Hummingbirds In Duck Feathers

Oregon's mascot may be the Ducks, but with their no huddle offense their pace is more similar to that of a hummingbird.  The LSU Defense has been doing drills since last Spring, to get them more accostomed to the Ducks' fast pace tempo.  The following article by Les East of the Baton Rouge Advocate describes the advanced preparation that the Tigers' defense has been through to get them ready for Darron Thomas, LaMichael James & Co.  

Oregon’s fast pace focus for LSU since spring

By Les East, The Advocate

The first game week of LSU’s season begins Monday, but the Tigers are already well into preparations for their opening opponent.

Oregon’s hurry-up offense is an even bigger attention-getter than their colorful uniforms.

The Ducks try to minimize the amount of time between snaps, and their pace can tire opposing defenders over the course of a series of downs and take a cumulative toll as a game wears on. It also leaves opponents with little time to make calls and change personnel groups.

To continue reading:  http://theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/700477-64/always-on-their-mind.html

Mobile Native Son Vince Dooley: Legendary Former Georgia Football Coach Turns Botany Enthusiast

Former Georgia Head Coach Vince Dooley and father of Tennessee Coach Derek Dooley has serioulsy remade himself following his long coaching carrer.  He has become a serious Botany enthusiast and even publishing his own book last year on the subject.  He recently visited his hometown of Mobile to check out the plant species on family property along the Mobile Delta.  Here is an article from today's Mobile Press-Register on the visit.

Pigskin Latin: Vince Dooley, Mobile-Tensaw Delta son, comes home speaking in tongues

By Ben Raines, Press-Register Press-Register
MOBILE, Alabama -- The legendary college football coach called them out from memory.
One after another, complicated names spoken in a secret code only a few understand. 

Vince Dooley gazes at the peninsula that divides Polecat Bay and the Spanish River in the lower Mobile-Tensaw Delta. As a boy, Dooley visited his mother's family in a home on the peninsula, where they raised cows, farmed vegetables and occasionally sold an alligator skin. (Press-Register/Ben Raines)

But the words slipping across Mobile native Vince Dooley’s lips weren’t football plays. They were the Latin names of plants.
Gliding through a narrow creek deep in the heart of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, the man who coached Herschel Walker and the Georgia Bulldogs to the national championship in 1980 was revealed to be a serious botanist.
To continue reading:  http://blog.al.com/live/2011/08/pigskin_latin_vince_dooley_mob.html

Jordan Jefferson and Joshua Johns Post Bond, Suspended Indefinitely From LSU Football Team

LSU senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson, 21, and sophomore linebacker Joshua Johns, 21, have been booked and released from Parish Prison after Baton Rouge police arrested them on second-degree battery counts.

Both players posted a $5,000 bond.

Jefferson and Johns have been suspended indefinitely from the football team, coach Les Miles said Friday.

To continue reading:  http://theadvocate.com/home/686220-82/lsus-jefferson-johns-post-bond.html

Pascagoula's Vick Ballard and Baton Rouge's Brandon Bolden Give Mississippi State and Ole Miss Strong Gulf Coast Based Rushing Attacks

While Mississippi State and Ole Miss each have question marks heading into this season, the running game is not one of them as they each return a quality, proven veteran in their backfield.  The Clarion Ledger came out with features today on MSU Running Back Vick Ballard of Pascagoula and Ole Miss's Brandon Bolden of Baton Rouge. 

   
STARKVILLE — The numbers were not fabricated, but Vick Ballard was still ready to defend his honor.
"I was a 1,000-yard back last year," Mississippi State's senior running back said. "I just fell a little short and I'll prove it this year."
While many questioned whether this then-junior newcomer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College could fill the shoes of Anthony Dixon, State's career-leading rusher, Ballard went about his business.
To continue reading:  http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20110826/SPORTS030102/108260328/Ballard-says-he-won-t-fall-short-mark-again?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Home|p

When the Sept. 3 opener against BYU is here, Bolden, a senior running back, will be the focal point of the Rebels' offense. That's not news, especially after a junior season in which Bolden ran for 976 yards and 14 touchdowns.
He also caught 32 passes for three more scores, and even threw a pass. Oddly, that made him the team's leading returning rusher, receiver and passer (all three quarterbacks have never taken a snap for Ole Miss).
Bolden, who has tried his best to lead this Rebels team, is willing to do more.
"I'd go play D-line if they wanted me to," Bolden said. "Whatever helps."
For full article:  http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20110826/SPORTS030103/108260322/Held-back-Bolden-chomping-bit?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Home|s

LSU Working On "Plan B"

LSU preparing a ‘Plan B’ for Oregon

By Scott Rabalais, The Advocate

LSU’s football preparations for Oregon are like a game of shadows.

There is the plan the Tigers want to polish for their Sept. 3 opener, the game plan that includes players brought in for questioning Tuesday by Baton Rouge Police.

But if Plan A includes players like quarterback Jordan Jefferson, freshman receiver Jarvis Landry, linebacker Josh Johns and offensive tackle Chris Davenport, there is evidently a Plan B, too.

For full article:  http://theadvocate.com/sports/666390-64/lsu-preparing-a-plan-b.html