The LSU Tigers looked bad against the UCLA Bruins. Let’s admit it and not try to hide from the truth.
By Matt Zemek
Ed Orgeron brought his team to Los Angeles with every expectation that his 2021 team would be noticeably better than the 2020 team which started 3-5 and finished 5-5. Coach O and LSU fans both had every right to think this year would be a lot better than the last one… but it didn’t start out that way.
UCLA kicked LSU in the teeth. It’s terrible to have to say so, but if it’s accurate, there’s no sense in trying to pretend otherwise. Chip Kelly has constructed a quality offense at UCLA, with an offensive line which established control of the line of scrimmage and outplayed LSU’s defensive line. LSU’s linebackers looked painfully slow in this game, failing to keep up with UCLA tight end Greg Dulcich and other Bruin pass catchers. Orgeron and LSU fans learned that replacing the disastrous Bo Pelini at defensive coordinator was not an automatic or immediate solution to the Tigers’ problems.
On offense, it wasn’t much better, if at all. Max Johnson’s blind “back to the play” underhand throw was a shockingly careless and reckless display. Brad Johnson, his dad, certainly didn’t teach him to play quarterback like that. Johnson was not on top of his game, unlike the final two games of the 2020 season. That’s a real point of concern. Yet, the offense’s woes went far beyond Johnson. The offensive line was outplayed by a UCLA defensive line which entered 2021 with a lot of question marks. UCLA had a terrible defense last year, but it looked more than competent against LSU’s offense. Part of this was the UCLA game plan, specifically for LSU. The Bruins blitzed and blitzed, thinking – correctly – that they could outflank the Tigers’ blockers before Johnson could find his target. The plan clearly worked, and LSU did not have counter adjustments which could solve that problem.
LSU has a ton to work on against the McNeese Cowboys. We could choose 10 different items, but we’ll emphasize these three:
1 – Trenches
LSU has to be far better on each line. If that doesn’t get fixed, none of the other pieces are going to fall into place this year. LSU was soft on defense under Bo Pelini. Getting tougher is something the Tigers have not yet achieved in 2021 – UCLA exposed that. Offensive line communication needs to improve, in order to pick up blitzes and other aggressive defensive movements.
2 – Max Johnson reset
This is a game in which Johnson should have open receivers to throw to. Johnson can’t make some of the reckless decisions he made last week. Obviously, McNeese won’t threaten him on most plays, but Johnson needs to immediately reestablish good habits and flush the UCLA game out of his system.
3 – Linebackers in pass coverage
Yes, McNeese doesn’t have high-grade weapons, but LSU’s linebackers must use this game to refocus and dramatically improve their level of pass coverage. If progress isn’t made here, SEC offenses are going to relentlessly target the Tiger linebackers in the passing game, and it could get ugly. This is a hugely urgent part of this team’s development in 2021.
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