again for the Gamecocks after another opportunity to put up points failed as White would miss his third field goal of the game leaving the score at 38-17. 
   LSU's final possession of the third quarter was very impressive as the work load on the ground would continue. Davis-Price would punch in a 4 yard touchdown run to extend the Tigers lead to 45-17.  LSU would head into the 4th quarter holding all the momentum.




       4th QUARTER:
   
    South Carolina's struggles would continue as they would give the ball right back to the
Tigers after a outstanding job by the defense forcing a turnover on downs.
    LSU would pick up where they left off with their running attack as they would drive 58 yards in ten plays ending with a  John Emery 3 yard touchdown to put the Tigers up 52-17.
   South Carolina would manage to drive down and find the end zone on their final drive as Collin Hill would find Josh Vann from five yards out for the score. 
   LSU would insert Max Johnson for the final drive of the game. However, Ty Davis-Price would be the work horse on the drive with eight carries as the Tigers 62 yards in 11 plays. Max Johnson would take a knee out of victory formation at the Gamecocks 27 yard line...

Final Score: LSU - 52,   South Carolina - 24

Next up for the Tigers is a trip to Auburn on Halloween night. The game will be televised by CBS with a 2:30pm kickoff..  

10/24/2020
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports!

    The Tigers finally return back to Tiger Stadium hosting the South Carolina Gamecocks, in desperate need of a win. After having an unscheduled bye last weekend due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Florida football program, Coach Ed Orgeron is hoping the LSU defense would show some kind of improvement against the Gamecocks, and that they did. The defense did their part to help take pressure off of the offense on a night that starting quarterback Myles Brennan would be out due to an injury. 
    The chilly Baton Rouge night belonged to true freshmen quarterback T.J. Finley who got his first start of his LSU career.  Finley would play with the pose of an experience leader. Matter of fact, I can't remember a first time freshmen starter at quarterback play that calm and collected at LSU since Tommy Hodson had his first career start against Texas A&M in 1986, a 35-17 LSU victory. An Outstanding  performance by #11 in the purple and gold tonight as LSU would beat South Carolina 52-24 to improve their record to 2-2. 

    Let's highlight the performance of both freshmen quarterbacks during their first ever game action as a LSU Fighting Tiger.



      1st QUARTER:

    T.J. Finley showed no sign of having jitters or being nervous during his first start as a Tiger. On the opening drive of the game he looked calm and cool as he lead the offense on a scoring drive, going 75 yards in 16 plays while eating 7:26 off the game clock. Finley would score his first career touchdown to finish the drive with a one yard quarterback sneak into the end zone... 
    On the Tigers' second drive of the game, Finley would drive the offense down into the red zone, but penalties would kill the drive and LSU had to settle for a Cade York 27 yard field goal. 
    Finley would finish the 1st quarter going 5-7, for 60 yards passing, and would add 18 yards rushing on 6 attempts, with a rushing touchdown. 
    Max Johnson would only see action for one play after Finley would lose his helmet the play before. On his single snap, Johnson handed the ball off to John Emery for a short gain. 


     
      2nd QUARTER:

    Finley would continue his outstanding play into the second quarter, driving the LSU offense down the field, completing some nice throws between successful running plays. On this drive he would end up throwing his first career touchdown pass as a Tiger, finding Terrace Marshall in the far corner of the end zone from seven yards out. 
    Finley would then make his first rookie mistake of the game on the next drive as he would under throw a pass that would be intercepted at the Gamecocks ten yard line and returned 56 yards down to the LSU 34. Finley would actually do a great job making a touchdown saving tackle on the play along the sidelines..
    On the Tigers' next offensive possession, Finley would hit Terrace Marshall across the middle who would take it the distance for a 51 yard touchdown. 
   T.J. Finley would finish the first half impressively going, 14-18, 216 yards passing, 2 touchdown passes, 1 interception, with 18 yards rushing on 6 carries, 1 rushing touchdown. 
    Max Johnson didn't play in the second quarter.... 



      3rd QUARTER:

    T.J. Finley would only attempt one pass in the 3rd quarter and competed it to Jaray Jenkins for a 14 yard gain.
    Max Johnson did not play in the quarter...



      4th QUARTER:

    The Tigers continued to dominate the line of scrimmage, as they would eat up yardage
while running the clock. No need to air it out...  Finley would only attempt two passes in the 4th quarter, completing both for a total of 35 yards..  He would finish the night going, 17-21, 265 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns, 1 interception, while adding 24 yards on the ground with a rushing touchdown.  
    Max Johnson was finally inserted into the game at the 7:39 mark.  Johnson would help lead the team on the game ending drive. He would not attempt a pass, but did manage to rush for 19 yards on two carries. his first scramble was good for a seven yard gain, then on a 3rd and four, would run the ball for a 12 yard pick up and a first down. The drive would go 61 yards in 11 plays, ending with Johnson taking a knee at the Gamecocks' 27 yard line to end the contest. 


   T.J. Finley had a fantastic night for the Tigers and now gives LSU other options on offense,
especially on short yardage and on goal line situations. Look for Finley to be a part of that type of package for the remainder of the season. I think everyone would have liked to see Max Johnson get a few more snaps, but I feel that Coach O did the right thing by leaving a red hot Finley in the game with the offense executing at a high level.  The future looks very bright at the quarterback position for LSU. One more season for Myles Brennan. T.J. Finley and Max Johnson. Then the addition of Garrett Nussmeier and Walker Howard in 2021 and 2022 recruiting classes.
    I would have to grade T.J. Finley's performance with a very happy, satisfying 'A'........

10/22/2020
Da Boot Sports!

    Today's Coach O pregame press conference....
​ 

10/22/2020
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports!

    LSU will apparently host South Carolina on Saturday in Tiger Stadium without their
starting quarterback. Myles Brennan is still recovering from a torn muscle in his abdomen that occurred early in the contest against Missouri two weeks ago and will not play. Sources today tells us that T.J. Finley will start, but expect Max Johnson to play as well.
   The Tigers (1-2) have had two weeks to prepare for a tough and talented (2-2) South Carolina squad that is riding high on the momentum of a two game winning streak. 
   The South Carolina defense, has give up a lot of yards so far and has struggled against explosive offenses that they have faced. But they are causing turnovers. They currently rank 5th in the SEC in turnover margin. Through their first four games they have intercepted five passes and recovered two fumbles. Expecting to face a true freshman quarterback, look for the Gamecocks' defense to load the box to try and shut down LSU's running game forcing obvious passing situations. Then bring the pressure.  
    Coach Orgeron has mentioned that they have simplified things on defense. What that means we will need to wait to witness.  The LSU defense is a wounded unit, giving up an average of 494.7 yards and 32 points per game.
​    Another blow for the Tigers other then not having their top signal caller on offense, is their leader on defense may miss his second game of the season. Derek Stingley Jr. is listed as doubtful for the contest as he is still nursing a sprained ankle he suffered against Missouri. LSU can not allow South Carolina quarterback Collin Hill to have a field day against its secondary. 
    Bo Pelini will need to have a game plan that will help his struggling and demoralized unit bounce back big and compete at a high level. They will need to play with excitement and emotion to put constant heat on Hill and force turnovers, as LSU does lead the conference in turnover margin. 
     
   
            WHAT LSU WILL NEED TO DO TO WIN THE GAME......


    NO TURNOVERS... The Tigers can not afford to turn the ball over against the Gamecocks. PERIOD!  They must win the turnover battle...
    The LSU offensive line will need to be at the top of their game, opening up running lanes and pass protecting against a physical Will Muschamp defensive that likes to blitz and stunt a lot. They must protect T.J. Finley and Max Johnson. These young quarterbacks need time to see the field and make smart decisions with the football. Take what the defense gives you. 
    LSU's three headed monster at running back, (Curry, Emery, and Davis-Price), must help keep the offense out of long yardage situations, control the clock, and allow the defense to stay rested by spearheading the rushing attack. LSU must run the football effectively to have any chance of winning this football game. 
​    Arik Gilbert and Terrace Marshall Jr. must both have a monster game. The Gamecocks have a stingy secondary and will need to make tough catches and big plays to help sustain drives. 


    The LSU defense can't put the pressure of a shootout on the shoulders of the offense without their starting quarterback. To give themselves an opportunity to win this game, they will need to limit the Gamecocks' offensive production and create turnovers in South Carolina territory to give the offense short scoring drive opportunities. 
    
   Someone needs to make a big play in the return game to give the offense great starting field position. This would be a huge key to a LSU victory if somehow the Tigers can make big plays on special teams. Block a punt or field goal. Kickoff coverage must not allow the big return. 

    
          MY PREDICTION.....

    LSU is 11-0 in games following a loss under head coach Ed Orgeron. The Tigers haven't lost back-to-back games since dropping three straight in November of 2015.
     A well rested LSU football team with an extra week to prepare will somehow find a way to win in a close one. Believe it or not, but I see the defense making a big play late to secure the victory.

          LSU - 31,   South Carolina - 27
    

10/22/2020
Aricle courtesy of CNN
By: David Close


  Louisiana State University is self-imposing penalties on its football program as the NCAA investigates the team for rules violations, according to a report in Sports Illustrated.

    The NCAA is reviewing payments made to the father of a football player, according to the report. The report says the school will dock the football program eight scholarships over the next two years. LSU can offer up to 85 football scholarships per school year. In addition, Sports Illustrated says the university will reduce the number of recruitment visits to prospects.

​    Sports Illustrated is also reporting that former LSU wide receiver and current Cleveland Browns player Odell Beckham Jr. has been banned from the school's facilities for two years.

   Beckham was seen on video counting and then slapping cash into the hands of LSU players following LSU's victory over Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship in January.

     Former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow said in a "Pardon My Take" podcast from Barstool Sports that he, too, had received money from Beckham.

     According to NCAA bylaws, players are not allowed to accept cash from boosters. LSU said at the time it was working with its student athletes, the NCAA, and the SEC to rectify the situation.
 
   When CNN asked LSU about the Sports Illustrated report, a spokesperson did not deny the allegations in the report and sent a prepared statement that reads:  "LSU has worked proactively and in cooperation with the NCAA to identify and self-report any violations that occurred within our football program. We believe these self-imposed penalties are appropriate and we will continue to coordinate and cooperate with the NCAA on this matter."
CNN has reached out to the NCAA but has not heard back. CNN's request for comment from Beckham, through his agent and the Browns, was not immediately answered.

10/19/2020
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports!

    Coach O meet with the media to discuss last week's practice and to talk about the Tigers' next opponent, South Carolina winners of two straight, evening up their record at 2-2. Looks like LSU will head into battle Saturday night without their leader and starting quarterback Myles Brennan, who suffered an apparent injury to his ankle against Missouri.  Orgeron has yet to name a starter for Saturday, but does plan on playing both freshmen quarterbacks in the contest.  "I plan on giving both of them a chance during the game. I want to see what they can do and the only way to do that is under live action."

    Below is today's press conference video... courtesy of LSU Sports Information... 

10/19/2020
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports!

    LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron broke the news earlier today during his 'Tell the Truth Monday' press conference that quarterback Myles Brennan will be listed questionable for Saturday's game against South Carolina.
   "Myles has a significant injury to his lower body. Something that we do believe is gunna heal, it's taking a little bit more time to heal. We thought he'd be back today but he's not. I don't know if he's going to play in this game." 
    Orgeron said both true freshman quarterbacks, TJ Finley and Max Johnson are both practicing hard and preparing for Saturday. "To be honest they both have had a fantastic week. Both of them are very impressive. I believe both of those guys have NFL talent. Not only have they not been in live action, they're both freshmen. We are going to practice both of those quarterbacks this week. We gunna  tell them whoever has the best week is going to start." Coach O would also add.. "I plan on giving both of them a chance during the game. I want to see what they can do and the only way to do that is under live action." 
    Coach O was also asked about the importance of establishing the running game this weekend with a true freshman starting at quarterback, after only managing 49 rushing yards last week.  "It's very important. We worked hard on that last week. It's really important. This game and any game, it's a plus to get the running game going. That's gunna set up the pass. We can not be one dimensional. We have to be able to block better up front. We have to be able to run the football better in order to not get behind. 2nd and ten, 3rd and ten. We got to get into manageable downs."
    Both of these freshmen quarterbacks have been impressive so far in practice, giving both Coach O and Coach Ensminger  confidence that either of them can get the job down.  "To be fair to them, after Thursday's practice I'll tell them, on Friday morning, I'll sit down and talk to them. Tell them I believe in them. Tell them that it will be fine. Just do the things they can do. That's why they were recruited here. That's why they came here."

10/14/2020
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports!

    The LSU vs. Florida game scheduled for this weekend, Saturday, October 17th, has been
rescheduled due to several Florida University players testing positive for COVID....
   "Our priority is the health and well-being of our student-athletes and staff," LSU Director
of Athletics Scott Woodward said. "The decision to reschedule the game comes as a result of close coordination and cooperation with the University of Florida and SEC officials and we are in full support. It is disappointing for everyone, but prudent. We wish all those at Florida who may be impacted the very best."
    As of now, the SEC targeted to rescheduled the game for December 12th in Gainesville, Florida. 
    

10/13/2020
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports!

    Its been a difficult season so far for the young men who wear the purple and gold. The defending national champions find themselves sitting at 1-2 with the toughest opponents on their schedule still ahead of them. Adversity can be a tough thing to deal with, especially after recent success. But these talented young men are working very hard to move things in the right direction. Today, defensive tackle Glenn Logan and wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. both sat down with the media to answer a few questions and talk about how the team is responding to the rocky, unexpected start to the 2020 ten game SEC football season. A 1-2 start to a football season is not a normal occurrence in Baton Rouge, but then again, nothing in our lives have been normal since March 11th of this trying year of 2020.  Please continue to pull for and pray for all of these young men, that they will stay healthy and safe as they compete for victory for LSU. 

                     DT - Glenn Logan

                  WR - Terrace Marshall Jr.

10/12/2020
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports!

    Coach Orgeron met with the media as usual on 'Tell the Truth Monday' to discuss the disappointing loss to Missouri and what lies ahead for his Fighting Tigers in Gainesville, Florida this weekend. The Gators are coming off of an upset loss themselves, as they fell to Texas A&M on the road, 41-38. 

    Below is a video of this morning's press conference, provided by LSU Sports Information...

10/10/2020
By: Terrill J. Weil
Da Boot Sports!

   
    #17 LSU was handed their second upset loss of the season by the 0-2 Missouri Tigers, 45-41.  After last week's bounce back win, we all hoped that the Tigers' fixed the defensive woes that haunted them in week one. Apparently not. Vanderbilt is and always will be Vanderbilt... All week long I said, "Looks like they have improved some, but don't forget, we played Vanderbilt"... Matter of fact, this one may have been uglier then the season opening loss to Mississippi State. 
  Saturday's game was suppose to be played in Tiger Stadium under the lights, instead it was relocated to Columbia, MO with a 11am kickoff thanks to Hurricane Delta. 
   Even though the Tigers couldn't establish a running game, (only managing 49 yards on the ground), they moved the ball well through the air.  Myles Brennan and the LSU receivers, lead by Terrace Marshall Jr., made several big plays throughout the day during the seesaw affair. On the final drive of the game, the LSU offense would find themselves 1st and goal at the Mizzu one yard line with 44 seconds remaining. Missouri's defense would stand tall with a game winning goal line stand, keeping LSU out of the end zone on four straight plays from the one.
    I don't put this loss on the offense, even though you would hope they could punch it in from the one yard line with four opportunities. But when you score 41 points, put up 479 yards of offense, and  win the turnover battle 3-0, along with a turn over on downs and still lose, WHY?  Because of very poor defense. 
  Bo Pelini's defensive scheme is as frightening to watch as a Nightmare on Elm Street movie marathon. For three weeks we have witnessed a LSU defense, loaded with talent, look lost and confused with a secondary that has given up countless big plays due to break downs in coverage. Not to mention the poor tackling and lack of aggression from the defensive front.
    Missouri's running backs found gaping holes to run through, totaling 180 rushing yards on the day.
Redshirt freshman quarterback, Connor Bazelak picked the LSU secondary apart going 29-34, 406 yards passing, with four touchdown passes.  The Tigers are now 1-2 for the first time since 1994. 
    Below is the game break down.....



      1st QUARTER:

    Missouri would receive the opening kickoff and waste little time drawing first blood going 75 yards in only four plays capped off by a 58 yard touchdown pass from Connor Bazelak to Tauskie Dove on a flea flicker play that the Tigers' secondary bit on.  Harrison Mevis would convert the PAT putting the Mizzu Tigers up 7-0. 
    The LSU offense would respond with a very nice 10 play, 75 yard scoring drive, as Myles Brennan would hit Terrace Marshall in the back corner of the end zone for a 6 yard touchdown. The key play of the drive came when Brennan would hit Arik Gilbert for a 17 yard gain on 4th and five from the Mizzu 38 yard line. Cade York would add the point after to tie things up at 7-7 with 8:03 left in the 1st quarter. 
    Missouri could only manage seven yard in three plays on their next possession. With it 4th and three at their own 47 yard line, Mizzu would keep their offense on the field, causing the Tigers to quickly called a timeout. As both teams lined back up Mizzu would send out their punt team. On the snap, the Tigers would try to run a fake as punter Grant McKinnis would throw an incomplete pass, turning the ball over on downs to the Bayou Bengals. 
    LSU quickly took advantage of the turnover as Myles Brennan would once again find Marshall in the end zone, this time from two yards out. The Tigers would go 47 yards in only five plays on the drive, leaving 3:45 to go on the game clock, increasing their lead to 14-7. 
    Bazelak would begin to have his way with the LSU secondary as he would dink and dunk the Mizzu offense down the field. The Tigers would answer LSU's score and pull even 14-14, when running back Tyler Badie would find a huge hole, then break a couple of tackles on his way to a 29 yard touchdown run. The scoring drive went for 75 yards in nine plays, eating 3:23 off the clock. LSU would take over their next possession with 22 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, sending us to the 2nd with the score 14-14.



     
      2nd QUARTER:

    LSU would take their next possession into the 2nd quarter but would go three-and-out. Zach Van Rosenberg would punt the ball away. As Kris Abrames-Draine fielded the punt for Mizzu, Racey McMath raced down, reached out, and pulled the ball loose. Quentin Skinner would recover the ball for the Bayou Bengals at the Mizzu 25 yard line.  On 1st and 10 from the 25, Brennan would drop back to throw and find Arik Gilbert in the end zone for the score. York's kick would make it a 21-14 LSU lead early in the 2nd quarter. 
  The LSU defense would make one of their few big plays during the game on Missouri's next possession. On 3rd and 6 from the Mizzu 42 yard line, Bazelak would drop back to throw. BJ Ojulari would sack him, causing a fumble that Alie Gaye would recover at the Tigers' 31 yard line. However, the Bayou Bengals would sputter and settle for a 42 yard Cade York field goal extending the LSU lead to 24-14. At this point, it seemed that LSU had starting to take control of the game. 
    Missouri would refuse to crumble to the LSU lead and momentum shift. They would answer, going 75 yards in nine plays, highlighted by a huge 26 yard completion from Bazelak to wide open Jalen Knox. The Mizzu score would come on an end around trick play, with Knox taking it into the end zone from 16 yards out. Once again, the LSU defense missed tackles on a scoring play. The LSU lead was cut to 24-21 with 7:33 to go in the first half. 
    LSU struggle going three-and-out, punting the ball back to the Mizzu Tigers. The Missouri offense would continue to mix up their plays well, keeping the LSU defense guessing and playing back on their heels.  LSU would finally stop the Tigers' drive at the 31 yard line, setting up a 52 yard field goal attempt to tie the game at 24. Harrison Mevis would push the ball through the uprights doing so with 1:56 left in the half.
    LSU would go three-and-out, followed by Mizzu taking a knee to run out the game clock. Both teams would head into their locker room at halftime with the score knotted up at 24-24... 



     
      3rd QUARTER:

    After only rushing for 1 total yard in the first half, LSU would come out trying to establish their running game. Ty Davis-Price would start the half with a nice 24 yard burst down to the LSU 49 yard line. But the Missouri defense would stop the drive there, setting up a LSU punt. Von Rosenberg would place a beautiful punt out of bounds at the Mizzu two yard line. On the next play, Todd Harris would cause a fumble that Jabril Cox would recover at the Tigers' five yard line, setting up an easy 1 yard touchdown run by Davis-Price. The score would put LSU up 31-24 with 12:25 left in the quarter.
    On the next possession, Bazelak would continue to take full advantage of the mistakes made by the LSU secondary. Mizzu would begin at their own 25 yard line and easily work their way down to the LSU 41. On 2nd and one from the 41 yard line, the entire LSU secondary bit on the play action pass, allowing Micah Wilson to run free, wide open down the middle of the field. Bazelak would find him easily for a 41 yard touchdown pass. When Wilson caught the ball, the nearest LSU defender was 15 plus yards behind him. The scoring drive would take only four plays, covering 75 yards, in 1:39. 
    The seesaw battle would continue as LSU would start their next drive, 1st and 10 at the 25 after the Mizzu kickoff would go through the end zone. Brennan would drop back and throw deep down the middle of the field hitting Terrace Marshall in stride for a 75 yard touchdown. 38-31, LSU with 8:48 left in the quarter. 
    Both teams would exchange punts setting up Mizzu 1st and 10 from their own 17 yard line. From there Bazelak would again begin to find receivers running free through the LSU secondary as they would go 83 yards easily in seven plays, scoring on a 21 yard pass from Bazelak to Tyler Badie. 
    With the score tied at 38-38 with 2:36 left in the 3rd quarter, Brennan would drive LSU 42 yards in seven plays, to the Mizzu 19. A holding penalty would stall the drive and Cade York would kick a 51 yard field goal to once again give LSU the lead, 41-38 on the last play of the 3rd quarter. The highlight of the drive came on a nice 44 yard completion from Brennan to Terrace Marshall from the LSU 30 down to the Mizzu 26 yard line. 




      4th QUARTER:

    Missouri would begin the 4th quarter starting their drive at the 25 after a touchback. After two nice completions by Bazelak, running back Larry Roundtree would break off a 29 yard run down to the LSU 34 yard line after more missed tackles. A holding penalty would help assist the LSU defense with a much needed stop, forcing Missouri to attempt a 56 yard field goal. Harrison Mevis would miss the kick setting LSU up with great starting field position at their 39 yard line. 
  Myles Brennan would start the drive with a couple of nice first down completions to Kayshon Boutte. He would then hit Marshall for 11 yards down to the Mizzu 22 yard line. On the next play Brennan would hit Tory Carter in the hands in the end zone, but Carter would be unable to hang on dropping the pass. After a three yard sack and a delay of the game penalty, York would attempt a 45 yard field goal. The Tigers would come away empty handed as Missouri would block the kick keeping the score at 41-38 with 7:04 to go in the ball game.
    Missouri would have it 2nd and 12 at their 21 yard line. Connor Bazelak would drop back to throw and find a wide open Chance Luper for a 69 yard completion down to the LSU 10 yard line. The LSU secondary would have another break down causing Luper to find himself all alone for Bazelak to easily find. Two plays later Bazelak would hit Neko Hea in the end zone from five yards out to give Missouri the lead, 45-41 with only 5:18 left in the contest. 
    Myles Brennan and the LSU offense would begin a beautiful drive starting from their own 25 yard line. The Tigers would go 74 yards in 8 plays finding themselves 1st and goal at the Mizzu one yard line with 44 seconds left. On first and second down, LSU would try to punch the ball in with Ty Davis-Price out of the shotgun. Both times, Davis-Price was stuffed for no gain by the Missouri defense. On 3rd down, still in the spread, Brennan attempted a swing pass to Marshall out of the backfield, but Nick Bolton would come across the line, reach up and slap the ball away setting up 4th and goal from the one with 22 seconds left. 4th down, Brennan would roll to his right a try to hit Marshall on a out route, but Mizzu defender, Josh Bledsoe would make a great play, diving and batting the ball away to save the 45-41 win for his team. 


     The LSU offense, while not perfect is getting the job done, scoring 27, 41, and 41 points respectfully in the first three weeks.
     Myles Brennan has shown improvement in each game. At times against Missouri he
showed flashes of a Joe Burrow moment as he would buy time and make a great throw down field. He finished 29-48, 430 yards passing, and four touchdowns. No doubt Brennan has a very bright future ahead.
    The running game was a huge disappointment on Saturday.  John Emery only had two carries for seven yards after having a great game in Nashville last week surpassing 100 yards. Chris Curry started the game, but quickly disappeared after only managing 6 yards on 5 carries. Ty Davis-Price ended up leading the team in rushing with 38 yards on 9 carries and a touchdown.  
    The receivers continue to improve and play at a high level. Terrace Marshall finished with 11
catches, 235 yards, and 3 touchdown grabs. Arik Gilbert had a solid game catching 6 passes for 97 yards, and a nice touchdown catch. Overall eight different receivers had catches in the ball game.          The two big knocks on this offense after three games is their lack of a productive running attack
and their 3rd down conversions. They were 0-10 on 3rd down against Mizzu and are now 9-39 on the season for only 23%. 
    It's obvious that whatever Bo Pelini is trying to do isn't working. The defense gave up 45 points and 596 total yards to Missouri, (180 rushing / 406 passing). The break downs in the secondary, all the missed tackles, all the confusion, it's all inexcusable.
    This defense is very talented but very poorly coached.  It brings back nightmarish memories
of dark defenses from LSU's past when things were at its worse. Nightmares of Phil Bennett's defense under Curley Hallman in 1994 and painful visions of Lou Tepper's defense that was a total disaster in 1998 and 1999 under Gerry DiNardo.
   What upsets me and I'm sure most of you fans out there is the way Coach O seemed to defend Pelini after Saturday's game.  At this point, in my opinion, a little more anger and urgency needs to be shown by a head coach.  Orgeron was quoted saying after the game, "I love Bo. I think he is going to be a great defensive coordinator. He's done it before. But we've got to get better." ... Instead I would like to hear this type of response from Coach O in a all-business tone .... "I like Bo, But right now he's doing a very poor job with our defense. If improvements aren't made very soon, we will need to go in a different direction." ....
    Meanwhile even with all the confusion, the players on defense are playing hard and deserve so much better from their coaches. Please Coach O, please fix this defense. It's not too late, but time is running out. and running out fast with the toughest part of the 2020 schedule on top of us. This team was expected to be 3-0 at this point despite the craziness of dealing with the COVID-19 situation. 
    Next up for the (1-2) Tigers is a trip to the Swamp to take on the (2-1) Florida Gators next Saturday. The game will be televised on CBS with a 2:30pm CST kickoff. Florida was upset this weekend, as they lost to Texas A&M in College Station, 41-38. 
​

Photos By: LSU/SEC