MVN - Most Valuable Network

LSU defeats Ole Miss 41-24

As all around them giants were being toppled in the wild fracas that this college season has become, LSU remained atop the melee for at least one more week, handling a very *capable* Rebel opponent 41-24.

On a day where our team was outgained by our opponent (466 total yards on offense for the Rebs,  396 for the Tigers) and out first-downed (25-24) I’d still say LSU dominated the important aspects of the football game.

Trindon Holliday’s 98-yard kickoff return gave LSU a 14-7 a half-time lead, and LSUs four-headed backfield secured the victory in the second half, relentlessly pounding Mississippi’s undersized front-seven.  Jacob Hester paced the team with 65 yards on 13 carries and a score.

Keiland Williams broke scampered 10 yards off-tackle to give LSU a 21-7 lead.  Williams finished with 41 yards on 5 carries.

Bruising back Charles Scott broke a 29-yard touchdown to add the icing on the cake, giving LSU its fourth rushing TD of the day.

Quarterback Matt Flynn was razor sharp (not Gillette Fusion sharp, but sharp nonetheless)

Flynn finished 17-25 for 168 yards and added a rushing score.  Those seem like pedestrian numbers but that can be attributed a bit to the time he spent on the sidelines.

Ole Miss continued a trend that is being followed by offensive coordinators around the conference.  As Kentucky first figured out, the best (perhaps only) hope you have at moving the ball on LSU’s defense is to open things up. Ole Miss QB Brent Schaeffer came off the bench and threw for 208 yards and a score.  Schaeffer, operating mainly in four-wide receiver sets, also ran for 94 yards and a touchdown.

Without linebacker Darry Beckwith, who missed the game with a knee injury, LSU’s base defense was caught in some mismatches throughout the game.

The defensive-line was unable to get much of a pass rush on Schaeffer, being neutralized by his quick releases and escapability.  Despite the lack of pressure the defense came up with huge turnovers when they needed them, continuing their momentum shifting ways.

Safeties Craig Steltz and Curtis Taylor was all over the Vaught-Hemingway Stadium turf, patrolling LSU’s secondary like birds of prey.  With Schaeffer’s ill-advised passes serving as the helpless field-mice, Taylor feasted for an interception to go along with his 8 tackles.  Steltz grabbed two interceptions of his own, to notch his season total to an impressive season total of 6 and career total of 11.

Meanwhile, Elsewhere in College Football

• Alabama didn’t do myself and fellow SEC fanboys any favors by pulling a Michigan,  those “SEC rulz!” arguments aren’t as easy to justify when you have teams lose to UL-Monroe at home….
• Oregon and Oklahoma fall this weekend, leaving LSU fans to wonder if Kansans have ever eaten jambalaya…….
• Ohio State secures its trip to the Rose Bowl,  as well as its Most-Boringest to Watch title…..

Until next time, I’m Luke Mayeux.

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 18th, 2007 at 12:40 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.