The Hat vs. The Visor

Week 4: September 22, 2007
(2) LSU vs (12) South Carolina
Death Valley, Baton Rouge
2:30 CBS

Point Spread:
LSU (-16)

Know thy Foe:
Head Coach: Steve Spurrier

The Cocks have always been a second tier SEC team. The arrival of Spurrier has helped, but they just can’t seem to join the ranks of Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia in the east. You can count on South Carolina to pull off one upset per season, but they will never be a true contender for the SEC Championship. This season, they have already upset Georgia. They were a missed field goal away from beating Florida in the Swamp last year. In 2005, they beat Florida and Tennessee. The talent gap between LSU and South Carolina is as wide as the Mississippi and it’ll show on Saturday.

Week 1: Defeated UL-Lafayette 28-14
Week 2: Defeated Georgia 16-12
Week 3: Defeated South Carolina State 38-3

LSU Offense vs. USC Defense:
The LSU offense will be without a huge contributor in Early Doucet. Still, LSU should be able to move the ball easily. The Cock defense is below average up front, and they will be without one of their starting tackles due to injury. The defensive backfield, rated #6 nationally, is their defensive strength. The db’s will run a lot of man-to-man against our young receivers. Other than blocking, this is the hardest thing for young receivers to master. The corners will be physical at the line and try to throw our receivers off their routes. Matt Flynn will have a decent night, but I don’t see him putting up huge numbers through the air.

USC Offense vs. LSU Defense:
Senior RB Cory Boyd is very good, but he is going to have a long day in Death Valley. South Carolina will take a ‘run first’ approach against LSU, but they will soon realize that LSU is for real. QB Blake Mitchell is without Sidney Rice, one of the best receivers in the country last season. Mitchell is not a threat to run, so LSU will be able to pin their ears back and go after him. That’s why I expect a lot of screens and other quick passes. Spurrier has abandoned the “Fun n’ Gun” for the “Cock and Fire”. Unfortunately for him, the LSU defense will prove that he’s shooting blanks.

Keys to the Game:
South Carolina has a lot to play for and will be pumped up to start the game. The key will be scoring first and taking the momentum. Once you knock them down once, they will not get up off the mat. We can’t give them any reason to think that they are capable of an upset.

Prediction:
Take a deep breath and calm down about this one. LSU is just way too good and South Carolina is a little over-rated due to a win over Georgia, who was also over-rated.

The offensive run/pass balance that we’ve seen from LSU will be lost this week. Look for a dominant game on the ground as LSU exploits the weaknesses of the Cocks. LSU should rush for over 250 yards and pass for another 125. South Carolina will counter with a run attack of their own, but they will not have much success. The run oriented game by both teams will keep the score relatively low. Spurrier will try some tricky stuff throughout the game because he knows the only way to score on LSU is to fool them on a trick play.
Give me LSU – 34, USC – 6

Another Tiger Goes Down:
LSU suffered another season ending injury at practice on Thursday. Fortunately, it is at the deepest position on the team. Charles Alexander, a starting defensive tackle, tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Marlon Favorite, who has played a lot, will now take over the starting spot and RS freshman Al Woods will move into the 2-deep.

Also, Will Arnold will miss this game due to the viral infection that has affected his knees.

Weather Report:
The weather could be very rainy if this low pressure system makes it’s way to LA. Hopefully, it will not strengthen into a tropical storm or Cat 1 cane, but it’s a possibility. The latest models show a more easterly track than originally predicted, which is good. If I had to guess, I would say it’s going to be a rainy mess all day. I think wet conditions give LSU a further advantage in this game so bring it on.

Check out the latest storm track in the right column.

Week 4 Games of the Week: (Predicted Winners in CAPS)
(22) Georgia @ (16) ALABAMA
(21) Kentucky @ ARKANSAS
(3) FLORIDA @ Ole Miss
(9) WISCONSIN @ Iowa

Lock of the Week: (Record: 1-0)
Florida (-21.5)

Upset Special: (Record: 1-0)
Michigan over (10) Penn St. This game will go a long way in deciding who will win the Big 10. Speaking of the Big 10, they should not get an at-large bid into the BCS this season.

Mike VI Update:
Contrary to some reports, Mike VI will not be in the stadium this week. It looks like he will make his debut for the Florida game. Mike is currently at 370 lbs and he’s gaining an amazing 10 lbs/week. He’s going to be one massive Tiger.

Gold Game:
This week is the “Gold” game for LSU. So if you’re going to the game, wear Gold.

My Thoughts of Miles:
This segment of The Samson Report was intended to be an editorial of my opinion of our head coach. However, as I began to write it, I realized that I have a lot to say about him. So, I will continue to document my thoughts over the next few days and include my assessment on the Monday report. I think this is called a teaser.