LSU blueprint to simplify, fix defense after boom-or-busted coverage start
Tigers scaling back scheme to ensure players' grasp, comfort and confidence, while also looking at personnel positioning
Ed Orgeron watched plenty of context and potential excuses go back and forth across his television Saturday night like a tennis match.
The LSU coach returned from a 45-41 loss to unranked Missouri (1-2) as disappointing and frustrating as the defensive performance — or lack thereof — that allowed it.
And there were No. 2 Alabama (3-0) and Ole Miss (1-2) trading an conference-record 1,370 combined yards more reminiscent of
the type of Big XII shootout at which the SEC has historically rolled its eyes.
But Orgeron wasn't looking for excuses then, or offering them Monday.
He was continuing to identify and address the Tigers' shortcomings with their biggest challenges still on the horizon.
"I know there's not a lot of great defenses being played in the SEC right now," he said. "That's no excuse. I don't wanna hear that. I wanna play great defense at LSU. And we're gonna play great defense — one way or another."
SEC defenses such as Alabama, Florida (2-1) and LSU (1-2) typically considered among college football's best have been heavily criticized this week and at different points throughout the early-going of the unusual season.
Among 76 FBS teams playing thus far nationally, that trio are among four SEC programs ranked No. 65 or below in total defense, four ranked No. 70 or below in passing defense and six ranked No. 59 or below in third-down defense.
Orgeron recognizes some statistics continuing to trend upward as a result the direction football has taken as a whole.
But watching his players consistently out of position, miscommunication and missing reads and assignments has left the Tigers to do some "soul-searching," as he said Saturday,
"Offenses are changing, man," he said. "It's basketball on grass. I think it has a lot to do with the offensive schemes. But that doesn't mean we still can't play great defense. Guys are gonna score points. But I think that when you play a good defense, you make it hard for them to go down the field. All these explosive plays have to stop."
LSU allowed 586 yards to Missouri, including 406 passing to redshirt freshman quarterback Connor Bazelak and 178 rushing yards on 26 attempts (6.8 yards per carry) to three skill players.
The majority of that production — 497 total yards, or 67.8 percent — came on 15 "big plays" of 15 yards or more, including 300 yards on 10 such passing plays and 97 yards and five such rushes.
The Tigers now rank No. 71 nationally of 76 teams and No. 12 of 14 SEC teams with an average 494.7 yards allowed.
Their 380.7 passing yards allowed ranks No. 75 of 76 teams in the country thus far and last in the conference.
"We had a long meeting yesterday about communication, about missed signals, about all kinds of stuff," Orgeron said. "Just put it on the coaches. That's all that is. I'm not gonna put it on the players. We've gotta execute better. But we've gotta practice better. We've gotta simplify.
"I told both (offensive coordinator)Steve (Ensminger) and (defensive coordinator) Bo (Pelini) we've got to simplify, make sure that our players can do it. I don't care if we have to play one defense and one coverage, play it, play it right and do what we have to do. Put our athletes in good position and let them make plays. I know the players are hurting today. I'm gonna talk to 'em today, and we're gonna get it fixed."
The coach still sees the potential that led him to say prior to the season that the unit could be better than the 2019 defense and help lead this year's team.
Orgeron points to the pass-rush and takeaways produced by his players' speed and athleticism in a more aggressive 4-3 scheme.
The Tigers' three sacks per contest ranked No. 18 nationally and third in the conference.
And averages of three takeaways and a plus-2 turnover margin each week lead the SEC and rank No. 3 nationally.
"So there's a lot of good things," he said. "Our guys are causing turnovers. Our guys are going after the foootball — just like I saw all camp. Our guys are rushing the passer. We're putting pressure on the passer. So those are some good things. Those are things we have to build upon. I really think that we've beaten ourselves. I think when you look at the film, it's not the other team that's beat us. We beat ourselves."
LSU has essentially been boom or — no pun intended — bust.
And the coach hopes that simplifying some of the schematic aspects will help provide more consistency by eliminating some of the opportunities for confusion and miscommunication.
"I do believe that there was some complicated stuff going on," he said. "I do believe that there was some miscommunication going on. Guys were out of position. Guys didn't play stuff right. We go back in the second half, we said we're gonna blitz more. We have a blitz coming from the field, we had a miscommunication that let the receiver go right down the field.
"That's on us. That's on the coaching staff. We've gotta make sure that our guys understand everything that we're gonna do. If not, then we're not gonna run it.
The Tigers will also re-evaluate some of their personnel and rotations, particularly up front.
Orgeron pointed to bigger defensive linemen helping clog potential running lanes
"Obviously I think our pass rush is pretty good right now," he said. "But we've gotta be able to stop the run better. I think it's all about playing bigger guys up front and playing better technique."
And the Tigers could use senior safety JaCoby Stevens, one of the team's most versatile athletes, more in pass-rush to avoid losing some of the effectiveness in that aspect.
"We're trying to find him the best place to play," Orgeron said. "JaCoby's an outstanding rusher. That's one of his best attributes. Last year we rushed him. We had a defense called 'Saw Dog,' and he was playing like an outside linebacker. And that's where he was most effective.
"I had a meeting with him today. He knows there's some things that he has to work on. I had a meeting with the coaches. They know that we need to put him in some better positions for him to make plays and use the talents that he has."
LSU's current situation drew some comparisons this weekend to a 2017 loss to Troy and 2019 survival of Ole Miss and its 614 yards.
The Tigers simplified their play-calling on each occasion and benefitted.
After losing two games in three weeks in Orgeron's first full season in 2017, the team won six of its next seven to close the regular season.
The Tigers meanwhile played five of their most complete games in 2019 after the Oxford, Miss., trip to close their historic season in undefeated and impressive fashion.
So, some of the blue print has been laid out.
"First of all, we have to simplify and put our players in the best position we can be," Orgeron said. "And I think when you do that, our players are gonna make plays. So I think it's somewhere in between. It's not as difficult as it may look, but it's not easy. It's somewhere in the middle. And it just starts with us. It starts with coaching."
The schedule doesn't provide much more opportunity for slow returns.
After facing three of the SEC's weakest teams to start the season, LSU will now visit No. 10 Florida.
For all their own unusual defensive shortcomings, the Gators have been among the nation's top offenses at 42.3 points and 464.0 yards per outing.
"We've got our work cut out for us," Orgeron said. "(Dan Mullen) is an excellent coach. He's got an excellent staff. This is one of the best staffs we're gonna be against and one of the best personnel we're gonna be against. We've got a lot of respect for the Florida Gators and who they are."
Quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts gave the Tigers trouble for about three quarters in Baton Rouge in 2019 before falling short in what then was a somewhat surprising shootout.
This year, Trask enters the matchup with the country's fourth-best Heisman odds, while Pitts has been praised as the nation's top tight end and one of its best offensive weapons regardless of position.
How to contain the 6-foot-6, 240-pound star will be among the chief considerations this week.
"We're still early in the game plan," Orgeron said. "But a guy like that, you may have to double him. You may have to put (All-American cornerback Derek) Stingley (Jr.) on him.
"But what happens is when he lines up at tight end and he lines up at a lot of places, you get a lot of misalignments and you get a lot of confusion. So I don't know if that's a possibility. If it is, I'm not gonna say it. But he warrants that. He warrants putting your best player on him. He warrants double teams. He's that good."
For the Tigers, though, everything starts internally and getting back to basics.
"Not letting people run by us and score touchdowns uncontested, that's a good start — that'd be a great start," Orgeron said. "I think it's all missed assignments, and we've gotta stop the run. So it's not gonna be like you're gonna see a different defense out there. We're still gonna be a 4-3 defense.
"But maybe we can put people in some better positions and play it better. Like I said, if we've gotta play one defense, I'd rather play one defense and get it right."
