Question: Did LSU expose Bama weaknesses or just surprised with how well Mettenburger played?

Tide&True

All-American
Sep 24, 2004
4,618
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Murfreesboro, TN
I give LSU a lot of credit. I'm not trying to make any excuses here...but don't you think Mettenburger's performance came out of no where?

So my question is: Did LSU expose some weaknesses or was Mettenburger's performance so unexpected that we didn't expect him to be able to do what he did?
 

92tide

TideFans Legend
May 9, 2000
58,146
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East Point, Ga, USA
i dont think they exposed anything. last night was due to mettenberger's performance (and several other LSU players who played lights out), this being a "circle" game for LSU, and our team making several uncharacteristic mistakes. we weathered a perfect storm.

we wont make that many mistakes again this season
 

gamersfuel

All-American
Jan 20, 2008
4,174
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Auburn/near a cow pasture
i think some weaknesses were exposed. or at least some things that we need to get better at. In particular (and most dont agree with me and i've been saying it since about the 2nd or 3rd game) is our run defense up the middle. it needs to get stronger if we are to win it all again.
 

Stonewall1959

2nd Team
Oct 5, 2005
315
3
0
64
Macon, Georgia
Looked a lot like the South Carolina game in 2010 when Steven Garcia caught fire and beat us.

Mettenburger had the game of his life last night (don't know why I was shocked as often as we see this with opposing teams). Got to give the kid credit, though. We didn't seem to be able to rattle him at all.

Gary Danielson called it right when he said that the teams that give us fits are the ones with a hot QB.

I was very worried about the LSU game with them having a week off to prepare for us.
 

Bamabw

Suspended
Oct 14, 2011
36
0
0
Reminds me of the perfect game South Carolina's QB (I believe it was Garcia) had against Bama in 2010...we obviously lost that game though
 

Florida Tom

All-American
Aug 15, 2011
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Tampa, FL
Really tough night for the DB's is my opinion & the issue was out of position a lot, not getting to the QB on blitz.
how many times did we hear Vinnie or Lester's name? Milner missing tackles just is not like him at all.

I guess they played so much they were wore out.

They have some things to work on before Saturday for sure.
 

CrimsonEyeshade

Hall of Fame
Nov 6, 2007
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This was the best team we've faced and they ran the ball and they threw the ball. Mettenberger made a couple of miraculous throws. But there was also too many easy ones. They did a great job handling our blitz, and the quarterback clearly was seeing the field. Tough combination to beat, but we did.

That said, what surprised me once again was the stop-and-start nature of our offense. We gouged them with the run. We kept Mingo and Montgomery at bay. Yet we did nothing in the second hand until the final drive. Sure we fumbled near the goal line, but we had several opportunities to close the bar early last night and couldn't do anything with them.

If we make it to Miami, will not have that luxury against a team like Oregon.
 

257WBY

Suspended
Aug 20, 2011
2,077
1
0
The radio broadcast was saying that LSU was splitting a TE out wide and putting a WR in the slot. The safties get caught trying to cover a WR and would get beat. If Bama puts another CB in for the slower safety, LSU would run and make the smaller corner attempt to tackle the big RBs.
There is a lot of talent on the LSU offense, just no clue what to do with it most of the time.
 

WaterWoman

1st Team
Nov 25, 2011
464
0
0
A lot of stars aligned for LSU. Playing at night in their house. Having a bye week while we played a game that injured our top receiver and our QB. Etc. etc. We had a few weaknesses exposed, and a lot of those weaknesses had to do with either injuries or new guys/ new positions.

But we had a team indoctrinated with the belief that this was a 60 minute ball game and they were prepared to win because they had practiced to do so.

People may call him all the names in the book, but there is no coach that prepares athletes better to battle than Coach Nick Saban. I am forever appreciative of that fact.
 

Mystical

All-American
Sep 28, 2009
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Fairhope, Alabama
Some of those plays our guys were in perfect position but a great throw beat it. I take my hat off to a good game plan and Met played out of his head.
 

capnfrog

All-American
Aug 17, 2002
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Pell city, Al. U.S.A.
I posted in the sticky threads before the game that LSU would play to Mettenbergers strengths. This was no surprise because Mettenberger has had trouble all year with the mid range and long ball so they just shortened his throws. Mettenberger did very well on the short throws and Bama had trouble getting LSU off the field on 3rd down. I look for more of the same from TAMU, they know they can't run on Bama so they will stay with the quick throws before the blitz can get to their QB and hope the TAMU QB can scramble enough to avoid whatever DB is assigned to keep him reigned in. The TAMU RB's will block or catch short passes.
 

TideMan09

Hall of Fame
Jan 17, 2009
12,187
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Anniston, Alabama
To be honest..LSU didn't expose a weakness at all..WR's have been open against us every game we've played this year..Mettenberger was just the 1st QB that executed to those open WR's..Plus..Had we executed on offense earlier in the game when we had the opportunity..We would have won the game easily..We took LSU's best shot..Withstood it..And showed college football why we're the #1 team in the nation..
 

parrothdfn

Scout Team
Dec 5, 2000
115
4
137
Franklin, TN
My thoughts are that LSU had 2 weeks to prepare for the game. They also had motivation on their ring fingers stating that they lost to us in the nc game. The game w/ LSU has always been heat back to when Coach Saban was at LSU and a LSU fan posted the fake post game speech about Bama's team being a bunch of cheaters. It is a rivalry game and emotions run high

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
 

cuda.1973

Hall of Fame
Dec 6, 2009
8,506
607
137
Allen, Texas
Read somewhere on ESPN that "privately" we were concerned about our secondary. That might be a bit exaggerated, but this isn't last year's secondary, so in comparison, we might have been concerned.

The best way to counter that is to not go 1 for 9, on 3rd down conversions. And making the defense stay on the field for almost 40 minutes. (Translation: aTm, can you stop the run?)
 

RammerJammer15

All-American
Sep 9, 2012
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LSU didn't really expose, this is just the Mettenberger that everybody has been waiting to see. Sometimes I was kinda like "Why are we blitzing on 3rd down?" but its all good.
 

selmaborntidefan

TideFans Legend
Mar 31, 2000
36,432
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Don't read too much into one game. Nearly every team that has beaten the Barn this year did it by more than the safety LSU won by.

1) They've had ten months to be angry and think about it.

2) They had an off week.

3) Tiger Stadium is one touch place to play.

4) We have played so many good games we were due for a bad one.

5) We needed this to show we are not like old Big Eight bullies who looked tough punching in 80 points against also rans but couldn't play when challenged (1983 Nebraska, 2003 Oklahoma)

6) Games multiply the toll.

7) Zach never got planted by the D - if he had then it would have been interesting.

8) We caused our own turnovers - they didn't.

9) Few O lines are as good as us - LSU is close.
 

bamanix

1st Team
Mar 24, 2010
528
0
0
lsu played the game of their life. thank goodness they have les miles coaching. major mistakes in his coaching. the fake punt, the on side kick. fourth down plays. during the game i noticed mattenberger, passing 90 % of the time to his right side. he connected 75 % no matter what defense we had. he never went to his left side, or much over the middle. he had plenty of time in passing situations. we also blitzed primarily from his left side, or blind side. rarely worked. their running game was strong because of the big full back at 270 pounds leading the play and knocking our linebackers out of the play. very strong game plan. our defensive secondary was as bad as i have seen all year. i guess this really was the first test for our guys. i think a@m will be just as tough.
 

257WBY

Suspended
Aug 20, 2011
2,077
1
0
If allowing 14 points on the road to one of the best programs in the country is "exposed", I'll take it.
 

TexasBama

TideFans Legend
Jan 15, 2000
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Houston, Texas USA
We were gashed up the middle the first part of the game but something changed because after JW was blowing the center up. Maybe he just got mad :)
 

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