A Slap in the Face

Kerry R. Thompson, Sr.

Monday night, we watched a combination of one of the best defensive performances combined with one of the worst offensive performances in BCS history. Alabama stifled LSU from start to finish as LSU could not muster a drive against the best defense in the land. Les Miles and Steve Kragthorpe did not properly prepare for this game, and called it too conservatively. But even more so they are to blame for Jordan Jefferson staying in this game as long as he did.

Now, we all know the documented struggles of Jarrett Lee against Alabama. In his games against Alabama, he has 1 TD to 7 INTs. But after the way Jordan Jefferson looked last night, he should have had a chance to lead his team to victory just as well as Jordan Jefferson did down in Tuscaloosa. At times in this game, Jefferson looked like a Garrett Gilbert against Alabama in 2009. Jarrett Lee led LSU to a 9-0 record and quality wins against Oregon and West Virginia. He did an excellent job managing the game during this stretch and only had one turnover during that stretch. Albeit none of his numbers jump out at you as astounding, Lee took care of the ball and got the ball to receivers in critical points in the game and threw a pretty good deep ball. Alabama had Jordan Jefferson confused the entire game. After the first series of the 3rd quarter, Lee should have had his chance to get this team going. Jordan Jefferson does offer certain things that Jarrett Lee didn’t, such as his athletic ability and his ability to escape the pocket. But Jarrett Lee would have at least taken the chance to throw the ball down the field. The fans had to agree with me, because each time that Jefferson entered the game, he did so with a chorus of boos all around him.

It was very disrespectful and belittling to see him standing on the sideline while Jefferson was in the game stinking it up. I was appalled to watch Jefferson continue to go back in series after series of ineffective quarterbacking. The LSU offensive line struggled all night with an aggressive Alabama pass rush. Gentry completely dominated the LSU front line. I will admit that. But after what Lee did for LSU this year in a starting role, he deserved the opportunity to get his team back in the game and at least attempt to lead a drive that would have put LSU in position to make this a contest again; maybe even motivate the crowd and this team. Maybe he could have done what he did all year long and what Jordan Jefferson didn't do the whole night. Be a leader. This was his last game as a LSU Tiger. Les Miles and Steve Kragthorpe will have a rough offseason attempting to clean up this mess. Now Miles will never know just how good Lee could’ve done in his last game.