Live from Tiger Stadium
posted by Brian Shoemaker on Saturday, September 22, 2007
6:25 P.M.: USC fails on another 4th down attempt. USC challenged the spot but the call was confirmed. LSU gets the ball back early in the 4Q holding a 28-7 lead.
6:05 P.M.: Smelley hit Saunders on a key third-down pass for a first down. But Smelley is then intercepted on a pass intended for Saunders. Too bad. USC needed to score on that drive. It's 28-7 late in the 3Q.
5:50 P.M.: Smelley was USC's QB on the first possession of the 2H. But Spurrier's gamble backfires. USC is stopped on 4th down at its 30. LSU has a golden opportunity to add to its lead.
5:40 P.M: LSU came out and tried to runthe ball down USC's throat. It worked for a few plays/ E. Cook dropped an interception, and a potential pick-6. USC has the ball for the first time in the 2H. That could have changed the momentum inthe game. Smelley playing QB for USC.
5:30 P.M.1H Stats:
Total Offense: USC 89, LSU 273.
Rushing: USC 16-19, LSU 25-217
Passing: USC 70, LSU 56
Rushing: McKinley 2-16, C. Boyd 9-13, Mike Davis 3-9; Holliday 4-61, Perrilloux 5-54.
Passing: Mitchell 7-16, 70 yards; Flynn 6-14, 56 yards.
5:10 P.M.: There's the halftime gun. LSU leads, 21-7. USC took th lead but gave up 21 straight points. USC struggled in the 2Q for the second straight week. It's raining here in BR. USC's run defnese definitely struggled in the 1H. It will be interesting to see how many rushing yards LSU has. A lot. The USC offense didn't do much after scoring a TD on its third possession of the game. LSU is definitely in control of thsi game.
5:05 P.M.: Some boos when LSU tries a QB keeper. But there's a trick play on a FG. Great call by the Tigers. They must have seen something on film. The entire left side of the USC line rushed to try to block the kick and Flynn flipped the ball over his shoulder without looking. It took a lot of precision to run that play. Tigers lead, 21-7. That's 21 straight LSU points after USC scored the initial TD. Captain Munnerlyn is hurt on the kickoff.
5:00 P.M.: Good stop by the USC defense. LSU is struggling to throw the ball. But there's an interception. LSU has the ball at the USC 33. Ouch. 2 turnovers by USC. That's too many.
4:55: Cory Boyd can't do anything running the ball. Mitchell drops the ball on 3rd down. 3-and-out. USC just got a break with a illegal block penalty on LSU on the punt. Defense must hold here, with the USC offense sputtering.
4:50 P.M.: Jasper Brinkley is back for USC. That should provide a lift. USC holds andLSU has to try a FG. No Good! Good stop by the USC defense. Going down by two scores would have been difficult.
James Thompson was playing RG for uSC on their last series. Jeanpierre was playing LG. Anderson is out.
4:45 P.M.: USC just did something they can't afford to do - fumble the football. LSU now has the ball at its 46 and they're leading 14-7.
4:35 P.M.: The USC defense is struggling without Jasper Brinkley at MLB. LSU just marched 56 yards in 10 plays for the go ahead TD. Good play-action fake by Flynn on short TD pass. It's 14-7 LSU. The USC offense needs to respond. Without Brinkley, I'm not sure USC will be able to hold back the LSU offense.
4:25 P.M.: There's the end of the 1Q. It's tied 7-7. That was a good first quarter for USC, except for the 4-play TD drove by LSU. They survived the 1Q, which is what teams that come to BR haven't done. Now USC can go play.
4:20 P.M.: It didn't take LSU long to respond. 4 plays, 69 yards. 33-yard run by Trindon Holliday. He's a fast scatback. He's only 5-5 but boy is he fast. Ajiboye was hurt on the drive.
4:10 P.M.: USC is down to the LSU 1-yard line after starting at their 33-yard line. They've run 10 plays so far. USC was helped out by a face mask penalty on LSU. The biggest play was a 25-yard pass to Davis. Nice drive so far. TD Davis on 1-yard run. LSU has not trailed this year. the 1Q has played out perfectly for USC. 12 plays, 67 yards. 5:36. Impressive start for the Gamecocks.
4:03 P.M.: USC is out there for its 3rd possession. Mike Davis just ran over a LSU defender. Mitchell was just leveled by a blitzing LSU LB. Nobody touched him. That hurts. There's a 1st down! Pass to Davis. USC is in LSU territory for the 2nd time in thsi game. So far, this 1Q is playing ut like USC wants it.
3:57 P.M.: J. Brinkley is out there for LSU's first play of their second possession. But now he's out and Ingram is in. The LB's are Ingram, Wells and Paulk. LSU has to punt again. Matthews gets a hand of fit. It glanced off the cast. USC has good field position at its 33-yard line. So far USC has had good field poistion on its first 3 possessions of the game.
3:45 P.M.: 2nd chance for the USC offense. Cook is shaken up after being belted by a LSU DB. Looking at SOS, I think he wanted BM to throw the ball to the flat. He just caught a pass on 1st down. USC is into LSU territory. Jason Barnes is getting a look early. BM has thrown 3 passes to him early. None have been completed. I'm a little bit surprised JB is starting in this environment
3:37 P.M.: Not a good first series for the USC offense. The USC OL was beaten on 2 plays by the LSU DL. Succop punted from the 20. There's a pass by LSU. Jasper Brinkley is hurt. He's down on the field. The USC trainers are out. He's limping off the field.
3:30 P.M.: The LSU alma mater and national anthem have been played. We're almost ready for football. It's 83 degrees in BR with winds about 5 mph. The band is getting in position. Here comes LSU. Here comes USC. The team captains for this game are J. Brinkley, E. Cook, C. Boyd and Web Brown.
3:20 P.M.: The rain has lessened a bit here in BR. Man, it was an absolutely downpour for about 15 minutes. The LSU crowd was cheering, but the wet track may help USC. Former LSU QB Tommy Hudson is one of the former Tiger players being recognized before the game. He was the QB for the so-called "Earthquake Game" (as it's known ariund here) in 1988.
The LSU band is about to take the field. I wish I could say the same thing about the USC band but they're not here. I would say there about 2,000 USC fans here. There is a lot of gold in the stadium right now.
Matt Flynn has been announced as LSU's starter at QB.
3:10 P.M.: The skies have opened up and it's raining fairly hard right now in Baton Rouge. In fact, the rain is coming into the press box. USC left the field for a few minutes but have returned and are now doing the 11-on-11 drills. LSU has left the field. There's about 25 minutes to kickoff. This rain has to help the Gamecocks.
There are a few surprises in college football today. Ball State is beating Nebraska, 37-28, in Lincoln. Lowly Syracuse is taking it to Louisville, 38-21, on the Cardinals' home field. It looks like Louisville is having a hangover from that last-minute loss to UK last week. Louisville's defense is BAD.
3:02 P.M.: Below is a list of the players who traveled to LSU and are dressed out.
CB Captain Munnerlyn
RB Cory Boyd
WR Jason Barnes
CB Carlos Thomas
QB Tommy Beecher
LB Melvin Ingram
CB Addison Williams
QB Chris Smelley
WR Larry Freeman
WR Moe Brown
RB Brian Maddox
WR Kenny McKinley
QB Blake Mitchell
WR Mark Barnes
K Ryan Succop
WR Chris Culliver
WR Dion Lecorn
TE Nick Prochak
RB Taylor Rank
S Emanuel Cook
CB Mike West
LB Cody Wells
RB Mike Davis
S Brandon Isaac
S Ty Erving
LB Yvan Banag
LB Gerrod Sinclair
S Darian Stewart
S Chris Hampton
LB Greg Wright
DB Stoney Woodson
FB Lanard Stafford
CB Ranzino Valentine
DE Eric Norwood
DE Travian Robertson
CB Mike Newton
DE Ryan Brown
LB Rodney Paulk
FB Bryan Kingrey
FB Patrick DiMarco
DE Casper Brinkley
LB Jasper Brinkley
LB Marvin Sapp
OG Lemuel Jeanpierre
LS Charles Turner
OG Seaver Brown
OT Hutch Eckerson
OG James Thompson
OG Garrett Anderson
C William Brown
OT Heath Batchelor
C Jeremy Burgess
OT Jamon Meredith
OT Justin Sorensen
DT Marque Hall
TE Andy Boyd
WR Freddie Brown
LB Cliff Matthews
TE Jared Cook
P Spencer Lanning
TE Weslye Saunders
DT Ladi Ajiboye
TE Robert Pavlovic
DE Clifton Geathers
DT Kenrick Ellis
DT Joel Reaves
DT Jonathan Williams
Scholarship players that aren't dressed out
LB Alonzo Winfield
QB Stephen Garcia
CB Jamire Williams
WR Matt Clements
RB Bobby Wallace
DB Chris Hail
FB Clark Gaston
LB Dustin Lindsey
LB Vandaral Shackleford
LB Damien Wright
DT Donte'e Nicholls
OG Pierre Andrews
OG Kevin Young
C Ryan Broadhead
OT Kyle Nunn
OT Quintin Richardson
OT Gurminder Thind
OG Terrence Campbell
WR Joseph Hills
DE Byron McKnight
DT Nathan Pepper
3:00 P.M.: Cody Wells could be starting at OLB. he's been working with the 1st team LB during positional drills.
Weather-wise, it's getting darker here at Tiger Stadium. The LSU stident section is full. It's starting to rain here in BR. It could be a wet one here today. That will have to help USC. The crows is tryngto find cover.
It looks like UF will beat Ole Miss. It's 27-9 UF in the 3Q.
2:50 P.M.: The rest of the USC team has taken the field. They look like they're reasdy to go. I see a lot of players bouncing around. Cory Boyd and some other players talked this week about shocking the worls, so we'll see how it goes. The players are going through the pre-game stretching exercises. Cliff Matthews has a large cast on his hand. But it looks like he's starting alongside J. Brinkley and Paulk at LB. The starting OL is what we expected: Sorensen, Jeanpierre, Brown, Anderson and Meredith. Stephen Garcia is on the dress list but he's not out there. Spurier typically takes 3 QB's on road trips, so Smelley replaced him. Yvanbanag is dressed, though he's not on the "official" dress list for the game.
2:35 P.M.: The game today features a great matchup between two masterminds. Everyone knows about Steve Spurrier's reputation as an offensive play-caller. he's considered one of the best, if not the best, in the business. LSU Def. Coordinator Bo Pelini is regarded as one of the best, too. Since taking over as LSU's DC in 2005, a span of 29 games, the Tigers have allowed 20+ points only five times. Between Pelini's expertise and the talent on LSU's defense, this may be Spurrier's biggest challenge since arriving at USC. A tight, low-scoring game is clearly USC's best chance to win.
There are some dark coulds overhead right now. But it hasn't started raining yet. The USC QB's are on the field. Smelley and Mitchell are playing catch. Beecher has joined them. Munnerlyn, Culliver, Lecorn, McKinley and M. Barnes are practicing catching punts from Ryan Succop.
2:21 P.M.: One hour and 13 minutes before kickoff and the LSU students have already started their coordinated chants.
2:15 P.M.: We just received USC's dress list for the game. Right now, there does not appear to be any surprises. Banag is not on the dress list, though he's definitely here. Gurminder Thind is NOT on the dress list, meaning it will be up to guards Garrett Anderson and Lemuel Jeanpierre, along with C William Brown to hold back the strong LSU defensive front line. Chris Hail is also not on the dress list.
The sun is out at Tiger Stadium. But there is still some clouds overhead. LSU is 27-2 at home since 2003, the nation's sixth-best record over that span.
It looks like Ole Miss is giving UF some fits. It's 14-6 at halftime. That's closer than some people thought.
1:45 P.M.: The Gamecocks have arrived at Tiger Stadium. Not surprisingly, they received a rowdy reception from the LSU fans. Brian and I were there and we'll have some video of that. I walked past the LSU student section and they were already practicing their cheers. We saw Yvan Banag, but we're not sure if he's dressing or not. On Thursday, we were told he was out. There's some activity around the stadium. The gates have been opened and fans are filing in. There are several hundred students right now inside the stadium. Most of them are wearing gold shirts. I see a few USC players already on the field. Here comes the LSU band. They're arriving 1 hour, 45 minutes before kickoff. But there will be no USC band, as most of you know. Too bad. I've been watching some of the Florida-Ole Miss game. UF is leading, 14-6. Ed Orgeron could be in trouble. The Rebels have to go to Georgia next week. Ouch.
1:10 P.M. - We're approaching 2-1/2 hours to kickoff. They haven't opened the stadium yet for the fans. But I see they've allowed some student to enter the stadium. I see about 100-200 already in the stands. In my opinion, there's a couple of things USC must do today to have a chance to win this game.
-- Survive the 1Q. In 16 home games under Les Miles, LSU has dominated the first quarter. The Tigers have outscored the opponents, 167-7, in the opening 15 minutes here at Tiger Stadium. In addition, LSU is 20-1 under Miles when it leads after the 1Q. So, USC has to be careful and make sure they come out ready to play. In the past, I think the opponents have allowed themselves to be intimidated eary by the crowd. That can't happen today. The fact this will be a day game will help. The stats show that LSU is nearly unbeatable at home in night games. So, if you're watching the game on TV, if USC is close after the 1Q, you'll have to feel pretty good about its chances.
-- Convert in the red zone. USC is 11-for-11 this year in the red zone. LSU has allowed only one trip inside the 20-yard line this year.
-- Get the ground game going. If USC is able to control the clock by running the football, it will take the crowd out of the game. To do that, the USC OL MUST hold its own against the LSU DL. C William Brownand the two Guards have to contain Glenn Dorsey. If he's allowed to wreak havoc, USC will have no chance. ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit called Dorsey "the best player in college football."
-- Hold LSU to less than 100 yards rushing. The Tigers are 23-0 under Les Miles when they rush for more than 100 yards.
-- Play defense. LSU is 22-1 under Mile when they scored 20+ points, and 19-1 whenscoring 25+ points.
12:42 P.M. - Shoe just shot some video of the stadium. Not a whole lot going on in the stands yet as the gates aren't open for the fans. It's the calm before the storm. Click here to watch the video.
12:25 P.M. - Welcome to Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. There's plenty of activity going on around the stadium. Shoe and I just arrived at the stadium. Walking in, we saw the area where they keep Mike the Tiger. We also walked past Alex Box Stadium. I saw the LSU baseball team working out. The LSU campus is located about 2-3 miles from downtown. We see the Baton Rouge skyline in the distance. LSU is a 17-1/2 point favorite, but I think the game will be closer than that. Right now, I'm picking LSU to win by 10. The USC defense will keep the Gamecocks in it for most of the game. LSU has more depth, though, than USC. If USC's starting 11 on defense can stay healthy and sustain their performance for 4 quarters, USC has a decent shot to win it. The local paper here in BR is picking LSU to win, 31-10. The New Orleans newspaper is picking LSU to win, 27-7.
- Permalink, Discuss, Blog Home
GamecockCentral.com's Scott Hood and Brian Shoemaker will provide updates prior to and during the game from Williams-Brice Stadium. Refresh this page to see the latest updates.
6:25 P.M.: USC fails on another 4th down attempt. USC challenged the spot but the call was confirmed. LSU gets the ball back early in the 4Q holding a 28-7 lead.
6:05 P.M.: Smelley hit Saunders on a key third-down pass for a first down. But Smelley is then intercepted on a pass intended for Saunders. Too bad. USC needed to score on that drive. It's 28-7 late in the 3Q.
5:50 P.M.: Smelley was USC's QB on the first possession of the 2H. But Spurrier's gamble backfires. USC is stopped on 4th down at its 30. LSU has a golden opportunity to add to its lead.
5:40 P.M: LSU came out and tried to runthe ball down USC's throat. It worked for a few plays/ E. Cook dropped an interception, and a potential pick-6. USC has the ball for the first time in the 2H. That could have changed the momentum inthe game. Smelley playing QB for USC.
5:30 P.M.1H Stats:
Total Offense: USC 89, LSU 273.
Rushing: USC 16-19, LSU 25-217
Passing: USC 70, LSU 56
Rushing: McKinley 2-16, C. Boyd 9-13, Mike Davis 3-9; Holliday 4-61, Perrilloux 5-54.
Passing: Mitchell 7-16, 70 yards; Flynn 6-14, 56 yards.
5:10 P.M.: There's the halftime gun. LSU leads, 21-7. USC took th lead but gave up 21 straight points. USC struggled in the 2Q for the second straight week. It's raining here in BR. USC's run defnese definitely struggled in the 1H. It will be interesting to see how many rushing yards LSU has. A lot. The USC offense didn't do much after scoring a TD on its third possession of the game. LSU is definitely in control of thsi game.
5:05 P.M.: Some boos when LSU tries a QB keeper. But there's a trick play on a FG. Great call by the Tigers. They must have seen something on film. The entire left side of the USC line rushed to try to block the kick and Flynn flipped the ball over his shoulder without looking. It took a lot of precision to run that play. Tigers lead, 21-7. That's 21 straight LSU points after USC scored the initial TD. Captain Munnerlyn is hurt on the kickoff.
5:00 P.M.: Good stop by the USC defense. LSU is struggling to throw the ball. But there's an interception. LSU has the ball at the USC 33. Ouch. 2 turnovers by USC. That's too many.
4:55: Cory Boyd can't do anything running the ball. Mitchell drops the ball on 3rd down. 3-and-out. USC just got a break with a illegal block penalty on LSU on the punt. Defense must hold here, with the USC offense sputtering.
4:50 P.M.: Jasper Brinkley is back for USC. That should provide a lift. USC holds andLSU has to try a FG. No Good! Good stop by the USC defense. Going down by two scores would have been difficult.
James Thompson was playing RG for uSC on their last series. Jeanpierre was playing LG. Anderson is out.
4:45 P.M.: USC just did something they can't afford to do - fumble the football. LSU now has the ball at its 46 and they're leading 14-7.
4:35 P.M.: The USC defense is struggling without Jasper Brinkley at MLB. LSU just marched 56 yards in 10 plays for the go ahead TD. Good play-action fake by Flynn on short TD pass. It's 14-7 LSU. The USC offense needs to respond. Without Brinkley, I'm not sure USC will be able to hold back the LSU offense.
4:25 P.M.: There's the end of the 1Q. It's tied 7-7. That was a good first quarter for USC, except for the 4-play TD drove by LSU. They survived the 1Q, which is what teams that come to BR haven't done. Now USC can go play.
4:20 P.M.: It didn't take LSU long to respond. 4 plays, 69 yards. 33-yard run by Trindon Holliday. He's a fast scatback. He's only 5-5 but boy is he fast. Ajiboye was hurt on the drive.
4:10 P.M.: USC is down to the LSU 1-yard line after starting at their 33-yard line. They've run 10 plays so far. USC was helped out by a face mask penalty on LSU. The biggest play was a 25-yard pass to Davis. Nice drive so far. TD Davis on 1-yard run. LSU has not trailed this year. the 1Q has played out perfectly for USC. 12 plays, 67 yards. 5:36. Impressive start for the Gamecocks.
4:03 P.M.: USC is out there for its 3rd possession. Mike Davis just ran over a LSU defender. Mitchell was just leveled by a blitzing LSU LB. Nobody touched him. That hurts. There's a 1st down! Pass to Davis. USC is in LSU territory for the 2nd time in thsi game. So far, this 1Q is playing ut like USC wants it.
3:57 P.M.: J. Brinkley is out there for LSU's first play of their second possession. But now he's out and Ingram is in. The LB's are Ingram, Wells and Paulk. LSU has to punt again. Matthews gets a hand of fit. It glanced off the cast. USC has good field position at its 33-yard line. So far USC has had good field poistion on its first 3 possessions of the game.
3:45 P.M.: 2nd chance for the USC offense. Cook is shaken up after being belted by a LSU DB. Looking at SOS, I think he wanted BM to throw the ball to the flat. He just caught a pass on 1st down. USC is into LSU territory. Jason Barnes is getting a look early. BM has thrown 3 passes to him early. None have been completed. I'm a little bit surprised JB is starting in this environment
3:37 P.M.: Not a good first series for the USC offense. The USC OL was beaten on 2 plays by the LSU DL. Succop punted from the 20. There's a pass by LSU. Jasper Brinkley is hurt. He's down on the field. The USC trainers are out. He's limping off the field.
3:30 P.M.: The LSU alma mater and national anthem have been played. We're almost ready for football. It's 83 degrees in BR with winds about 5 mph. The band is getting in position. Here comes LSU. Here comes USC. The team captains for this game are J. Brinkley, E. Cook, C. Boyd and Web Brown.
3:20 P.M.: The rain has lessened a bit here in BR. Man, it was an absolutely downpour for about 15 minutes. The LSU crowd was cheering, but the wet track may help USC. Former LSU QB Tommy Hudson is one of the former Tiger players being recognized before the game. He was the QB for the so-called "Earthquake Game" (as it's known ariund here) in 1988.
The LSU band is about to take the field. I wish I could say the same thing about the USC band but they're not here. I would say there about 2,000 USC fans here. There is a lot of gold in the stadium right now.
Matt Flynn has been announced as LSU's starter at QB.
3:10 P.M.: The skies have opened up and it's raining fairly hard right now in Baton Rouge. In fact, the rain is coming into the press box. USC left the field for a few minutes but have returned and are now doing the 11-on-11 drills. LSU has left the field. There's about 25 minutes to kickoff. This rain has to help the Gamecocks.
There are a few surprises in college football today. Ball State is beating Nebraska, 37-28, in Lincoln. Lowly Syracuse is taking it to Louisville, 38-21, on the Cardinals' home field. It looks like Louisville is having a hangover from that last-minute loss to UK last week. Louisville's defense is BAD.
3:02 P.M.: Below is a list of the players who traveled to LSU and are dressed out.
CB Captain Munnerlyn
RB Cory Boyd
WR Jason Barnes
CB Carlos Thomas
QB Tommy Beecher
LB Melvin Ingram
CB Addison Williams
QB Chris Smelley
WR Larry Freeman
WR Moe Brown
RB Brian Maddox
WR Kenny McKinley
QB Blake Mitchell
WR Mark Barnes
K Ryan Succop
WR Chris Culliver
WR Dion Lecorn
TE Nick Prochak
RB Taylor Rank
S Emanuel Cook
CB Mike West
LB Cody Wells
RB Mike Davis
S Brandon Isaac
S Ty Erving
LB Yvan Banag
LB Gerrod Sinclair
S Darian Stewart
S Chris Hampton
LB Greg Wright
DB Stoney Woodson
FB Lanard Stafford
CB Ranzino Valentine
DE Eric Norwood
DE Travian Robertson
CB Mike Newton
DE Ryan Brown
LB Rodney Paulk
FB Bryan Kingrey
FB Patrick DiMarco
DE Casper Brinkley
LB Jasper Brinkley
LB Marvin Sapp
OG Lemuel Jeanpierre
LS Charles Turner
OG Seaver Brown
OT Hutch Eckerson
OG James Thompson
OG Garrett Anderson
C William Brown
OT Heath Batchelor
C Jeremy Burgess
OT Jamon Meredith
OT Justin Sorensen
DT Marque Hall
TE Andy Boyd
WR Freddie Brown
LB Cliff Matthews
TE Jared Cook
P Spencer Lanning
TE Weslye Saunders
DT Ladi Ajiboye
TE Robert Pavlovic
DE Clifton Geathers
DT Kenrick Ellis
DT Joel Reaves
DT Jonathan Williams
Scholarship players that aren't dressed out
LB Alonzo Winfield
QB Stephen Garcia
CB Jamire Williams
WR Matt Clements
RB Bobby Wallace
DB Chris Hail
FB Clark Gaston
LB Dustin Lindsey
LB Vandaral Shackleford
LB Damien Wright
DT Donte'e Nicholls
OG Pierre Andrews
OG Kevin Young
C Ryan Broadhead
OT Kyle Nunn
OT Quintin Richardson
OT Gurminder Thind
OG Terrence Campbell
WR Joseph Hills
DE Byron McKnight
DT Nathan Pepper
3:00 P.M.: Cody Wells could be starting at OLB. he's been working with the 1st team LB during positional drills.
Weather-wise, it's getting darker here at Tiger Stadium. The LSU stident section is full. It's starting to rain here in BR. It could be a wet one here today. That will have to help USC. The crows is tryngto find cover.
It looks like UF will beat Ole Miss. It's 27-9 UF in the 3Q.
2:50 P.M.: The rest of the USC team has taken the field. They look like they're reasdy to go. I see a lot of players bouncing around. Cory Boyd and some other players talked this week about shocking the worls, so we'll see how it goes. The players are going through the pre-game stretching exercises. Cliff Matthews has a large cast on his hand. But it looks like he's starting alongside J. Brinkley and Paulk at LB. The starting OL is what we expected: Sorensen, Jeanpierre, Brown, Anderson and Meredith. Stephen Garcia is on the dress list but he's not out there. Spurier typically takes 3 QB's on road trips, so Smelley replaced him. Yvanbanag is dressed, though he's not on the "official" dress list for the game.
2:35 P.M.: The game today features a great matchup between two masterminds. Everyone knows about Steve Spurrier's reputation as an offensive play-caller. he's considered one of the best, if not the best, in the business. LSU Def. Coordinator Bo Pelini is regarded as one of the best, too. Since taking over as LSU's DC in 2005, a span of 29 games, the Tigers have allowed 20+ points only five times. Between Pelini's expertise and the talent on LSU's defense, this may be Spurrier's biggest challenge since arriving at USC. A tight, low-scoring game is clearly USC's best chance to win.
There are some dark coulds overhead right now. But it hasn't started raining yet. The USC QB's are on the field. Smelley and Mitchell are playing catch. Beecher has joined them. Munnerlyn, Culliver, Lecorn, McKinley and M. Barnes are practicing catching punts from Ryan Succop.
2:21 P.M.: One hour and 13 minutes before kickoff and the LSU students have already started their coordinated chants.
2:15 P.M.: We just received USC's dress list for the game. Right now, there does not appear to be any surprises. Banag is not on the dress list, though he's definitely here. Gurminder Thind is NOT on the dress list, meaning it will be up to guards Garrett Anderson and Lemuel Jeanpierre, along with C William Brown to hold back the strong LSU defensive front line. Chris Hail is also not on the dress list.
The sun is out at Tiger Stadium. But there is still some clouds overhead. LSU is 27-2 at home since 2003, the nation's sixth-best record over that span.
It looks like Ole Miss is giving UF some fits. It's 14-6 at halftime. That's closer than some people thought.
1:45 P.M.: The Gamecocks have arrived at Tiger Stadium. Not surprisingly, they received a rowdy reception from the LSU fans. Brian and I were there and we'll have some video of that. I walked past the LSU student section and they were already practicing their cheers. We saw Yvan Banag, but we're not sure if he's dressing or not. On Thursday, we were told he was out. There's some activity around the stadium. The gates have been opened and fans are filing in. There are several hundred students right now inside the stadium. Most of them are wearing gold shirts. I see a few USC players already on the field. Here comes the LSU band. They're arriving 1 hour, 45 minutes before kickoff. But there will be no USC band, as most of you know. Too bad. I've been watching some of the Florida-Ole Miss game. UF is leading, 14-6. Ed Orgeron could be in trouble. The Rebels have to go to Georgia next week. Ouch.
1:10 P.M. - We're approaching 2-1/2 hours to kickoff. They haven't opened the stadium yet for the fans. But I see they've allowed some student to enter the stadium. I see about 100-200 already in the stands. In my opinion, there's a couple of things USC must do today to have a chance to win this game.
-- Survive the 1Q. In 16 home games under Les Miles, LSU has dominated the first quarter. The Tigers have outscored the opponents, 167-7, in the opening 15 minutes here at Tiger Stadium. In addition, LSU is 20-1 under Miles when it leads after the 1Q. So, USC has to be careful and make sure they come out ready to play. In the past, I think the opponents have allowed themselves to be intimidated eary by the crowd. That can't happen today. The fact this will be a day game will help. The stats show that LSU is nearly unbeatable at home in night games. So, if you're watching the game on TV, if USC is close after the 1Q, you'll have to feel pretty good about its chances.
-- Convert in the red zone. USC is 11-for-11 this year in the red zone. LSU has allowed only one trip inside the 20-yard line this year.
-- Get the ground game going. If USC is able to control the clock by running the football, it will take the crowd out of the game. To do that, the USC OL MUST hold its own against the LSU DL. C William Brownand the two Guards have to contain Glenn Dorsey. If he's allowed to wreak havoc, USC will have no chance. ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit called Dorsey "the best player in college football."
-- Hold LSU to less than 100 yards rushing. The Tigers are 23-0 under Les Miles when they rush for more than 100 yards.
-- Play defense. LSU is 22-1 under Mile when they scored 20+ points, and 19-1 whenscoring 25+ points.
12:42 P.M. - Shoe just shot some video of the stadium. Not a whole lot going on in the stands yet as the gates aren't open for the fans. It's the calm before the storm. Click here to watch the video.
12:25 P.M. - Welcome to Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. There's plenty of activity going on around the stadium. Shoe and I just arrived at the stadium. Walking in, we saw the area where they keep Mike the Tiger. We also walked past Alex Box Stadium. I saw the LSU baseball team working out. The LSU campus is located about 2-3 miles from downtown. We see the Baton Rouge skyline in the distance. LSU is a 17-1/2 point favorite, but I think the game will be closer than that. Right now, I'm picking LSU to win by 10. The USC defense will keep the Gamecocks in it for most of the game. LSU has more depth, though, than USC. If USC's starting 11 on defense can stay healthy and sustain their performance for 4 quarters, USC has a decent shot to win it. The local paper here in BR is picking LSU to win, 31-10. The New Orleans newspaper is picking LSU to win, 27-7.
- Permalink, Discuss, Blog Home
Previous Blog Entries
Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.