LSU tries to focus on Tulane as Crimson Tide, title dreams loom

By Bud L. Ellis

One Alabama team beaten … one Alabama team left on the schedule.

Sure, the LSU football schedule tells us the Tigers take on Tulane this Saturday. And sure, everybody associated with the program will tell us the focus is on the Green Wave and this week’s game.

Yeah, right.

LSU, which trounced Auburn 31-10 Saturday, travels to No. 2-ranked Alabama on Nov. 7 for a game that more than likely will determine which team takes on top-ranked Florida in the SEC Championship Game, Dec. 5 at the Georgia Dome.

For the ninth-ranked Tigers, it would mark a second shot at the Gators, who handed LSU its only loss of the season 13-3 on Oct. 10. Run the table and down the Gators in the SEC title contest, and LSU could find itself playing for the national championship in the BCS title game.

But there is work to be done between now and then. A trip to No. 25 Mississippi and a home game with Arkansas also remain on the schedule.

What’s on the schedule this week looks like a tune-up. Tulane is just 2-5 on the season and has allowed 36.7 points per game this season, good news for an LSU offense that rolled up 376 yards of total offense in the rout of Auburn.

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Monday, October 26, 2009 at 9:07 pm by bud

Tags: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, BCS, Florida, Georgia Dome, LSU, Mississippi, Southeastern Conference, Tulane

LSU falls to Florida, 13-3

The No. 4 LSU Tigers hung tough but simply didn’t have the offensive firepower to topple the No. 1 Florida Gators, falling 13-3.

LSU used a strong defensive effort to keep the game close much of the way, but the pressure wore on them in the fourth quarter.

Despite a bunch of talented wide receivers, quarterback Jordan Jefferson was unable to make any big plays down the field.

Instead, Jefferson found himself holding onto the ball too long and feeling the pressure from Florida’s front four.

LSU isn’t that far away from being a national championship team, but they need a little more from their offense.

Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 8:43 am by steve

Tigers can’t generate offense in loss to Gators

By Bud L. Ellis

At the end of the day, Tim Tebow played.

So too did the Florida defense, and that proved to be a bigger problem for LSU on Saturday night in Death Valley.

In a matchup of top-five teams, the Tigers could not generate any offense against the top-ranked Gators, falling 13-3.

LSU, which could’ve moved up from No. 4 in The Associated Press rankings with a victory, instead was smothered by a swarming Florida defense. The Tigers finished with just 162 yards of total offense.

One week after scoring 20 points in a come-from-behind victory at Georgia, the Tigers never had a chance offensively in this one.

Tebow, who suffered a concussion in the Gators’ last game, passed for 134 yards and rushed for 38 in navigating the Gators down the field most of the night. The LSU defense stiffened several times deep in Tigers’ territory, keeping LSU in the game.

But the Tigers simply couldn’t get any momentum on offense, in a loss that does some damage to LSU’s hopes of winning the national championship. The only path left for the Tigers now is to beat second-ranked and unbeaten Alabama later this season to win the SEC West, then get another shot at Florida in the SEC Championship Game.

Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 9:53 am by bud

Tags: Alabama, Death Valley, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Southeastern Conference, Tim Tebow

Tebow or not, LSU ready for showdown in Death Valley

By Bud L. Ellis

Will he or won’t he?

The LSU Tigers aren’t concerned with the question that’s captivated the college football world this week: Whether Tim Tebow will be under center when top-ranked Florida visits Death Valley Saturday for an SEC showdown chocked full of national championship implications.

For their efforts, the Tigers — fresh off a wild victory Saturday at Georgia — are focusing on trying to slow down a Florida team that, regardless of whether the former Heisman Trophy winner Tebow plays, figures to provide a stiff challenge.

The Tigers gave up a late touchdown to the Bulldogs last weekend in Athens, but benefited from a questionable celebration call on Georgia receiver A.J. Green to get good field position. Tailback Charles Scott took it from there, rambling down the left sideline for the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute left.

LSU has answered the call all season long, be it rallying for a gritty win at Georgia or outlasting Washington on the West Coast or dodging Mississippi State’s upset bit. But Saturday’s challenge, of upending the top-ranked team in the nation and the squad that’s won two of the past three national titles, will be the most daunting task to date for Les Miles’ charges.

The fourth-ranked Tigers haven’t lost a Saturday night home game in Tiger Stadium in seven years. That streak figures to get its stiffest test yet against the Gators.

So, will Tebow play? The Florida quarterback suffered a concussion against Kentucky two weeks ago, and figures to be a game-time decision.

Regardless of whether Tebow plays, the Tigers will be ready to try and continue their magic under the lights. Doing so Saturday night would go a long way toward vaulting LSU into the national championship race.

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Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 10:09 pm by bud

Tags: A.J. Green, Charles Scott, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State, Southeastern Conference, Tim Tebow, Washington

LSU Fans Wreaking Havoc for Gators

Somehow, phone numbers for the Florida Gators have gotten out to LSU fans again – and just like 2007, they’ve taken advantage by placing some unwanted calls and texts to the Florida players and coaches.

Backup QB John Brantley confessed on Monday night that he’s been receiving “quite a few” text messages from numbers he does not know. Coach Urban Meyer, offensive coordinator Steve Addazio, and receiver Riley Cooper have all also fallen victim this week, as No. 4 LSU prepares for the undefeated Gators to head to the Bayou this weekend in a showdown of national Top 5 teams.

“They haven’t been bad,” said Brantley, who will start against the Tigers on Saturday if Heisman-winning QB Tim Tebow can’t because of a concussion. “It’s just a little annoying.”

In 2007, Tebow received hundreds of messages from LSU fans leading up to LSU’s 28-24 victory over Florida in Baton Rouge. Tebow pretended to dial a phone after throwing a TD pass in the second quarter of that game.

“They didn’t get me,” cornerback Joe Haden said. “It’s pretty bad, though. They had my boy Coop. They got him pretty good. I was chilling with Coop and he was just laughing about it.”

There’s been no word about how LSU fans have gained access to the Florida players’ phone numbers.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 9:18 pm by bryan

LSU Escapes Georgia With Win

Charles Scott gave the breakout game every LSU fan hoped he would give, and the LSU Tigers somehow escaped with a 20-13 win over No. 18 Georgia on Saturday.

For three quarters, the game was a defensive slugfest, with neither team being able to punch the ball into the end zone. Then Georgia kicked off the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass from Joe Cox, and this game was off to the races, with 27 points scored in the final 15 minutes.

Trailing Georgia 7-6, LSU marched down the field and punched in the go-ahead score with Scott’s 2-yard run with less than 3 minutes left (although the 2-point conversion failed). The lead didn’t last long, as Cox threw his second score of the night to A.J. Green with 1:09 remaining, giving the Tigers 69 seconds to keep their national championship dreams alive.

A monster punt return by LSU’s Trindon Holliday brought the ball into the Georgia side of the field, as Georgia had been flagged for excessive celebration on their TD drive and punted 15 yards deeper on their side. Two plays later, Scott was off to the races for his second touchdown of the game, and the deciding score.

LSU faces No. 1 Florida next week.

Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 10:00 pm by bryan

LSU survives Mississippi State, 30-26

The No. 7 LSU Tigers survived a close one on the road to squeak past the Mississippi State Bulldogs, 30-26.

The Tigers surrendered an uncharacteristic two touchdowns in the first quarter alone in what turned into a surprisingly high-scoring affair.

It was another solid day for quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns.

He really carried the Tigers on a day when their running game and defense failed to show up to the stadium.

The Tigers have had a couple of close calls on the road this year but managed to pull out victories, which is all that matters.

Friday, October 2, 2009 at 6:19 pm by steve