REPORT CARD: Grades Are In…

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Grades are in from LSU’s showdown against Alabama.

by Matt Deville
Tiger Rag Senior Editor

(At left, Keiland Williams is tackled by Alabama defenders (Photo by J. Sam Frake)

Quarterbacks:
Les Miles and the LSU players stood by quarterback Jarrett Lee refusing to throw the redshirt freshman under the bus after throwing four interceptions on Saturday. True enough, Lee has been in a tough spot after being thrust into the starting role. However, seven interceptions in games against Georgia (3) and Alabama (4) directly led to the Tigers losing those games. Plus, he now has thrown six touchdowns to the other team, adding the latest in the second quarter.
Grade: D

Running Backs:
Three weeks ago, Georgia came to Baton Rouge with the nation’s No. 2 rushing defense giving up 61 yards per game. LSU ran for 188 yards that day. Saturday, Alabama featured the nation’s second-ranked rushing defense (65 ypg). The Tigers racked up 201 yards, led by Charles Scott’s 92 yards and two touchdowns.
Grade: A

Wide Receivers:
The LSU wide receiving corps had its moments on Saturday. Demetrius Byrd made a beautiful catch for LSU’s first touchdown. Byrd and LaFell both made big catches on the Tigers’ game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter. However, LaFell had three key drops and Chris Mitchell dropped a sure touchdown on Lee’s best pass of the game.
Grade: B-

Offensive Line:
The O-Line took a shot when Brett Helms was lost in the second quarter with an injury. But it didn’t deter LSU’s big men from paving the way for 201 yards against the SEC’s best rushing defense. Jarrett Lee was only sacked once and it was on a busted play. A motion penalty on Joe Barksdale did kill one LSU drive in the third quarter.
Grade: A-

Defensive Line:
The LSU defense, while allowing Glenn Coffee to run for 128 yards, did a good job of containing Alabama running backs most of the day. There wasn’t a great deal of pressure put on John Parker Wilson (0 sacks), but Ricky Jean-Francois’ blocked field goal was the highlight of the night.
Grade: B

Linebackers:
Kelvin Sheppard had a big night leading LSU in tackles with 10 stops and one tackle for loss. The Tiger backers also flourished while aiding in stopping the run. Darry Beckwith, who had six tackles, was tagged with a facemask penalty that led to the blocked field goal.
Grade: B

Secondary:
Both teams defensive backfields played well in the game as both Jarrett lee and John Parker Wilson finished well below 50-percent in completion percentage. Patrick Peterson surpassed Jai Eugene on the depth chart and made a great interception in the second quarter. Bama freshman Julio Jones did drag LSU DBs for dozens of extra yards on his seven receptions. But for the most part, the coverage was good.
Grade: B-

Special Teams:
Aside from a couple of solid returns from Keiland Williams on kickoffs, the Tiger special teams were a disappointment. Brady Dalfrey finished the night with a 40-yard average on eight punts, but there were some shaky efforts from time to time. Also, Colt David missed a 42-yard field goal just before halftime that could have been the difference in the game. Jean-Francois’ block was huge however.
Grade: C-