44-34. This score would’ve surprised me had I not seen the game. I’d be even more surprised to hear LSU was on the losing end of this score. I was overconfident, and the game showed that the LSU coaches were overconfident, too. I’ll delve deeper into that opinion later, but this won’t be a column aimed at bashing defensive coordinator Bo Pelini and Coach Orgeron. I was more impressed with Mike Leach than I was angry with Coach Pelini. After the loss, much was made of how much LSU lost from last year’s team. LSU returned 3 starters on offense, and 3 on defense. That number dropped to 2 with the unfortunate news that Derek Stingley would be out for the first game. Well, Mississippi State returned 4 starters on offense and 4 on defense. That’s not much of a difference, and Leach had to prepare a new staff and a transfer quarterback. The Bulldogs were sharp, efficient, and almost penalty free on offense. All credit goes to Mike Leach and KJ Costello, his pinpoint accurate quarterback. Very few teams playing their first games have executed offensively as effortlessly as MSU did Saturday. As well as they played, there’s no excuse for LSU to give up 600+ yards through the air. Several factors contributed to this performance (or lack thereof), so let’s talk about what went wrong on both sides of the ball.

Defense

Earlier in the column I mentioned being overconfident. It’s no secret that Bo Pelini prefers aggressive, man to man defenses. That’s fine, and that’s what I expected, but that was the wrong approach. Leach’s offenses at Washington State had less success against zone defenses. I understand if Pelini was confident in his game plan, but when it doesn’t work you have to be willing to change it up. It’s not easy to teach so many new players zone responsibilities in a limited offseason, but 2 million per year jobs aren’t easy. The defensive backs were heavily criticized, and rightfully so in some cases. They lined up in bump man coverage and didn’t get hands on the receivers. They lined up in off coverage and stood still (anticipating a short route) while receivers ran right by them. These issues will get better with experience. The bigger issue was the defensive game plan. Even if a DB plays with perfect technique, it is impossible to be in position to play the ball in man coverage with the constant picks caused by Leach’s route combinations. Considering the accuracy of Costello, that’s a recipe for disaster. No matter what defense you’re in, someone has to account for the running back coming out of the backfield. Kylin Hill was missed several times, and this mistake was made worse by terrible tackling after he was already 20 yards down the field.

Offense

Welcome to big time football, Myles Brennan. This game showed that it’s one thing to be in the program for multiple years, but a completely different animal when it’s your team as a QB. Myles was hesitant, didn’t trust his eyes, uncomfortable in the pocket, and refused to throw check downs to backs. The play calling was criticized, but I saw open guys on most passing plays. Myles was sacked 7 times, and several of those sacks came from indecisiveness resulting in holding the ball too long. At this level of football you can’t wait until the receiver is open; the ball has to be out before he’s open. This is even more important when you have a slow delivery. His lone interception would have been a touchdown to Racey McMath had the ball been thrown a half second sooner. The offensive line has to play better, and dropped passes are discouraging for an inexperienced quarterback. The Tigers must improve in both areas. The offensive staff has to do more to incorporate the running game. This is a new team that will have to form a new identity. Brennan can make the throws, but the 3 backs are too good to not get involved while the offense struggles.

Positives

Ali Gaye could not be blocked. I’ve never seen a transfer defensive player for LSU come in this dominant from the start. Mississippi State did everything short of hog tying him to keep him from the quarterback (I don’t know what holding is anymore). Apu Ika was also very effective in getting an interior push. Jabril Cox made a momentum changing play with the pick 6. As bad as the DB’s looked, true freshman Eli Ricks only gave up 2 catches while grabbing his first career interception. I spoke on everything Myles Brennan did wrong, but he still threw for 345 yards in his first game as a starter. I would’ve killed for that kind of production in 2011. Brennan kept his head up after bad plays, and one of the most important traits for a quarterback is resilience. Of all the talk about receivers stepping up after Chase’s departure, Jaray Jenkins was never mentioned. The veteran broke out with 5 catches for 85 yards, and would have had a touchdown if not for an under thrown ball. Arik Gilbert is the physical freak he was rumored to be. He bailed his quarterback out with an athletic touchdown catch in the 2nd quarter. I have to give credit to cornerback Jay Ward, who was forced into action coming off an injury. There were no plans to play him until Stingley was ruled out at the last minute. This leads me to the most impactful news, which is Stingley being cleared to play with no restrictions. Although it’s now obvious this team was facing some unrealistic expectations, they will get better. They’ll have to do it quickly considering there are no cupcakes this year. As usual, win or lose, it’s still and always GEAUX TIGERS!!!