‘Billy the Kid’ makes his return
October 13, 2011
Prep Roundup: Week 6
October 13, 2011
LSU:
Quarterbacks – The LSU quarterbacks don’t have to do much when the team is running the football as well as it did Saturday. But 10-of-14 for more than 200 yards with two passing touchdowns isn’t bad for the LSU duo. Let’s give some love to Jordan Jefferson for showing improvement in the passing game.
Grade: A
Halfbacks – Spencer Ware is a monster when he gets his body moving downhill. Alfred Blue isn’t much different. LSU rushed for more than 200 yards Saturday despite Michael Ford, who rested after being a bit nicked up. Know what Ware, Blue and Ford all have in common? They are sophomores. Yikes.
Grade: A+
Receivers – It’s hard to judge a unit that only has 14 opportunities to run routes in an entire 60 minute game. But there were no drops and the group posted several big receptions down the field. That’s good enough for me.
Grade: A-
Offensive line – Florida was beat up on offense coming into this game, but not on defense. That changed real fast after the Tigers’ front got to work on the Gators’ defensive line. What a beat down!
Grade: A+
Defensive line – Florida seeped through the cracks on a few runs in both the first and second halves. But depite the mishaps, this unit was never truly in danger.
Grade: B+
Linebackers – Rebuilding or not, Florida has speed. The LSU linebackers never allowed that to be a factor in the game, closing the gaps and taking the Gators’ ball carriers to the ground before they could ignite a spark.
Grade: A-
Defensive backs – Tyrann Mathieu is called a honey badger by the LSU diehards because of his ability to cause havoc out of the LSU secondary. Whether he’s a honey badger, ladybug , sugar glider or banana spider, he’s the best defensive player in college football. There’s no reason this guy shouldn’t be a Heisman candidate.
Grade: A
Special Teams – LSU almost scored a touchdown on special teams. But an ambitious official chose to play things by the book. Either way, seeing a punter gliding across the field, following blockers into the end zone is pretty awesome. If Florida fans have an issue with the taunting, they need to blame their coach. He’s the dufus who accepted a penalty on the first punt, which made the Tigers re-kick.
Grade: A+
Coaching Staff – I’m not a fan of the two-quarterback system. But so far, so good for Les Miles and his staff. The Tigers are giving Lee just enough time to where it’s clear that he’s the starter and the No. 1 guy. Likewise, Jefferson is serving as a change of pace who is now doing more than just running the football on zone reads. If Jefferson continues to be able to move the chains through the air, this system could actually work.
Grade: A
Overall – Quarterback injuries or not, when was the last time LSU beat Florida by 30 points? Heck, when was the last time LSU beat any ranked opponent by 30 points? The answer to that question is in 2007 when the Tigers walloped Virginia Tech. What also happened in 2007? If you’re a true LSU fan, you will know the answer to that question. The Tigers keep cruising through its schedule without missing a beat.
Grade: A+
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Nicholls:
Quarterbacks – With LaQuintin Caston and Beaux Hebert out, the Colonels had to lift their red shirt on Landry Klann. Klann made the faithful wonder why he wasn’t the starter all along in a very solid performance.
Grade: A
Halfbacks – With the Colonels actually hitting passes down the field, Nicholls was able to rush the football. Halfback Marcus Washington gashed for 100 yards and two touchdowns in a solid showing.
Grade: B+
Receivers – All year long, we’ve wondered whether the team’s receivers were bad or if they were struggling because of inept quarterback play. With Klann slinging darts, the team’s receivers finally got their time to shine.
Grade: A-
Offensive line – Landry Klann was sacked about four times too often Saturday, but the run blocking was solid. For a struggling unit, this was an above average performance.
Grade: C+
Defensive line – For a second-straight week, the Colonels’ front got gashed for 100-plus yards on the ground. That’s not good news going forward. You can’t stop the run, you can’t stop anything else.
Grade: D
Linebackers – With the team’s front four struggling to get a push, the Colonels’ linebackers again struggled because they were being blocked. That’s not a fault to them. They need more help from their front line of defense.
Grade: C+
Defensive backs – Former Arkansas quarterback Nathan Dick resurfaced Saturday and made Nicholls’ lives difficult, tossing for 300 yards and three touchdowns. Nicholls is experienced in the secondary. They need to do better.
Grade: D
Special teams – Cory Kemps and Andrew Dolan continue to be the best punter/kicker duo in the Southland Conference. With another solid showing, these guys continue to impress.
Grade: B+
Coaching staff – There are two ways to look at Saturday’s performance. Firstly, the Colonels were better and were competitive for the first time in a while. That’s a plus. But the second thing isn’t as positive. If Landry Klann’s capable of being that effective, why wasn’t he playing all year? He needs to be the team’s starter going forward.
Grade: C
Overall – Nicholls was in control of this game for more than a half before crumbling late and losing a close contest. But the Colonels were truly better Saturday and showed marked improvement. Much work needs to be done, but for the first time in a month, progress was shown.
Grade: C+
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Saints:
Quarterbacks – Watching Sunday’s game, I just sort of felt Drew Brees wasn’t as sharp as he’s normally been. Catching a glimpse of his box score and I quickly saw why he is among the best in the world. If that statistical line isn’t ‘normal,’ then you’re a special, special player.
Grade: A
Halfbacks – I love Darren Sproles and the things he’s done to make the Saints’ offense better is nothing short of amazing. But he’s not a halfback that should be getting the most carries on his team. Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram are awfully underwhelming.
Grade: B+
Receivers – Jimmy Graham is an absolute nightmare for opponents. He’s big enough to muscle defensive backs, but fast enough to cause fits for linebackers. This guy is becoming an elite level talent right before our eyes. The receivers helping him aren’t half bad, either.
Grade: A
Offensive line – Carolina clearly showed that blitzing was the way they hoped to slow the Saints’ offense. The Black and gold front stood tall more often than not, which allowed Brees to find mismatches down the field. Good showing from an up and down unit.
Grade: A-
Defensive line – Panthers’ halfback DeAngelo Williams rushed for 115 yards on just nine carries. The Black and Gold also didn’t do a very good job pressuring Cam Newton, even though when they did, the officials unjustly called roughing the passer penalties.
Grade: B-
Linebackers – The Saints’ linebackers had a tough job Sunday containing both Cam Newton in the running game, while also guarding the Panthers’ two-headed monster at tight end. Neither facet really hurt the Saints much, so I’d say that’s a job well done.
Grade: A
Defensive backs – The Saints defensive backs made a few plays exploiting a rookie quarterback for his mishaps. But outside of that, there’s not a ton good to say. These guys just aren’t very good in coverage.
Grade: C+
Special teams – Why again did the Panthers decide to part ways with John Kasay? The dude’s still got a ton left in the tank. I’ll even go so far as to say he’s a better option than Garrett Hartley just because he’s more consistent.
Grade: B+
Coaching Staff – I don’t think the team’s game plan on Cam Newton was excellent, but Newton will make a lot of people look bad during his career. The team’s offensive game plan was more centered on the running game, which allowed the Saints to better control the clock – that enabled the team to score in the final seconds of the game to secure the win.
Grade: A-
Overall – The Saints have a few flaws that could prove fatal later in the season. They can’t score touchdowns in the red zone consistently. Likewise, they can’t stop the pass. You know what? The NFL is a results league. The Black and gold is 4-1 and we’ll worry about their flaws on another day.
Grade: A-
Nicholls State quarterback Landry Klann runs the football in a
recent practice. Klann made his first start of the season in
Saturday’s game.
