LSU fans are breathing a sigh of relief after the No. 2 Bayou Bengals escaped Saturday night's game against Auburn with a 12-10 win. SB Nation LSU blog And the Valley Shook is pleased with the win, but called the performance "probably the worst regular season game LSU has played in at least two years." ATVS cited the offensive playcalling as a particular weakness:
Early on, it appeared as though LSU would be able to do as they pleased on offense, but when things started getting shaky, you could kind of see the coaches a bit unsure. On the one hand, the running game was never so epically bad as to be abandoned, but it was spotty enough that you could see them trying to lean on the passing game more. And to their credit, they tried a lot of short, high-percentage throws to keep Mettenberger in rhythm, only to watch the wideouts struggle.
They also saw parallels to the 2011 season and the team's near-loss to Mississippi State:
Last year a tough, hard-fought win over Mississippi State ultimately exposed a weakness in the 2011 LSU squad that we never really saw exploited until January. This was the first time the 2012 team really faced any adversity, and while you can't exactly feel great about how they responded, you can feel good that they never panicked, knuckled-down and found a way to win.
LSU should have plenty of opportunities to work out any kinks when they host Towson next week.
For more on Auburn football, check out College and Magnolia. For the LSU perspective, head to And The Valley Shook. Don't forget to see what's up at our SEC blog, Team Speed Kills.
