Roy Exum: Will LSU Trick Alabama?

  • Saturday, November 7, 2015
  • Roy Exum
Roy Exum
Roy Exum

As you settle tonight to watch what could easily be the best football game in the Southeastern Conference, I want to share a little something with you and, as I do, I hope we’ll see one tonight. There is a very valid reason LSU coach Les Miles, whose No. 2 Tigers will face No. 4 Alabama at 8:00 p.m. (CBS), is called “The Mad Hatter.”

You will recall that in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” which was published in 1865, the writer Lewis Carroll developed a marvelous character known as “The Mad Hatter.” He was zany but his tricks would work, which is why Les must love the role and the nickname.

One line in the classic book has the original Mad Hatter proclaim, “If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?”

Les Miles is known for “what is, wouldn’t be.” He is the master of the “fake play.” As one former player said, LSU carries about five fake plays into every game and they work because the players have such confidence they will, this after hours of practice, grooming and execution. “I can’t tell you how many times we practice any particular fake. Not just this year, but last year, too,” one player explained.

Once each trick play is perfected, Miles carries them in bag of tricks until the right time, the right place on the field, and the clock just where he wants it. Then he pulls one out of the hat. Understand, these aren’t sand-lot plays; they are carefully rehearsed, practiced until there is no flaw and then presented by LSU players who have such confidence in Miles’ timing that they, to the man, ‘believe’ the fake will work.

When LSU, No. 6 at the time, played No. 8 Florida on Oct. 15 this fall, the score was 28-28 in the fourth quarter when LSU had possession at the Florida 16. With the field count fourth-and-13, everybody in the stadium knew a field goal was inevitable. But with 10 minutes left on the clock, The Mad Hatter went to the bag of tricks.

The reasoning? If the field goal was good, a responding field goal by the Gators would knot the score again and with ten minutes there was plenty of time for a Florida opportunity. But a 7-point edge would force Florida to go for a much-harder TD with LSU’s defense confident it could stop a two-point conversion. And, one other thing to remember, LSU hadn’t scored a point in the second half.

As the fake was called, the plan was for kicker Trent Domingue, who weighs 170 barely, to streak as fast as he could in a sweeping run to the right side. The holder, a reserve quarterback, was careful not to let his knee touch the ground on the snap and then lobbed an easy pass to Domingue, who slightly bobbled it before running it in with room to spare. Trent recalled, “my whole body was shaking ... I kind of blacked out in the middle of (the run) but it happened, I guess I’ll just realize it when I wake up in the morning.”

Tiger Stadium went berserk over the 35-28 outcome. “We studied it and kind of felt like it was there,” Miles later said, noting his field-goal unit was pressing hard for the fake call. “We’re not going to run it unless they are just great at it and they (the players) were great all week.”

In 2007 The Mad Hatter used a similar play to beat a Steve Spurrier-led Florida in the second half and Miles is well-known for finding the perfect time to spring a trick. Colt David made the 2007 play click and told Bleacher Report the LSU players have a different name for the Mad Hatter. “They call him Lesticles,” the former player laughed this week. “Just to have the (cojones) to call some of those plays, it keeps teams on their toes.”

Another kicker, Josh Jasper, chimed in, “People think we just draw this stuff up on the sidelines,” he said. “It doesn’t happen like that. Everybody thinks he’s crazy for all the trick plays and the fourth downs, but to me it comes down to trust. Les has more trust in his players than any coach I’ve been around.”

Better yet, the fake plays work. Oh, but to see if the Mad Hatter will test the Tide with a trick tonight in Tuscaloosa.

* * *

YOU BRING THE POTATO CHIPS

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man. He was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him some chips. He gratefully accepted and smiled at him.

His smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. He gave him his biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?"

He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked, "Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"

He replied "I ate potato chips in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime!

Embrace all equally!

Have lunch with God but don’t forget the chips.

(Author unknown via the Internet)

royexum@aol.com

 

 

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