"LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson says he believes the major reason the Tigers suffered the first shutout in BCS title game history, a 21-0 rout to Alabama on Jan. 9, was because of the offensive game plan.
Jefferson, on the same day he pleaded not guilty to a simple-battery charge stemming from an Aug. 26 arrest, second-guessed the offensive play calls in an interview with Atlanta radio station WCNN.
Jefferson, who was suspended for the first four games of the season after the arrest that came a week after a fight outside an off-campus bar, said he would have changed some play calls if he'd been able to.
"I definitely didn't expect for [the title game] to play like that," Jefferson told WCNN on Thursday. "Alabama was a little bit more prepared than us. There was a lot of things that we should've did different to catch a rhythm on offense. To win a type of game like that, you've got to win all three phases -- offense, defense and special teams -- and we just didn't get over that hump to winning those phases. We kind of fell short in that game."
Jefferson felt the Tigers needed to spread Alabama out more. He also revealed that several plays the team prepared were never used.
Jefferson wasn't present for Thursday's arraignment, during which his lawyer entered the plea on his behalf.
"At times we put ourselves in the hole as far as putting ourselves in second- and third-and-long," he told WCNN. "Being in that type of third-and-long situation against an Alabama team and a defense like that, you're going to fall short every time."
Jefferson felt LSU didn't make the right adjustments during halftime to come out for the second half. He finished the game with 53 yards passing, an interception and 15 rushing yards.
"When we came in at halftime we discussed what we needed to do different as far as moving the ball and getting in a rhythm," he told the radio station. "... You have to have certain plays for these certain types of defenses they were running. We talked about making the adjustment and the adjustment that we made wasn't the adjustment that we needed to make to get the momentum and the rhythm going."
Jefferson wanted to "put the ball in different passing areas, use our talent on the receiving side."
"... We have great guys in those areas and sometimes we just wonder why we don't use those guys," he continued on WCNN. "But we're not the one calling the plays. We still have to go out and execute what the coaches and coordinators are calling. We can't complain as players, but sometimes we do question that.
"It's a learning situation for us, a learning situation for the LSU football team and I definitely expect to see us back in the championship next year."
this is an interesting read. you don't see this coming out of teams that trust their coach. When players are questioning the decision making of a coach, you know you your program is in trouble.
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Jordan Jefferson Questions Game Plan
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