The Good, The Bad and The Ugly vs. Kentucky
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LSU has extended its losing streak on the road. In a game where the Tigers had opportunities to win, they allowed Kentucky to hang around, and the Wildcats were able to finish the game with a victory. We will get right into it.
The Good:
Not much good came out of this game, but Sam Leavitt has now had three consecutive games completing over 70% of his passes, a stretch he has never accomplished before. While he was still a little limited in his ability to run, it was good to see that his hamstring is healing.
The passing game as a whole is beginning to come along. This was a game in which LSU was held to only 2.6 yards per carry in the running game but was still able to move the ball between the 20s and gain over 400 yards of total offense.
The Bad:
The defense. This segment could end with just those two words.
The defense gave up 35 points to Kentucky, and while this is a really good Kentucky team, the defense has been the one side of the ball that has been great. It was the side of the ball that Lane Kiffin even said this team would have to lean on.
Well, twice now on the road this season, the Tigers’ defense has not shown up.
This week, it just felt like they were not prepared. The off-ball coverage that has not been working well this year was something that was being utilized again. More shocking, though, was the lack of a pass rush and the inability to stop the run. Those were the two staples of this defense.
Kentucky ran the ball for 155 yards on 32 carries, averaging 4.8 yards per rush. Kenny Minchey threw for 246 yards, and LSU did not force a single turnover.
In football, if you truly have a good defense, it travels with the team. This defense has not shown the ability to consistently live up to the standards it has set at home when playing on the road this season.
Another bad was the coaching.
This was by far the worst coaching performance on both sides of the ball. The offensive scheme designed to run the ball did not work at all. I’m not sure what they saw on film, but it did not work.
This offense needs to be able to play a complete game against tougher competition.
Getting a delay-of-game penalty after a timeout, not having the correct personnel on the field at times, and not being sure of what to do in pivotal situations were all showcased on Saturday night.
Hopefully, a game like this will wake them up.
Going back to the defense, you can’t allow teams to keep getting early leads on the road. In the second half, the defense held Kentucky to six points, but they gave up those points in bad situations.
There were also some coaching decisions that took place that were beyond bad. That discussion will come later.
Turnovers.
Two more turnovers for Sam Leavitt. So far, Leavitt is the only quarterback in the country with an interception in every single game this season. This is also the most interceptions he has thrown in a single season, and this was only game number six.
The turnovers have to stop. They actually hurt the team in a really bad way in this game.
The Ugly:
The officiating throughout the SEC has been atrocious, and it was on full display Saturday night in Lexington.
Do not confuse the frustration being conveyed with the reason LSU lost. LSU lost because it did not execute the way it needed to. The referees just made it feel worse.
There were several key moments when flags should have been thrown and were not.
Multiple players were blocked in the back on that punt return touchdown. Sam Leavitt was hit clearly after a whistle was blown on a dead play, and not just hit, but slammed to the ground, with no flag thrown.
There was a controversial targeting call that was not upheld, when LSU fans know all too well the letter of the law regarding targeting after suffering at the hands of that penalty with Devin White and Whit Weeks.
And the most critical penalty that was not called was an obvious false start that took place on the two-point conversion attempt.
On the play before Kentucky actually won the game, the Wildcats came out in a different formation. They had their tight end, Willie Rodriguez, line up as the quarterback under center. The tight end lined up to the left flinched as Rodriguez was calling for the snap.
The referees blew the play dead, and a flag was apparently thrown, or was about to be thrown, before the officials waved it off, to everyone’s surprise, because they claimed Kentucky head coach Will Stein had called a timeout.
This game was horribly officiated, but it’s been ugly all over the league. See what happened at the end of the Alabama vs. Georgia game to fully understand how bad it has been.
The Ugliest:
The hesitation from Lane Kiffin to be Lane Kiffin.
Kiffin was brought to LSU for his brash, aggressive, against-the-grain offensive mindset. Well, throughout this season, that has not really been on display, and this Saturday night, Kiffin had the opportunity to be the most Lane Kiffin he could possibly be at LSU.
Fourth-and-1 at the 43-yard line, under two minutes remaining, and Kentucky had no timeouts left.
You get one yard, you win the game.
Lane Kiffin sent the offense out on the field and attempted to get the defense to jump offsides instead of running a play.
That’s not the Lane Kiffin LSU sought after and brought to Baton Rouge.
That Lane Kiffin, on Saturday, decided to be nice and give Kentucky a chance instead of being that dangerous threat who keeps opposing coaches on their toes because they never know when he will attempt to go for the win.
This felt like a version of Kiffin who was coaching not to lose the game.
And that’s not what LSU needs from Lane Kiffin. That is an ugly version of himself because that’s not who he has showcased himself to be as a coach.
This will be something that sticks with him for the rest of the season.
Hopefully, Kiffin will be able to find a balance with his aggressiveness rather than abandon it altogether.
What were some things that stood out to you? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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