5 Things We Learned in 5 Minutes of LSU vs. McNeese St
By Scotty Nola
The Offensive Line Is Set (Finally)
Sep 5, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles before a game against the McNeese State Cowboys at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
It’s unusual to have questions about your O-Line days from the opener.
This year we had a sudden shift late, with Ethan Pocic moving back in from Guard to Center, and surprise question marks at both Guard spots. The questions were caused by the emergence of true Freshman Maea Teuhema.
The coaches acknowledged that Teuhema was in a fight for the starting Left Guard spot with Will Clapp, and that Will Clapp was also in the running for the Right Guard spot held by Josh Boutte.
Clapp won the starting spot on the left, and the broadcast team really talked up how dominant Boutte has been in practice and how integral the coaches felt he would be to their success on the field.
The broadcasters comments are important because they get all this in interviews with the coaches before the game. Sounds like Boutte was never in doubt, and the early depth chart question marks may have been a motivating tool or a warning about some minor issue.
Next: Who's Who at Cornerback