LSU’s defense looks to return to form this week after an underwhelming performance last Saturday against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Is the Tiger defense as bad as we think or was their preparation thrown for a twist with the absence of All-American Derek Stingley Jr?
Throughout the week, the Tigers prepared as though Stingley would be up to the task at taking away the Bulldogs best wide receiver. The LSU safeties would help on the opposite part of the field where Cordale Flott or true freshman Elias Ricks would be playing. The Tigers were notified they wouldn’t have Stingley because of a medical emergency and that’s when defensive coordinator Bo Pelini begin to shuffle his defense.
LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron talked about his team’s decision to matchup against the Bulldogs.
“It was a combination of being short on corners, not having Derek hurt us and we had a game plan that we were going to play man and we thought we could man up with the receivers, said Orgeron.
Another LSU Tiger that saw significant playing time was cornerback Jay Ward. Coach Orgeron told the media this week that Ward did not practice because he suffered a torn meniscus tear during camp leading up to the season. With little SEC experience in the defensive backfield and last second adjustments it’s obvious to see why LSU struggled so much in the season opener.
With that being said, DBU should rebound as Stingley has been practicing with the team this week. LSU Senior linebacker Jacoby Stevens thinks you’ll see a different LSU defense on the field vs Vanderbilt.
“When you get your first team guys back and healthy you always get a little more confidence back. Saturday we were missing one of the best, if not the best, cornerback in the nation.
When Jay Ward is one hundred percent, he’s one of the top nickel/cornerbacks in the SEC. Getting him back 100% is going to help,” said Stevens.
While it’s just one game and the season isn’t over, the Tigers have room for improvement. They’ll face a Vanderbilt team that isn’t a threat offensively like Mississippi State. Coach Orgeron doesn’t want anyone to panic just yet.
“Stick to together, don’t panic and believe in each other.
We’re not going change anything drastic, but we’ve got tighten up on some stuff. We have to play with more energy. We have to play with more desire.
We’ve got to make plays. We’ve got to coach better.
Hey, the (national) championship’s over. This is a new season, a new team and we knew that. Now we definitely know that, Orgeron said.
Another reason to not worry too much about Pelini’s defense is because he’s been in this position before. Saturday marked Pelini’s first game coached with the Tigers since he was LSU’s coordinator from 2005-2007.
How did Pelini’s defense perform in his first season with the Tigers? Well, the Tigers had to play on the road at Arizona St due to Hurricane Katrina and was lit up by Arizona St quarterback Sam Keller. Keller threw for 461 yard and 4 touchdowns in Pelini’s first game as DC for LSU.
Sounds familiar?
That year the Tigers finished with the second best defense in the SEC and didn’t allow over twenty points between Weeks 3-11.
Adjustments will happen and the Tigers will hopefully get back to the DBU we’ve seen in year’s part. Let’s just see how they perform when they get back #24 this week against Vanderbilt.
