LSU fans hot, cold on Pelini's defense
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BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON and STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
It all depends on who you meet in that clutter of purple and gold, down there in the middle of the drawn-out “L … S ... U” chants and bead-wearing faithful who are sure you can spell Bo two ways.
B-O.
B-E-A-U-X.
Bring up Bo Pelini’s name to a Louisiana State football fan and who knows what facial expression you’ll see.
One week ago, some LSU fans were fed up with the guy. Nebraska wants him? They can have him.
Then came Saturday, and LSU’s 21-14 win against Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference championship game in Atlanta. Pelini’s defense showed up big, intercepting two fourth-quarter passes, running one back for the game-winning touchdown.
“You’re getting a good man,” said 63-year-old LSU fan Mitchell Bourgeois. “Nebraska needs him. And he needs Nebraska.”
Yes, LSU fans were as convinced as Husker fans Saturday afternoon that the 39-year-old Pelini would any day now be wearing a red tie and a grin, announced as the next Nebraska head coach.
The news surfaced Friday night that the LSU defensive coordinator was probably Nebraska’s guy. No one who mattered would confirm that, but Bourgeois was like most Saturday who just considered the thing a done deal.
Sitting in the stands of Atlanta’s Georgia Dome before LSU won Saturday, Bourgeois said: “He’s at that point in his career. He’s ready to be a head coach. It’s a good fit for him.”
Not every LSU fan was so kind in evaluating Pelini and his three years with the Tiger program.
Though 49-year-old Les Juneau of Baton Rouge, La., will grant you Pelini “seems energetic,” he also expressed dis-
appointment in the Tiger defense during the second half of the season.
“We kind of quit blitzing, quit playing aggressive,” Juneau said.
Pelini’s LSU defense was being associated with words like “vaunted” early in the season. But then the Tigers had some injuries and some issues. Teams started to pile up yards. Going into Saturday’s contest, opponents had averaged 30 points a game in LSU’s last six games.
Louisiana is the same as Nebraska when that happens. A guy who everyone was saying good things about six weeks ago now suddenly couldn’t coach a lick in some people’s eyes.
“The last few games, horrible,” 52-year-old Bill Cox of West Monroe, La., said before Saturday’s game. “Hell, they have about six players who will play on Sunday. They were disappointing to me. With all that talent, defense shouldn’t be a problem.”
Arkansas and Heisman Trophy candidate Darren McFadden didn’t help Pelini’s name within the Louisiana border. The Razorbacks tore up LSU on the ground, winning 50-48 in triple-overtime, and hurting the Tigers’ national title dreams.
After that game, Pelini didn’t come out for postgame interviews. Fans blasted him for not blitzing on a fourth-and-10 in the second overtime.
One LSU blogger posted a picture of Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Next to it the words: “This guy would have blitzed.”
Tough crowd. Or maybe it just depends what crowd you hang with.
As LSU fan Lowell Phillips said, he thinks losing Pelini would be a “tough loss” for the Tigers.
He likes the fact that Pelini’s defenses are not as complicated for players.
“They’re not as involved as previous defenses have been here,” Phillips said. “When Bo came in, he simplified things, and thing slowly expanded. … I’ve never heard any negativity about him.”
And Chris Carvin, a 32-year-old LSU fan from Atlanta, said he’s most impressed with Pelini’s halftime performances.
“They’d sometimes be a little loose in the first half, then we’d tighten things up in the second half,” Carvin said. “His ability to make adjustments, that’s key.”
Whatever critics there are of Pelini, his defense still ranked third in the country in total defense coming into Saturday. LSU’s defense also ranked third nationally in that category under Pelini in 2005 and 2006.
Those statistics make Husker fans, who this year saw probably the worst defensive showing in school history, drool.
And then there’s Pelini’s fire. His arms flail and spit flies and he hugs players after big plays.
“He seems to have more energy than our head coach,” Juneau admitted.
Guys play for him. Nebraska fans saw it four years ago when Pelini was here for one season and they want to see it again.
After Saturday’s win, LSU players dumped Gatorade on Pelini, hugging him, giving him the game ball.
“I don’t know him personally,” Bourgeois said. “But you can see his intensity and how much he loves those kids.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com. Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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