Put your OC hat on for a minute....

[CadaverDawg]

If LSU decides they're going to stack the box and force Dak to throw it....what do we do? LSU has the best secondary in the country possibly. Can Dak beat them with his arm?

We are so sure that we can stop their run by stacking the box.....what if they do the same? While they have a lesser QB, we have lesser DB's than LSU. And while we have a better QB, they have better WR's most think. So who has the advantage if both teams shut down the run game?

I'm genuinely curious as to what we do if/when they stack the box.
Thoughts?

[Dawg496]

Hit the 10-20 yard routes early and often until they move the LBs back into coverage. Thankfully Malcolm and Derunnya and RoJo give us some large targets. Not to mention Jameon is not afraid to catch passes over the middle.

[cheewgumm]

I think them stacking the box will doors to stop jrob. I still think dak will have opportunities to run. But he will still have to hit some passes to take advantage of it.

I don't think there is any way around it.

[smootness]

I think that's advantage us. I like our pass rush better than theirs, and I like our QB better than theirs. Seems fairly cut and dried to me. If LSU can't run the ball, they won't beat us, period. If we can't run it, it becomes very difficult but still doable. Prescott is very adept at getting outside the pocket, so I think he would be able to get outside and buy enough time to find the open WRs if they went with that strategy.

And I like the thought of guys like Lewis, Ross, and Brown running around in space.

[Smitty]

Jet sweep option that bitch with Jameon, J-Rob and Dak.

Then go off that into your passes.

[Dawg4Life]

If LSU decides they're going to stack the box and force Dak to throw it....what do we do? LSU has the best secondary in the country possibly. Can Dak beat them with his arm?

We are so sure that we can stop their run by stacking the box.....what if they do the same? While they have a lesser QB, we have lesser DB's than LSU. And while we have a better QB, they have better WR's most think. So who has the advantage if both teams shut down the run game?

I'm genuinely curious as to what we do if/when they stack the box.
Thoughts?

I remember in 2009, Mullen's first year, I watched an offense against LSU that I had never seen before. Against a very talented defense, we looked balanced and imaginative all day long. I know everyone remembers the T. Lee debacle at the end to lose the game, but two big plays (the interception for a touchdown and punt return) cost us that game. Frankly, considering the quality of the opponent and the lack of QB talent, I thought the offense that day was as good as I've seen at MSU.

So, to your point, how do we react if they stack the box? First, we are going to have to knock people off of the ball somewhat consistently even when numbers are not in our favor, i.e. 8 men in the box. When everyone knows we are running, can we get those 3 yards?

The reason I bring up '09 was because I thought we did a great job of creating mismatches with personnel. We would throw on running downs due to a mismatch in the secondary, specifically across the middle. Our ability to run the power game out of the same sets, on ANY down, kept LSU guessing all day. That is an advantage we should have all year with JRob and Dak's skill set. Can we give a run look, then pass...a pass look, then run? It sounds simple but it's not. Hell, look at the next two years where we really struggled to move the ball against LSU.

But again, we must RUN THE BALL. I just hope we stick to running out of a variety of formations. Our receivers can make plays but there will be better opportunities if DBs and LBs are peaking in the backfield from (a) getting tough yards and (b) multiple plays from similar formations. Given what I know about the two teams, this is where our biggest advantage comes from. LSU is a one-trick pony (and very good at that trick).

[Westdawg]

attack the seams with Malcom and Walley. let them over pursue a little bit with some runs up the middle and then throw a RB screen or hit a couple RB flats.
if we can make their safeties lock in on the run and pull them in within 12 yards flatfooted looking, i would run a wheel route or two , and if they give a cover 3 or 4, i would hit that out route like nobody's business.
i can tell you here and now, i want to see a grinding run game.....3 to 4 yards at a time. if this team can do what it is supposed to do, we will be fine. I am excited to see some SEC officiating that may not give D. Wilson heck for being a tough, physical receiver.

[JDog13]

Run the ball and get them cheating, then utilize Jameon like in the Liberty Bowl.

[ShotgunDawg]

This is a really good question Cadaver, and I'm not sure that there is one answer because I think it depends on how our defense plays.

I could obviously be wrong, but, after watching the replay of LSU's game against ULM, I think there is a legitimate possibility that the psycho defense shuts their ass down.

If this happens and we happen to get an early score, I think you could see us go to a refined, better at QB & WR version of what we did to Florida in Swamp a few years ago. Basically, if our defense is playing lights out, and we get on top early, I think we should just try to run against the stacked box, limit risk, and take some shots down the field off play action.

If we get behind or LSU is moving the ball consistently, then I believe we have to beat them with Daks arm. The good thing is that we are aren't a one dimensional running team. Because Dak and JRob are such good runners, we can still force teams, even with a stacked box, to have to play assignment football. This may also be a great time for the diamond formation. If LSU is going to try and stack the box, then make them play assignment football to stop the run. Don't just run conventional running plays and allow 8 guys to run to the ball.

Ultimately, I think this is where so many great coaches excel and so many mediocre coaches don't. IMO, Mullen's biggest shortcoming as a head coach has been his ability to have a feel for the flow of the game and momentum. Les Miles and Steve Spurrier are masters of harnessing the flow of the game and understanding what must be done to WIN. It's all about instincts.

Mullen can't try to get cute in this game. The goal must be to simply win. Because Mullen was an OC for much of his career, I think sometimes he gets in the mode of trying to impress people with his offensive acumen and creativity, while at the same time not doing the one thing his team needs most to win. I sometimes wonder if 2010 was Mullen's best coaching job because he was limited with Chris Relf and it simply forced him to stick with what worked because we couldn't do much else. Saturday night will test him as a head coach. Winning is all that matters, not which play we won with or how many we win by. Mullen must step up

[preachermatt83]

If they stack the box, and im calling plays I would eat them to death with 10 yard option In/out routes with Jameon in the slot and line bear up beside him and they will be forced to cover him one on one or Jameon one on one. If they try to cover jameon one on one we would destroy them with that option route. If they tried Bear one on one, after we have hit the option route a few times, we would beat them deep.

[ShotgunDawg]

RTGDF and don't care how many are in the box

[Dawg61]

I'd use double set recievers on both sides with combinations of a tall deep threat (Bear Wilson) with a quick cutting smaller slot style WR (Jameon) and pick apart their man to man defense all day long. Then put Johnson and Ross on the other side and run mirror plays. 4 options just at receiver with Walley leaking through the middle and JRob as another option in the flat until LSU is forced to put more men in coverage and then start wearing on them with the run till they protect vs that and then back to raping the man to man coverage. Oh yea and the back breaker is Dak tucking and running for 20 yards a pop.

[CadaverDawg]

I'd use double set recievers on both sides with combinations of a tall deep threat (Bear Wilson) with a quick cutting smaller slot style WR (Jameon) and pick apart their man to man defense all day long. Then put Johnson and Ross on the other side and run mirror plays. 4 options just at receiver with Walley leaking through the middle and JRob as another option in the flat until LSU is forced to put more men in coverage and then start wearing on them with the run till they protect vs that and then back to raping the man to man coverage. Oh yea and the back breaker is Dak tucking and running for 20 yards a pop.

You bring up a good point about the RB. I remember against Tennessee a few years ago, every time they blitzed or got pressure we flared it out to Perk and picked up what we could, which was usually 3+. I love that strategy because it was safe and it gained positive yardage and didn't let the defense ever get confidence building "wins". I would love to see us give Dak plenty of safety valve routes Saturday so he doesn't have to force things into that dangerous secondary.

Some screen passes would be great too, especially if they are as aggressive as we think they'll be.

[Todd4State]

If they stack the box, throw fades to Bear and Robert Johnson. After we burn them a couple of times, they'll get out of the box.

[smootness]

The beauty of running out of the spread is that it's naturally very difficult to stack the box if you have any semblance of a passing threat. When you're running out of 4-wide sets, the defense can't just bring everybody up into the box. And when you're doing it with power runners like Dak and Robinson, it makes it doubly difficult because you'd like to have the extra support on the second level.

But it forces the defense to either use additional guys in the secondary, which makes your second level weaker against the power running game; or cover guys like Jameon Lewis with linebackers; or go completely one-on-one in the secondary, which will generally give you really good options in the passing game, especially in the slot against safeties who are probably playing off the line a good bit.

If they run the 4-2-5 that they normally do, we'll be able to gain yardage on them on the ground. They won't shut us down. We may not be quite as effective as Wisconsin was in the running game, but we don't need to be.

I think this is the game that Josh Robinson really makes a name for himself around the conference and potentially the country. I just don't think you can completely shut him down, and I think he is going to have a very, very good game.

[Johnson85]

If they stack the box, throw fades to Bear and Robert Johnson. After we burn them a couple of times, they'll get out of the box.

That'd be ideal, but I don't know that we can complete those consistently enough to make them get out of the box. I think we're going to have to hurt them with slot and tight end play.

[CadaverDawg]

That'd be ideal, but I don't know that we can complete those consistently enough to make them get out of the box. I think we're going to have to hurt them with slot and tight end play.

I agree. Throwing fades sounds great, but is easier said than done vs that secondary.

[thf24]

If they stack the box, I think Jameon will be open a lot, and have room to run. I have complete confidence in Dak's ability to hit him within 10-15 yards consistently. Once we complete a few of those, they'll have to move someone back a little, which will open up some running room.

[Coach34]

We run the Spread to keep teams from stacking the box. If they roll the F/S up on the TE and go M2M a good bit- here is what u do:

You put Bear in the slot and let him beat their Safeties...you also run play-action crossing routes with Tubby and make them chase him all the way across the field. And you also run double moves with max protection

but even if the Safety cheats up- you still RTGDF. That is a must. You can get their guys caught up in the trash and break some big runs when they do that shit- because when he breaks- there's nobody left.

[SallyStansbury]

good point and good post. I wonder how much Hud had to do with the misdirection and lack of predictability, and imagination that year. Coach will be here shortly to say, "none." That may be the case, but maybe it was just them not knowing Mullen's tendencies in his first year, but I don't think that was it, I think keying on the mismatches as you mentioned, lack of predictability and misdirection kept LSU guessing.

Mullen has a bad tendency to be predictable with his play calling: Perkins up the gut, etc....we have all seen it.

Prescott for a 15 yrd run/pass gain, next play 99.9% of the time is PERK/JROB up the gut for XX yards. I don't know if we are ready to blow LSU off the line just yet, when we line up and go straight ahead we give them an advantage. RTGDF but keep them guessing with at least some misdirection, etc...... the bigger the game, the more Mullen clamps down and goes conservative. That worries me.