Young Patriots leading with defensive intensity
December 11, 2012
Tinseling the Town – Holiday a boon for decoration business
December 11, 2012
The Saints were obviously the only local team in action this week with LSU preparing for its bowl game and Nicholls heading into its offseason.
So this week, we will shake up the formula a little bit.
For LSU and Nicholls, the report cards below will be for the entire season.
The Saints’ grades will stay the same and will track the team’s game with the Giants.
LSU
Quarterbacks – Zach Mettenberger started slow and struggled in the beginning of Southeastern Conference play. But the LSU junior had five touchdowns compared to just two interceptions in the final five games of the season. There’s no doubt if Mettenberger got better. The question is whether he can take his progression into 2013.
Grade: B
Halfbacks – No LSU halfback got more than 130 carries this year. That’s no surprise when one holds a stable with names like Jeremy Hill, Kenny Hilliard, Michael Ford, Spencer Ware and Alfred Blue. But Hill appears to be the lead horse going into 2013. He, with a 100-percent healthy Blue, should make for exciting times in Baton Rouge.
Grade: A
Receivers – For the first half of the season, the LSU receivers were really, really bad. They couldn’t get separation from defenders, nor make routine plays. The second half of the season was much better, but it still has to be considered disappointing that Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry combined had just more than 1,200 yards with six scores. Each is capable of doing that alone.
Grade: C
Offensive line – In some games, Zach Mettenberger was target practice for opposing defensive lines – it’s part why his season was so inconsistent. But as the year moved forward, this young group meshed and showed promise. Going forward, the Tigers project to have a group capable of doing special things.
Grade: B-
Defensive line – The LSU defensive line was a terror on rushing offenses and opposing quarterbacks. They would get a near-perfect grade if not for one slipup against Florida. There’s no excuse for allowing the Gators to run the football darn near every play in the second half.
Grade: B+
Linebackers – Kevin Minter was a question mark heading into the 2012 season. That question mark should be replaced with an exclamation point. The LSU linebacker recorded a whopping 111 tackles and was a monster all season. His sidekick Lamin Barrow wasn’t bad either, recording 92 stops.
Grade: A-
Defensive backs – For the first eight or nine games of the season, LSU’s defensive backs really shined and were the bright spot of the team. But the Tigers were toasted crisp by the back-half of the schedule. They really showed inexperience with the losses of Morris Claiborne to the NFL, Ron Brooks to graduation and Tyrann Mathieu to stupidity.
Grade: B-
Special teams – Brad Wing continued to be one of the best punters in America in 2012, hitting 19 of his 59 punts for 50 or more yards. But Drew Alleman had an underwhelming season, hitting just eight of his 16 kicks from 30 or more yards out. Maybe Mo Isom wouldn’t have been such a bad idea after all. Odell Beckham lifts this grade with two punt returns for scores.
Grade: B+
Coaching staff – For all of his faults, Les Miles did a pretty solid job in 2012. The Tigers did not have any of the clock management errors that plagued them in years past. Another 10-win season isn’t good enough for some LSU fans. But for those with an IQ above 5, it’s another job well done.
Grade: B+
Overall – The LSU football team was one minute away from winning the national championship this season – just one minute. Had the team made one more first down against Alabama or made just one more defensive stop, the Tigers would have marched to Miami and stomped Notre Dame – just like the Crimson Tide will. That’s a frustrating reality, but it’s still an honor to be so close to the biggest prize.
Grade: A-
Nicholls
Quarterbacks – Landry Klann’s numbers wouldn’t be awful if one didn’t look at the interceptions. He completes a fair percentage of his passes and has a decent amount of yards. The 14 interceptions cannot be avoided, though. Those need to go down in 2013.
Grade: C+
Halfbacks – Marcus Washington rushed for 5.2 yards per carry and scored six touchdowns this season. Unfortunately, the Colonels were not often in manageable situations on the scoreboard, so they couldn’t always stick with the running game. That’s a shame because he’s a heck of a player.
Grade: B
Receivers– The Colonels’ leading receiver this season was a halfback. The team’s publicized move of LaQuintin Caston to receiver didn’t pay off. He didn’t record a single catch in the 2012 season. The Colonels need edge playmakers – now.
Grade: D
Offensive line – Landry Klann’s interception numbers need to go down, yes. But he also needs to have time to go through his progressions next season. The Colonels’ quarterback was harassed far more than any quarterback should be for most of the season. The good news is the Nicholls State line is young, so one could feasibly see where it’d be much better next year.
Grade: C-
Defensive line – It will be difficult to win at any level of football allowing 4.8 yards per rush and 192.6 rushing yards per game. Nicholls only recorded 11 sacks this season. Compare that to the 43 they allowed and one can easily see improvement needs to be made.
Grade: C
Linebacker – Jordan Piper and Chris Bermond were really fun to watch this season. The duo was the highlight of the team’s 2012 season. Unfortunately, Piper will graduate. But Bermond will be back and ready to create havoc next season.
Grade: B
Defensive backs – The Colonels defensive backs did a fair job forcing turnovers, recording an average of one interception a game this season. Allowing 263.1 yards per game through the air needs to be tweaked next season.
Grade: C+
Special teams – Probably the strong suit of the Colonels’ roster. Kicker Andrew Dolan was money on field goals, hitting all four of his attempts from 40-49-yards out. Punter Cory Kemps also showcased his big leg, striking 19 of his 50 punts for 50 or more yards. If the team could add some explosion to its return game, this could be an elite unit going forward.
Grade: B+
Coaching staff – It’s hard to find fault with anything Nicholls did schematically in 2012. But the Colonels just do not have the depth of talent necessary to win a significant amount of games. Sure, some of that is due to injuries. But a lot of it is recruiting. The Colonels have to win more battles on the recruiting trails before they can expect to win battles on Saturday afternoons within the conference.
Grade: C
Overall – Nicholls won just one game in 2012. Of their 10 losses, the team was within single digits of the opponent just twice. There’s an obvious void in competitiveness throughout Thibodaux. The Colonels need to soul search and get those problems fixed going forward because 2013 will be a make or break year within the program.
Grade: D
Saints
Quarterbacks – Drew Brees is the highest-paid player in the NFL this season. He also leads the world in interceptions. Talk about a tale of two opposites.
Grade: C
Halfbacks – I know stats won’t agree, but I think Mark Ingram had the best game of his career Sunday. He truly looked solid in all aspects of the game. That was very encouraging.
Grade: B+
Receivers – One year after being absolutely unstoppable, Jimmy Graham has been very average in 2012-13. His drops are becoming a real problem. In general, drops are plaguing the offense big-time.
Grade: D
Offensive line – The Saints rushed for 142 on the ground and Brees was sacked just one time. One cannot blame the offensive line for the team’s third-straight loss.
Grade: A
Defensive line – Eli Manning wasn’t even close to being sacked in this game. The Saints’ defensive line is a year or so away from being worthwhile.
Grade: C
Linebackers – Punter Thomas Morstead tied Jonathan Vilma in tackles Sunday. The NFL shouldn’t have to suspend the linebacker – the Saints should do it for them by cutting him. One can put up with national media headaches involving stars, but not involving linebackers who get a couple stops a game.
Grade: D
Defensive backs – The two interceptions were nice. The Saints’ secondary has showed very slow, but steady improvement.
Grade: B
Special teams – Continually allowing long returns to David Wilson is one thing. But allowing a 60-yard return on a squib kick? That’s embarrassing.
Grade: F
Coaching staff – The Saints are lacking the leadership of Sean Payton. If Joe Vitt was head coaching material, he’d be a head coach. There’s no way to accurately state how big Payton’s departure truly is.
Grade: C
Overall – The Saints’ 2012-13 season all-but came to an end in Sunday’s loss. The team has three games left to play and can do nothing but be a spoiler to other teams. This is what typically happens to teams who start 0-4.
Grade: D
LSU senior receiver Russell Shepard dives for the end zone during the Tigers’ win against Towson. LSU earned high marks during their end of the season report card. The Tigers return to the field Dec. 31 in a Chick-Fil-A Bowl matchup against Clemson.
