By Bud L. Ellis
Try as he did, Charles Scott’s LSU football career is over.
The senior tailback, trying to recover from a broken collarbone suffered in early November, will not be able to play for the Tigers in the Capital One Bowl against Penn State on New Year’s Day in Orlando, LSU head coach Les Miles told reporters Tuesday.
Scott, who was hurt in a loss to eventual SEC champion Alabama on Nov. 7, finishes his stellar LSU career ranked seventh in rushing yards in school history with 2,317 yards. His 32 touchdowns stand fourth all-time at LSU.
He totaled 1,174 of those yards and 18 touchdowns during a breakthrough junior season.
LSU goes into the Capital One Bowl matchup with the Nittany Lions undermanned at running back. Keiland Williams (broken ankle) and Richard Murphy (knee injury) also were hurt during November action, and neither one will play against Penn State.
November was a rough month for the Tigers, who suffered two of their three losses this season during the month (to Alabama and Ole Miss). LSU won twice in November, but both were close calls: A 24-16 escape against Louisiana Tech, and a narrow 33-30 overtime thriller over Arkansas.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009 at 10:51 pm by bud
Tags: Alabama, Arkansas, Capital One Bowl, Charles Scott, Keiland Williams, Louisiana Tech, LSU, Ole Miss, Penn State, Richard Murphy
By Bud L. Ellis
Twelve little points. That’s why the LSU Tigers are preparing for the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s Day in Orlando, and not setting their sights on a BCS bowl or perhaps even the national championship game.
Yes, just 12 points in a 12-game season, a razor-thin line of demarcation between playing for a SEC or national title, and playing Penn State on the first day of 2010.
Yes, it might be disappointing to think about how close the Tigers came to playing for a title. But at the same time, it illustrates just how good the 9-3 Tigers are, and that certainly has the attention of the Nittany Lions and their legendary coach, Joe Paterno.
When the Tigers and Penn State cross paths in Orlando, it will mark two programs that had national championship aspirations, yet were undone with a couple of losses. And for LSU, those losses were awfully close: a 10-point defeat at home against Florida, a nine-point setback at Alabama and a two-point close call at Ole Miss. No shame in losing any of those contests.
The Tigers bounced back from the Ole Miss loss with a narrow 33-30 overtime victory over Arkansas to conclude the regular season. A close game isn’t going to faze this squad: In addition to the three losses, five of LSU’s victories were by 10 points or less.
And certainly, others are noticing the good work being done in Baton Rouge. In the past week, the Tigers have hired away new assistant coaches from SEC rivals: Frank Wilson, who leaves Tennessee to become running backs coach, and Billy Gonzalez, who departs from Florida to serve as head coach Les Miles’ passing game coordinator and receivers coach.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 11:29 pm by bud
Tags: Alabama, Billy Gonzalez, Capital One Bowl, Florida, Frank Wilson, Joe Paterno, Les Miles, LSU, Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee
By Bud L. Ellis
Not only did Josh Jasper’s two late field goals propel LSU to an overtime victory over Arkansas in the regular-season finale, it sent the Tigers to Orlando for New Year’s.
The 13th-ranked Tigers will take on No. 11 Penn State in the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s Day at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, as the Tigers aim to win their 10th game of what’s been an up-and-down season.
LSU carried dreams of playing for a national championship into this season, and 21 points stood between the Tigers and a perfect season. But despite a nine-point loss to Alabama, a 10-point setback against Florida and a two-point defeat to Ole Miss, the Tigers nonetheless rallied to put together another solid season.
The bowl marks just the second time in history the Tigers have faced Penn State. The Nittany Lions beat LSU 16-9 in the Orange Bowl after the 1973 season.
The Tigers hope for better results this time around against Penn State, and better results this time around in Orlando. In LSU’s last appearance in the Capital One Bowl, the Tigers suffered a heartbreaking 30-25 loss to Iowa.
LSU also played in the Capital One Bowl in 1979, beating Wake Forest 34-10 in a game that at the time was called the Tangerine Bowl.
Looking for a good bowl trend? LSU is 4-0 in bowl games under head coach Les Miles, and the Tigers have scored 157 points in those four contests.
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Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 9:20 pm by bud
Tags: Alabama, Arkansas, Capital One Bowl, Florida, Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, Iowa, Josh Jasper, Les Miles, LSU, Ole Miss, Orange Bowl, Penn State, Wake Forest
