Well … that was really something.
LSU beat Western Kentucky 13-10 in an ugly, ugly game on Saturday, improving to 7-4 on the season.
It was not a clean performance. That’s putting it mildly. Here’s our 5 takes.
5 TAKES AS LSU LIMPS PAST WESTERN KENTUCKY:
TAKE ONE: Portal shopping – LSU needs to shop the portal on offense. Drastically. I am not sure Michael Van Buren is the answer. Whether he is or isn’t, you need depth there because we are for sure not seeing enough here to be certain. You need offensive linemen. The dudes you have now need to be developed. You need weapons. I have said it all season and have gotten laughed at: LSU does not have good receivers. Those dudes run bad routes, don’t create separation and are not dominant SEC players. You need an overhaul – just like the defense got last year.
TAKE TWO: Thank you, Blake Baker – If LSU had last year’s defense, they would literally be 1-10 right now. That’s not an exaggeration. They would have beaten Southeastern and literally no one else. Brian Kelly is this and that, but his portal purchases on the defensive side and his DC hire sure were hits. The offensive stuff? Yeah, not so much.
TAKE THREE: Next week can be great off the field … but ugly on it – There is a world where LSU gets beat by Oklahoma really, really bad next week. The Sooners have an elite defense, a great scheme and on the road, I just fear a lot, a lot of turnovers and next to no offense. The first team to 3 might win.
TAKE FOUR: I hope Western Kentucky loses in the CUSA Championship Game if they make it – No reason. Just me being petty. 🙂
TAKE FIVE: DJ Pickett is a hoss – True freshman DJ Pickett is a dude. The kid was all over the field tonight, making play after play both in coverage and also as a blitzer. Kid plays special teams and is good at that too. He has a bright future and few true freshmen live up to the hype to that level.
TAKE SIX: You can’t do that, Harlem – You can’t fumble up 10 with a minute left with the opponent having no timeouts. You just can’t do that. That’s inexcusable and indefensible. You can’t do that. Literally taking the handoff and taking a knee is better. You have to know the situation and get down with the football by any means necessary.
TAKE SEVEN: A comedy show or a football game? – Was PBP guy Tom Hart even watching the game tonight? He called catches that were drops at least 4-5 times. He made jokes the entire game. It was borderline unwatchable. Not everyone is Pat McAfee. Sometimes, it’s OK to just call it straight.
TAKE EIGHT: Brian Kelly’s son … woof – I am not sure how LSU allowed Brian Kelly’s kid (who doesn’t play a second) stay on the team and be a poison pill in the locker room post-dismissal. To have a kid on Senior Day lifting up his jersey and shouting “Free BK” like a maniac into the camera is absolutely embarrassing. Brian Kelly isn’t having his freedom taken away, bro. He is being paid to not work. Kind of like how you got a spot on the team to not play – because your daddy was the coach.