Huskies Versus Tigers: Offensive Position Battles
I was researching the LSU defense when I realized that The Dawg Pound already has a great set of positional previews for the LSU offense, defense, and tomorrow, the special teams. There is no need for me to do the exact same thing they did, so to put a little twist on the position breakdowns, I will go by position group and describe the situation for both teams, and assign an advantage to one team or the other.
Quarterback: Keith Price is a terrific quarterback. Second best in the Pac-12 in fact, behind only Heisman favorite Matt Barkley. If LSU had possessed a quarterback capable of throwing for 3063 yards and 33 touchdowns, they probably would have beat Alabama in the national title game. Of course Price wouldn’t have performed in the exact same way in an SEC defense, so the comparison is a stretch, but you get the picture. They had Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson instead, and though they had a perfect regular season, quarterback was the single greatest issue for the 2011 Tigers. Now, they have Zach Mettenberger, a sophomore transfer from Georgia who may be the classic pocket passer LSU has been seeking. Still, he’s unproven. He has not played a team with as much talent as the Huskies possess. Until Mettenberger is a proven asset, the Huskies have the clear edge in this one.
Edge: Washington
Nov 19, 2011; Oxford, MS, USA; Louisiana State Tigers running back Spencer Ware (11) advances the ball during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught Hemingway Stadium. Louisiana State Tigers lead the Mississippi Rebels at the half. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-US PRESSWIRE
Running Back: It wouldn’t be the SEC without a lot of really talented backs. Four, in this case. The Tigers have Kenny Hilliard, Alfred Blue, Michael Ford, and Spencer Ware all getting meaningful carries, with Ware the leader among them, coming off a sophomore season in which he rushed for 882 yards and 9 touchdowns. If one back starts to get in a groove, Les Miles may give him a heavier load. If someone struggles, a combination of the other three can pick up the slack. That is pretty much the opposite of the Huskies, who have zero backs with a career start now that Jesse Callier is out for the season. Sophomore Bishop Sankey will start, but don’t be surprised if true freshmen Erich Wilson II and Dezden Petty get significant carries as well. Especially the 5’11” 225 pound Petty, who may be able to use his larger frame to run against the massive LSU defensive line. Either way, where as LSU will rely on their run game to move the chains, the Huskies stable of backs is a huge question mark.
Edge: LSU
Offensive Line: 6’6″ and 323 pounds. That is the average size of LSU’s starting offensive line. Not good for the Huskies. They have lost their starting left tackle, Chris Faulk, but it shouldn’t matter much. The Tigers are the sort of team that relies on huge offensive and defensive lines to physically dominate games. Washington, on the other hand, has a fairly reliable interior line, but question marks at both tackle spots. Even if Sark decides to move Erik Kohler to right tackle to counter the outrageously talented duo of Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery, whom we will discuss later, this is certainly the greatest discrepancy between the two teams. The LSU offensive line will be able to maul the Washington defensive line, and the Huskies offensive line will almost certainly have trouble stopping the LSU pass rushers or opening up holes for the run game.
Edge: LSU
Receivers: Finally, some reason for optimism. As we discussed, the Tigers didn’t pass very often, or very well, in 2011. Reuben Randle, their only consistent receiver from last year, is gone to the NFL. So, in his place, they have sophomore Odell Beckham Jr, who caught only 41 balls for 475 yards, and a lot of unproven pass catchers after that. Of course, it is LSU, so I’m sure those unproven players are talented, but until we see them on Saturday, we can’t know just how well they will perform. The Huskies, on the other hand, have Kasen Williams and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, the talented sophomores on which Keith Price will depend to put up points. Kevin Smith and Jaydon Mickens are also in the mix. The LSU defense could neutralize the Husky receivers, but it must be remembered that if UW is to win, it will be because of Keith Price and his offensive weapons.
Edge: Washington