| Scout's Notebook: Auburn@LSU | ||||
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SCOUT’S NOTEBOOK: AUBURN@LSU
The fact that six suspended players left LSU shorthanded had no impact on the Bayou Bengals as they pummeled Auburn on both sides of the ball in a lopsided 45-10 defeat. The Purple and Gold feature a loaded roster chock full of promising freshmen and sophomores who should make Les Miles a happy coach for years to come.
Junior wideout burns rubber
There’s a reason why Rueben Randle was the top-rated wide receiver coming out of Louisiana’s Bastrop High School in 2009. The 6’4” junior is a sure-handed speedster who combines great strength, athleticism and tremendous burst off the line.
He made the most out of his five receptions last Saturday by scoring twice along with gaining 106 yards.
Randle’s first score came at the 6:08 mark of the second quarter with Jordan Jefferson hitting the streaking pass catcher in stride, as blew by two defenders on the 42-yard connection.
The long wideout didn’t allow cornerback Robenson Therezie to slow him down at the line of scrimmage. He ran by him with the greatest of ease. Efforts on the part of free safety Demetruce McNeal to cut him weren’t enough to stop him from scoring.
Cornerback Chris Davis made things even easier for Randle at the end of the first half by failing to jam him at the line altogether. The vertical threat proceeded to run by bracket coverage provided by strong safety Neiko Thorpe and the aforementioned Davis along the right sideline for the 46-yard touchdown, which put LSU up 21-3 at halftime.
On the play, it should be noted that quarterback Jarrett Lee made a picture-perfect throw that didn’t require his target to reach or look back. Those types of throws make a fleet-footed Randle that much faster.
Randle’s unique acceleration/burst at 6’4” makes him a special talent in that most players that tall usually need to build up their velocity as they run down 15 or 20 yards down the field.
Also, noteworthy is the underclassmen’s natural strength, which he uses to fend off defenders and stay in his route. His patterns, however, aren’t always crisp, but there is a lot of natural ability to work with here. Randle could very well be a Day 2 pick.
Faulk a rising star at left tackle
Blindside blocker Chris Faulk played a fabulous game by asserting his dominance both in the running and passing games. This was evident early on during the first drive that saw the sophomore move across the line and seal the right side on a 8-yard scamper by Michael Ford.
He flashed his excellent technique in pass protection by quickly getting into his stance and waiting for his man with his knees bent and arms extended. As pass rushers approached him, he would meet them with a thunderous hand punch to break their momentum.
When safeguarding Lee in the pocket, Faulk would also engage the defensive lineman or outside linebacker and lock his big paws on him. By doing this he steered his man and eliminated the potential of any counter moves.
His much improved footwork when combined with his nasty streak are tools he puts to good use when getting out in space and driving players off the ball on running plays. Faulk is one of the most complete tackles in the nation and has an extremely bright future ahead.
Fill-in RB picks up the slack
The absence of suspended running back Spencer Ware didn’t affect LSU’s offense in the slightest with freshman Kenny Hilliard rising to the occasion. The 240-pound grinder ran hard and with a purpose while converting a 3rd-and-2 in which he withstood the force of an oncoming 312-pound Jeffrey Whitaker and dove for a 1st down on his second effort.
The young buck also ran the ball from the fullback position and blasted his way for tough yardage into the teeth of the defense on more than one instance. Hilliard really impressed on back-to-back plays at the end of the first half.
On the first one, which netted 10-yards behind right tackle Alex Hurst, the downhill runner kept moving his feet through contact while exhibiting superior balance. He followed that with a four-yard surge where he leaned into his opponents and just simply drove them back.
Hilliard also added a 25-yard gain midway through the third quarter on a pitch play where his quick feet and patience to run behind Faulk were on grand display. Two plays later, the jumbo back rumbled into the end zone from 1-yard out to make the score 35-3.
Montgomery/Mingo take charge
The long-armed Sam Montgomery was a constant disruptor from his defensive end position, particularly in the first half. His energy and non-stop motor were firing on all cylinders when he caught up to quarterback Clint Moseley with a spectacular dive and secure wrap-up on the broken play.
The sophomore got on his horse two plays later in chasing down the speedy Onterio McCaleb, who gained 10 yards that could have been more if not for Montgomery.
In addition to never taking a play off, the 245-pound lineman also flashed quick hands and feet to get around the much larger A.J. Greene, although there were times when the tackle successfully blocked down on Montgomery on running plays. If there’s one area where the athletic end needs to enhance, it is his size.
Similarly, fellow lineman Barkevious Mingo is long, strong, but a bit on the light side at 6’5”, 240 pounds. What he lacks in girth, he makes up for with his closing speed.
On a 3rd-and-2 play in the first quarter, Mingo easily gets by a much smaller back and closes in for the sack on Moseley, who didn’t have time to react.
He remained very active throughout the contest by rushing the passer from both sides and sometimes forcing offensive tackles to jump offsides. Mingo has the speed of a safety and outstanding length.
Both Montgomery and Mingo lead the SEC with 4 sacks a piece. Both will have to be accounted for by Alabama’s coaching staff in anticipation of next week’s game.
Random Observations
Auburn’s sophomore end Corey Lemonier is extremely quick off the ball and knows how to position himself to take away the outside lane from running backs, but he’s also very small at 220 pounds and not ready to take on a full-time role.
His lack of bulk hurt him on a two-yard gain by Michael Ford in which opposing tight end Chase Clement pushed him inside and totally took him out of the play.
Running back Onterio McCalebb is a 174-pound bolt of lightning, who can gobble up chunks of yards instantly in open space. He was very effective on perimeter plays and reverses.
Right tackle Brandon Moseley was mostly ineffective versus LSU. He showed alarming difficulty in maintaining leverage against smaller players.
In one sequence, the 6’6”, 306-pound senior let linebacker Tahj Jones get underneath him and sack the quarterback. Moseley had a chance to recover when he was initially beaten since there was space between the defender and his target. But the big man just let him go, demonstrating a lack of hustle to go along with his poor form. 
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