The last time a newly anointed no. 1 ranked LSU squad played the Kentucky Wildcats in 2007, the Tigers dropped a three overtime thriller, 43-37. This time around, Coach Les Miles made sure the Tigers were prepared and the game was not in doubt from start to finish.
“I told this team to repay a debt to the 2007 team,” Miles said in his post game press conference. “We were ranked number one, than we went to Kentucky and finished second in the ball game. I think that they took that to heart. They did that for Glenn Dorsey, Matt Flynn, Jacob Hester and the rest of that 2007 team that was checking the score today.”
LSU defense proves itself as a dominant national force
The Tigers defense held the Wildcats to 155 yards of total offense, with only 70 yards of offense gained when the Tigers began taking their starters out of the game with a 35-0 lead. LSU forced Kentucky into third and long situation all day and the Wildcats finished three for 11. For the season, the Tigers’ opponents are nine for 42 on third down and longer than seven yards. LSU relentlessly pursued Kentucky quarterbacks Morgan Newton and Max Smith, causing five sacks and forcing eight three and outs in only 14 drives. However, the statistics only show a small part of the picture.
Tyrann Mathieu AKA "The Honey Badger" is an animal
[caption id="attachment_80" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The honey badger is known for being one of the most fearless animals for its size. Mathieu lives up to the nick name."]
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Tyrann Mathieu set a new school record for career forced fumbles by stripping two against Kentucky, which makes his career total nine. Mathieu has been dubbed the “the honey badger,” after the infamous YouTube video proclaiming the creature’s dominance. The New Orleans native, Mathieu, has done well with taking over the position of his predecessor, Patrick Peterson. Mathieu has been one of the main play makers on this stacked LSU defense.
“I always look at national awards as a team. I think there are a number of guys with the ability to receive national awards, and I think Tyrann Mathieu is as well one of those guys,” Miles said. “I think a defensive back that has the skills and the abilities that he has, should be considered for a national award if not the Heisman.”
Tigers offense still needs some fine tuning
Football experts that have watched LSU this year will tell you the defense is National Championship caliber, but what about the offense? Jarret Lee only had eight completions for 169 passing yards and a touchdown pass. With the return of Jordan Jefferson, Tiger fans are probably wondering what Les Miles will do with this quarterback position. “I can tell you that Jarrett Lee is our starter and our vision first and foremost takes Lee into mind,” Miles said. “That is how we are approaching it. We’ll get to the other aspects of the offense later down the road.” Jefferson made his first appearance this season after being suspended for getting into a fight at a local bar. Jefferson’s first play back was greeted with boos but was quickly forgotten with a one yard quarter back sneak for touchdown. In all, he played seven snaps and gained 26 yards on four carries without recording a pass.
The key for LSU’s offense is to control the clock and make sure they regulate field position. The Tiger’s operate a balanced offense, but with a run first mentality. The Wildcats were able to halt LSU’s rushing attack for the first three series of the game, but LSU was able to make the proper adjustments. “Offensively, I felt that we rushed the ball well in the second half,” Miles said. “They committed a lot of guys to stopping the run in the first half, so we threw the ball pretty effectively in the first thirty minutes.”
LSU's offense still relies on run game
LSU has a plethora of talented young backs. Even with Spencer Ware only getting five carries during the game against Kentucky due to a minor leg injury, LSU’s run game was still effective. Sophomores Michael Ford and Alfred Blue carried the work load, with Blue notching his third touchdown of the season. True freshman Terrance Magee had his first career touchdown versus Kentucky, and Miles said to expect more of him as the season goes on.
“I think Blue had his best game thus far,” Miles said. “He continues become more efficient and capable. He is getting better at finishing runs. Michael Ford had a miscue on a simple pitch, but other than that I felt his carries were strong. I think that Magee is a guy that can get into a small space and come through the other end. I like our running backs. We’ll have the opportunity to run the ball again with a number of guys.”
With so much talent and depth at the running back position it is hard to slow the Tiger’s run game, which is great for the home run play action pass. Junior Ruben Randle has been facing double and triple teams all season, and the Tigers have been looking for someone to step up as the number two receiver. True freshman Odell Beckham Jr. showed his athleticism with a 51 yard touchdown catch, which included a juking out four wildcat defense men for his second 50 yard touchdown catch in his past two games. Beckham Jr. is making the type of plays that Tiger fans expected recently reinstated Russell Shepard to make. When we get it to him, he is going to put his hands on it, will give you great run after the catch and is a tough guy,” Miles said. “He is a guy that we ask to block for the run. He gives us the full spectrum of what we need a wide receiver.”
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