I don't ever enjoy a loss, but I can handle losses like this one a lot better than ones where refs screw us on a call at a critical time or LSU shoots itself in the foot repeatedly. Plenty of things to adjust in retrospect, but LSU got flat whipped on the lines in this game, and it's tough to win a game like that. Amazing it was as close as it was and that LSU still had a chance to pull it out in the end after the carnage at the LOS all day. Don't know that I'll feel the same way after the whole season is said and done, but Florida was just better than LSU on Saturday.
6th different starting OL combination of the season due to injuries finally caught up with us. Unlike the Miami game, the skill players weren't able to overcome it. They are starting to get a little healthier though, and hopefully settle into a groove. We may see the same starting 5 against UGA, that'd be a novel idea for this season. LT Charles was finally back from injury, and you have to wonder if he's all there yet. Florida's DE Polite beat him like a red-headed stepchild all day. I've seen way better lateral movement from him, don't know if he's not 100% or he needs coaching up, but moving his feet the way he was won't get it done the rest of the way. Deculus at RT didn't fare much better, but I'm not convinced that he's anymore than a "nice SEC tackle" as far as talent goes. Line really felt Brumfeld's absence in the middle. D-line....I don't know what to say. They're decent at eating blocks against the run, but they have zero pass rush skills. Well, Lawrence kinda does, and he duly does his job by drawing double teams every play, but everybody else is not as good as their physical traits and practice reviews make them seem like they should be. They reeeeeeally missed Phillips in the run game (the other MLB not named Devin White)...he appeared injured at the end of the Ole Miss game and we didn't hear anymore about it during the week. He traveled to UF, I know, because he was dressed out on the sideline, but he never entered the game. His backup, Micah Baskerville, was out of position a LOT on Florida's run plays. Mullen's motion and tricks to get LBs off their keys worked on him just about every play. Even when Florida got stopped on a run between tackles for little gain, either White or one of the safeties was covering for him. That young guy just got a clinic in sticking to your keys and ignoring the smoke and mirrors. He's gonna want to burn the film, but hopefully it's experience not lost on him for the future. All the young guys on D need to tackle better.
If there's one thing I'd want to blame the staff for and say LSU shoulda/coulda/woulda instead of just giving Florida credit, it's wondering why LSU's offense looked completely surprised that a Todd Grantham defense is a pressure-happy blitz-fest. Even if you're completely unfamiliar with him, that shouldn't last past the 1st quarter. But in the second half Ensminger was still calling plays as if Florida wasn't bringing extra pressure in constantly. It's not like LSU doesn't have plays to mitigate that sort of thing. We saw some of them, successes at that. It's like he was up in the box thinking "Wow, they brought pressure AGAIN. I totally didn't think about that."
Ah well, on to UGA.
