Da Boot Sports 10/8/2021 LSU Sports Information By: Michael Bonnette BATON ROUGE -- With the consistent and significant decline in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations across the state of Louisiana and in the Baton Rouge area, LSU will lift its COVID-19 entrance protocols for football games in Tiger Stadium, beginning with the Tigers’ October 16th game against Florida. In accordance with state and campus guidelines, all guests will still be required to wear masks in the indoor areas of the stadium. “The COVID-19 rates in Louisiana have dropped dramatically across the state over the last couple of weeks, and today, the state has a positivity rate below five percent,” said Dr. Catherine O’Neal, Chief Medical Officer at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge and a member of the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force. “Because of this success, we are able to lift the vaccine and testing requirements for entry into Tiger Stadium. By balancing mitigation efforts and risk in the ongoing fight to end the pandemic, we can protect our community and safely celebrate the traditions that bring us together.” Beginning October 16th, guests will no longer be required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test upon entrance to Tiger Stadium. Gameday testing, fast pass preverification, and all other entrance-related procedures will no longer be in place, and masks will no longer be required in outdoor locations of the stadium for guests under 12 years of age. “We cannot thank our fans enough for stepping up to help stop the spread while still supporting the Tigers,” LSU Director of Athletics Scott Woodward said. “Their commitment to protecting our community and supporting our student-athletes has never wavered. We remain fully committed to providing a gameday experience that is as safe and as enjoyable as possible for all guests, and we will continue to work with University leadership and rely on medical expertise to ensure we are taking reasonable and necessary precautions to protect the health of our community.” COVID-19 in Louisiana has consistently and continually declined in recent weeks. Hospitalizations have decreased by 80 percent over the past seven weeks, and the state’s percent positivity is less than five percent, well below its August peak near 16 percent. Since August 1, the state’s vaccination rate has increased by 23 percent, with now more than 2.1 million Louisianans fully vaccinated. “This is amazing progress,” Dr. O’Neal said. “But the game is not over. This virus will surge again, and Louisiana must be prepared before it arrives yet again by getting vaccinated. The vaccines we have are safe and effective, and getting vaccinated is our best shot at defeating COVID-19.”
0 Comments
Da Boot Sports 10/6/2021 LSU Sports Information By: Michael Bonnette BATON ROUGE – LSU All-America cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. had a procedure performed on his foot, head coach Ed Orgeron announced on Wednesday. Orgeron said there is no timetable on Stingley’s return to the field. “I appreciate all of the support from LSU and the fans,” Stingley Jr. said. “I’m doing all that I can to return to the field as soon as possible. I want to finish out the season with my teammates and I will do everything I can to get healthy so that I will be able to play again this year.” Da Boot Sports 10/5/2021 By: Terrill J. Weil BATON ROUGE, LA: LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron met with the media on Monday for his "Tell the Truth Monday" press conference. It was the same ole song and dance, just a different day... Coach O would talk about the team's struggles and take the blame for it, "That's my fault, I take full responsibility." Then begin to mention what they need to fix this week. They need to work on the running game. They need to work on pass protection. They need to work getting the play send into the huddle. The video of the press conference is below just in case you're interested in watching it... GEAUX TIGERS!!! Da Boot Sports 10/3/2021 By: Terrill J. Weil BATON ROUGE, LA: I have been a fan of Ed Orgeron since he became the head coach of our Tigers. I was convinced that last season was some sick COVID fluke. I said, "Put an asterisk next to the 2020 season and forget about it. Coach O will right the ship and the program will bounce back big." I sat in the Tiger Stadium press box yesterday evening before kickoff and typed up an article about how this football team is improving more and more each week, picking them to win last night's contest convincingly. Well after this loss I, as well as most of the LSU fan base are fed up. How much more will Scott Woodward put up with? Since the embarrassing week one loss to UCLA, all we hear during the Monday press conference is, "We need to get better." or "We need to fix some things this week." .... After five games and a 3-2 record it's obvious that Ed Orgeron has no clue how to fix the problems LSU has. If he did, it would have been fixed by now. All season long this talented team has looked poorly coached and we have seen the coaching staff out coached by their opponent in three of the five contest played. Something in this program is very broken and needs to be fixed quickly. When you get a post game quote like this from your head coach after week five, you know you're program is in trouble... “It’s just every time we try to run the football we get stuffed,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. “We have to find some new ways to block and we have to find some people that are going to block.” LSU fans are angry. First they are angry for being the only fan base in the conference who need to deal with COVID restrictions, then the anger builds while watching poor football at the cost of a high priced ticket. Tiger Stadium hasn't been the same since the 2019 season. Every home game this season has had several empty seats scattered throughout the stadium, with many fans choosing to head for the exits as early as halftime after being frustrated by a poor first half performance. Fans pay hard earned money expecting to see a winning football team. Empty seats are bad for business. It's bad for your recruiting. Kids come to LSU to play in a full, electrifying, deafening Tiger Stadium. To play in top ten matchups. To play for championships. To win! As I look at the rest of the 2021 schedule, I'm trying to figure out which games left the Tigers may have a chance to win. Other then UL-Monroe, I don't see any. How can you beat anyone in the SEC left on your schedule if you can't run the football? You won't beat Kentucky, Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas, or Texas A&M being one dimensional. LSU could easily finish this season with a 4-8 record. 4-8! Can LSU afford to fire Orgeron as well as an entire new staff at season's end, then have enough money to bring a big name successful new head coach in? At this point, they can't afford not too. Lots of questions remain. Do you take the wait and see approach, then pull the trigger at the end of the season? Or do you do it after another loss or two? If so, who on this staff do you promote to interim head coach? Who will be the top candidates on your interview list? Can you catch lightning in a bottle like Alabama did hiring Nick Saban after two disastrous years in the NFL? (Could Urban Meyer be lured back to the SEC after his one year failure with the Jacksonville Jaguars?) Can you save a very talented 2022 recruiting class? Can you keep key current players from entering the NCAA transfer portal? How much longer will Mr. Woodward wait before he makes a change? Hopefully sooner then later. I've seen enough and I'm ready for Coach O to Geaux.... Da Boot Sports 10/3/2021 By: Terrill J. Weil BATON ROUGE, LA: Once again LSU was outcoached and again LSU fell to a team with inferior talent, as they drop a physical battle with Auburn, 24-19 on Saturday night in Death Valley. The Tigers led 19-10 heading into the 4th quarter, but Auburn would rally back with 14 points in the final 15 minutes to win the contest. It was the first time Auburn has won in Baton Rouge since 1999. The LSU vs. Auburn series has had several games nicknamed due to big plays, crazy happenings, and breath taking finishes. "The Earthquake Game",... "The Barn Burner",... "The Interception Game" when in 1994 LSU led 23–9 entering the fourth quarter. LSU quarterback Jamie Howard threw five fourth quarter interceptions - three were returned for touchdowns, allowing Auburn to win 30-26. ... and "The Cigar Game" This Auburn game will go down as 'The Can't Catch Nix Game'... Nix put on a better escape performance on Saturday night then Harry Houdini ever did. Countless times the LSU pass rush had him here, had him there, and it was like watching a highlight film of Fran Tarkenton. In my opinion the turning point of the game was the incredible scramble and 24 yard touchdown pass on 4th and two by Nix. The play snowballed his and his teams confidence for the rest of the contest. “Tonight was a blast. I came in this week with a different mindset and just to be a competitor,” Nix said. “I just went back to what got me here. I didn’t know how it was going to go, but I wanted to come in here focused and compete like crazy and do whatever it took. I haven’t run around like this in a while, I’m going to sleep well when I get home.” Auburn received the open kickoff and drove into LSU territory. The drive would stall at the LSU 47 yard line forcing a Auburn punt that would be fair caught by Trey Palmer at the 9. On the Tigers first offensive snap from the 9, Max Johnson would hit Kayshon Boutte crossing over the middle. Boutte would out race the Auburn defenders up the near sidelines until he was forced out of bounds at the Auburn 36. The play covered 55 yards. The Tigers would drive deep into Auburn territory, finding themselves 1st and goal at the nine. LSU center Liam Shanahan would snap the ball past Max Johnson who was able to chase the ball down, jumping on it at the Auburn 31, a 22 yard loss. Facing a 2nd and goal from the 31, Johnson would throw deep down the far sidelines towards a double covered Kayshon Boutte. Somehow the ball fit between the two defenders and ended up in Boutte's hands in the end zone for the score. With Cade York's PAT, the Tigers took the early lead, 7-0. The drive covered 91 yards in 8 plays, eating 5:25 off the game clock. LSU would add to their lead early in the 2nd quarter, after a drive stalled at the Auburn 25 yard line. A Cade York field goal put the Tigers up 10-0 with 13:35 to go in the half. On their next possession the Tigers offense would add another three points to their lead as Cade York would kick his second field goal of the night from 26 yards out after the LSU drive halted at the Auburn three. 13-0 Tigers with 8:38 left in the 1st half. Auburn would finally get on the scoreboard, answering the LSU scoring drive, going 75 yards on 10 plays. The score came on a 4th and two from the LSU 24 yard line. Bo Nix would roll to the right on the play. The Tigers had the play shut down, causing Nix to roll back the other way. Nix would make an incredible play, avoiding two LSU defenders with a pump fake on one then spinning away from another before firing a pass down field that landed in the arms of Auburn tight end, Tyler Fromm in the end zone for a touchdown. 13-7 Tigers with 4:53 left on the clock. Bo Nix would lead Auburn to back-to-back scoring drives as they trimmed three more points off of the LSU lead. They would drive 62 yards in 13 plays. Once again, Bo Nix would pull a rabbit out of a hat on the drive. Facing a 4th and two at the LSU 48, Nix dropped back to throw and again would find himself under heavy pressure. Nix would again scramble around to avoid several LSU defenders before finding a receiver open for a ten yard completion and a 1st down to keep the drive alive. The Tigers would finally stop the drive forcing Anders Carlson to kick a 49 yard field goal with :14 second left sending us to the half with LSU leading 13-10. Auburn attempted an onside kick to begin the 3rd quarter, but the ball would go out of bounds giving LSU possession at Auburn's 45 yard line. The Tigers would march deep into Auburn territory before the drive would stall at the five yard line. Cade York added his third field goal of the night to put the Tigers up 16-10 with 11:00 to go in the quarter. Auburn would look to answer the Tigers opening second half scoring drive. They marched 40 yards on seven plays before the LSU defense stiffened up and stopped the drive at their 35 yard line. Auburn lined up to attempt a 52 yard field goal, but Jay Ward stormed into the backfield and blocked the kick, setting up LSU 1st and ten at their own 38. LSU answered with an 11 play, 29 yard drive that stalled at the Auburn 33 yard line. It was the Cade York show again as he entered the game and hit a 51 yard field goal right down the middle giving LSU the lead 19-10 with 3:26 left in the 3rd quarter. Both teams continued to move the ball up and down the field as Auburn quickly advanced into LSU territory. The 3rd quarter would end with Auburn looking at a 2nd and four at the LSU 11 yard line. Bo Nix continued to kill LSU with his feet, picking up six yards on a bootleg to the five. Then running the same bootleg play on the next snap, Nix would find the end zone. 19-17 LSU with 14:16 left in the contest. Auburn would dig deep down and drive 92 yards on 11 plays to take their first lead of the ball game. Jarquez Hunter would punch it into the end zone from one yard out. The PAT would put Auburn up 24-19 with only 3:11 left in the game. The Tigers would have one final drive to try and pull out a victory starting from their own 25 yard line. LSU moved the ball to their 36 where they would face a 3rd and six. Max Johnson under pressure would complete a 22 yard pass to Boutte on the far sideline and it looked like the drive was still alive. But the officials would review the play and overturn the call saying Boutte dropped the ball when he hit the ground. With the ball game on the line with LSU facing a 4th and six, Johnson would fire a pass down the middle of the field over throwing his target. Auburn safety Baydarrius Knighten would intercept the pass to end the contest. The Tigers let this one get away from them because of their inability to run the football. A team has finally laid out the blue print for the rest of the SEC on how to shut down the one dimensional Tiger attack. LSU was also outcoached in the second half again this season as Auburn made the necessary adjustments at halftime to contain Kayshon Boutte and control the LSU passing game. Max Johnson struggled in the second half with his accuracy and throwing off his back foot due to Auburn's pass rush. He would finish the night going 26-46, for 325 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Corey Kiner lead the team in rushing with 22 yards on five carries, while Ty Davis-Price added 18 yards on five carries. LSU finished the game averaging a dismal 1.2 yards per attempt for 29 total rushing yards. Kayshon Boutte finished the game with 127 yards on six catches and a touchdown. Jack Bech had a good game with 7 catches for 84 yards. Damone Clark led the team with 13 total tackles on the night. Jay Ward had 10 tackles and also blocked a field goal attempt. The defense finished the game with no sacks and no turnovers. “We couldn’t tackle Bo Nix. That’s the biggest thing," LSU linebacker Damone Clark said. "Way too many missed tackles.” Next up for the Tigers is a trip to Lexington, Kentucky to take on the 5-0 red hot Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday, Oct.9th. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30pm and will be televised on SEC Network. Photos Below By: Michael Bacigalupi Photos Below BY: Jonathan Mailhes Da Boot Sports 10/2/2021 By: Terrill J. Weil BATON ROUGE, LA: The last time LSU played a meaningful game at home was back in 2019. After a 2020 season controlled by the COVID-19 virus, Tiger Fans should be itching to make the 'Valley Shake' on Saturday night when #22 Auburn comes to town. It's been one of the biggest and craziest rivalries in LSU football history and this game should be no different then one's in recent history, especially after Auburn handed the Tigers their worse loss in the history of the series last year on the plains, 48-11. There's no doubt that Ed Orgeron has made sure that his players remember last season's embarrassing defeat all week long, putting a chip on the team's shoulder and revenge in their minds. Since the ugly week two win over McNeese, the Tigers have shown steady improvement each week which is a very encouraging sign. But this team still has a way to go. The improvements MUST continue as the meat of their schedule starts now against Auburn. Look for the Tigers to once again go fast and furious on offense against a very tough Auburn defense. If LSU can sustain just a decent running game to go with their explosive air attack, Auburn will be in for a long night. Saturday night will be the first time the Tigers will have their entire starting offensive line back since the UCLA game. They must protect Max Johnson. I'm expecting the LSU defense to have a great night. They must win the line of scrimmage and stop the Auburn running game. Tank Bigsby is a very good running back who is tough to bring down. Make Auburn one dimensional, then do what you do best, rush the passer, harass him, and get sacks. Derek Stingley will not play, but the rest of the secondary is healthy and hungry to make plays. With former LSU quarterback T.J. Finley possibly taking the field for Auburn at some point in the contest should add extra to the Tigers revenge factor. As I sit here typing this in the Tiger Stadium press box, watching the Tigers warming up on the field, 60 minutes to kickoff, I watch the stadium slowly begin to fill. I think LSU will make a statement tonight on national television with a huge victory, showing that they will be a team not to be taken lightly the rest of the season. The fans must get behind this LSU football team and make Death Valley electric and LOUD tonight. Help raise the Tigers to the next level by feeding off your energy...... 'LET THE VALLEY SHAKE!!!' PREDICTION: LSU 31, Auburn 20 |
Archives
April 2024
|