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LSU Tigers Laying 16 At Tennessee Volunteers
Last week, it seemed as if LSU’s trip to Tennessee could be a potential banana peel for the Tigers in the march toward their November 5 SEC West showdown at Alabama.
Now, however, the visit to Knoxville is looking like nothing more than a tuneup for Les Miles’ squad as it ramps up for Crimson Tide three weeks hence.
Saturday’s battle between LSU (6-0; No. 4 Don Best Linemakers Poll) and the Volunteers (3-2) at Neyland Stadium is still high-profile enough for CBS to send Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson to call the action and feature as its national TV game of the week. The oddsmakers are not anticipating a competitive battle, with the Tigers priced at -16 at most Las Vegas sports books. The total is a low-ish 43½ for the 3:30 p.m. (ET) kickoff.
Of course, nobody was expecting Tennessee to make much of a game of it last year, either, when these teams faced off in Baton Rouge for an early October battle. LSU was also rated as a 16-point choice that day but had to scramble (and that’s putting it mildly) for a heartstopping 16-14 win.
Trailing 14-10 while at the Tennessee one-yard-line and the clock ticking down the final seconds, the confused Tigers could not properly execute a final play. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson had just re-entered the game in place of Jarrett Lee, who engineered most of the last-minute drive, mishandled the snap and the game appearing to end in the Volunteers’ favor.
But, as Lee Corso would say, not so fast, my friends. The Vols were flagged for having too many men – 13, to be exact...neat if you can get away with it – on the field, giving LSU one more untimed down from the one-yard line. Running back Stevan Ridley carried it in (though just barely) to give LSU the 16-14 win and tempt Vols coach Derek Dooley to hop into the cage of Mike the LSU Tiger after the game.
But there are numerous reasons not to expect LSU to have similar difficulties in the rematch.
First, it is highly unlikely that the Tigers will be overlooking the Volunteers after last year’s narrow escape.
Second, unlike last season, this year’s LSU team has not been making a habit of waiting until the final moments to decide the outcome of its games. The Tigers’ average win is 28 points over their last three outings and 24.3 ppg in their six wins, with no contest being in doubt after the middle of the third quarter. It’s also the first time in school history that the Bayou Bengals have won each of their first six games by double-digit margins.
Third, LSU is unlikely to be rattled by the tunes of Rocky Top in Knoxville after already beating three then-ranked foes (Oregon, Mississippi State and West Virginia) away from Baton Rouge.
Fourth, and perhaps most important, Tennessee enters Saturday’s contest in a banged-up state.
Not only have the Volunteers suffered injuries, but key performers have been going down. That’s been especially true with the offense, which will be minus its three top components this week. Top WR Justin Harper was lost for the season with a knee injury a couple of weeks ago, and is now joined by leading rusher Tauren Poole (hamstring) and QB Tyler Bray, who had to exit late in last week’s 20-12 loss to Georgia due to a broken thumb that could keep him out 4-6 weeks.
At least Dooley has an experienced backup QB in Matt Simms, who started the first half of last season (including the near-upset at LSU) and led a late TD drive in relief of Bray last week vs. the Bulldogs. But Simms’ inconsistencies prompted Dooley’s switch to then-frosh Bray midway through last season, and Phil’s son has never demonstrated the sort of passing accuracy that Bray has consistently displayed, which is why Dooley made the switch in the first place.
And after seeing the ground game stonewalled by Georgia last week – the Vols finished with -21 yards rushing, sinking to 114th in national rush stats – and now minus main threat Poole, it’s difficult to envision UT doing much business with its infantry against John Chavis’ voracious Tiger stop unit that ranks fourth nationally vs. the run (allowing a mere 69 ypg), fifth in total defense, and eighth in scoring defense.
Simms could also have used the big-play Hunter to combat an ornery LSU pass defense paced by soph CB Tyrann Mathieu, who has quickly made Tiger fans forget about the graduated Patrick Peterson and is even generating some Heisman Trophy talk in the region.
The handful of LSU detractors in the SEC who were wondering if Jefferson’s reinstatement to the roster two weeks ago might prove a distraction to Lee, who assumed the starting role after Jefferson’s preseason suspension, have been disappointed. So far, Miles has diffused any potential conflict, spotting Jefferson effectively but not detracting from the performance of Lee, who completed 7-of-10 passes last week in the 41-11 romp over Florida, and has thrown a long TD pass each of the last three games.
The Tigers are especially impressive with their offensive balance; indeed, they can’t get more balanced, gaining exactly 183 yards pg both running and passing. The emergence of long-striding 6-foot-4 junior Reuben Randle as a feared deep threat wideout, and the return of electric WR Russell Shepard to the active lineup, are enough to loosen all enemy defenses while RBs Spencer Ware and Michael Ford soften the opposition with a punishing ground assault.
Note, too, that since late last season, LSU has won and covered four straight (all vs. high-quality opposition) away from Tiger Stadium.
Last week, it seemed as if LSU’s trip to Tennessee could be a potential banana peel for the Tigers in the march toward their November 5 SEC West showdown at Alabama.
Now, however, the visit to Knoxville is looking like nothing more than a tuneup for Les Miles’ squad as it ramps up for Crimson Tide three weeks hence.
Saturday’s battle between LSU (6-0; No. 4 Don Best Linemakers Poll) and the Volunteers (3-2) at Neyland Stadium is still high-profile enough for CBS to send Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson to call the action and feature as its national TV game of the week. The oddsmakers are not anticipating a competitive battle, with the Tigers priced at -16 at most Las Vegas sports books. The total is a low-ish 43½ for the 3:30 p.m. (ET) kickoff.
Of course, nobody was expecting Tennessee to make much of a game of it last year, either, when these teams faced off in Baton Rouge for an early October battle. LSU was also rated as a 16-point choice that day but had to scramble (and that’s putting it mildly) for a heartstopping 16-14 win.
Trailing 14-10 while at the Tennessee one-yard-line and the clock ticking down the final seconds, the confused Tigers could not properly execute a final play. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson had just re-entered the game in place of Jarrett Lee, who engineered most of the last-minute drive, mishandled the snap and the game appearing to end in the Volunteers’ favor.
But, as Lee Corso would say, not so fast, my friends. The Vols were flagged for having too many men – 13, to be exact...neat if you can get away with it – on the field, giving LSU one more untimed down from the one-yard line. Running back Stevan Ridley carried it in (though just barely) to give LSU the 16-14 win and tempt Vols coach Derek Dooley to hop into the cage of Mike the LSU Tiger after the game.
But there are numerous reasons not to expect LSU to have similar difficulties in the rematch.
First, it is highly unlikely that the Tigers will be overlooking the Volunteers after last year’s narrow escape.
Second, unlike last season, this year’s LSU team has not been making a habit of waiting until the final moments to decide the outcome of its games. The Tigers’ average win is 28 points over their last three outings and 24.3 ppg in their six wins, with no contest being in doubt after the middle of the third quarter. It’s also the first time in school history that the Bayou Bengals have won each of their first six games by double-digit margins.
Third, LSU is unlikely to be rattled by the tunes of Rocky Top in Knoxville after already beating three then-ranked foes (Oregon, Mississippi State and West Virginia) away from Baton Rouge.
Fourth, and perhaps most important, Tennessee enters Saturday’s contest in a banged-up state.
Not only have the Volunteers suffered injuries, but key performers have been going down. That’s been especially true with the offense, which will be minus its three top components this week. Top WR Justin Harper was lost for the season with a knee injury a couple of weeks ago, and is now joined by leading rusher Tauren Poole (hamstring) and QB Tyler Bray, who had to exit late in last week’s 20-12 loss to Georgia due to a broken thumb that could keep him out 4-6 weeks.
At least Dooley has an experienced backup QB in Matt Simms, who started the first half of last season (including the near-upset at LSU) and led a late TD drive in relief of Bray last week vs. the Bulldogs. But Simms’ inconsistencies prompted Dooley’s switch to then-frosh Bray midway through last season, and Phil’s son has never demonstrated the sort of passing accuracy that Bray has consistently displayed, which is why Dooley made the switch in the first place.
And after seeing the ground game stonewalled by Georgia last week – the Vols finished with -21 yards rushing, sinking to 114th in national rush stats – and now minus main threat Poole, it’s difficult to envision UT doing much business with its infantry against John Chavis’ voracious Tiger stop unit that ranks fourth nationally vs. the run (allowing a mere 69 ypg), fifth in total defense, and eighth in scoring defense.
Simms could also have used the big-play Hunter to combat an ornery LSU pass defense paced by soph CB Tyrann Mathieu, who has quickly made Tiger fans forget about the graduated Patrick Peterson and is even generating some Heisman Trophy talk in the region.
The handful of LSU detractors in the SEC who were wondering if Jefferson’s reinstatement to the roster two weeks ago might prove a distraction to Lee, who assumed the starting role after Jefferson’s preseason suspension, have been disappointed. So far, Miles has diffused any potential conflict, spotting Jefferson effectively but not detracting from the performance of Lee, who completed 7-of-10 passes last week in the 41-11 romp over Florida, and has thrown a long TD pass each of the last three games.
The Tigers are especially impressive with their offensive balance; indeed, they can’t get more balanced, gaining exactly 183 yards pg both running and passing. The emergence of long-striding 6-foot-4 junior Reuben Randle as a feared deep threat wideout, and the return of electric WR Russell Shepard to the active lineup, are enough to loosen all enemy defenses while RBs Spencer Ware and Michael Ford soften the opposition with a punishing ground assault.
Note, too, that since late last season, LSU has won and covered four straight (all vs. high-quality opposition) away from Tiger Stadium.
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