Stephen Lew
By Hunt Palmer
One Saturday night decision defined LSU’s season.
With a seven-point lead and six minutes to play in the third quarter against a Conference USA team, interim head coach Frank Wilson elected to kick an 18-yard field goal.
The seven yards for the snap and 10 yards for the endzone only leave one from the line of scrimmage to the goalline. And LSU kicked.
It was probably the percentage call, and that’s the problem.
The Tigers have struggled in the red zone all season. Only two teams in the country–UMass and Ball State–run the ball for fewer yards per carry in the red zone than LSU. In the home opener against Louisiana Tech, another Conference USA foe, LSU ran three times from inside the Tech three yard line trying to ice the game up 20-7 as time dwindled. All three fell short of the goalline forcing a field goal. Eleven weeks and a new playcaller later, the story remained the same.
Wilson promised when he took over the reins of the program in late October that LSU would run the ball.
On Saturday night, LSU went 20 offensive snaps and 14 minutes and 20 seconds of game time without handing the ball to a back against the No. 106 run defense in America. That stretch started with the second snap of the third quarter and lasted until early in the fourth.
The last two years have been abysmal on the ground for LSU from a production and commitment standpoint. For the second consecutive season, the Tigers rank last in the SEC in rushing attempts. Only Florida has run for fewer touchdowns this year.
An inability to consistently push Western Kentucky around is a further indictment of the culture in the offense.
Five hours north of Baton Rouge, Ole Miss has 31 rushing touchdowns on the season, 22 more than LSU. The Rebels are 12th in the country in rushing attempts and feature one of two SEC backs averaging over 100 yards per game.
The circus in Oxford over the last seven days feels like it’s going to directly affect LSU on Thanksgiving weekend.
After looking at Tiger Stadium in November, this program is in desperate need of a shot of life. The stadium was empty as Texas A&M completed a second half throttling of LSU. Thousands of empty seats surrounded a late come-from-behind victory over a winless Arkansas team three weeks later, and Saturday was as lifeless a non-conference crowd as possible after halftime.
Coaching changes bring optimism and energy. LSU needs both and a coach who can cure these offensive woes that derailed the previous era.
Athletic Director Verge Ausberry will certainly have options considering the reported contract values LSU is offering.
Hopefully he can pick a Lane.
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