Tigers shut-out Green Wave, tune up for Crimson Tide

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By Jonathan Bellah

The LSU Tigers dismantled Tulane last Saturday in the 98th meeting between the two teams, giving the Tigers their seventh win on the season. The Green Wave dropped their 18th straight game against the Tigers, their last win coming in 1982.

Charles Scott rushed for 112 yards, his first 100-yard game this season, and added two touchdowns. Scott moved into fourth on the LSU career list for rushing touchdowns. Kevin Faulk (1995-98) currently holds the school record with 46 rushing touchdowns.

Russell Shepard also found the end zone on the ground, his second rushing touchdown in as many games, when he took the ball 19-yards mid-way through the first quarter.

Jordan Jefferson managed the Tigers' offense very efficiently as he threw for 163 yards and two touchdowns, both to Brandon LaFell, and completed 64.7 percent of his passes. Jefferson ranks third in the SEC with a quarterback rating of 140.2 for the season.

The Tigers have outscored their last two opponents 73-10, giving fans reason to believe that the Tigers have corrected most of the offensive issues that plagued them early in the season.

Tulane was very much a mid-season tune-up game for what is to come this weekend when the Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the third-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Tigers are hoping to have better luck this season than they did in their last. Alabama entered Death Valley as the top-ranked team in the country. Ricky Jean-Francois blocked a field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime. Unfortunately, Alabama slipped away from Baton Rouge with a 27-21 overtime win after John Parker Wilson snuck in for a touchdown from the 1-yard line.

There are a number of interesting matchups that will take place this weekend, starting with the Tigers' defense and their ability to stop Mark Ingram and the Alabama running game.

Mark Ingram is, undoubtedly, one of the best running backs in the country right now and is currently the leading candidate on many ballots for the Heisman Trophy. Through eight games this season Ingram has rushed for over 1,000-yards and eight touchdowns, including his 246-yard performance against South Carolina three weeks ago.

The LSU defense has been playing on a completely different level than any competition they've faced for most of the season. In fact, since allowing 26 points to Mississippi State in September, the Tigers have held their last four opponents to a total of 26 points. Of those four teams, three of them averaged more than 30 points-per-game entering the game and two of those teams were ranked in the top 20.

Jordan Jefferson against the Alabama secondary will be a key matchup for the Tigers. If Jefferson can avoid costly turnovers and establish the passing game early, then it will open up the running game for the Tigers later in the game. The Tigers offense will also need to convert on turnovers and red zone possessions, the latter of which was the biggest downfall for the Tigers against Florida.

Tennessee laid the blueprint for how to beat the Crimson Tide, the Vols simply failed to execute at key moments. They forced Alabama to throw the ball and took advantage of Greg McElroy's inexperience. The Tigers are without a doubt devoting a large portion of their film study to that game, hoping to duplicate Tennessee's defensive success.

This game will have a direct impact on both the SEC Championship and National Championship games. The Tigers ultimately can control their own destiny with a win over Alabama this weekend.

If LSU wins out the last third of their games, they will hold the tie-breaker over Alabama and will get the nod for the SEC Championship game in Atlanta. The Tigers would face a likely undefeated Florida team, where the winner would win a bid to the National Title game.

On the other hand, if LSU loses this weekend then they will, in all likelihood, not play in a BCS bowl game because of the rule prohibiting more than two teams per conference play in BCS games.

This is unquestionably the biggest game for the Tigers this season. For LSU, the road to Pasadena runs right through Bryant-Denny Stadium. Here's hoping it's not a dead end.

Originally Published: Issue 822 - November 4, 2009

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