Les, lay off Lee

BATON ROUGE - Apparently this losing when allowing 50 or more points is affecting the normally nice Les Miles.

On Saturday after the game, on Sunday night with reporters, on Monday afternoon at his press luncheon and again on Wednesday morning on the Southeastern Conference teleconference, Miles opened fire on redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Lee.

Enough is enough already. It's really amazing, coming from Miles, who is viewed as this coach whom players love.

And I believe they really do and want to play for him. Lee, though, may want to play well for the rest of the season to get back at Miles, which can be a good thing, too.

I would like to ask Lee that, but naturally he has not showed for any interviews since Saturday. But you can't blame him, because the person most at fault for the 103 points allowed by normal Florida and Georgia teams has also not had to show for interviews - defensive co-coordinator Doug Mallory, who is calling the plays and running the defense moreso than other co-coordinator Bradley Dale Peveto.

Of course, Peveto hasn't been around for interviews either, with the exception of after the South Carolina win.

Funny, that's what former defensive coordinator Bo Pelini used to do. Show up when you do well. Hide like hell when you don't.

Lee, on the other hand, should be interviewed so he can defend himself.

Is Miles ripping Lee at every chance to try to shift attention from the questionable hire he made after last season of Mallory and Peveto instead of going out and getting the best and brightest coordinator? Had he really looked at his defense late last season against Kentucky, Ole Miss and Arkansas,he would have realized that a new scheme was needed. Allowing 400 or more yards of offense is not new to LSU's defense.

Miles has criticized his defense, but not nearly as much as he has gone after Lee. He doesn't always mention Lee's name, but it's obvious it's Lee he is talking about.

Funny thing, just a couple of weeks ago, Miles said it's not his style to call out players. Ever since then he has been calling out players. It started after the Florida game with free safety Curtis Taylor.

Miles never mentioned Taylor's name, but he said the senior free safety. He's upped this game with Lee. I haven't seen a player singled out like this since Nick Saban ripped Josh Booty after the interception that directly set up UAB's game-winning field goal in 2000.

And that loss was much more Booty's fault in more ways than this Georgia fiasco was Lee's fault. Take away Lee's interceptions and LSU still loses by a lot. Georgia gained yards and scored points at will against LSU's Lou Tepper-like defense. Without the 17 Miles says Lee gave Georgia, Georgia would have just drove for those 17. Miles' calculation of 17 is also wrong.

Georgia drove a lengthy distance for its field goal after Lee's second interception. And by the time Lee threw his second interception return for a touchdown, the game was over. So it's really seven points, Les, and Lee and your running game tied that right back up at 7-7. You also were right back in it at 21-17 before your defense began screwing up again.

Watch the repeat of the game tonight, Les. It's not Lee. It's your defense. And if you and Gary Crowton would coach Lee better, you wouldn't be talking about him so much either. Many of his interceptions are on very similar plays. Lee, at times, looks as poorly coached as your defense, and your defense is not playing many
redshirt freshmen.

So, lay off Lee like your defense is laying off opponents.