1958 & 2003 National Champions 1935, 1936, 1958, 1961, 1970, 1986, 1988, 2001 & 2003 SEC Champions LSU Tigers THE LES W MILES E E K ERA 3 BEGINS 2 0 0 5 L S U F O O T B A L L G A M E N O T E S #4 LSU (1-1, 0-1 SEC) SEPTEMBER 10 at #15 Arizona State (ESPN) W, 35-31 26 * #10/11 Tennessee (ESPN2) L, 30-27 OT OCTOBER 1 * (TigerVision) 1:30 p.m. 8 * (ESPN2) 6 p.m. 15 * TBA 22 * TBA 29 * 7 p.m. NOVEMBER 5 (HC) 7 p.m. 12 * TBA 19 * at Ole Miss TBA 25 * (CBS) 1:30 p.m. Mississippi State (2-2, 0-2 SEC) SEPTEMBER 3 Murray State W, 38-6 10 * at (JP) L, 28-0 17 at Tulane (Shreveport, La.) W, 21-14 24 * #6 Georgia L, 23-10 OCTOBER 1 * #4 LSU 1:30 p.m. 8 * at 12:30 p.m. 22 Houston 1:30 p.m. 29 * at Kentucky TBA NOVEMBER 5 * Alabama TBA 19 * at (Little Rock, Ark.) TBA 26 * Ole Miss TBA Radio LSU Sports Radio Network Jim Hawthorne, play-by-play Doug Moreau, analyst Jordy Hultberg, sideline Television TigerVision Doug Greengard, play-by-play Rene Nadeau, analyst Television Cox Sports (delay) Lyn Rollins, play-by-play Greg Bowser, analyst Jordy Hultberg, sideline LSU Sports Information P.O. Box 25095, Baton Rouge, LA 70894 Oct. 1, 2005 1:30 p.m. CDT Starkville, Miss. Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field (55,082) Tigers to Play Second Game is Six Days on Saturday LSU will play its second game in six days on Saturday as the fourth-ranked Tigers travel to Starkville to face Mississippi State at 1:30 p.m. The game will be televised on TigerVision, LSU's in-house pay-per-view network. The Tigers will bring a 1-1 overall mark and a 0-1 league record into the Mississippi State contest, while the Bulldogs are 2-2 overall and 0-2 in conference action. The State contest will mark the end of a busy week for the Tigers, one that saw LSU open with a 30-27 loss against 10th-ranked Tennessee on Monday in Tiger Stadium. LSU's twogames in a six-day span marks the first time LSU has played twice in the same week since 1973 when the Tigers be, 26-7, on Nov. 17 followed by a 21-7 loss to Alabama on Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving night). Both of those games were played in Tiger Stadium. LSU has dominated the Mississippi State series in recent years, winning five straight and 12 of the past 13 against the Bulldogs. Last year, the Tigers posted a 51-0 win over MSU in Tiger Stadium. Since 2000, LSU has outscored State, 210-57. The Tigers are averaging 31 points per game with RB Joseph Addai ranking second in the SEC with 96.5 yards rushing per contest. Defensively, LSU is limiting opponents to 84.5 yards per contest (third in the SEC). LSU's special teams rank among the best in the league as the Tigers are first in the SEC four categories - punt returns (21.7), net punting (40.5), kickoff coverage, and field goals. Tigers Fall to Tennessee in Overtime, 30-27 Tennessee rallied from a 21-0 halftime deficit to post a 30-27 overtime win over LSU in a rare Monday night game in Tiger Stadium. The Tennessee contest served as the home-opener for the Tigers as scheduled home games against (postponed until Oct. 29) and Arizona State (moved to Tempe) were changed due to Hurricane Katrina. LSU wasted little in jumping on the Vols as Joseph Addai raced 19-yards for a score on the Tigers' first play from scrimmage early in the first quarter. Addai's TD was setup following a UT fumble at the LSU 19-yard line. From there, the Tigers stretched their lead to as much as 21-0 when Kenneth Hollis returned an Erik Ainge pass three yards for a TD late in the second quarter. The momentum shifted to Tennessee in the second half, as the Vols scored 17 fourth quarter points, including a 28-yard field goal with just over two minutes left in the contest to force overtime. In overtime, LSU's Colt David connected on a 31-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 27-24 following their possession. However, UT clinched the victory on its possession when Gerald Riggs scored on a 1-yard run for the Vols. Addai led the Tigers with 84 yards rushing and 1 TD, while QB JaMarcus Russell completed 14 of 28 passes for 158 yards. LSU : The Facts Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 1 at 1:30 p.m. CDT Location: Starkville, Miss. (Davis Wade Stadium - 55,082) Television: TigerVision (live) - Pay-per-view Cox Sports Television (tape delay) - cable ch. 37 in Baton Rouge Radio: LSU Sports Radio Network - 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge Sirius Satellite Radio - 146 (Mississippi State broadcast) The Series: LSU leads 62-33-3 The Series LSU and Mississippi State meet for the 99th time on Saturday with the Tigers holding a 62-33-3 advantage in the series that dates back to 1896 LSU has faced Mississippi State more than any other school LSU's 65 wins over Tulane stands as the only opponent the Tigers have beaten more times LSU has won five straight and 12 of the past 13 against the Bulldogs, including a 51-0 win a year ago in Baton Rouge In its last trip to Starkville in 2003, LSU posted a 41-6 victory over the Bulldogs Since 2000, LSU has outscored MSU, 210-57 MSU's last win over LSU came in 1999 by a 17-16 count in Starkville LSU is 9-6-2 vs. MSU all-time in Starkville LSU coach Les Miles will meet Mississippi State for the first time. LSU Record Ranking Last Game Coach Career Record LSU Record vs. MSU 1-1 (0-1 SEC) No. 4 Associated Press No. 4 USA Today/Coaches Sept. 26 at Baton Rouge, La. lost to #10/11 Tennessee, 30-27 OT Les Miles 29-22/fifth year 1-1/first year first meeting NATIONAL CHAMPIONS Mississippi State Record 2-2 (0-2 SEC) Ranking NR Associated Press NR USA Today/Coaches Last Game Sept. 24 at Starkville, Miss. lost to #6 Georgia, 23-10 Coach Sylvester Croom Career Record 5-10/second year MSU Record 5-10/second year vs. LSU 0-1 Phone - 225.578.8226 Fax - 225.578.1861
Media Services Les Miles Interview Opportunities Monday Press Luncheon Each Monday at 11:30 a.m. in the Press Conference Room, which is located on the fifth floor of the LSU Athletic Administration Building. Coach Miles meets with the media at noon. Luncheons are weekly beginning Monday, August 29 through Monday, November 21with the exception of the open date weeks (Sept. 12 and Oct. 24) A transcript of coach Miles opening statement and as well as a portion of the question and answer session can be found on the internet at www.lsusports.net. There is also a listen-only number for media only as part of Coach Miles Weekly Press Luncheon. Members of the media can listen-in each week by using the following instructions: Audience: For quick access, go to https://sportssystems.spiderphone.com/22900093 or dial 1 (800) 793-6775 or +1 212-812-4494 and enter 2290 0093 SEC Teleconference The 12 SEC coaches are featured on a weekly teleconference each Wednesday at 10 a.m. (CT) during the regular season, beginning September 1. Coach Miles speaks for seven minutes starting at 10:07 a.m. To access the teleconference dial (706) 645-9713. Wednesday Post Practice Coach Miles meets with the media immediately after practice on Wednesday's during the regular-season on the field at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility. Sunday Briefing Coach Miles will field questions via conference call from the media at 4:30 p.m. each Sunday following LSU football games. Contact Michael Bonnette in the SID Office for call-in number. LSU Player Interview Opportunities Following the Press Luncheon LSU players will be made available immediately following head coach Les Miles Press Luncheon each Monday afternoon. Requests must be made on (or prior to) the Sunday following the game. Contact Michael Bonnette at mbonnet@lsu.edu and Brian Miller at bmiller@lsu.edu to schedule a player interview. Post Practice LSU players are available after practice on Tuesday by appointment. Interview requests must be submitted to the LSU SID Office by 10 a.m. on the day of the interview. Contact Michael Bonnette at mbonnet@lsu.edu and Brian Miller at bmiller@lsu.edu for player interviews. LSU Satellite Newsfeed Video highlights of LSU football are available via satellite each Monday during the regular-season. The feed is available each Monday beginning August 30 from 3:30-4 p.m. CT. Coordinates are: Intelsat IA-6, Transponder 4 (93 degrees west) C-Band Feed Uplink Freq: 6005 Vertical Downlink Freq: 3780 Horizontal) Inside LSU Football with Les Miles is distributed via satellite each Sunday beginning September 1 from 10:30-11 a.m. The coordinates are the same as Monday s satellite newsfeed. Trouble number: (225) 336-2268 or 336-2269 - Baton Rouge Teleport. Michael Bonnette mbonnet@lsu.edu MONDAY 3 Press Luncheon 11:30 a.m. - Athletic Building, 5th Floor Satellite Feed 3:45-4:15 p.m.ct IA-6, 93 degrees West, T pnder 4 (C-Band feed) Practice 8 p.m. - McClendon Practice Facility TUESDAY 4 Practice 3:30 p.m. - McClendon Practice Facility Player Interviews Approx. 5:45 p.m. Indoor Football Facility WEDNESDAY 5 Practice 3:30 p.m. - McClendon Practice Facility Miles Interview approx. 5:45 p.m. - McClendon Practice Facility Miles Radio Show 7 p.m. - Walk-On s Week 4: Vanderbilt THURSDAY 6 Practice 3:30 p.m. - McClendon Practice Facility (Closed to Media) FRIDAY 7 Walk-Thru Tiger Stadium (Closed to Media) 1 p.m. - Depart for Nashville Road Headquarters: Airport Marriott (615) 889-9300 Who to Contact Sports Information Office (225) 578-8226 Asst. AD/Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette - mbonnet@lsu.edu Associate Sports Information Director Brian Miller - bmiller@lsu.edu LSU Television (225) 578-1797 Asst. AD/Television Kevin Wagner - jwagne2@lsu.edu Manager/Television John Schiebe - jschiebe@lsu.edu LSU Radio (225) 578-1882 Asst. AD/Radio Jim Hawthorne - lsuradio@lsu.edu On the Internet www.lsusports.net The Official Website of LSU Athletics is home to all the football information you need. Schedules, results, rosters, bios, statistics and game notes can be found and are always up to date. The GAMEDAY section, updated daily, has all relevant info for the upcoming game. http://media.lsusports.net Media can now access images for all LSU athletic teams, including action shots, heads shots, logos, etc. To gain access to the high-resolution pictures, email Michael Bonnette. You will be assigned a login and password that will enable you to retrieve pictures. This service is for the media use only. On Television Cox Sports Television All 11 of LSU s regular-season football games will be broadcast on a tape-delay basis by Cox Sports Television. Replays of the LSU games will be shown each Sunday following the contest at 5 p.m., followed by another airing on Wednesday nights that week. Lyn Rollins will handle the playby-play, with Greg Bowser serving as game analyst and Jordy Hultberg as the sideline reporter. SATURDAY 8 Game 4: Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Stadium Time: 6 p.m. CST ESPN2 Post Game Coach Miles is available in the interview area. Players will immediately follow. Brian Miller bmiller@lsu.edu SUNDAY 9 No Practice Miles Teleconference 4:30 p.m. (Contact SID for call-in number to participate)
Les Miles HEAD COACH FIRST YEAR Les Miles, the 2002 Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year and former assistant with Michigan, Colorado and the Dallas Cowboys who built Oklahoma State into a force in the Big 12, became LSU's 32nd head football coach on Jan. 3, 2005. In four short years, Miles turned the Oklahoma State football program into one that was nationally competitive, despite competing in-state against one of the country's dominant programs. Now as the head coach of the flagship university in the state of Louisiana, it's Miles' mission to not only keep the Tigers among the elite in the nation on the playing field, but to also continue the program's success in the classroom and in the community. On the field, Miles is a proven winner and he was the obvious choice for LSU, a team that ranks second in the SEC in victories over the past five years with 48. He's a skillful manager who brings to Baton Rouge football expertise, an eye for evaluating talent, and a personality that has energized the program. All talents that are necessary for running and maintaining a top 10 college football program. Miles led the Cowboys to three straight bowl appearances, an accomplishment Oklahoma State had not achieved since Jimmy Johnson started a string of three straight post-season games beginning in 1983. In addition, Oklahoma State's appearance in the Cotton Bowl to cap the 2003 season marked the first time in 55 years that the Cowboys appeared in a January bowl game. Miles' college playing and coaching career includes experience under some of the most noted coaches in college football. At Michigan, he played for legendary coach Bo Schembechler and later served on Schembechler's staff. He also worked with Gary Moeller at Michigan and Bill McCartney at Colorado. As head coach at Oklahoma State, he built a consistent winner out of a program that had recorded only one winning season since 1988, and had posted a record of 13-20 in the three years prior to his arrival at OSU. After going 4-7 in his first year as head coach in 2001, he took the Cowboys to consecutive winning marks of 8-5 in 2002, 9-4 in 2003 and 7-5 in 2004. Prior to his tenure as head coach at Oklahoma State, Miles was the tight ends coach for the Dallas Cowboys for three seasons from 1998-2000. During his three years with the Cowboys, Dallas won one divisional title while participating in the playoffs twice. Miles comes to LSU off of his second tour of duty with Oklahoma State. Before going to Dallas, Miles served as Oklahoma State's offensive coordinator for three seasons from 1995-97, including an 8-3 season and Alamo Bowl berth in 1997. Success has followed Miles at every stop of both his playing and professional career. He was a two-year letterman at Michigan (1974-75). During those two seasons, Michigan was a combined 18-3-2, had final Associated Press national rankings in the top 10 and participated in both the Rose and Orange Bowls. He joined Bo Schembechler's Michigan coaching staff in 1980 for the first of two stints as a coach in Ann Arbor. In 1980 and 1981, Michigan combined for 19 wins and just five losses, won the Big 10 title in 1980 and played in the Rose and Bluebonnet Bowls, respectively. Miles left Michigan for Colorado, where he served on Bill McCartney's staff from 1982 through 1986. In his final two years at Colorado, the Buffs earned bids to the Freedom Bowl and Bluebonnet Bowl. In 1987, he returned to Michigan, where he would spend the next eight years as part of one of the most successful eras in Michigan football history. From 1987 to 1994, Michigan won 71 games, made eight straight bowl appearances, including four trips to the Rose Bowl, and finished no lower than No. 21 in final Associated Press national rankings. The 1989 Michigan squad finished 10-2, won the Big 10 championship and finished ranked No. 7 in the country. That would be Coach Bo Schembechler's final season as Michigan's head coach. When Gary Moeller took over the Michigan program prior to the 1990 season, Miles remained on the staff. The 1990 team finished 9-3, winning the Big 10 title and the Gator Bowl. The following season (1991), Michigan finished 10-2 and with a No. 6 national ranking. Miles coached some of the best players to wear the Michigan uniform, including eight first-team All-Americans, 10 total All-Americans and 12 players from Wolverine offensive lines that were NFL draftees. Born November 10, 1953, Miles earned his degree in economics from Michigan in 1976. Les and Kathy Miles have four children, Kathryn, Leslie Matthew, Benjamin and Macy Grace. The Les Miles Record Year School Overall Record Conf. Record vs. Top 25 Teams 2001 Oklahoma State 4-7 2-6 1-2 2002 Oklahoma State 8-5 5-3 1-3 2003 Oklahoma State 9-4 5-3 1-2 2004 Oklahoma State 7-5 4-4 0-3 2005 LSU 1-1 0-1 1-1 TOTALS (5 years) 29-22 16-17 4-11 LSU record (1 year) 1-1 0-1 1-1 Oklahoma State record (4 years) 28-21 16-16 3-10 The Miles File Born: Nov. 10, 1953 Hometown: Elyria, Ohio Wife: Kathy Children: Kathryn Smacker, Leslie Matthew, Manny, Benjamin, and Macy Grace College: Michigan, 76 Coaching Experience 1980-81 Assistant Coach Michigan 1982-86 Assistant Coach Colorado 1987-94 Assistant Coach Michigan 1995-97 Assistant Coach Oklahoma State 1998-00 Assistant Coach Dallas Cowboys 2001-04 Head Coach Oklahoma State 2005- Head Coach LSU He has a father s heart, a pastoral heart. He looks at it and has real compassion. He is going to be the kind of guy that kids are going to trust. -Bill McCartney former Colorado head coach
Tracking the Tigers Week AP Coaches Harris BCS Preseason 5 6 -- -- Sept. 6 5 5 -- -- Sept. 11 3 3 -- -- Sept. 18 3 3 -- -- Sept. 25 4 4 5 -- Associated Press Rk. Team Rec. Points 1 USC (59) 3-0 1,619 2 Texas (6) 3-0 1,560 3 Virginia Tech 4-0 1,448 4 LSU 1-1 1,424 5 4-0 1,367 6 State 3-0 1,249 7 Georgia 4-0 1,242 8 Ohio State 3-1 1,200 9 Miami (Fla.) 2-1 1,028 10 Tennessee 1-1 995 11 Michigan State 4-0 905 12 California 4-0 892 13 Notre Dame 3-1 800 14 Arizona State 3-1 690 15 Alabama 4-0 608 16 Texas Tech 3-0 512 17 Wisconsin 4-0 493 18 Minnesota 4-0 439 19 Virginia 3-0 396 20 UCLA3 3-0 331 21 Boston College 3-1 326 22 Purdue 2-1 322 23 Iowa State 3-0 297 24 Louisville 2-1 222 25 Georgia Tech 3-1 169 USA Today/Coaches Rk. Team Rec. Points 1 USC (60) 3-0 1,547 2 Texas (1) 3-0 1,482 3 Virginia Tech (1) 4-0 1,382 4 LSU 1-1 1,370 5 4-0 1,298 6 Georgia 4-0 1,239 7 State 3-0 1,196 8 Ohio State 3-1 1,083 9 Tennessee 1-1 968 10 Miami (Fla.) 2-1 945 11 California 4-0 876 12 Michigan State 4-0 688 13 Texas Tech 3-0 683 14 Notre Dame 3-1 643 15 Arizona State 3-1 629 16 Alabama 4-0 609 17 Wisconsin 4-0 489 18 Virginia 3-0 484 19 Minnesota 4-0 396 t20 Purdue 2-1 360 UCLA 3-0 360 22 Louisville 2-1 308 23 Boston College 3-1 255 t24 3-1 133 Georgia Tech 3-1 133 Harris Interactive Rk. Team Rec. Points 1 USC (110) 3-0 2,822 2 Texas (3) 3-0 2,705 3 Virginia Tech 4-0 2,552 4 4-0 2,383 5 LSU 1-1 2,362 6 State 3-0 2,193 7 Georgia 4-0 2,168 8 Ohio State 3-1 2,043 9 Miami (Fla.) 2-1 1,712 10 Michigan State 4-0 1,682 11 Califonia 4-0 1,609 12 Tennessee 2-1 1,561 13 Notre Dame 3-1 1,326 14 Arizona State 3-1 1,145 15 Alabama 4-0 1,065 16 Texas Tech 3-0 1,023 17 Wisconsin 4-0 972 18 UCLA 3-0 795 19 Virginia 3-0 787 20 Minnesota 4-0 777 21 Boston College 3-1 534 22 Purdue 2-1 493 23 Iowa State 3-0 438 24 Louisville 2-1 365 25 Michigan 2-2 229 Tigers Travel To Face Mississippi State LSU (1-1 overall, 0-1 SEC) will look to bounce back from Monday's loss to 10th-ranked Tennessee when the Tigers face Mississippi State in Starkville on Saturday. LSU is coming off a 30-27 overtime setback to the Vols, while the Bulldogs (2-2 overall, 0-2 in SEC) are coming off a 23-10 loss to Georgia last week. The Tigers enter the contest ranked No. 4 in the nation in both the Associated Press poll as well as the USA Today Coaches poll. In addition, the Tigers are ranked No. 5 in the Harris poll, which made its debut this week. Quick Turnaround LSU's game against Tennessee on Monday has forced the Tigers to have a quick turnaround for Saturday's game against Mississippi State. With games on Monday and Saturday this week, LSU will play 2 games in a 6-day span for the first time since 1973 when the Tigers hosted Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 17 and then faced Alabama on Thursday, Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving night). LSU vs. The SEC Western Division The Tigers will take a 4-game winning streak against SEC Western Division foes into the Mississippi State contest. The Tigers last dropped a game to an SEC Western Division foe on Sept. 18 of last year when LSU fell to, 10-9. In addition to the 4-game streak, the Tigers have also won 9 of its last 10 games against the SEC Western Division. MSU on the otherhand, has dropped a school-record 16 straight games to teams in the SEC 's Western Division. Looking To Rebound LSU goes into the MSU game looking to avoid consecutive losses for the first time since dropping back-to-back games to close out the 2002 season. That year, LSU dropped a 21-20 decision to to end the regular season and then followed that with a 35-20 setback to Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Since the Cotton, LSU is 5-0 after a loss, including the opening victory over Arizona State that followed the loss to Iowa in the Capital One Bowl. In The Polls The Tigers are ranked No. 4 in the nation in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. LSU opened the year ranked No. 5 in the AP poll and No. 6 in the coaches poll. LSU has been ranked for 40 consecutive periods in the USA Today Coaches poll and for 39 straight weeks in the AP poll. Miles After A Loss LSU coach Les Miles has a 12-8 mark in games following a loss. Included in the 12-8 mark is a 1-0 record at LSU as he guided his Tigers to a 35-31 win over Arizona State in his debut, which came following Oklahoma State's loss to Ohio State in the Houston Bowl a year ago. Magnolia State Tigers LSU has 3 players on its roster who call Mississippi home OL Will Arnold is from Gloster, TE Mit Cole is from Picayune and DL Donald Hains is from Diamonhead.
On The Helmet In light of the recent natural disaster known as Hurricane Katrina that devastated Louisiana, in particular the city of New Orleans, LSU will add three stickers to its helmet that are representative of the state of Louisiana. The Louisiana state flag along with a "Fleur-de-Lis" will both be represented on the LSU football helmet this year. The "Fleur-de-Lis" has been traditionally used to represent French royalty, and in that sense it is said to signify "perfection, light, and life". The Fleur-de-Lis is synonymous with the city of New Orleans. In addition, LSU, along with other teams from the SEC, will wear a sticker that combines that shapes of the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, the states that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Nothing Normal Here LSU once again will go into a Saturday game without any sort of normalcy to its work week as the Tigers played the school's first regular season Monday night game. The Tigers took Tuesday off before returning for a routine workout on Wednesday. The following is a look at how LSU's weekly routine has been disrupted this year: Week Game Disruption Results 1 Hurricane Katrina Game postponed on Aug. 30 2 Arizona State aftermath of Hurricane Katrina Game moved to Tempe on Sept. 5 3 Tennessee Hurricane Rita Game delayed 2 days to Sept. 26 4 Miss. State Tennessee game on Monday 6 Days between 2 SEC games About Mississippi State The Bulldogs are 2-2 overall and 0-2 in league play MSU is coming off a 23-10 loss to Georgia last week MSU's wins in 2005 came against Murray State (38-6) and Tulane (21-14) MSU hasn't won a game against an SEC Western Division opponent since 2001, a streak that spans 16 consecutive games MSU is averaging 17.3 points per game (10th in SEC) and they are allowing 17.8 points a contest (6th in SEC) RB Jerious Norwood ranks 5th in the SEC with 304 rushing yards a 1 TD QB Omarr Conner has completed 59 of 101 passes for 662 yards and 7 TDs Defensively, DE Willie Evans ranks first in the SEC in tackles for losses with 9 for 53-yards in losses Sylvester Croom is in his second year as head coach at MSU In two years with the Bulldogs, Croom has guided the Bulldogs to a 5-10 mark. LSU Injury Report The Tigers will be without the services of RB Alley Broussard (knee), LB E.J. Kuale (ankle), DE Kirston Pittman (ankle) and OT Peter Dyakowski (foot) for Saturday's contest. Broussard suffered a season-ending knee injury on Aug. 13, while Kuale will miss 4-6 weeks with an ankle injury. LSU-Mississippi State Ties MSU running back coach Freddie Kitchens served as a graduate assistant at LSU in 2000 MSU head strength coach Jim Nowell served on the strength staff at LSU from 2000-01 LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini worked with MSU head coach Sylvester Croom at the NFL's Green Bay Packers Pelini coached the linebackers for the Packers from 2000-02, while Croom was the running back coach from 2001-03. Whitworth Has Started 41 Straight; Ranks As Second-Longest Streak In SEC LSU senior OT Andrew Whitworth has started 41 straight games on the offensive line for the Tigers. Whitworth's current streak of 41 consecutive starts ranks second in the SEC, just one game back of center Mike Degory, who has started 42 straight games. Whitworth has a chance to become the only player in LSU history to start and play in 50 games in a career. Taking Note On The Tigers Since 2000 Here is a look at some notable trends for LSU during the 65 games its played since 2000 LSU is 40-4 when leading at halftime and 37-4 when leading after three quarters The Tigers are 46-5 when scoring 20 or more points and 40-2 when scoring at least 25 points in a game On the other hand, the Tigers are 3-12 when failing to reach the 20-point mark LSU is 15-5 in games decided by 7 points or less and 7-3 in games decided by 3 points or less LSU is 33-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 team rushing yards and the Tigers are 22-1 when having a player rush for 100 yards. Tiger Defense Scores Against Tennessee LSU's defense scored for the first time this year against Tennessee when Ken Hollis intercepted a Erik Ainge pass and returned it 3-yards for a second quarter TD. The interception and TD were the first of Hollis' career. Since the 2003 season, LSU's defense has accounted for 11 touchdowns (7 interception returns, 4 fumble returns). In 2003, LSU set a school record with 7 defensive touchdowns, followed by 3 in 2004 and 1 this year. 2005 SEC Standings Eastern Division Team SEC Pct. Overall Vanderbilt 2-0 1.000 4-0 2-0 1.000 4-0 Georgia 2-0 1.000 4-0 Tennessee 1-1.500 2-1 Kentucky 0-1.000 1-3 South Carolina 0-2.000 2-2 Western Division Team SEC Pct. Overall Alabama 2-0 1.000 4-0 1-0 1.000 3-1 LSU 0-1.000 1-1 Ole Miss 0-1.000 1-2 Miss. State 0-2.000 2-2 0-2.000 1-3 This Week in the SEC Saturday, Oct. 1 Ole Miss at Tennessee 11:30 a.m. [JP] LSU 1:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. [CBS] South Carolina at 6 p.m. [ESPN2] Middle Tennessee State 6 p.m. -- all times Central -- Watching the Opponents ARIZONA STATE (3-1) vs. USC Last week: def. Oregon State, 42-24 TENNESSEE (2-1) vs. Ole Miss Last week: def. LSU, 30-27 OT MISSISSIPPI STATE (2-2) vs. LSU Last week: lost to Georgia, 23-10 VANDERBILT (4-0) vs. Middle Tennessee Last week: def. Richmond, 37-13 FLORIDA (4-0) Last week: def. Kentucky, 49-28 AUBURN (3-1) vs. South Carolina Last week: def. Western Kentucky, 37-14 NORTH TEXAS (1-2) vs. Troy Last week: lost at Kansas State, 54-7 APPALACHIAN STATE (2-1) at Furman (Oct. 8) Last week: def. The Citadel, 45-13 ALABAMA (4-0) vs. Last week: def., 24-13 OLE MISS (1-2) at Tennessee Last week: lost to Wyoming, 24-14 ARKANSAS (1-2) vs. UL-Monroe (Oct. 8) Last week: lost, 24-13
LSU Record Book Rushing 100-yard games 1. Kevin Faulk 1995-98 22 2. Dalton Hilliard 1982-85 20 3. Charles Alexander 1975-78 16 4. Harvey Williams 1986-90 8 5. Rondell Mealey 1996-99 7 Steve Van Buren 1941-43 7 LaBrandon Toefield 2000-02 7 8. Justin Vincent 2003-6 9. Domanick Davis 1999-2002 5 Terry Robsikie 1973-76 5 Don Schwab 1963-65 5 Career Punt Return Yards (Since 1963) 1. Domanick Davis 1999-2002 1,126 2. Eddie Kennison 1993-95 947 3. Sammy Grezaffi 1965-67 905 4. Kevin Faulk 1995-98 832 5. Skyler Green 2002-795 6. Joe Labruzzo 1963-65 687 7. Norman Jefferson 1983-86 597 8. Carig Burns 1968-70 570 9. Tommy Casanova 1968-70 517 10. Todd Kinchen 1989-91 475 Sacks 1. Rydell Malancon 1980-83 25 2. Ron Sancho 1985-88 23 3. Gabe Northern 1992-95 21 4. Jarvis Green 1998-2001 20 5. Marcus Spears 2001-19 Chuck Wiley 1994-97 19 7. James Gillyard 1992-95 18 Michael Brooks 1983-86 18 9. Anthony McFarland 1995-98 17 10. Oliver Lawrence 1985-89 16... Kyle Williams 2002-13 Melvin Oliver 2002-11 Starts 1. Jerel Myers 1999-02 48 Rodney Reed 2000-03 48 3. Tommy Hodson 1986-89 47 4. Anthony McFarland 1995-98 44 5. Chad Lavalais 2000-03 43 6. Andrew Whitworth 2002-41 7. Kevin Faulk 1995-98 39 8. Kevin Mawae 1990-93 38 Marcus Spears 2001-04 38 Lionel Turner 2001-04 38 For complete LSU record book information, please consult the football media guide on pages 134-142. LSU Has Second-Best Record In SEC Over Last 5 Seasons LSU's record of 49-17 over the last five seasons is the second-best record in the SEC during that span. Only Georgia, who has a 53-14 mark over that span, has a better 5-year record than LSU. The following is a look at how teams in the SEC rank by wins over the last 5 years: Team W-L Bowls Georgia 53-14 5 LSU 49-17 5 Tennessee 49-17 5 49-17 5 47-19 5 36-29 4 Ole Miss 35-26 3 So. Carolina 34-29 2 Alabama 33-31 3 Miss. State 20-41 1 Kentucky 18-42 0 Vanderbilt 14-46 0 Landry Picks Off Seventh Pass of Career; Leads Active Players In SEC FS LaRon Landry intercepted the seventh pass of his career with his fourth quarter pick off of a Rick Clausen pass on Monday. Dating back to last season, Landry has 4 interceptions in LSU's past 4 games. He capped the 2004 season with 2 interceptions against and followed that with an interception against Iowa in the Capital One Bowl. Landry's 7 career interceptions ranks first among active players in the SEC. Two Games - Five Different Ways Of Scoring Touchdowns LSU's only played two games but the Tigers have already come up with 5 different ways to score touchdowns. Of LSU's 8 touchdowns this year, 4 have come by rushing and 1 each by passing, interception return, blocked field goal return and blocked punt return. Tiger Field Goal Streak At Eight Straight LSU will bring a streak of having successfully converted 8 straight field goals into the Mississippi State contest. LSU capped last year by connecting on its last 6 field goals and have since gone 2-for-2 this year. The 8 straight field goals is the longest streak since John Corbello connected on eight straight over a 2-season span. Corbello made the final 3 attempts in 2001 and then kicked 5 straight to open the 2002 season. Of LSU's 8 straight field goals, 7 have been converted by Chris Jackson and 1 by Colt David. Addai Second In SEC In Rushing; First In Rushing TDs LSU RB Joseph Addai goes into the Mississippi State game ranked second in the SEC in rushing with 96.5 yards per game. Addai has rushed for 193 yards on 32 carries for the Tigers. He's also tied for the lead league in rushing TDs with 3. Addai opened the season with a career-best 109 yards and 2 TDs vs. Arizona State and then followed that with 84 yards and 1 scored against Tennessee. For his career, Addai has rushed for 1,859 yards and 12 touchdowns. Skyler's Back; Tigers First in Nation In Punt Returns Skyler Green appears to have regained the form that helped him lead the nation in punt return average as a sophomore in 2003. Thru 2 games in 2005, Green is averaging 18 yards on 5 punt returns. As a unit, LSU is first in the nation in punt returns, averaging 21.7 yards per return on 6 returns. For his career, Green has returned 55 punts for 795 yards and 3 TDs. The 795 yards ranks as the fifth-best total in school history. Fisher Spreading It Around On Offense Sixth-year offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher continues to spread the ball around as offense as the Tigers have had 10 different players catch passes through the first 2 games. WR Craig Davis leads the Tigers with 7 catches for 117 yards. Of LSU's 31 pass completions, 22 have gone to wide receivers, 4 to running backs, 3 to fullbacks and 1 to the tight ends. Green Makes Things Happen With The Football Skyler Green continues to be a head turner as he has game-breaking ability anytime he touches the football. In 2 games this season, Green has 15 touches and he accounted for 231 yards. Green is averaging 15.4 yards every time he gets his hands on the football. Green has rushed twice for 41 yards, caught 5 passes for 44 yards, returned 3 kickoffs for 56 yards and returned 5 punts for 90 yards. Green is averaging 115.5 all-purpose yards per contest, which ranks sixth in the SEC.
LSU Special Teams Best Overall In SEC Thru Week 4 LSU's special teams appear to be among the best in the SEC when it comes to overall performance. Consider that LSU currently ranks first in the SEC in five different special teams categories - net punting, punt returns, kickoff coverage, field goals and point-after conversions. Through 2 games, LSU is averaging 40.5 yards in net punting, 21.7 yards in punt returns, they have made all 8 of its point-after attempts as well as connecting on both field goal attempts. Russell Engineers Another Fourth Quarter Comeback For Tigers QB JaMarcus Russell engineered another fourth quarter comeback for the Tigers on Sept. 10 when LSU scored 28 fourth quarter points to beat Arizona State, 35-31. The Tigers clinched the win with just over a minute left when Russell drove the Tigers 91 yards on 10 plays, capped on a 39-yard TD pass to Early Doucet on a fourth-and-10 play. The fourth quarterback comeback win represents the 10 time since the 2000 season that the Tigers have rallied to win games despite trailing in the final quarter. The following is a look at LSU's other fourth quarter comebacks since 2000 that resulted in a victory for the Tigers: Year Game 4th Quarter Comeback Results QB 2000 Miss. State scored 21 points to force OT W, 45-38 OT Booty 2000 vs. Ga. Tech scored 19 points for win in Peach Bowl W, 28-14 Davey 2001 at Kentucky scored TD with 13 seconds left W, 29-25 Davey 2002 Ole Miss scored TD with 6:34 left W, 14-13 Randall 2002 at Kentucky scored on 75-yard TD pass as time expired W, 33-30 Randall 2004 Oregon State scored TD with 1:05 left to force OT W, 22-21 OT Russell 2004 at scored TD with 27 seconds left W, 24-21 Randall 2004 Troy scored TD with 2:18 left W, 24-20 Randall 2004 Ole Miss scored TD with 10:51 left W, 27-24 Randall 2005 at Arizona State scored TD with 1:13 left W, 35-31 Russell LSU's Special Teams Comes Up Big With 2 TDs Against Arizona State The LSU special teams ignited a furious fourth quarter rally against Arizona State as the Tigers blocked both a field goal and punt in the final stanza against the Sun Devils, returning both for touchdowns. DT Claude Wroten blocked a 47-yard field goal attempt and DB Mario Stevenson picked up the ball and returned it 55- yards for a TD. Then, on its next possession, LSU's Jacob Hester blocked an ASU punt and S Craig Steltz scooped the ball up and returned it 29-yards for the TD. In its history, LSU has returned 10 blocked punts for TDs. Stevenson's TD return of the blocked field goal is the first in school history. In addition, LSU is the first SEC team since in 1972 to return to blocked kicks for touchdowns. blocked a pair of punts, returning both for TDs against Alabama. Prior to LSU two weeks ago, Air Force was the last team to block two kicks (both punts) and return them for scores. The Falcons did it against Hawaii in 1997. JaMarcus Shares Home With Fats Domino New Orleans music legend Fats Domino spent two days in Baton Rouge in the apartment of LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Domino was rescued for his home in the lower 9th Ward of New Orleans in early September and brought to the triage unit at the Maravich Assembly Center on the LSU campus. Domino, who checked in at the triage unit under is given name of Antoine Domino, was then reunited with family members and taken, along with a dozen other New Orleans natives, to Russell's apartment, which is located just off the LSU campus. Russell, a native of Mobile, Ala., said he's had close to 20 people in his apartment for the past two days. Russell said he's had little sleep over the past 48 hours as he's done everything from making trips to the grocery store to even taking a trip to the pharmacy at 2 a.m. to retrieve medicine for Fats Domino. "The important thing is that Fats and his family are all alright," Russell said. "I'm not sure where they are headed, but I just feel better knowing that they are okay." Russell said Domino and the other members of his family had spent the past two days sleeping on floors, couches and beds and passed the time watching television coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Addai Has Second 100-Yard Rushing Game LSU RB Joseph Addai recorded the second 100-yard rushing game of his career with a 109 yards against Arizona State. The 109 yards marked a career-best for Addai, who also added a pair of rushing TDs in the game. Addai's other 100-yard game came last year against Ole Miss when he rushed for 107 yards. Craig Davis Reception Streak At 14 Straight With 3 catches for 68 yards against Tennessee, junior WR Craig Davis has caught at least one pass in 14 straight games. The streak dates back to LSU's season-opener in 2003 against Oregon State. Davis caught at least one pass in all 12 games a year ago. This year, Davis leads the Tigers with 7 receptions for 117 yards. It's An Old O-Line LSU's offensive line may be one of the most experienced around. The Tigers start 3 seniors (Andrew Whitworth, Rudy Niswanger and Nate Livings), 1 junior (Brian Johnson) and a redshirt freshman (Brett Helms). LSU's starting offensive line combines for 95 career starts, while the 2-deep combines for 105 career starts among the group. Tiger Trends 2005 Miles September 1-1 1-1 October 0-0 0-0 November 0-0 0-0 December-January 0-0 0-0 LSU s Conference Record at home 0-1 0-1 on the road 0-0 0-0 neutral 0-0 0-0 LSU s Non-Conference Record at home 0-0 0-0 on the road 1-0 1-0 neutral 0-0 0-0 LSU vs. Ranked Opponents at home 0-1 0-1 on the road 1-0 1-0 neutral 0-0 0-0 LSU s Record in Games... decided by 7 pts or less 1-0 1-0 decided by 3 pts or less 0-1 0-1 Away during the day 0-0 0-0 Away at night 1-0 1-0 Home during the day 0-0 0-0 Home at night 0-1 0-1 LSU s Record When Scoring... less than 20 points 0-0 0-0 20+ points 1-1 1-1 25+ points 1-1 1-1 LSU s Record When Allowing... 14 or fewer points 0-0 0-0 24 or fewer points 0-0 0-0 25+ points 1-1 1-1 LSU s Record When... Leading after the 1st qtr 0-1 0-1 Leading after the 2nd qtr 0-1 0-1 Leading after the 3rd qtr 0-1 0-1 Tied after the 4th qtr 0-1 0-1 Trailing after the 1st qtr 1-0 1-0 Trailing after the 2nd qtr 1-0 1-0 Trailing after the 3rd qtr 1-0 1-0 LSU s Record With... less than 300 yards 0-1 0-1 400+ yards total offense 1-0 1-0 500+ yards total offense 0-0 0-0 600+ yards total offense 0-0 0-0 less than 100 yards rush 0-1 0-1 100+ yards rushing 1-0 1-0 150+ yards rushing 1-0 1-0 200+ yards rushing 0-0 0-0 250+ yards rushing 0-0 0-0 less than 200 yards pass 0-1 0-1 300+ yards passing 0-0 0-0 350+ yards passing 0-0 0-0 400+ yards passing 0-0 0-0 450+ yards passing 0-0 0-0 LSU s Record When Allowing... less than 200 total yards 0-0 0-0 less than 300 total yards 0-0 0-0 less than 400 total yards 0-1 0-1 400+ yards total offense 1-0 1-0 less than 100 yards rush 1-1 1-1 100+ yards rush 0-0 0-0 less than 200 yards pass 0-0 0-0 less than 250 yards pass 0-0 0-0 less than 300 yards pass 0-0 0-0 300+ yards pass 1-0 1-0
LSU Players of the Game Arizona State Tennessee at Ole Miss Arizona State Tennessee at Ole Miss Arizona State Tennessee at Ole Miss Offensive Defensive Special Teams JaMarcus Russell Cameron Vaughn Chris Jackson Tigers in the NFL (as of Sept. 28) Name Team Kenderick Allen New York Giants Ryan Clark Washington Redskins Michael Clayton Tampa Bay Buccaneers Travis Daniels Miami Dolphins Rohan Davey Arizona Cardinals Domanick Davis Houston Texans Eric Edwards Arizona Cardinals Kevin Faulk New England Patriots Trev Faulk St. Louis Rams Alan Faneca Pittsburgh Steelers Randall Gay New England Patriots Jarvis Green New England Patriots Devery Henderson New Orleans Saints Marquise Hill New England Patriots Jack Hunt* Miami Dolphins Bradie James Dallas Cowboys Tory James Cincinnati Bengals Donnie Jones Miami Dolphins Eddie Kennison Kansas City Chiefs Chad Lavalais Atlanta Falcons Matt Mauck Tennessee Titans Kevin Mawae New York Jets Adrian Mayes Arizona Cardinals Todd McClure Atlanta Falcons Anthony McFarland Tampa Bay Buccaneers Stephen Peterman Dallas Cowboys Marcus Randall* Tennessee Titans Josh Reed Buffalo Bills Mark Roman Green Bay Packers Robert Royal Washington Redskins Marcus Spears Dallas Cowboys LaBrandon Toefield Jacksonville Jaguars Denard Walker Oakland Raiders Corey Webster New York Giants Ben Wilkerson** Cincinnati Bengals * - practice squad ** - injured reserve Williams, Wroten and Oliver Anchor Defensive Line LSU's defensive line, anchored by seniors Kyle Williams, Claude Wroten and Melvin Oliver, is one of the most productive around. Williams and Wroten are both preseason All-America selections at defensive tackle, while Oliver is in his second year as a starter for the Tigers. The trio has combined for 30 sacks and 48.5 tackles for losses over the past 3-plus years. Williams leads the group with 13 career sacks, followed by Oliver with 11 and Wroten with six. LaRon Landry Back To Lead Secondary LaRon Landry, a First-Team All-SEC pick in 2004, returns as the "quarterback" of the Tiger secondary in 2005. In his first two years with the Tigers, Landry has led LSU in tackles both years. In the national championship season in 2003, Landry started 10 games for LSU, registering 80 tackles, 3 sacks and a pair of interceptions. Last year in 12 starts, Landry again led the Tigers in tackles with 92 to go with a team-best 4 interceptions and three sacks. For his career, Landry has recorded 187 tackles, 9.5 tackles for losses, 6 sacks and 7 interceptions. LSU's Sack Streak At 39 Straight Games LSU kept its streak of games with at least one sack intact against Tennessee as the Tigers came up with 4 sacks against the Vols. LSU's streak of games with at least one sack is at 39 consecutive games, a stretch the goes all the way back to the Miami (Ohio) game in 2002 when the Tigers sacked Ben Roethlisberger three times. Since then, LSU has had at least one sack in every game, which included all 14 games in 2003. In 12 games in 2004, the Tigers recorded 37 sacks, which tied with Georgia for the most in the SEC. Through 2 games in 2005, the Tigers have 5 sacks to their credit. Tigers Put Up 28 Points In Fourth Quarter Against Arizona State LSU's 28 points against Arizona State marked the most points in a single quarter for the Tigers since the 2003 season when LSU opened with 28 first quarter points in a 49-10 win over Louisiana Tech. The last time the Tigers scored 28 points in the fourth quarter of a game came in 1970 when LSU scored 28 points in a 61-17 victory over Ole Miss. The school-record for most points in a quarter is 35, which came in a 77-0 win over Rice in 1977. Tigers Open Season With Different Starting QB For 7th Time In Eight Years When JaMarcus Russell took the first snap at quarterback for LSU against Arizona State on Sept. 10, he became the seventh different season-opening quarterback for the Tigers over the past eight years. Only Matt Mauck in 2002 and 2003 has started consecutive season-openers for LSU. The following is a look at LSU's starting quarterbacks in season-opening games since 1998: Year Quarterback Results Stats 1998 Herb Tyler Def. State, 42-6 13 of 25, 170 yds., 1 TD, 1 int. 1999 Craig Nall Def. San Jose State, 29-21 6 of 15, 79 yds., 2 int. 2000 Josh Booty Def. Western Carolina, 58-0 12 of 15, 291 yds., 2 TDs 2001 Rohan Davey Def. Tulane, 48-17 19 of 29, 253 yds., 2 TDs 2002 Matt Mauck Lost Virginia Tech, 26-8 15 of 35, 134 yds., 1 int. 2003 Matt Mauck Def. Louisiana-Monroe, 49-7 13 of 28, 153 yds., 3 TDs, 1 int. 2004 Marcus Randall Def. Oregon State, 22-21 (OT) 7 of 18, 66 yds., 1 int. 2005 JaMarcus Russell Def. Arizona State, 35-31 16 of 29, 232 yds., 1 TD Wroten Named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week vs. Arizona State LSU DT Claude Wroten earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors for his efforts in the Tigers' 35-31 win over 15th-ranked Arizona State. Wroten, a senior from Bastrop, La., helped ignite a fourth quarter LSU rally with a blocked field goal with just under 15 minutes left in the contest. Wroten's blocked field goal was picked up and returned 55-yard by Mario Stevenson, which pulled the Tigers to within 17-14. LSU then blocked a punt on Arizona State's next possession, that one was returned 29-yards for a touchdown by Craig Steltz giving the Tigers a 21-17 lead. In all, the Tigers scored 28 fourth quarter points, including the gamewinner with just over a minute left. For the game, Wroten recorded three tackles, two of which went for losses. He also was credited with one pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. The honor is the second of Wroten's career as he was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week last year for his play against Vanderbilt. Two Transfers To Make An Impact A pair of transfers - Chase Pittman from Texas and Sammy Joseph from Colorado - are expected to make an immediate impact for LSU this year. Pittman started at defensive end against Arizona State, while Joseph is listed as a backup at cornerback for the Tigers. First Time Starters Four Tigers made their first start against Arizona State. Among LSU's first time starters, three came on defense - LB Jason Spadoni, DE Chase Pittman, CB Chevis Jackson, while OG Brett Helms was the lone first-time starter on offense.
First Timers Nine Tigers made their first appearance in an LSU uniform against Arizona State. The following is a list of players who saw action for the first time at LSU: Curtis Taylor (special teams), 32 Jeffery Jack (special teams), 42 Steven Korte (special teams), 48 Darry Beckwith (special teams), 94 Chase Pittman (DE), 6 Colt David (special teams), 47 Tremaine Johnson (special teams), 93 Tyson Jackson (DE), 91 Charles Alexander (DE). Cap and Gown Tigers When LSU opens the 2005 season, four members of the squad will have already earned their undergraduate degree led by center Rudy Niswanger, who graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade point average in pre-medicine. Other football graduates include running back Shyrone Carey, fullback Kevin Steltz and cornerback Ronnie Prude. Weekly Honors Sept.. 10 at ARIZONA STATE Claude Wroten SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week JaMarcus Russell LSWA Offensive Player of the Week Team FWAA Team of the Week Landry On Both Nagurski And Thorpe Award Watch Lists Junior FS LaRon Landry, a pre-season All-American, was named as a pre-season candidate for both the Nagurski Award and the Thorpe Award. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's top collegiate defensive player. The award is named after Hall of Famer and former University of Minnesota and Chicago Bear standout Bronko Nagurski. The Thorpe Award is presented annually to college football's top defensive back. Niswanger A Rimington Candidate Senior C Rudy Niswanger has been named one of the pre-season candidates for the Rimington Trophy. The trophy is presented each year to the nation's top center. LSU's Ben Wilkerson received the honor last season. Whitworth Named Candidate for Lombardi and Outland Senior OT Andrew Whitworth has been named as a pre-season candidate for both the Lombardi Award and the Outland Trophy. The Lombardi Award goes each to year to the college football lineman, offensive or defensive, who, in addition to displaying outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the character and discipline of Vince Lombardi. The Outland Trophy is presented to the top lineman on either side of the football. Williams Named Candidate for Lombardi Senior DT Kyle Williams has been named as a pre-season candidate for the Lombardi Award. The Lombardi Award goes each to year to the college football lineman, offensive or defensive, who, in addition to displaying outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the character and discipline of Vince Lombardi. Wroten Named To Lott Trophy and Nagurski Award Lists Senior DT Claude Wroten has been named as a pre-season candidate for both the Lott Trophy and the Nagurski Award. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's top collegiate defensive player. The award is named after Hall of Famer and former University of Minnesota and Chicago Bear standout Bronko Nagurski. The Lott Trophy, named after NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, is in its first year of existence. It's given to college football's defensive IMPACT player of the year, which is someone who has had the biggest impact on his squad both on and off the field. IMPACT stands for integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity, all characteristics exhibited by Lott during his playing career. Skyler Green Nation's No. 8 Game-Breaker According To SI LSU senior Skyler Green has been listed as one of the nation's top game breakers by Sports Illustrated. SI ranked Green No. 8 in term of game breaking ability saying, "don't be fooled by Green's pedestrian '04 stats - the senior wideout was slowed by a nagging ankle injury and only started four games. If he can regain the form that earned him SI.com first-team All-America honors as a kick returner in '03, the Tigers will have a real weapon on special teams." Green is currently ranked fifth in school history in punt return yards with 705 to his credit. In addition, he's returned three punts for touchdowns, a figure that is tied for first in LSU history. Brazell and Carter Are Wideouts With World-Class Speed While talented athletes on the football field, Tiger receivers Bennie Brazell and Xavier Carter have reached world-class status on the track. Brazell, who recently completed his track eligibility in June, concluded his career as the most decorated athlete in Tiger track history, earning a school record 14 All-American honors while helping the Tigers' 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams to a total of five NCAA titles. Individually, Brazell, a 2004 Olympic finalist in the 400-meter hurdles, was a two-time NCAA runner-up in the event and leaves LSU with a school record mark of 47.67 seconds, the fourth fastest time in the world in 2005. Carter, in just his first season with the Tiger track program, earned a trio of All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The 2005 SEC Freshman Runner of the Year, established new school records in both the indoor (20.39) and outdoor 200 meters (20.02), finished second in the event at the outdoor nationals and, along with Brazell, anchored the Tigers to a collegiate record (2:59.59) and NCAA title in the 4x400-meter relay. In addition, Carter's personal-best time of 20.02 in the 200 meters ranked as the fifth fastest time in the world in 2005.
LSU Odds & Ends OFFENSE #2 Shyrone Carey - RB Shortest RB to ever play at LSU at 5-foot-6... One of three Tigers to graduate this past August and one of four on the team to already receive their undergraduate degree. #3 Craig Davis - WR Nicknamed Buster, which is a name given to him by his grandfather. #5 Skyler Green - WR Is the cousin of former LSU standouts and current NFL players Jarvis Green (New England Patriots) and Howard Green (New Orleans Saints). #17 Bennie Brazell - WR World-class sprinter for LSU track team Has been a part of five national relay titles and one team national titles at LSU... Earned 14 All-America honors in track at LSU... Participated and advanced to the finals in the 400-meter hurdles at the recently completed Olympics in Athens, Greece... Finished eighth in his event at the Olympics. #23 Xavier Carter - WR Earned three All-America honors with LSU s track team last year as a freshman... Was the NCAA runner-up in the 200m... Anchored LSU s national champion 4X400m relay that broke the NCAA record... Owns the school record in both the indoor and outdoor 200m. #28 R.J. Jackson - RB Played alto saxaphone in a band in high school. #41 Chris Jackson - PK/P Was LSU s starting thirdbaseman last spring for the baseball team... Earned Freshman All-SEC honors after hitting.305 with 1 home run and 17 RBI in 36 games. DEFENSE #8 Ronnie Prude - DB One of three Tigers to graduate this past August and one of four on the team to already receive their undergraduate degree... Aspires to become a sportscaster. #30 LaRon Landry - FS His brother Dawan is a starting safety for 17th-ranked Georgia Tech... Dawan had 10 tackles and an interception in Georgia Tech s season-opening win over. #31 Jessie Daniels - SS Is a big Phil Collins fan and has a superstition of listening to In the air tonight before every game... Also a big duck hunter. #33 Jason Spadoni - LB Moved over to defense during spring workouts last year... Was a running back. #51 E.J. Kuale - LB Real name is Ejiro, which is a common gender-neutral name in Nigeria... People had a hard time pronouncing Ejiro, so they started calling him E.J.... His father is from Nigeria... Lists soccer as a sport her would most like to play besides football. #95 Kyle Williams - DT Spends his Sunday mornings (even during the season) as the director of the middle school Sunday school classes at LSU s Chapel... It is a title he has owned for over three years... Carries a single-digit handicap on the golf course... Married the former Jill Meyers of Baton Rouge... Has played golf several times with PGA standout and LSU All- America David Toms. #44 Kevin Steltz - FB One of three Tigers to graduate this past August and one of four on the team to already receive their undergraduate degree... His brother Craig is a sophomore for the Tigers, playing in the defensive backfield. #53 Gant Petty - SNP Favorite classes are microbiology and aerospace studies... Career aspirations are to become a fighter pilot in the USMC. #63 Ryan Miller - C Is a big fan of the Beatles. #64 Rudy Niswanger - C Has yet to make anything lower than an A in college... Married last May to Patricia... Graduated in the spring of 2005 with a degree in kinesiology with a perfect 4.0 GPA, earning him summa cum laude and University Medalist honors. #71 Nate Livings - OG Aspires to be the CEO of his own business to be named NL71 Sports, Inc. #76 Andrew Whitworth- OT Was a junior tennins champion in Monroe, La., when he was younger... Will graduate in December.. Is also a big golfer... Fired several rounds in the 70s this summer. #77 Peter Dyakowski - OT The only Canadian to play for the Tigers in the history of the program. #79 Herman Johnson - OT Was the largest baby born in the state of Louisiana, weighing in at 15 pounds-14 ounces when he was born in Monroe, La.... Featured on ESPN s 50 States in 50 Days back in August. #89 Keith Zinger - TE Is one of three married players on the team.
Eyes on the Tigers Preseason Honors/Watch Lists 10 Joseph Addai Sr. RB Houston, Texas Lindy's No. 21 Running Back Phil Steele's Third Team All-SEC/ No. 16 Running Back Rivals Second Team All-SEC 73 Will Arnold So. OG Gloster, Miss. Phil Steele's Fourth Team All-SEC 80 Dwayne Bowe Jr. WR Miami, Fla. College Football News All-American Watch List/ Top 200 Players No. 173 Phil Steele's No. 53 Wide Receiver Rivals Second Team All-SEC 22 Alley Broussard Jr. RB Lafayette, La. Athlon Sports Second Team All-SEC Lindy's Second Team All-SEC/ No. 11 Running Back Phil Steele's Second Team All-SEC/ No. 28 Running Back SEC Coaches Second Team All- SEC SEC Media Second Team All-SEC Sporting News Second Team All-SEC Street and Smith's Honorable Mention All-American 31 Jessie Daniels Jr. SS Breaux Bridge, La. College Football News All-American Watch List Phil Steele's Third Team All-SEC/ No. 16 Strong Safety 3 Craig Davis Jr. WR New Orleans, La. Lindy's First Team All-SEC/ No. 14 Wide Receiver Phil Steele's Second Team All-SEC/ No. 44 Wide Receiver 5 Skyler Green Sr. WR Westwego, La. Athlon Sports Second Team All-SEC Blue Ribbon College Football All-Conference College Football News All-American Watch List as Wide Receiver and Kick Returner/ Top 200 Players No. 149 Lindy's First Team All-SEC Phil Steele's First Team All-SEC/ No. 26 Wide Receiver/ No. 12 Kick Returner Rivals First Team All-SEC SEC Coaches First Team All-SEC SEC Media First Team All-SEC Sporting News First Team All-SEC 41 Chris Jackson Jr. PK River Ridge, La. Phil Steele's First Team All-SEC 14 Sammy Joseph Jr. DB New Orleans, La. Phil Steele's Fourth Team All-SEC 82 David Jones Sr. TE Silver Springs, Md. Athlon Sports Second Team All-SEC College Football News All-American Watch List Lindy's Second Team All-SEC Phil Steele's Third Team All-SEC/ No. 22 Tight End Rivals First Team All-SEC Sporting News Second Team All-SEC Street and Smith's All-Conference/ Honorable Mention All-American 30 LaRon Landry Jr. FS Ama, La. NAGURSKI AWARD CANDIDATE THORPE AWARD CANDIDATE Athlon Sports Third Team All-American/ First Team All-SEC Blue Ribbon College Football All- Conference College Football News First Team All-American/ Top 200 Players No. 43 Lindy's Second Team All-American/First Team All-SEC/ No. 4 Safety Phil Steele's First Team All- American/ First Team All-SEC/ No. 1 Free Safety Rivals First Team All-SEC SEC Coaches First Team All-SEC SEC Media First Team All-SEC Sporting News Second Team All-SEC Street and Smith's All Conference/ Honorable Mention All-American 71 Nate Livings Sr. OT Lake Charles, La. Collegefootballnews.com All-American Watch List Phil Steele's Third Team All-American/ Second Team All-SEC/ No. 6 Guard Sporting News Second Team All-SEC 64 Rudy Niswanger Sr. OL Monroe, La. RIMINGTON AWARD CANDIDATE Phil Steele's Forth Team All-SEC Rivals.com Second Team All-SEC 8 Ronnie Prude Sr. CB Shreveport, La. SEC Coaches Third Team All-SEC 4 JaMarcus Russell So. QB Mobile, Ala. Phil Steele's No. 26 Quarterback 46 Cameron Vaughn Sr. LB Terrytown, La. Phil Steele's No. 15 Inside Linebacker/ Third Team All-SEC SEC Coaches Third Team All- SEC Sporting News Second Team All-SEC 25 Justin Vincent Jr. RB Lake Charles, La. Phil Steele's No. 24 Running Back Preseason Honors/Watch Lists (continued) 76 Andrew Whitworth Sr. OL West Monroe, La. LOMBARDI AWARD CANDIDATE OUTLAND TROPHY CANDIDATE Athlon Sports Third Team All-American/ First Team All-SEC Blue Ribbon College Football All- Conference College Football News Second Team All American/ Top 200 Players No. 29 Lindy's First Team All-American/ First Team All-SEC/ No. 5 Offensive Tackle Playboy All- American Phil Steele's Third Team All-American/ First Team All-SEC/ No. 5 Offensive Tackle Rivals Second Team All-SEC SEC Coaches First Team All-SEC SEC Media First Team All-SEC Sporting News Second Team All-American/ 1st Team All-SEC Street and Smith's Third Team All-American/ All-Conference 95 Kyle Williams Sr. DT Ruston, La. LOMBARDI AWARD CANDIDATE Athlon Third Team All-American/ Second Team All-SEC Blue Ribbon College Football All- Conference College Football News First Team All-American/ Top 200 Players No. 10 Lindy's Second Team All-SEC/ No. 11 Defensive Tackle Phil Steele's Fourth Team All-American/ First Team All-SEC/ No. 8 Defensive Tackle Rivals Second All-American/ Rivals First Team All- SEC SEC Coaches Third Team All-SEC SEC Media Second Team All-SEC Sporting News First Team All-American/ First Team All-SEC Street and Smith's Honorable Mention All- American 98 Claude Wroten Sr. DT Bastrop, La. LOTT AWARD CANDIDATE NAGURSKI AWARD CANDIDATE Athlon Sports Second Team All-American/ First Team All-SEC College Football News Honorable Mention All-American List/ Top 200 No. 48 Lindy's Second Team All-American/ First Team All-SEC/ No. 3 Defensive Tackle SEC Coaches Second Team All-SEC SEC Media Second Team All-SEC Sporting News Second Team All-SEC Street and Smith's All- Conference/ Honorable Mention All-American Streaking Starts (includes bowl games) 41 by Andrew Whitworth 22 by Kyle Williams 22 by LaRon Landry 14 by Cameron Vaughn 14 by Jessie Daniels Games With a Reception 14 by Craig Davis Moving on Up With one more 100-yard rushing game, Justin Vincent will jump into a three-way tie with Rondell Mealey, Steve Van Buren and LaBrandon Toefield with seven in that category. Skyler Green is 38 yards shy of passing Kevin Faulk for fourth place in LSU history in career punt returns yards with 833. Kyle Williams needs three sacks to move into the top 10 in career sacks. Melvin Oliver needs five sacks to move into the top 10 in career sacks. With a start in the Miss State game, OT Andrew Whitworth will move closer to fifthplace in career starts at LSU. Whitworth will have 42 starts, needing 43 to tie for 5th. With a Win... Oct. 1 in LSU History Games With a Tackle 28 by LaRon Landry (every game) 28 by Kyle Williams 20 by Jessie Daniels 13 by Ken Hollis LSU will even its SEC record at 1-1. LSU will extend its winning streak against Mississippi State to six straight games. LSU will extend its winning streak in Starkville to three game. LSU is 7-4-1 all-time on Oct. 1. However, the Tigers have lost three straight games on that date with a loss to South Carolina in 1994 being the most recent. LSU last won on Oct. 1 in 1977. On that date, the Tigers defeated No. 9, 36-14, in Tiger Stadium. The Tigers also own notable wins on Oct. 1 against Miami, Fla. (1966) and Texas (1938). LSU and Mississippi State have never met on that date.
LSU I T S S A T U R D A Y N I G H T I N Death Valley 5 1 0 1 5 2 0 2 5 3 0 3 5 4 0 4 5 4 5 4 0 3 5 3 0 2 5 2 0 1 5 1 0 5 I'd been warned prior to my first visit to Baton Rouge that the legendary Death Valley mystique was a myth. That assessment couldn't have been more wrong. Tiger Stadium was as loud as any I've ever heard during the dramatic fourth quarter of Saturday's Georgia game, the festivities surrounding it as advertised. The streets were lined with purple and gold. Smoke emanated from the grills in the parking lot. Shouts of "Go Tigers" and "Tiger Bait" echoed from the stadium deep into the heart of campus. And that was just Friday night. -- Stewart Mandel, SI.com (Sept. 21, 2003) By the Numbers LSU 92,251- largest crowd is see a game in Tiger Stadium (vs. Georgia, Sept. 20, 2003) 1,500 - old dorm rooms below the east and west stands.703 -winning percentage after 496 home games LSU began playing football in Tiger Stadium in 1924 and is currently in its 81st year in the venerable stadium on SATURDAY NIGHT. LSU has won 18 OF ITS LAST 21 games at home. More than 85,000 FANS have attended each of LSU s last 35 home games. In that span, the Tigers have eclipsed the 90,000 mark 25 times, including a school-record 92,251 for the Sept. 20, 2003 game that pitted No. 10 LSU against No. 7 Georgia. The Tigers won the game 17-10. Since national attendance figures began being kept in 1957, LSU has ranked in the top 20 all 45 seasons. The Tigers have been in the top 15 for 43 of the 45 years and in the top 10 on 37 occasions, including 32 straight from 1957-88. Fourteen times, LSU has ranked in the TOP SIX IN THE NATION, including the last four. Since 1960, LSU owns a stellar 193-63-4 (.750) record in traditional Tiger Stadium night games. On the other hand, the Tigers are just 17-21-3 (.451) at home during the day in that span. Death Valley is the SIXTH LARGEST on-campus stadium in the nation holding 92,400 fans. 193-63-4 - night record since 1960 89 -yard punt return by Billy Cannon to beat Ole Miss on Halloween Night in 1959 81st year of LSU football in Tiger Stadium dating back to 1924 70 - Tiger Den skybox suites in the East Upper Deck 40 - years ranked in the top 10 in the nation in attendance 17- straight wins to set school record from 1935-37 25 times the crowd has exceeded 90,000 for a game 10 undefeated home seasons The Legend Baton Rouge happens to be the worst place in the world for a visiting team. It s like being inside a drum. -- Paul Bear Bryant It makes a body tingle -- these folks go berserk when the band marches on the field. -- Douglas Looney, Sports Illustrated The Tiger Stadium sound was like nothing I had ever heard in my life. It s not like any other place. -- Bill Curry, ESPN College football is never better than when there s a good team in Tiger Stadium. -- Lee Corso, ESPN Earthquake Game October 8, 1988. Tommy Hodson connected with Eddie Fuller on 4-and-10 with 1:41 to play for the game-winning touchdown as LSU upset No. 4. The play caused such a thunderous explosion from the crowd of 79,341 that the tremor caused by the vibrations measured on the seismograph across campus. Halloween Night October 31, 1959. No. 1 LSU trailed No. 3 Ole Miss, 3-0, late in the fourth quarter when Billy Cannon fielded a punt off the bounce at the 11- yard line. He raced 89 yards, careening off seven Rebel defenders, to paydirt to give the Tigers victory and all but clinch the 1959 Heisman Trophy. 7 times the crowd at Tiger Stadium has exeeded 92,000. 6 -the sixth largest on-campus stadium in the nation 4 -trips by the ESPN College GameDay crew 3 - times named the toughest place in the nation to play a road game 1- win over a No. 1 ranked team (def., 28-21, in 1997)