October 9, 2025
THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS PART 2
Second straight Jackets Thursday night game. Denham Springs HS Football travels to Live Oak HS. You can catch all the action on YouTube—please subscribe @dsjacketvision, on the air at 91.9 FM and on the internet at JonFineProductions.com
Sport N Center Yellow Jackets Warmup opens things up at 6 pm
Josh Ward on play-by-play, with Mitch Covington on color commentary. Darren Ferrante is the Producer, with Chris Ledoux the Camera Operator
Go Jackets!!!!!
TONIGHT’S GUEST INTERVIEWS
We will be interviewing DSHS Softball Coach Amanda Decell on Sport N Center Yellow Jackets Warmup. The Whistle Stop Half-Time Report will feature an interview with DeAnne Hicks of Sport N Center.
TODAY’S COLUMN
Scott Osborne breaks down the LSU – Ole Miss game. Please scroll down to read Wizardry of Os.
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THE WIZARDRY OF OS
Judging by everything that has been said and written since LSU lost to Ole Miss, I think my opinion is going to be in the minority.
I get and agree with those who say an offense has to have a commitment to running the football. But, just the commitment is not enough. You actually have to be good/decent/competent (you choose the word) at it to be effective!
LSU is not a competent running team when they try to execute any traditional runs. Nothing makes it easier on the defense than running the ball on first and second down, getting stuffed, and playing in third and long situations.
I am not defending LSU’s lack of running game (for years) when I say I don’t buy the argument that LSU simply has to have the commitment to run the football as if they are running for 5 yards a carry and are simply choosing to throw the ball.
Against Florida, LSU had a third and 5 with 1:33 left in the first half at the Florida 48. Caden Durham ran for 2 yards and LSU punted. Are we praising the commitment to the running game in that situation?
For years, I have said we should stop keeping the average yards per carry stat. In the Florida game, LSU averaged 3.8 yards per carry because of a 50 yard run at the end. That run skews the average. We should look at the median (the middle), and further realize that the situation matters. Maybe throw out the QB sneaks on 4th and inches.
Back to the Durham run. At that time in the game, LSU had attempted 13 runs for 38 yards. Eight of the runs had been for 2 or less yards, making the median 2 yards per carry. I can appreciate trying to break the trend and catch the defense off guard, but it was a low percentage play.
On LSU’s second possession of the game, LSU gained 7 yards on a first down pass leaving 2nd and 3. Two traditional runs with a traditional running back gained 2 yards and LSU punted (3 and out). And don’t tell me LSU won the game because of their commitment to run and if they had done the same thing against Ole Miss they would have won. LSU beat Florida because the defense had 5 INTs and returned one for a TD. I will listen to an argument that LSU’s best run of the year came with heavy personnel and the Tigers should have tried that against Ole Miss.
Speaking of the Ole Miss game, on the first TD drive LSU went 67 yards in 5 plays. There were four complete passes and one run for -1 yards. Was anyone complaining about the lack of commitment to run the ball at that moment? If anything, that success might have led to Ole Miss going to the three man rush and dropping 8 in coverage.
The problem in the first half, when you actually look at the first half drives, is that the defense could not get off the field and allowed a 7:30 second drive, followed by back to back TD drives from the Rebs. I don’t think the defense played to the elite level this team needs.
LSU went from up 7-3 to down 17-7 and the offense only had three drives in the second quarter running 9 plays. One of those drives started with a holding call after a successful swing pass putting LSU in 1st and 20. The other two drives had runs that were unsuccessful. Surely, LSU could have run the ball more, but do we really think if they had run the ball 5 times and passed 4, the outcome would have been better?
On LSU’s second drive of the third quarter, the Tigers moved the ball to the Ole Miss 24 yard line after alternating runs with Harlem Berry and 2 pass plays. Then, LSU “committed to the tun” and got stuffed on first and second down putting the Tigers in 3rd and long. Ramos made a 39 yard field goal.
After LSU scored to cut the deficit to 24-19, LSU lined up for a 2 point conversion. The Tigers “committed to the run” again attempting to run the ball for the conversion.
After all of these examples, I ask you if you REALLY want LSU to commit to the run or do you want what I want (and I am sure the coaches want). I want the LSU offense to run the ball well enough to get into 2nd and 3rd and manageable. I want LSU to have a decent chance to pick up a first down if they run on third and 2 and have a great chance to pick up a first down if they run on fourth and 1.
This season, LSU cannot sustain drives because they cannot convert third downs. LSU cannot convert third downs, partly because they live in third and longer than 8. They live in third and 8 because they try to run on first downs and get stuffed.
LSU doesn’t need to just call more running plays. They need to actually have the ability to run the football. That means running for 3 yards with a running back is a bad running play. For the past three years when an LSU running back runs for 3 or more yards it is a good running play and that is pathetic.
When you look at the film you see an offensive line that is not on the same page. Ineffective double teams and unblocked players are the norm. My problem is that Tiger fans think the fix is to just call more running plays or get better offensive linemen. The NFL likes the offensive linemen LSU had last year, and LSU couldn’t run the ball.
So get creative and do whatever it takes. Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss used a defensive lineman at fullback two years ago. LSU could use more heavy formations with Pyburn, and then play action off of that. Disappointingly, I heard Coach Kelly reject the idea of taking Nussmeier off the field and using Van Buren, but that is not doing what it takes. Sean Payton took Drew Brees off the field for Taysom Hill. LSU can take Nuss off and use Van Buren just to get things going.
I guarantee you the LSU coaching staff gets it, the question is they can fix it. Alabama fixed their issues after the FSU debacle. It can be done, and a bye week seems like the perfect opportunity to get healthy and shake things up to try and get a better outcome for an offense that should be much more productive than it has been to this point in the season.
DENHAM SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL IS BACK ON THE AIR!
The 2025 school year marks the 29th season that Jon Fine (Sports) Productions will have the privilege of producing and calling play-by-play for Denham Springs HS Football broadcasts. In 2025, the broadcast slate will include the Jamboree, all 10 regular season Denham games, and every playoff game. Broadcasts can be seen on YouTube, @dsjacketvision (please subscribe) and can be heard on Family Radio-91.9 FM Baton Rouge and on the Internet at JonFineProductions.com (click Listen Live on the Denham Springs Football PBP page). “Sport-n-Center Yellow Jackets Warm-Up” gets the broadcasts underway at 6:00 pm. The first broadcast is Friday, August 29 when the Jackets play host to Walker HS in the Denham Springs Jamboree.
Josh Ward returns as the play-by-play announcer of the Jackets. Ward will, once again, be joined by Mitch Covington as the color commentator. Jon Fine will contribute to the pre-game and half-time programming. Darren Ferrante is back as the Producer, with Chris Ledoux joining the team in the capacity of @dsjacketvision Camera Operator.
“Sport N Center Yellow Jackets Warm-Up” will feature an interview with Jackets Football Coach Brett Beard conducted by Josh Ward. Jon Fine will speak with a prominent Denham Springs community and/or sports figure. Ward and Covington will also offer a preview of that night’s game and other pertinent information.
“The Whistle Stop Half-Time Report” will include Fine interviewing another Denham Springs personality. In addition, Ward and Covington will provide a recap of the first half and a look ahead at the second half of action.
During the “Ralph Sellers Chevrolet Post-Game Show”, there will be an extensive game recap, final stats and a look ahead.
“The James Drug Store Starting Lineup” appears in “Sport N Center Yellow Jackets Warmup”. When Denham Springs picks up a first down, they’ll achieve a “Big Mike’s Sports Bar & Grill First Down”. When the Jackets score, the scoring drive will be recapped on the “Brandy Robertson State Farm Insurance Scoring Drive”. When the Jackets have secured a victory, Ward will indicate such and it will be brought to you by Bank Plus.
Jackets play-by-play announcer Josh Ward, a Denham Springs HS graduate, was a Yellow Jackets assistant basketball coach. He is an executive at Guaranty Broadcasting.
Mitch Covington, a 3-sport star at Denham Springs HS, would later serve as a Jackets assistant football coach. He is presently the head football coach at Denham Springs Junior High School. He is a graduate of McNeese State, where he played baseball.
Jon Fine co-hosted and produced daily 2-hour drive-time radio sports-talk programs in the Greater Baton Rouge area for close to 20 years. His programs (first SportsTalk, which changed its name to SportsGumbo), aired, at times, in New Orleans, Lake Charles, Monroe and Alexandria, in addition to the Baton Rouge market. His company, Jon Fine Productions, has produced numerous Denham Springs HS and area HS sports programming on television, radio and internet. Fine owns an EBay store—ArrestedDevelopmentMediaGuides, which sells sports publications. He is a native of Valley Stream, New York and a graduate of Penn, where he majored in Marketing.
Ferrante is a graduate of Brother Martin HS and UNO. Ledoux is a graduate of Opelousas HS and USL. He presently serves Doyle Middle School as their offensive line coach.
For more information on Denham Springs HS Sports programming and Jon Fine Productions, please visit JonFineProductions.com.
DENHAM SPRINGS HS BROADCASTS ARE A JON FINE PRODUCTION on YouTube—please subscribe @dsjacketvision, on FAMILY RADIO, 91.9 FM, BATON ROUGE, on the net at JonFineProductions.com.
JON IS THE OWNER OF AN EBAY STORE. ArrestedDevelopmentMediaGuides SELLS SPORTS PUBLICATIONS. YOU CAN LINK TO IT BY VISITING JonFineProductions.com