LSU Tigers
Overall Rank: #3
#2 SEC
LSU Team Page
2010 Record: (11-2, 6-2)
2010 Bowl: Cotton Bowl vs. Texas A&M (W 41-24)
Coach: Les Miles (62-17 at LSU, 90-38 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Steve Kragthrope
Defensive Coordinator: John Chavis
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Jordan Jefferson, QB, 450 yards
Passing: Jordan Jefferson, QB, 1,411 yards
Receiving: Rueben Randle, WR, 544 yards
Tackles: Ryan Baker, LB, 87
Sacks: Ryan Baker, LB, 7
Interceptions: Morris Claiborne, CB, 5
Other Key Returnees: DE Kendrick Adams, G Will Blackwell, G Josh Dworaczyk, LB Stefoin Francois, S Karnell Hatcher, OT Alex Hurst, C P.J. Lonergan, DE Sam Montgomery, TE Deangelo Peterson, WR Russell Shepard, S Brandon Taylor
Key Losses: OT Joseph Barksdale, K Josh Jasper, DT Lazarius Levingston, DT Drake Nevis, CB Patrick Peterson, RB Stevan Ridley, LB Kelvin Sheppard, WR Terrence Toliver
LSU had enough success last year to believe that they can do great things in 2011. The Tigers went into the Swamp and beat Florida and ended Alabama’s hopes for a trip to the BCS National Championship game. They then dominated Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. That is enough to get the fan base thinking about another trip down the road to New Orleans for a shot at the national title.
Strengths:
For Coach Les Miles it is not that easy, but as always, LSU has a stellar defense that is littered with talent. Kendrick Adams and Sam Montgomery will bookend a talented defensive line. Montgomery was off to a superb start during his freshman campaign before suffering a knee injury that sidelined him the rest of the season. In five games he managed to tally 6.0 sacks. If he can keep that up and stay healthy, the opposing quarterback will have nightmares about Montgomery. The center of the line is a concern with the departure of Lazarius Levingston and Drake Nevis. However, there is a ton of talent battling it out for playing time. Junior Josh Downs is the experienced option, but youngsters like Michael Brockers, Anthony Johnson, Bennie Logan and Ego Ferguson are all capable players. As long as a few of those guys pan out, LSU will have a nice rotation. Linebacker Kelvin Sheppard will not be easy to replace after leading the Tigers with 116 tackles during his senior season. Sophomore Kevin Minter has the talent to be the next great middle linebacker at LSU. Former safety Karnell Hatcher will also see time at the middle linebacker position. The return of Ryan Baker and Stefoin Francois will help Minter and Hatcher ease into their new starting role. Even with the loss of Patrick Peterson, the secondary will be among the best in the nation. Morris Claiborne will be the new Peterson and sophomore Tyrann Mathieu will play the role Claiborne did last year…picking off a ton of passes because the opposition is afraid to throw to the other side of the field. With the return of safeties Brandon Taylor and Eric Reid, along with the emergence of sophomores Craig Loston and Ronnie Vinson, the secondary is loaded.
Weaknesses:
The offense was not very efficient to begin with, but now some suspensions raise even more issues. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson is a pretty bad passer for a three year starter. Last season he threw for just 1,411 yards and seven touchdowns. That would be fine if he completed a better percentage of his passes and did not throw ten interceptions. Jefferson works his magic on the ground where he rushed for 450 yards and seven scores. However, he is suspended indefinitely after being arrested. The charges do not appear serious and Jefferson should be back soon. However, the schedule is tough early and Jarrett Lee will be starting at least the season opener. Lee saw significant playing time in 2008, when he seemingly threw more pick-six’s than touchdowns to his own players. Wide receiver Russell Shepard will also begin the season on the sidelines. The dynamic playmaker was ruled ineligible by the NCAA and it could be a while before he returns. Shepard caught 33 passes for 254 yards and added 32 rushes for 253 yards. He is the type of player that can make things happen. Without him and leading receiver Terrance Toliver, the LSU quarterbacks will have to work with some less proven receivers. Rueben Randle is a nice player to build around. He has developed into a consistent pass catcher and ended his sophomore season with 33 receptions for 544 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomores Kadron Boone and James Wright will be looked upon to pick up the slack while Shepard is out.
The Bottom Line:
With or without Jefferson, LSU needs to win with their defense and shorten games by running the ball. With a big, deep and talented offensive line, running the ball should not be a problem. Not having Stevan Ridley, who rushed for 1,147 yards and 15 touchdowns last year is a problem. However, the Tigers have plenty of young options. Sophomore Spencer Ware had a great game in the Cotton Bowl to end his freshman campaign and took that momentum into the offseason. Michael Ford and Alfred Blue are also sophomores with plenty of talent. Add freshman Jakhari Gore into the mix and the Tigers have a bevy of backs who can find themselves carrying the load and carrying the offense.
Projected Bowl: Sugar Bowl
2010 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 185.69 (28th in nation, 4th in conference)
Passing Offense: 155.62 (107, 12)
Total Offense: 341.31 (86, 11)
Scoring Offense: 29.69 (45, 9)
Rushing Defense: 137.31 (42, 6)
Pass Defense: 169.85 (10, 1)
Total Defense: 307.15 (12, 3)
Scoring Defense: 18.23 (11, 2)
Turnover Margin: .62 (22, 3)
Sacks: 2.62 (17, 3)
Sacks Allowed: 1.85 (58, 5)
Madness 2011 Football Recruit Rankings:
#3 La'El Collins
#4 Anthony Johnson
#21 Jarvis Landry
#41 Odell Beckham Jr.
#73 Jermauria Rasco
#112 Kenny Hilliard
#146 David Jenkins
#165 Mickey Johnson
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