It's time for Derek Stingley Jr. to have breakout game
If LSU is going to start looking like LSU, Derek Stingley Jr. is going to have to start looking like Derek Stingley Jr.
The game against South Carolina on Saturday in Tiger Stadium would be a good time for both of those things to start happening.
The Tigers (1-2) need a win and they’ll have a much better chance of getting one against the 2-2 Gamecocks if their best player makes an impact.
Stingley, the most decorated freshman in LSU history last season, hasn’t yet played up to the level he played at during the Tigers’ CFP championship run last season.
He was hospitalized with an infection less than 24 hours before the opener against Mississippi State and watched helplessly as his teammates allowed the most passing yards (623) ever in an SEC game during a 44-34 loss to a team that hasn’t won since.
Stingley returned the next week and he and his teammates did fine in a 41-7 victory against an outmanned Vanderbilt team.
Then came another really bad performance by the pass defense – this time with Stingley on the field. Missouri passed for 400-plus yards and 4 touchdowns and defeated LSU 45-41 2 weeks ago. Kirk Herbstreit, among others, questioned Stingley’s performance.
The Tigers got an extra week to prepare for the Gamecocks when the game against Florida was postponed because of COVID issues within the Gators’ program.
Stingley needs to have a breakout game. The pass defense isn’t going to get significantly better until he does.
He will be matched against one of the better receivers in the SEC in Shi Smith, who is 3rd in the SEC with 34 catches, which have produced an average of 10.2 yards per catch and 3 touchdowns.
The Tigers need to contain Smith if they’re going to avoid a repeat of what happened against Mississippi State and Missouri. Stingley is the player most capable of leading the way in doing just that.
Of course a persistent pass rush and effective coverage by Cordale Flott, Eli Ricks and others would be helpful.
If anyone wants to see what kind of performance the Tigers need from Stingley they needn’t look any farther than the film of South Carolina’s 30-22 victory against Auburn last week.
The Gamecocks put their top cornerback – Jaycee Horn – on Auburn’s top receiver – Seth Williams, who managed 4 catches for 74 yards. But Horn kept Williams out of the end zone.
And he did a lot more.
Horn made 2 interceptions and tipped another pass that turned into another pick. Those 3 takeaways led to three touchdowns.
Stingley doesn’t have to do something that dramatic, though something like that would certainly be helpful.
What the Tigers need is simply a Stingley-like performance.
They need to show they can play pass defense the way they usually play pass defense.
Stingley needs to set the tone for much-needed defensive improvement. That could come without him intercepting a pass or without leaving a ton of fingerprints on footballs.
He can set the tone by taking Smith away from quarterback Collin Hill. Opposing teams have frequently found it prudent to stay away from Stingley and if the Gamecocks do the same that will make things harder for Hill and the rest of the offense.
Of course Stingley, who had 6 interceptions last season, is capable of making big plays. But he hasn’t done that yet this season – no interceptions, forced fumbles or sacks.
The Tigers need a win.
There’s a good chance that Myles Brennan won’t be healthy enough to play and LSU will play a quarterback or quarterbacks that haven’t taken a snap in a college football game.
So the Tigers are going to have a really hard time winning if the pass defense doesn’t play better.
And they can’t play better pass defense unless Stingley is a catalyst for it.
Nah I think he should do that next week… Lmfao
It’s easier to take a corner out of the game than any other position. We will see how much they test him.
That is true if you have more than one weapon to throw to. Which, unfortunately to this point, we do not.
That’s funny. I hope you’re right.
That cock is playing you.
Jalen Brooks just got his waiver to play approved.
Judging by all the noise some fans are making I would expect him to be a bigger threat than Shi Smith.
Obviously they’ll test him from the start – I would. We’re about to see if last year’s performance was largely in part to his surrounding cast, or if he’s really a true talent. Still not believing what’s going on. SMH….
I don’t understand your post. If you watched games last season, you know what kind of player he is. He was the best we had then. Why would they test a known performer right away when LSU has serious questions everywhere else. They will look for the weak spots. That’s what smart teams do.
Of course he’s a talent…I’m just frustrated like the rest of Tiger Nation. What I was getting at is, how much of his performance was due to pressure from the D line that we’re not getting this year, and likewise from the rest of the defense that we’re also not getting this year. He wasn’t expected to shoulder the whole burden last year – now he is. He just doesn’t seem to be as much of The Leader on the field as I assumed he would’ve been this year. We’ve got as good a measuring stick as we’ll have this game, and I hope I have to come back here next week and eat my words.
Yes I watched all the games last year – and saw Stingley get burned a few times, but that happens. And no, I’m not counting the time in the Bama game when he was distracted by the sidelines and he got caught – but that wasn’t the only time. But it happens.
Thank goodness for YouTube or I’d be in a deep depression…….
I tried to tell everyone before the season that he was overrated but no one listened
You were wrong then and still wrong now.
I tried to tell everyone before the season that Tennessee was overrated but no one listened.
I can make broad and unfounded assumptions too.
The point I’m trying to make is that a few underperforming games doesn’t make a player overrated. Last season he was the best in the league at what he does.
I think that Stingley jr. is an elite player that may have relied upon his supporting cast a little too much last season.
Now that he’s the greatest player on the defense he needs to recognize it himself.
He is the defense, he is the best player and he will have to put the defense on his back if LSU is going to salvage this season.
Stingley was burned against any good team.
Also Tennessee beat SC so apparently they’re not overrated
If all you got out of that was the *sweeping generalization* of UT being overrated you missed the point.
You sound like an idiot. He was the highest graded corner in the country.
If he’s playing at half speed, I’d just take the rest of the year off. Sounds selfish, but LSU is not going to be paying his mortgage in ten years.
LSU is likely starting a freshman QB who has not taken a live snap at the college level. It will be interesting to see whether LSU is able to sustain long drives, especially with South Carolina’s success on 3rd down defense.
South Carolina should lean on Kevin Harris in the first half and control time of possession. That will open up the passing game in the second half. Shi Smith is not the only weapon….Nick Muse has played well at tight end and Xavier Leggette has caught some spectacular long balls.
Stingley got challenged more last year as a true freshman and after burning tms, they backed off. This yr, he’s not gonna be challenged with so many other new players around him. Pretty silly article calling for him to step up and be the difference.
The guys upfront are gonna have to generate pressure. It would also be helpful if the secondary lined up rt and made an effort to actually tackle people.
I look for a tough game against LSU. The game against Mizzou was moved due to the hurricane and both teams know that messes with the players for last minute changes. The last time we played LSU was at LSU due to a hurricane in South Carolina during Spurrier’s last year. Plus LSU always plays better at home. I would be surprised if we didn’t see a better version of Stingley.
This is a pivotal game for Tigers. Gamecocks are a very solid team. Stingley has done a good job and Ricks has shown promise. Flott and the safeties have not lived up to their individual play in 2019. Linebacker play is terrible, Cox is the only one making plays. Makes me think system is bad. Defense was suppose to be more aggressive than 2019 and truthfully I don’t see it. Aranda’s “D” was far more aggressive than what’s been shown in 2020. Watch 2019 games and compare. Coach BEAUX is not showing results. Go Tigers!
Aggressiveness is not the problem. The team has more sacks and turnovers than last season. It’s the routine stuff they don’t seem to do well. Like, lining up, covering receivers, and tackling.
There’s a lot of hype around Stingley that will be put to bed this Saturday
Stingley will have his chance…defending Shi Smith(he’s a baller)…plays much taller than he is and has great hands.