LLLLLLLLSU Grades

Lots of questions swirled around the college football world in the run-up to this season’s Game of the Century, also known as Alabama vs. LSU. And for good reason. Undefeated and top-ranked Alabama was on the road against a one-loss LSU that controlled its own destiny for a spot in the SEC Championship Game and College Football Playoffs. The stakes in this game were as high as they have been anytime since the 2011 season.

Here are just a few of the Qs asked and As given:

Q: Can Tua play four full quarters of a football game?

A: Yes he can. Not only can he play a full game, Tua proved he can beat a very good opposing defense passing and running. He threw two touchdown passes [Henry Ruggs, III; Irv Smith, Jr.] and scored a rushing touchdown on a 44-yard keeper right through the middle of the Tiger defense.

Q: Can the Tide offense have success running when the passing game is not producing single play, 75 yard touchdown drives?

A: Alabama’s running game, overshadowed in the previous eight contests, emphatically answered this question by posting 281 yards and two TDs.

Q: Is there a conspiracy among SEC officials to favor Alabama with questionable penalties against opponents?

A: Do your friends and loved ones know that you are entertaining such ridiculous thoughts? Even the most paranoid Auburn, LSU, or UT fan should be cured of such delusions by watching the shamefully bad performance turned in by referee Matt Austin and his crew. Offensive holding? When LSU had the ball, forget about it. Pass interference? No wonder LSU’s secondary was the toast of pre-game punditry. ESPN distanced itself from James Carville’s conspiracy theory crazy-talk, and Gary Danielson even had to acknowledge the flexibility in how the Zebras were calling the game.

Q: Why do they call their stadium “Death Valley”?

A: Because the name “East Baton Rouge Parrish Land Fill” was already taken.

Alabama’s 29-0 win indeed answered lots of questions. Because the readers of this blog may have more questions unanswered, here is how I grade the game:

Offense:       A.      Alabama gained 576 yards of total offense [281 rushing], earned 29 first downs, converted 9 of 15 possession downs, and controlled the ball for 35:18 of game time. Tua played all but three plays. He was forced to sit out one play after absorbing a cheap shot after the whistle on a play during the Tide’s opening drive. And Mac Jones took the last two snaps of the game. Tua completed 25 of 42 pass attempts for 295 yards and two TDs. He threw an interception in the second quarter, his first of the year.

Jerry Jeudy was the Tide’s leading receiver with 103 yards on 8 receptions. LSU’s secondary refused to let Jeudy get behind the safeties, and thereby limited his yards gained after the catch. Irv Smith, Jr., Henry Ruggs, III, and Jaylen Waddle each caught 4 passes. Damien Harris caught 3 passes and Josh Jacobs gained 23 yards on 2 receptions.

Harris was Alabama’s leading rusher, gaining 107 net yards on 19 carries [5.6 average]. Najee Harris gained 83 yards on 6 runs before leaving the game with an injury to his lower right leg. As I write these grades I have not read any update on Najee’s status.

The offense scored on every other possession. The Tide had seven sustained drives [41, 78, 75, 54, 42, 72, 80] that produced 4 TDs, 1 FG, and 2 punts.

Defense:         A+       LSU entered the game with the reputation of being a team with an outstanding defense and a competent, meat and potatoes offense. The Stop Troops made that meat look like Spam, and the potatoes like those instant mashed potato flakes you mix up with warm milk. LSU managed to gain only 196 yards of total offense [12 yards net rushing]. Including yards lost to sacks, LSU attempted to run the ball 25 times and averaged only 18 inches per rushing attempt. The Tigers only made 13 first downs and converted only 5 of 16 third down opportunities.

Quinton Williams led all Tide tacklers with 10 total [7 solo]. Saivion Smith and Dylan Moses each were credited with 6 tackles. Shyheim Carter made 5 stops. All total, Alabama inflicted 10 tackles for lost yardage [5 sacks], intercepted a pass in the Tide end zone, broke up 7 passes and hurried the LSU QB 2 times.

Special Teams:

Punting:           B          Mike Bernier punted 4 times for an average of 32.8 yards per punt. He dropped 2 punts inside the Tiger 20 yard line. The coverage unit allowed no return yards.

Place Kicking:    F      Joseph Bulovas made his lone FG attempt [23 yards] but missed a PAT and had a second PAT blocked.

Kickoffs:          D-         Bulovas averaged only 59.5 yards per kick off. One kick sailed out of bounds, and only one of his 6 kicks resulted in a touchback. The coverage team gave up a 57 yard return. Alabama had no return yards, but only had one opportunity.

Coaching:       B+.         Until the kicking game gets sorted out it will be hard to grade the coaching job in the As. Alabama was penalized 6 times for 60 yards. LSU was penalized only 3 times. The officiating situation in the league is a shambles therefore I refuse to take penalties into account in the coaching grade. The participation report lists 48 players who saw action in the game.

Here are some other questions answered by yesterday’s results around the conference:

Q:  The winner of the UGA / Kentucky game was the winner of the SEC East; does this mean the Wildcats are now a real football school?

A:   No. Dawgs 34 ….. Cats 17.   The SEC CG will be a very good game.

Q:   Has A&M shed itself of the Kevin Sumlin late-season swoon?

A:   Nope. Jimbo Fisher has still got work to do on that front. The Aggies blew a 10 point lead in the fourth quarter after out-playing Auburn for most of the day.

Q: Now that Alabama has locked up the SEC West and assured itself a spot in the Championship Game, will the coaches start working on Georgia this week?

A:  If you think this is a legitimate question, you are subscribing to the wrong blog. The CBS on-field reporter asked Coach Saban this question in the immediate post-game interview. Saban, to the surprise of no one who follows Alabama football, did not even know that beating LSU decided the SEC West championship. Coach Saban is thinking only about correcting things, helping the team play with more consistency, and getting ready for Mississippi State.

So should we all.

Let’s teach those Starkville Bulldogs how to behave.

Roll Tide everyone.

The Commissioner       

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