Cole Cubelic didn’t spend his Sunday just recapping LSU’s overtime loss to Kentucky - he went straight at the details that shaped it.
In his weekly “Sunday SEC takeaways,” the ESPN College Football analyst said LSU had chances to lean on the run earlier but didn’t really commit to it. He pointed to missed blocks when the Tigers did run the ball, too much east-west movement, not enough shot plays, and a quarterback who at times looked like he was leaving the pocket too quickly. Cubelic added that the Tigers’ signal-caller “looked fine when he settled down,” and noted that his legs helped at times, but he also said LSU “Waited too long to make decisions.”
There were some bright spots for LSU, according to Cubelic. He said trick plays had success, and he singled out several individual defenders for solid work.
He described 1 as “great on def, beat pullers, got to QB inside & outside,” while 2 “played really well, PD, run through to get in backfield.” He also praised 42 for playing backside of the run game well and 99 for doing well against doubles.
Still, he said LSU had breakdowns on the back end, list contain issues at times, too many misfits, and even “Formation confusion.”
Kentucky, meanwhile, drew a far more complete review from Cubelic.
He called the win a “Big one” and said the Wildcats used deception effectively on offense. Pre-snap shifts and motions, he wrote, helped them “steal yards,” and their misdirection was a real weapon.
Cubelic liked the way 1 ran the ball, saying he showed “just enough patience on both gap & zone runs,” while 81 was praised for his blocking. He also credited the receivers, especially 5, for making tough catches and earning tough yards.
Up front, Cubelic said 77 played well and handled games, while the tackles came through on a few key pass-protection downs. He also called Kentucky effective in play-action protection.
The quarterback, he wrote, was “fortunate on a couple high risk throws but made great decisions most of the game,” and the mesh action “worked again.” Kentucky used just enough called quarterback runs, missed a couple edge pressures, and still found ways to keep LSU’s defense from settling in.
Cubelic was just as positive about Kentucky’s defense. He said it generated much more pass rush, with 2 getting home, 6 affecting the pocket, 8 producing good reps off the edge, and 7 creating push inside.
He liked the overloads and edge pressures the Wildcats called, said they tackled well in space, limited yards after the catch, got the quarterback off his spot, and took the ball away. He also noted that 0 was “flying around” and 22 “played fast.”
Cubelic closed his Kentucky thoughts with the kind of line every coach likes to hear: “2 flags & 0 turnovers will keep you in a ton of games.”
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