4-0, but far from perfect...

So it's the beginning of October, and this can mean only one thing: Football season is in full swing. We're 1/3 of the way through the regular season, and right now, LSU controls its own destiny. That's in conference play and on the national scale. Many of us are capable of objective reasoning, and although the Tigers are unbeaten, many of us have noticed some lingering issues that have yet to be resolved. One of my LSU brethren posed an interesting topic for thought the other day. Identity. Does this team have one? Like many others, I feel the answer is no. I think the only positive things I've seen are a huge turnaround in turnover differential and Toliver emerging as that all-important third target in the passing game. R.J. Jackson had flashes of greatness against Vanderbilt, and he hauled in a 40-yard reception against Mississippi State, but aside from those two games, he hasn't been involved.

So here's a list of the negatives the casual observer should be able to point out:

1-- Running game is stagnant.

2-- Offensive line is atrocious in run blocking.

3-- Defense is playing bend but don't break the majority of the game, and missed tackles, breakdowns in coverage, and some other issues are allowing for the big play, and the big play is allowing teams to hang with us.

4-- Offense isn't keeping the defense off the field for long, which is really hurting us late in the game.

5-- Special teams had more than enough blunders last week against Mississippi State. Hopefully things will turn in the right direction for this unit. Aside from Chad Jones returning a punt for a touchdown, there really wasn't much to brag about. In fact, special teams play was as poor as the offensive line's run-blocking abilities.

Now, as an optimist, I would like to think things can drastically improve, and this team will finally put all the pieces together. The truth is, I haven't seen enough desire in this team to be sure they can accomplish this. Jefferson is improving, albeit slowly, with each game, but after the ULL game, he began to worry me because of some of the throws he made--trying to force it in there when his target had a blanket wrapped around him. We can sit here and harp on what needs to improve all day if we wanted to do so, but I'd rather talk about what I'd like to see against UGA tomorrow afternoon. I'm reluctant to make any predictions at this point because admittedly, I'm a homer; and homers tend to favor their team(s) no matter what. I know some people will say, "Realistically, LSU has no shot." The truth is, "realistically," both teams have a shot. Anything can happen on any given Saturday. Isn't that why we love college football?

Anyway, onto what I'd like to see tomorrow:

1-- Pressure on Joe Cox. I would really love to see us line up and play man coverage, mix up some blitzes, and really turn up the heat on this young QB. He's already shown he's well capable of racking up huge numbers, hence the reason I feel it is critical to knock him out of rhythm before he even gets into one.

2-- The clash between A.J. Green and Patrick Peterson. Peterson's name hasn't been called much this season aside from the Washington game in which he racked up a number of tackles and recovered a fumble; and also, this past week when he returned an interception for a touchdown. Green is obviously the go-to guy for the Dawgs, and Peterson, who is arguably the best lockdown cornerback in the nation, is the only player I trust to cover this standout wide receiver. It should be a lot of fun to watch these two tussle.

3-- Please, for the love of God. Run. The. Damn. Ball. And do it well. If ever a time were more ripe for the line to jell, it's now. We need to have the threat of a ground game in the upcoming stretch of games; otherwise, Jordan Jefferson is going to have to lead us to victory with his arm, and I really don't like our chances if that's the case. Unless the Wizard has some tricks up his sleeve he has yet to reveal, without a running game, doom appears imminent.

Aside from those few things, I just want the Tigers to go out there and play with some intensity. Keep it respectable, and leave it all on the field. A win would definitely do wonders for this team's morale, and most importantly, their identity. On top of that, it would restore the faith within the fan base, which is all but gone at the moment.

That's all I've got for now. Geaux Tigers!