Louisiana Cockfight!

#2 LSU defeats #12 South Carolina, 28-16
Saturday September 22, 2007
Death Valley, Baton Rouge

Salute:
Before I get to the game, I want to send out a message to a special soldier and the 75th Ranger Regiment. Even though I don’t think there are any terrorists reading The Samson Report, I’ve been told not to use his name, but you know who you are. Good luck over there and stay safe. Thank you for what you are about to do and everything that you’ve already done for this country. Although LSU football is very important to me, it is nothing compared to freedom.

Game Recap:
On a wet, nasty field, LSU did what it had to do to add another W to the win column. On the down side, LSU gave up 16 points and failed to cover the point spread which jumped from 16 to 17.5 points on Saturday. Matt Flynn had a below average game and WR Jared Mitchell couldn’t catch a cold. Flynn didn’t look like himself and it’s clear that his injury is affecting his game. Perrilloux came in and looked good running the ball which makes me believe that we may have a legitimate 2 quarterback system for the remainder of the season. The LSU defense was stout up front but Spurrier found a few holes in the backfield, especially late in the game. Over half of USC’s total offensive yardage came in the 4th quarter when LSU was winning comfortably 28-7. The offensive line looked great and they keep getting better each game. Trindon Holliday broke the sound barrier on his way to his first TD this season. And much to my surprise, Les Miles pulled a fast one on the Ole’ Ball Coach.

This win wasn’t fancy, but it was still very impressive considering the conditions.
In a game like this, the only stat that really matters is the score, and LSU should be happy and proud for beating the #12 team in the nation 28-16. In actuality, the game was not as close as the score may suggest. LSU took control of the game in the second quarter and South Carolina never threatened after that. The first quarter, however, was a tense one as LSU fell behind for the first time this season. I think that was very important for this team to fight back from a deficit and overcome adversity. I know that my stomach was in knots for a while and I’m sure the players and coaches felt it too. Next time they are down, I hope they remember this game. One thing is for sure, it certainly does rain in Tiger Stadium.

Game Stats:

Rushing: LSU-290, USC-17
Passing: LSU-70, USC-244
Total: LSU-360, USC-261

Play of the Game:
Without question, the play of the game had to be the fake field goal touchdown just before halftime. I think even Pistol Pete would have been impressed with Flynn’s no-look pass to Colt David. By the look on his face, Miles seemed very satisfied, and Steve Spurrier’s reaction was priceless. Instead of the old visor toss, Spurrier just smiled and shook his head in appreciation of the play call and execution. He knew he’d been had. Not only was it an exciting play, it gave LSU a boost of momentum heading into the locker room. FYI, the last time LSU scored on a fake FG was a 35 yard scamper by holder Blain Bech against Florida five years ago. You knew I had to throw that in there, didn’t you Blain.

Game Ball:
This week’s game ball goes to Glenn Dorsey. I know it sounds like a cliché or a broken record, but this guy is unbelievable. He is the main reason why USC only gained 17 yards rushing on LSU. His quickness and his power are unbelievable. And if the Heisman trophy actually went to the best college football player, he’d be making flight arrangements for New York this December. But like you said Glenn, those awards are for the pretty boys.

Whack Stats:
- LSU opponents average 0.9 yards/rush against the LSU defense. That’s Whack!

Week 4 Games of the Week:
(3) Florida defeats Ole Miss, 30-24
Michigan defeats (10) Penn St., 14-9
Syracuse defeats (18) Louisville, 38-35
(22) Georgia defeats (16) Alabama, 26-23 (OT)
(21) Kentucky defeats Arkansas, 42-29
Michigan St. defeats Notre Dame, 31-14

The QB Killers:
If, after 4 weeks of domination, you still don’t think the LSU defense is the best in the nation, consider this. LSU is a perfect 4 for 4 knocking out starting QB’s. And I’m not talking about injuries. LSU has overwhelmed QB’s this season with a myriad of different looks, blitzes, and coverage packages. They take pride in their ability to confuse offenses and force mistakes. So, for the 4th straight week, opponents have been forced to turn to their second string for help against the QB killers. Will it be 5 for 5? Chances are, yes. Tulane QB Scott Elliot won’t get much sleep this week.

Early Lines:
During my countless hours of research, I ran across this interesting footnote. If LSU and USC were to meet today, on a neutral field, LSU would be 3 point dogs to the Trojans. However, if the game was to be played in New Orleans, LSU would be 3 point favorites. If LSU met OU today, the game would be a pick ‘em, which means there would be no line on the game.

Primetime:
It looks like CBS will chose the LSU-Florida game as their one and only primetime game this season. That is great news. I really enjoyed the commentary from Vern Lunquist and Gary Danielson much more than Musberger and his band of idiots on the Pac-10 station, aka ABC. Expect the line on the Florida game to open at around LSU (-5). I’ll take it!

Injury Update:
No new injuries. Early Doucet and Will Arnold sat out the South Carolina game, as expected. I think they will both miss the Tulane game as well. However, unconfirmed reports say that the injury to Doucet is not as bad as initially thought and that he could be ready for the Florida game. Again, I’m not sure how accurate this is but it’s good to hear. The bad news is that a groin is very easily re-injured.

Poll Stat:
Of the top 20 teams, 17 are undefeated. 3 have one loss. Of those 3 one-loss teams, 2 have suffered their loss to LSU. And the other has lost to South Carolina, who LSU just beat.

Speaking of Polls….
The Harris Poll, which is a big part of the BCS formula, was released Sunday for the first time. Here’s the top 10.

1. USC
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma
4. Florida
5. West Virginia
6. California
7. Ohio St.
8. Texas
9. Wisconsin
10. Oregon

P.S. Those of you anxiously awaiting my report card analysis of Les Miles will have to wait a few more days. I just couldn’t get around to it this weekend.