LSU QB Jefferson calls out play-calling

Saying Alabama was "a little bit more prepared than us," LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson questioned some of his team's play-calling in the BCS title game loss.

Speaking to Atlanta radio station WCNN on the day his attorney pleaded not guilty on his behalf to a simple-battery charge, Jefferson said the game plan contributed heavily to the Tigers' 21-0 loss on Jan. 9.

Jefferson, who was arrested on the charge on Aug. 26 for his alleged role in a bar fight that resulted in a four-game suspension, told WCNN he would have sometimes made different calls in the BCS title game if he could have. He also said players sometimes wondered why the coaches didn't better use the team's receiving talent.

"It's being better prepared and having the right calls for certain situations. At times we put ourselves in the hole as far as putting ourselves in second- and third-and-long," Jefferson, who finished with 53 yards passing, 15 yards rushing, and an interception, told the station. "Being in that type of third-and-long situation against an Alabama team and a defense like that, you're going to fall short every time."

Jefferson said the team didn't utilize several plays it had practiced for the title game, which ended in the first shutout in BCS championship game history.

"I definitely didn't expect for (it) to play like that," Jefferson told the station. "Alabama was a little bit more prepared than us. There was a lot of things that we should've did different to catch a rhythm on offense. To win a type of game like that, you've got to win all three phases -- offense, defense and special teams -- and we just didn't get over that hump to winning those phases. We kind of fell short in that game."

Jefferson acknowledged that "we still have to go out and execute what the coaches and coordinators are calling." But, he added, "We can't complain as players, but sometimes we do question that."

The quarterback said his coaches did not adapt well at the half, when Alabama led 9-0.

"When we came in at halftime we discussed what we needed to do different as far as moving the ball and getting in a rhythm," he told the radio station. "... You have to have certain plays for these certain types of defenses they were running. We talked about making the adjustment and the adjustment that we made wasn't the adjustment that we needed to make to get the momentum and the rhythm going."

Jefferson wanted to "put the ball in different passing areas, use our talent on the receiving side."

Jefferson also indicated the questioning went beyond himself and beyond the BCS championship game, as he said "??? We have great guys in (the receiving corps) and sometimes we just wonder why we don't use those guys."

The departing senior said he expects LSU to gain experience from the bitter defeat.

"It's a learning situation for us, a learning situation for the LSU football team," he told the station, "and I definitely expect to see us back in the championship next year."

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