The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: LSU

Photo by Todd Van Emst

There will always be good, bad, and ugly in a football game. In this segment, we break down the previous Auburn game.

The Good:

Cam Newton: Nothing else needs to be said. As long as he’s healthy, we have a chance to beat any team in the country.

440 net Rushing yards against the SEC’s number one defense: This proves that our offense is no fluke. We were on wheels all day and moved the ball up and down the field. I would like to see us convert more of those long drives into touchdowns rather than field goal attempts, but I’ll take those rushing totals all day.

Nick Fairley: I found myself asking the simple question “Where did this guy come from?” It’s so strange to see how dominant he is on the line and not remember how he got to campus. It makes me sad that he will probably leave after his one amazing season, but birds must spread their wings I suppose.

Michael Dyer: He’s going to be good. He looks like a wounded gazelle when he runs, but he still manages to tear off long runs and rack up 100 yards on 15 carries. I’m sure he is in a lot of pain, but he is playing through it because he is a bad ass.

Onterio McCalebb: That 70-yard run put this game on ice. That’s two clutch plays over the last two games that McCalebb has delivered. While he might not be an every down back, he seems to be making the most of the chances he is getting.

Time of Possession: Coming into this game, LSU made no secret about its plans to try and milk the clock and keep Cam on the sidelines. They did just that in the first quarter, but the final numbers tell the story: LSU: 27:47, AU: 32:13. This cannot be emphasized enough. When our offense is on the field for over half the game, good things are going to happen.

Defense forcing 6 LSU punts: Wow. I don’t have any statistics to back this up, but this might be the most punts they have forced all year (Excluding La Monroe and Ark St.). While LSU made the most of those 6 punts (5 inside the 20!!!) Auburn forced four 3 and outs and came up with the big stop on 4^th at the end.

The Bad:

Punting: A 37.3 average isn’t going to cut it. This is especially true when compared with LSU’s Derek Helton. That guy put on a clinic at Jordan Hare. He averaged 50.3 with 5 inside the 20 including two on the one yard line. While I’m not asking for that kind of production, we have got to do something about this. I don’t know if we can survive 3 more years of Clark performing at this level.

Penalties: 7 penalties for 45 yards. Ouch. None of those were bigger than when Brandon Mosley was called for holding on third down. The game is in the 4^th quarter and we are tied 17-17. That penalty turns a very makeable 3-2 into a 3-12. After a Fannin 6 yard run and that weird pooch punt/pass call, LSU has the ball near midfield. Huge mistake.

Cam passing into triple coverage: Let’s get this straight: Cam is amazing. He is the sole reason we are where we are. He is a great asset to have back there, but man, every time he throws one deep it seems like there are always a ton of defenders around our receiver. He is forcing these throws and, sooner or later, defenses are going to start picking those off.

Mario’s fumble: What is with this guy? Auburn is right in the middle of a strong drive and he puts it on the ground. That could have been a disaster if our defense wasn’t able to get a stop. That’s two weeks in a row he has had a huge fumble (we got a gift with that goal line replay last week). Everyone keeps predicting that we are done seeing him in the backfield, but he keeps getting carries. I like Mario. I want him to do well. Our depth at running back won't allow us to bench him on principal. Let’s just hope it doesn’t end up costing us big.

The Ugly:

Darren Bates missed tackle: Not only did he get hurt on the play, but LSU ties it up. If he makes the tackle, the half ends and people are saying what an idiot Les Miles is, instead, he makes a poor effort that Jefferson easily slings off and we go in tied at 10.

Wes Byrum’s missed field goal: That was ugly. I’m not sure if it was a bad hold or he just hit it wrong but that was a bad kick. 39 yards is makeable for him and that would have put us up going in at half time. While Byrum is still a great kicker, he has missed some weird ones this year. I still think he can make the clutch kicks, but my heart will be beating a little faster as he’s lining them up.

Failed fake pooch conversion: What was that? I guess they were trying to make it appear like an obvious pooch punt by bringing in the slots. LSU didn’t bite and we still go for it. Newton had two guys on the sidelines, but he misses the throw. The look on Gus’s face as they cut to commercial says it all.

We won the game. In the end, that’s all that matters. After this win, we have a good shot at being ranked either #1 or #2 in the BCS. While no game is ever perfect, this was one of the biggest wins in Auburn’s history. Unlike 2004, we now control our own destiny and the title is ours for the taking. While there is still a long way to go, it is very comforting knowing that polls and computers won’t be the ones that keep us out this year. War Eagle.