This was a huge win for the program. The perception of the program was changing, evident by the preseason expectations from media etc., so getting a 10th win and adding to a strong 2018 resume does a ton in fixing that aspect of things.
I am going to steer clear of breaking down the season, with an emphasis on the bowl game throughout this post.
It was evident the practice time allowed the offense to find some continuity and work in some new faces on defense. It was a strong performance while staring adversity in the face.
Way to geaux, Joe
When assessing Joe Burrow's performance on the season, we must take two major things into account: (1) Joe had very little time to get acclimated to his new offense when he transferred into Baton Rouge. (2) He has been handcuffed by offensive line woes, drops and max protection all year long.
This was the first time we got to see Burrow work from a relatively clean pocket and he was really good. He did a fabulous job stepping up in the pocket and sliding away from pressure, which was key in quite a few of the big passing plays. There were still some key drops, most notably Jefferson's, but the wide receivers did a good job winning their 1-on-1 battles on the day and Burrow consistently found them.
This performance answered a lot of the questions I had regarding Burrow and his ability to help this offense become more prolific and diverse. He is more than a game manager when given a supportive cast.
Turning the corner on the offensive line
The offensive line struggled in securing blocks and climbing to the second level in the running game, but some of it was really not their fault. UCF frequently sold out on the run by crashing inside with its edge defenders on zone read or basic handoff situations. They also loaded the box on numerous occasions, making it difficult for the LSU linemen to climb to the second level. The running backs didn't help much in creating when the running lanes were clogged either.
Now that we have addressed the running game a bit, lets talk about the impressive group outing in pass protection. The interior line was superb in thwarting any inside rush opportunities. Lloyd Cushenberry ended the season as the team's best performer on the offensive line with a really good outing on Tuesday. Damien Lewis and Garrett Brumfield played well, especially in pass protection.
Austin Deculus had a strong outing at right tackle. He seemed to clean up some of his footwork issues that plagued him at times this season. He played with a lot more balance than he has throughout the season. Saadihq Charles was good, but they still need to get more out of him next fall. It was a strong performance for the unit as a whole. The way they picked up blitzes and passed things off was much improved. Deculus not oversetting as much showed an emphasis on development in the bye weeks, which is also a positive sign.
Chase leads the way
Ja'Marr Chase showed everyone why he was so highly touted on Tuesday. It was easily his strongest performance of the season and he has established himself as the big play threat in LSU's passing game.
Chase does a great job of attacking the ball, and outside of a few mental lapses this season, has shown the strongest and most reliable set of hands on the team.
Chase needs to build on this momentum and attack the offseason. He has the ability to become a dominant receiver for the Tigers and his emergence would do wonders to improve a receiver corps that struggled mightily to get open and secure the ball this fall.
Queen him
Replacing Devin White will not be easy, but having a guy like Patrick Queen waiting in the wings lessens the concern quite a bit. Queen was outstanding filling in for inside linebacker Jacob Phillips during the first half, building on what was already a strong season in limited reps for the former high school running back.
Queen takes better angles than White and Phillips and he shows the same type of closing speed, allowing him to live around the football. Although the sample size is somewhat limited, I think Queen has the most disciplined eyes out of the trio. If he can get a tad stronger and work on disengaging from blockers, he may have a breakout season next fall. Better yet, he will have a breakout campaign next year.
Who's this Kary Vincent guy?
Vincent has been a key member of DBU this season, but rarely gets the mentions, which is a product of playing with stars like Grant Delpit, Greedy Williams, and to a lesser degree, even Kristian Fulton.
Vincent played a lot of boundary corner on Tuesday and he was magnificent. He showed discipline in press coverage, solid technique in off-man and did a good job working in zone coverage.
Vincent has bene stellar all season playing just about everywhere in the secondary, but Tuesday was his best performance simply due to the amount of significant reps he received at the cornerback position.
Aranda dials up JaCoby
JaCoby Stevens struggled finding his role on the LSU team, but it looks like Dave Aranda has it . figured out.
Aranda kept Stevens around the line of scrimmage, often given minimal assignments other than blitzing or picking up releasing running backs or tight ends, and he turned in a great performance. Aranda likes Stevens in blitz packages and it's evident why. Stevens struggles working in coverage, so Aranda gave him curl-to-flat responsibilities and assignments against backs instead of slot receivers. The brilliant coordinator made sure Stevens was not isolated downfield.
Stevens filled in for an ejected Grant Delpit and showed the same knack for making plays around the line of scrimmage as the incredible sophomore safety. Stevens may have found his role--just make plays in the box young man.
Lawrence and Divinity's last games?
As Michael Divinity and Rashard Lawrence turned in strong performances in the season's finally, I couldn't help but wonder if they were going to return next fall.
Both had strong performances and are contemplating leaving early for the NFL. Lawrence pitched a tent in UCF's backfield on Tuesday night and Divinity showed off his versatile game that has caught the attention of NFL scouts. Replacing either one will be tough, but the loss of Lawrence, LSU's best defensive lineman, would really hurt.
I am going to steer clear of breaking down the season, with an emphasis on the bowl game throughout this post.
It was evident the practice time allowed the offense to find some continuity and work in some new faces on defense. It was a strong performance while staring adversity in the face.
Way to geaux, Joe
When assessing Joe Burrow's performance on the season, we must take two major things into account: (1) Joe had very little time to get acclimated to his new offense when he transferred into Baton Rouge. (2) He has been handcuffed by offensive line woes, drops and max protection all year long.
This was the first time we got to see Burrow work from a relatively clean pocket and he was really good. He did a fabulous job stepping up in the pocket and sliding away from pressure, which was key in quite a few of the big passing plays. There were still some key drops, most notably Jefferson's, but the wide receivers did a good job winning their 1-on-1 battles on the day and Burrow consistently found them.
This performance answered a lot of the questions I had regarding Burrow and his ability to help this offense become more prolific and diverse. He is more than a game manager when given a supportive cast.
Turning the corner on the offensive line
The offensive line struggled in securing blocks and climbing to the second level in the running game, but some of it was really not their fault. UCF frequently sold out on the run by crashing inside with its edge defenders on zone read or basic handoff situations. They also loaded the box on numerous occasions, making it difficult for the LSU linemen to climb to the second level. The running backs didn't help much in creating when the running lanes were clogged either.
Now that we have addressed the running game a bit, lets talk about the impressive group outing in pass protection. The interior line was superb in thwarting any inside rush opportunities. Lloyd Cushenberry ended the season as the team's best performer on the offensive line with a really good outing on Tuesday. Damien Lewis and Garrett Brumfield played well, especially in pass protection.
Austin Deculus had a strong outing at right tackle. He seemed to clean up some of his footwork issues that plagued him at times this season. He played with a lot more balance than he has throughout the season. Saadihq Charles was good, but they still need to get more out of him next fall. It was a strong performance for the unit as a whole. The way they picked up blitzes and passed things off was much improved. Deculus not oversetting as much showed an emphasis on development in the bye weeks, which is also a positive sign.
Chase leads the way
Ja'Marr Chase showed everyone why he was so highly touted on Tuesday. It was easily his strongest performance of the season and he has established himself as the big play threat in LSU's passing game.
Chase does a great job of attacking the ball, and outside of a few mental lapses this season, has shown the strongest and most reliable set of hands on the team.
Chase needs to build on this momentum and attack the offseason. He has the ability to become a dominant receiver for the Tigers and his emergence would do wonders to improve a receiver corps that struggled mightily to get open and secure the ball this fall.
Queen him
Replacing Devin White will not be easy, but having a guy like Patrick Queen waiting in the wings lessens the concern quite a bit. Queen was outstanding filling in for inside linebacker Jacob Phillips during the first half, building on what was already a strong season in limited reps for the former high school running back.
Queen takes better angles than White and Phillips and he shows the same type of closing speed, allowing him to live around the football. Although the sample size is somewhat limited, I think Queen has the most disciplined eyes out of the trio. If he can get a tad stronger and work on disengaging from blockers, he may have a breakout season next fall. Better yet, he will have a breakout campaign next year.
Who's this Kary Vincent guy?
Vincent has been a key member of DBU this season, but rarely gets the mentions, which is a product of playing with stars like Grant Delpit, Greedy Williams, and to a lesser degree, even Kristian Fulton.
Vincent played a lot of boundary corner on Tuesday and he was magnificent. He showed discipline in press coverage, solid technique in off-man and did a good job working in zone coverage.
Vincent has bene stellar all season playing just about everywhere in the secondary, but Tuesday was his best performance simply due to the amount of significant reps he received at the cornerback position.
Aranda dials up JaCoby
JaCoby Stevens struggled finding his role on the LSU team, but it looks like Dave Aranda has it . figured out.
Aranda kept Stevens around the line of scrimmage, often given minimal assignments other than blitzing or picking up releasing running backs or tight ends, and he turned in a great performance. Aranda likes Stevens in blitz packages and it's evident why. Stevens struggles working in coverage, so Aranda gave him curl-to-flat responsibilities and assignments against backs instead of slot receivers. The brilliant coordinator made sure Stevens was not isolated downfield.
Stevens filled in for an ejected Grant Delpit and showed the same knack for making plays around the line of scrimmage as the incredible sophomore safety. Stevens may have found his role--just make plays in the box young man.
Lawrence and Divinity's last games?
As Michael Divinity and Rashard Lawrence turned in strong performances in the season's finally, I couldn't help but wonder if they were going to return next fall.
Both had strong performances and are contemplating leaving early for the NFL. Lawrence pitched a tent in UCF's backfield on Tuesday night and Divinity showed off his versatile game that has caught the attention of NFL scouts. Replacing either one will be tough, but the loss of Lawrence, LSU's best defensive lineman, would really hurt.
