Florida Gators vs. LSU Tigers: Q&A with Death Valley Voice

It’s been a tumultuous week to say the least, but there’s still a game to be played on Saturday and it’s against the Florida Gators permanent SEC West rivals, the LSU Tigers. That means we go to talk with Eric Slater, the editor for our sister site Death Valley Voice. Does he think these two struggling offenses can get it going?

Hail Florida Hail: It seems like LSU constantly reloads instead of rebuilds, but they’ve struggled a bit this season. Why?
Death Valley Voice: Several reasons.  First and foremost, attrition due to the sheer number of players leaving for the NFL has hurt LSU a great deal.  A lot of experience on both sides of the ball left early, leaving glaring holes that have been difficult to fill.  LSU has played 17 true freshmen so far this year, which is second only to Tennessee in the SEC.  Inexperience at the quarterback position and on the interior of the defensive line has arguably been the most problematic.  Second, the offensive line has underperformed.  This is truly baffling, as the personnel here are veterans and this unit was one of LSU’s strengths last year.  Third, linebacker play, particularly middle linebacker, has been a weak link.  As I’ll explain shortly, the coaching staff is in the process of rectifying this issue.

HFH: Which quarterback, Anthony Jennings or Brandon Harris, gives the Tigers the best chance to win?
DVV: Brandon Harris has the most upside, and gives the Tigers the best chance to win.  In limited action so far this year, the Auburn game excluded, Harris has displayed his cannon of an arm, the ability to successfully run the read-option, and can spread the ball around to different receivers.  Harris is one of the true freshmen to see playing time, and really looked the part at Auburn.  Anthony Jennings is a sophomore and has been in the system longer, and should it play out that Harris gets the bulk of playing time, Jennings will still be needed.

HFH: LSU’s gotten off to some really slow starts this season. What needs to happen to rectify that?
DVV: Conservative play calling to start games would appear to be the culprit here.  The Tigers primarily line up in a Power-I formation, and to most observers, look like decades ago-Big Ten teams where the offensive philosophy was “three yards and a cloud of dust.”  So essentially, LSU is a run-first team, and really has been under Les Miles.  There is a lot of predictability in how the offense operates.  I think in order to rectify this, LSU needs to change things up a bit.  Both quarterbacks are of the read-option, spread offense variety, and perhaps that should be taken advantage of, along with throwing more on first down, and using more play-action.  Use the pass to open up the run.

Teams have been loading 8-9 guys in the box, and as one would expect, this is severely hampering the running game.  Then when LSU gets into obvious passing situations, defense are pinning their ears back, making it difficult to convert and move the chains.  This type of approach by opposing defenses worked very well in both of LSU’s losses so far, first to Mississippi State, then to Auburn.

HFH: The Gators and Tigers has become a pretty good rivalry as of late, with each team winning seven times since 2000. Do you consider the Florida game a true rivalry?
DVV: Since LSU and Florida play each other every year as the permanent cross-division game for each team, I would say so.  There are LSU fans, however, who would disagree, likely pointing to unbalanced scheduling whereby other SEC West teams consistently play weaker teams in the SEC East, as compared to LSU/Florida.

HFH: What’s LSU’s biggest strength?
DVV: It’s difficult to say right now, given the LSU’s problems on both offense and defense.  Going into the season, it looked like the offensive line would have been one of the strengths.  On defense, the secondary was touted as one of the best in the nation.  As mentioned, the OL has been a huge disappointment, and perhaps part of that can be attributed to a new OL coach.  The secondary, at least in the SEC games thus far, has fallen prey to the overall problems on defense.  Play from the front 7 has been weak, and this no doubt is affecting performance in the defensive backfield.

HFH; What’s their greatest weakness?
DVV: Six games into the season, I would have to say the OL, DT, and MLB positions.  Inexperience at QB has certainly been an issue as well.

HFH: Name three impact players for the game and why.
DVV: I mentioned earlier that the coaching staff is in the process of rectifying the MLB position.  Senior D.J. Welter has been the starter, and through the first four games received the bulk of playing time there.  Unfortunately, he’s slow, and has not been able to make up for the weaknesses at the DT spots.  That said, teams have had great success running up the middle.  Dak Prescott and Nick Marshall shredded the middle of the defense, and when LSU played New Mexico State, the second-string quarterback attacked the middle to the tune of a 79-yard touchdown run.  The first impact player to watch is sophomore Kendell Beckwith.  He will now receive most of the playing time, replacing Welter.  Beckwith is definitely one of the young studs on defense.

The second player to watch is freshman tailback Leonard Fournette.  He was one of the top recruits to come out of high school last year, not only from the state of Louisiana, but nationally.  He has one game so far of 100+ yards, and has shown improvement from the beginning of the year.  Whereas he was initially running right at the defense, he is learning to be patient, to let the play develop, and find the holes.  In the recent past, LSU has been known for typically a “4-headed” monster at the tailback position, with a heavy rotation of backs.  Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron might be best-served at this stage in making Fournette the featured back.

The third player is either Harris or Jennings, depending on who gets the start, and if there are substitutions, whoever can establish himself.  LSU desperately needs smart, consistent play from whoever is under center.  Additionally, the play calling must cater to the quarterback’s strengths if either is to be successful.

HFH: Give me your game prediction, including final score.
DVV: Both teams have issues on offense, so I expect a low-scoring affair.  I think LSU prevails in a close one, 21-17.

As long as it’s not a snoozefest for three quarters, I’ll take a low scoring game. Huge thanks to Eric Slater of Death Valley Voice. Give Eric and DVV a follow to see how the Bayou Bengals view this week’s game. We’ll be returning the favor, so be on the lookout for that.