I've been a Miles guy for years, and rightfully so. He's been unfairly characterized as a game mis-manager and an idiot for years and it's been a matter of false perception over reality. He's been our greatest coach and will go down as such until his accomplishments are one day out done.
But, like Bear Bryant, like Bobby Bowden, Peterno, Mack Brown, etc., there comes a time where every great coach outlives their usefulness and they start their inevitable downward trend. It can't be avoided; it's just a fact of life.
I truly believe, as a Miles guy mind you, that I saw a glimpse of the beginning of the end tonight. Neve...never...NEVER EVER have I witnessed an LSU team DOMINATE an opponent and demonstrate that they are clearly the better team (and it's not remotely close) than I have tonight, and watch that team almost lose the game in such a completely unnecessary way. I mean, the ratio between team dominance and meager outcome has never been so demonstratively lopsided as in tonight's game. A game that should have (at worst) ended in a 31 to 13 victory ended up being an embarrassing, squeaky win.
The first half was, offensively, handled perfectly; bring Harris along slowly, establish the run, get some momentum and separation. And it worked. And during this time, Harris showed poise, command, and looseness and we saw a young QB start to come of age.
Suddenly, we all feel like we're witnessing the beginning of something special that has been long-awaited in Tiger nation; a game changer at the QB position.
Then the second half starts. Do we capitalize and build off if Harris's momentum? No. But not only do we not build off of it..we punish his progress and repress every positive exhibited by him in the first half by taking the ball out of his hands and telecast our offense to Mississippi State in the form of mindless, numbing runs on first, second, and, what the hell, third down, and cut off Harris's nuts while basically give away the momentum and direction of the game.
Why? Not capitalizing on the success of Harris's first half performance is one thing, but to actually take him completely out of the game, to reverse field and go in the other direction and say, "sorry, no confidence in you whatsoever Brandon. We won't be going vertical on first and second down at all this half" ...my goodness...I'm just utterly and completely stumped. I have no defense for it. I'm just left dumbfounded and extremely frustrated.
I hope with every fibre of my being that I'm wrong, but I've seen nothing tonight to suggest that, from a coaching standpoint, that we aren't on the other side of the hill, looking at the down slope. What a shame, this team is one of the most talented I've seen I my 35 years of watching LSU football.
I pray I'm wrong about it all.
But, like Bear Bryant, like Bobby Bowden, Peterno, Mack Brown, etc., there comes a time where every great coach outlives their usefulness and they start their inevitable downward trend. It can't be avoided; it's just a fact of life.
I truly believe, as a Miles guy mind you, that I saw a glimpse of the beginning of the end tonight. Neve...never...NEVER EVER have I witnessed an LSU team DOMINATE an opponent and demonstrate that they are clearly the better team (and it's not remotely close) than I have tonight, and watch that team almost lose the game in such a completely unnecessary way. I mean, the ratio between team dominance and meager outcome has never been so demonstratively lopsided as in tonight's game. A game that should have (at worst) ended in a 31 to 13 victory ended up being an embarrassing, squeaky win.
The first half was, offensively, handled perfectly; bring Harris along slowly, establish the run, get some momentum and separation. And it worked. And during this time, Harris showed poise, command, and looseness and we saw a young QB start to come of age.
Suddenly, we all feel like we're witnessing the beginning of something special that has been long-awaited in Tiger nation; a game changer at the QB position.
Then the second half starts. Do we capitalize and build off if Harris's momentum? No. But not only do we not build off of it..we punish his progress and repress every positive exhibited by him in the first half by taking the ball out of his hands and telecast our offense to Mississippi State in the form of mindless, numbing runs on first, second, and, what the hell, third down, and cut off Harris's nuts while basically give away the momentum and direction of the game.
Why? Not capitalizing on the success of Harris's first half performance is one thing, but to actually take him completely out of the game, to reverse field and go in the other direction and say, "sorry, no confidence in you whatsoever Brandon. We won't be going vertical on first and second down at all this half" ...my goodness...I'm just utterly and completely stumped. I have no defense for it. I'm just left dumbfounded and extremely frustrated.
I hope with every fibre of my being that I'm wrong, but I've seen nothing tonight to suggest that, from a coaching standpoint, that we aren't on the other side of the hill, looking at the down slope. What a shame, this team is one of the most talented I've seen I my 35 years of watching LSU football.
I pray I'm wrong about it all.
