Welcome to Death Valley

Morning Thread (9/13)

2006-09-13T09:08:00.000-05:00

We're only three days away from the first "Biggest Game of the Year" for LSU. I don't know about you, but my nervers are already shot and we're not even to the coin toss yet. On to the news, which seems to be the same from both the Auburn and LSU camps ...

After its two blowout victories, LSU has racked up some pretty impressive statistical rankings. The Tigers are first in scoring defense and third in total defense. The offense appears to be slacking however, coming in seventh in scoring and 12th in total yards. LSU is first in the SEC in scoring offense and defense.

Whenever LSU and Auburn get together, inevitably the memories of the classic 1988 battle, the "Earthquake Game" are going to be rehashed. Tommy Hodson found Eddie Fuller in the back of the endzone on fourth down in the final two minutes for the win. The catch setoff a celebration that registered on the seismograph across campus. Scott Rabalais debunks the importance of that today, but the legend will always live on.

Rabalais documents the recent history in the LSU-Auburn series and it's impact on the SEC race.

LSU is becoming a defensive powerhouse in recent years and, despite six new starters on that side of the ball, is living up to the hype this year.

There are plenty of ties between Auburn and LSU's coaching staff.

Some people in the media don't get it. You can try to create a rivalry for LSU, but there will never be a true rivalry for the state's flagship institution. Yes, LSU vs. Auburn is a monster game, and has been for six years now. But, to try to place it in the same stratosphere as Auburn-Alabama is sheer lunacy. It may decide the SEC West champion, but the championship of the State of Alabama is more important to some people.

Pat Forde gives LSU-Auburn a de facto top billing in his column this week that counts down the biggest games of the weekend.

Auburn kicker John Vaughn, who missed five of his six field goal attempts including one in overtime against LSU a year ago, has put his rough performance behind him.

Discuss ...

Morning Thread (9/12)

2006-09-12T08:54:00.000-05:00

Good morning Tiger fans. Only four more days until the biggest game in LSU's season, for now at least.

The anticipation is building and there is an electricity in the atmosphere -- and it's only Tuesday!

As much as we'll focus on The Plains, it's a monster weekend all over the country with seven games pitting top 25 teams against each other.

Coach Les Miles spoke at his weekly teleconference on Monday.

"In big games there is a lot of motivation. This football team understands who we play. There will be very few differences in our game-week regiment. There will be a lot of differences in how we approach the game in terms of extra time and our players wanting extra time. It is a lot of fun preparing for a traditional opponent in a key rivalry game. It's why you play football."

Glen Dorsey was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after making four tackles and 1.5 sacks in the win over Arizona.

Scott Rabalais, of the Baton Rouge Advocate, has an LSU notebook today.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has its weekly SEC recruiting update. The nation's No. 2 ranked center, T-Bob Hebert, has LSU in his top three. He is the son of former Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert.

Phillip Marshall at the Huntsville Times has a great feature on the relationship between LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher and Auburn defensive coordinator -- and former LSU defensive coordinator -- Will Muschamp.

Memories of shared celebrations, of laughter and tears, of long days and longer nights, bind Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher.

In 2003, they celebrated a national championship together at LSU, two families reveling in the joy of the experience of a lifetime. The marching of time has only made their friendship closer.

Stewart Mandel came to his senses a little bit and moved LSU up to No. 6 in his power rankings. Last week, he had the Tigers a slap-in-the-face 10th. Maybe it was the way LSU drilled what is supposed to be a decent Arizona team.

At least somebody at ESPN is paying attention to the big games this weekend. It's good to know they can staff out somebody to write about No. 3 vs. No. 6 while all the big boys drool over USC and their 20-point fourth quarter blowout of Arkansas.

Separation definitely will be the theme in the Southeastern Conference, where history suggests two games Saturday could decide which teams play in the Dec. 2 SEC championship game in Atlanta's Georgia Dome. In the SEC East, No. 7 Florida plays at No. 13 Tennessee. In the West, No. 6 LSU plays at No. 3 Auburn.

In a conference with five teams ranked in the top 13 of the AP poll, there are no mulligans, especially this season.

Discuss ...

Morning Thread (9/11)

2006-09-11T09:39:00.000-05:00

It's a HUGE week for LSU as the Tigers visit No. 3 Auburn on Saturday in one of the biggest games of the year. However, before we get into everything, take a moment to remember the victims and the heroes of 9/11 on the fifth anniversary of the tragedy. Our prayers go out to everyone affected by the event.

Now, on to the news which is very football heavy, as you might expect ...

LSU head coach Les Miles met with the media on Sunday to discuss the 45-3 drubbing his team gave Arizona over the weekend.

LSU moved up to No. 6 in the AP poll, leapfrogging Florida and Texas. The Tigers are seventh in the USA Today coaches poll. Auburn is ranked third and fourth in the two polls, respectively.

LSU's defense has been dominant so far this year, and people are starting to notice.

At this rate, LSU's fast, heavy-hitting and opportunistic defense would score more points this season than it gives up.

No. 3 Auburn may have something to say about that next weekend. But for now, led by a dominant and experienced secondary, LSU's defense has shown no let up since pounding the Miami Hurricanes 40-3 in last year's Peach Bowl.

The New York Times takes a look at all the big games this weekend and calls LSU-Auburn it's game of the week.

The defense of Louisiana State (2-0) put in one of the top performances of last week, holding Arizona to 54 yards through three quarters. Auburn’s experienced offensive line will be tested in trying to open holes for Kenny Irons.

Tony Barnhart does the same for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

It's only been two games, but the difference between the start to this year's season and last year's have been remarkably different.

Carl Dubois of The Baton Rouge Advocate takes a look at LSU's defensive play so far this year. The Tigers have allowed only 328 total yards and six points in two games.

Tommy Tuberville admitted what we've all known for years. Coaches don't "take it one game at a time."

With the luxury of two blowouts, both offensive coordinators -- Al Borges at Auburn and Jimbo Fisher at LSU -- have been able to keep their offense under wraps heading into the big game.

Auburn will be without linebackers Kevin Sears and Tray Blackmon on Saturday. The two are still serving an undisclosed suspension that was delivered by Tuberville in the preseason.

Phillip Marshall, who has been covering Auburn for as long as anyone can remember, says this year's LSU-Auburn game is going to be bigger than most.

Discuss ...

Why the SEC is the Nation's Best

2006-08-23T18:23:00.000-05:00

First, let me apologize for no morning thread as I was unexpectedly unavoidably detained. Anyway, I happened upon Dennis Dodd's SEC preview on cbs.sportsline.com and actually agreed with a point he made.

The excellence of the SEC has reached critical mass. Its teams are so good. Almost too good in this BCS age. The competition is cannibalistic. One-time powerhouse Tennessee has had one down year. Suddenly, the Vols are, at best, the conference's fifth-best team going into a cutthroat 2006.

Normally, you'll find me ripping Dodd for his factual mistakes, poor writing/editing (it's gauntlet, not gantlet) and just plain being an ass. But he actually makes a point I have believed in for the past few years.

Since the BCS began in 1998, the SEC has had six different champions in eight years. LSU was the first two-time champion (2001, 2003) and Georgia joined the Tigers last year. Eight of the league's 12 teams have played in the SEC Championship game. For that reason, the Lee Corso's and Kirk Herbstriet's of the world tend to focus on team's that stay at the top of the heap from year to year (see USC, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Michigan).

But that's exactly why the SEC is the best conference. It is impossible for any team in the SEC in its current state to establish dominance. The days of Steve Spurrier's mid-90's Florida Gators are over and, frankly, were over at least two years before he left The Swamp.

Every team in the top half of the SEC it just too good from year to year. It's actually possible for a team in the SEC to play for the championship one year and then go 5-6 the next (see Tennessee 2005, 2006).

Look around the nation. The Big Ten is won every year by either Ohio State or Michigan, save for a rare title by Iowa four years ago. The Pac 10 has one team, USC. The Big 12 championship race comes down to one game every year, Texas vs. Oklahoma. The ACC comes closest to the SEC in balance, but it is still between only three teams: Miami, Florida State and Virginia Tech. The Big East is, well, the Big East.

None of the BCS conferences have the type of depth the SEC does. Every year, any of the top six teams of the league are completely capable of winning the league and potentially playing for a national title. Is there any doubt that teams fear going to play at Florida, at LSU, at Tennessee, at Alabama. Hell yes!

Do you fear playing at Georgia Tech, at Texas A&M, at Oregon State, at Minnesota? No, and neither do any other teams worth their salt.

That's why the SEC is the best now, has been the best for years, and will always be the best football conference in the nation.

Morning Thread (8/22)

2006-08-22T08:19:00.000-05:00

The countdown continues, only 12 days until kickoff. That said, the news from the football front is picking up:

The football team holds its second scrimmage in four days today. On Saturday, JaMarcus Russell and Glenn Dorsey were the stars. It would be nice to hear good reviews of the running game and offensive line after today. Those are by far the biggest question marks for LSU going into the season.

Scott Rabalais makes the point I thought about yesterday, that LSU is becoming Defensive Tackle U (catchy, huh?) and Glenn Dorsey is set to continue the tradition. Dorsey follows NFL tackles Kyle Williams, Claude Wroten, Chad Lavalais, Howard Green and Booger McFarland, all who have worn the purple and gold since 1998.

Collegefootballnews.com has LSU's secondary rated as the second best in the nation behind Miami. If you ask me, LSU was underrated. LaRon Landry is an absolute stud and Jessie Daniels may be the most underrated defender in the SEC. Chevis Jackson and Jonathan Zenon each have speed to burn on the corner.

LSU's opening game of the year against UL-Lafayette will be on TigerVision for $34.50. ESPN GamePlan will also have the coverage.

The team representing South Lake Charles, La., in the Little League World Series was eliminated by Portsmouth, N.H., yesterday.

Discuss ...

Morning Thread (8/21)

2006-08-21T08:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday Tiger fans, only 13 more days until kickoff. There's not much to report on from the weekend since the scrimmage was closed to the media, but here's your weekend recap anyway ...

The football team scrimmaged Saturday, in a session closed to the media. The Advocate's Carl Dubois does his best to break down the scrimmage as he listened from outside Gate 3.

There was a small fire in Tiger Stadium, but it was quickly extinguished and there was no real damage.

The men's basketball team is getting a lot of love after last year's Final Four run. Despite losing Tyrus Thomas to the NBA, LSU returns three starters including SEC Player of the Year Glen Davis. Andy Katz has the Tigers ranked fifth in his summer top 50.

Glen Davis looked like a slimmed-down Corliss Williamson at the Nike Camp in Indianapolis. He finally looked comfortable in his own skin around the basket after dropping 20-plus pounds. The Tigers lost Tyrus Thomas and Darrel Mitchell off the Final Four team, but the rest of the crew is back.

David Toms, a former LSU golfer, finished 6-under and tied for 16th in the PGA Championship over the weekend. He pockets $94,000 for his effort. He now ranks 9th on the tour money list for 2006. Winner Tiger Woods was 18-under and took home 1.224 million (PDF) in four days of work.

Former Lady Tiger Seimone Augustus was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year, the second straight season an LSU alum has taken home the award (Temeka Johnson). She started all 34 games for the Minnesota Lynx and ranked second in the league with 21.9 points per game. Augustus received 34 of 56 possible votes.

LSU Holds First Scrimmage

2006-08-19T17:52:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, the LSU football team got together in Tiger Stadium for 110-play scrimmage, it's first of the preseason. The most important aspect of the scrimmage was likely the play of quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who went 10-for-13 for 88 yards and a touchdown. That performance likely silenced any doubters as to who would be under center when UL-Lafayette comes to town on Sept. 2.

Other important notes from the scrimmage include that Justin Vincent looked good, running for 22 yards on four carries.

“We ran the football to a point, but we need to run the ball better in my opinion,” [head coach Les] Miles said. “"We really mixed it pretty well. I think both (Justin) Vincent and (Jacob) Hester were the front-runners at the tailback spot. Hester took some carries at the fullback spot as well.

“I think if you look at yards per carry, we were very efficient running the football. We need to run the football a little bit more effectively. That will be the goal for Tuesday's scrimmage."

On the other side of the ball, it appears that Glenn Dorsey is going to continue LSU's tradition of stellar defensive tackle play. He was a monster in the middle with two sacks on the afternoon.

"The defense played well,” Miles said. “There were a number of sacks and once again Glenn Dorsey created some problems for us. I thought linebacker play was good, and the balls that were caught in the secondary were contested. The rough view without tackling was that the defense is still doing well. Those sacks will have a different feel when it comes game time."

Wide receiver Craig "Buster" Davis and offensive guard Will Arnold sat out, but are expected back at practice on Monday. LSU takes Sunday off and will scrimmage again on Tuesday night.

AP Ranks LSU Eighth

2006-08-18T18:27:00.000-05:00

The Associated Press poll was released Friday evening with LSU holding down the No. 8 spot. That's one spot higher than in the USA Today coaches poll, which had the Tigers ninth. The difference in the Tigers ranking lies with Oklahoma being ranked lower in the AP poll after expected starting quarterback Rhett Bomar was dismissed from the team.

While everyone keeps saying the year is wide open with no clear cut No. 1, Ohio State holds a pretty solid lead in both polls. Personally, I don't get it. The Buckeyes lost nine defensive starters and haven't ever been awe-inspiring on offense under coach Jim Tressel.

I also don't understand why voters are showering Florida with so much credit right now. The Gators are one spot ahead of LSU in both polls despite not winning as many as nine games in any of the last three regular seasons. Everyone seems to have come to the conclusion Chris Leak is not a good fit in Urban Meyer's offense, which is also being doubted as to whether it can work in the SEC.

West Virginia, ranked fifth, is still living off a surprising Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia. Of course, the Bulldogs were asleep the whole first half before waking up and nearly rallying from 28 points down for a victory. Yes, the Mountaineers won 11 games last year, but the Big East is a borderline mid-major conference. Every year, a team or two is labeled a national title contender after a big bowl win the season before (see Iowa, 2005). In 2006 it's West Virginia.

Morning Thread (8/18)

2006-08-18T08:25:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the hiatus, there's been much vacationing going on. Anyway, it's good to be back and here's the news ...

LSU set a school record for football season ticket sales by selling 67,800 for the team's eight home games. The previous record was 67,355 set last year. LSU ranked sixth in the nation (PDF) in attendance in 2005.

Freshman defensive tackle Al Woods has finally academically been cleared to play by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

The Advocate's Scott Rabalais has a feature on fullback Jacob Hester, who expects to be a much bigger part of LSU's offense this year.

Ted Lewis of the New Orleans Times-Picayune features starting linebacker Darryl Beckwith.

CNNSI.com ranks LSU fourth in the nation and has a short feature on All-Everything safety LaRon Landry.

LSU is ranked seventh in the ESPN.com Power 16. Ohio State earned the top spot while Auburn was the highest ranked SEC team at fourth.

collegefootballnews.com answers 10 of the most pressing questions leading into the season. No. 17 asks who will be in LSU's backfield for the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette.

The first man to get medical clearance wins a starting job. LSU is well-stocked in the backfield, but unfortunately for the Tigers, the starting quarterback is returning from injury, as are the top two options at running back. JaMarcus Russell is the incumbent behind center, but he missed spring to rest an ailing wrist and shoulder, and backups Matt Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux could start for a bunch of programs. The competition will be even more interesting at tailback, where potential stars Alley Broussard and Justin Vincent are coming back from ACL tears suffered in 2005. Redshirt freshman R.J. Jackson, who looked promising, is also rehabbing an injured knee. If depth becomes an issue, and he clear academic hurdles, top recruit Keiland Williams will contribute right out of the gate.

CFN lists its top 40 games of the season with predictions. LSU makes the list a whopping four times: No. 28 vs. Tennessee, No. 17 vs. Alabama, No. 13 vs. Florida and No. 4 vs. Auburn. LSU is predicted to lose to the Vols (24-20) and Tigers (19-17)while beating Alabama (21-13) and Florida (24-20).

The Indianapolis Colts website features former Tiger Joseph Addai .

“I’ve just been going out there trying to relax and doing what I can do,” Addai said. “I feel comfortable out there last week. I might get more (carries). I don’t know. That’s up to the coaches, but I feel comfortable out there on the field. I just have to leave it to the coaches and get ready to do whatever they ask me to do.”

Former Tiger David Toms, the 2001 PGA Championship winner, is 1-under after the first round of this year's PGA Championship at Medinah. Lucas Glover led after firing a 6-under 66.

Discuss ...

Morning Thread (7/12)

2006-07-12T08:13:00.000-05:00

It's hump day and a pretty slow news day.

Former LSU football player and track All-American Xavier Carter ran the second fastest 200-meters in world history yesterday. His 19.63 time is eclipsed only by Michael Johnson's gold medal-winning time of 19.32 at the 1996 Olympics.

Former Lady Tiger Seimone Augustus won the Dribble, Dish and Swish competition at the WNBA All-Star festivities. She unseated defending champion Sue Bird.

A few of football's incoming freshman may have trouble qualifying academically for the upcoming season. The biggest issue is with West Monroe's Shomari Clemons.

It's not something we like to think about, but what would be the state of the LSU football program had it not beaten Oklahoma for the 2003 National Championship.

Alley Broussard appears to be on schedule with his rehab from a knee injury.

Discuss ...

Morning Thread (7/11)

2006-07-11T09:39:00.000-05:00

Good morning Tiger fans. I hope everyone is making it through this non-sports week as the only major sports for today and tomorrow is the baseball all-star game. Okay, so you're missing sports too. Don't worry, only 53 more days til LSU football starts.

Apparently, the Dallas Cowboys are trying what helped the New England Patriots to three Super Bowls -- that is, drafting LSU players.

LSU inducted Kevin Faulk, Todd Walker and three others into the school's sports Hall of Fame last night.

“It’s not something you think about when you’re being recruited or while you’re here,” the (Faulk) said. “But when you’re done you know you’ve put in the work to be where you are.

“If it weren’t for my family, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”

Glen Davis is working at the Nike All-America camp as a counselor this week. In his spare time, he's working on his game. Meanwhile Florida's players are just playing games.

When it's time to break for lunch, the Nike All-America Camp is usually just heating up. Around that time, the counselor games begin, featuring some of the top college talent in the country. Glen "Big Baby" Davis of LSU could be seen working on his outside shot, while members of the defending national champ Florida Gators were participating in scrimmages.

While writing about football schedules, ESPN's Bruce Feldman defends the SEC and says what we've all known all along. The SEC is the toughest conference in the country.

Carl Dubois, the LSU beat writer for The Advocate, writes a touching column today about the passing of his mother. Carl is a great writer and a great person and our thoughts are with him.

In a lighter note, Ryan Howard, all of 22 years old, won the Home Run Derby last night.

Morning Thread (7/10)

2006-07-10T08:22:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday to all you Tiger fans. Let's get to the news ...

In the biggest story in the world over the weekend, Italy won the World Cup on penaltly kicks after tying France 1-1 on Sunday. It's the fourth time the Italians have raised the cup and first since 1982.

It wasn't all good news on the pitch however, as Zinedine Zidane's amazing career came to an end in terrible fashion. He was sent off after headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest in the 110th minute. Somehow Zidane still won the Golden Ball . Italy's defensive anchor Fabio Cannevarro, who should have won the award, finished second in the voting. Teammate Andrea Pirlo was third.

In Baton Rouge, Kevin Faulk and Todd Walker headline LSU's 2006 Hall of Fame Class, which will be inducted Monday at Lod Cook Alumni Center.

Glen "Big Baby" Davis may be trying to shed his nickname, or at least the "Big" part of it.

Former Lady Tiger Seimone Augustus dropped 32 points last night to lead the Minnesota Lynx past the San Antonio Silver Stars. Seimone leads the WNBA in scoring at 23.2 points per game.

ESPN.com's Nancy Lieberman named Augustus the (unofficial) Rookie of the Year for the midseason. Meanwhile, Augustus was named to the West squad for the All-Star game. She joins Marie Ferdinand as former Lady Tigers to earn all-star nods.

A quarterback controversy is brewing at LSU. Well, not really. But it's the only thing some in the media can find to write about today.

Discuss ...

World Cup Thread

2006-07-09T11:51:00.000-05:00

Today is the World Cup final between surprise teams France and Italy from Berlin, Germany. It's been a fantastic World Cup despite some officiating woes. Today's game marks the final international contest for Zinedine Zidane, the star Frenchman who is one of the best players in the world over the last 10 years. The Italians have allowed only one goal in the tournament, an own goal against the USA.

Enjoy the game ...

Top 10 of the last 20

2006-07-08T16:08:00.000-05:00

In these summer months when there isn't much hard news on LSU sports, it's fun to put together lists that spark debates between Tiger fans of all stripes. Scott Rabalais of The Advocate did it on Friday with his list of team's he's most like to see LSU play in football. I'm doing it today with the top 10 LSU football games of the past 20 years (since 1986). Let's get to it.

1. LSU 21, Oklahoma 14 (Jan. 4, 2004) - This is a no brainer. LSU capped it's magical national championship run with a dominating victory over favored Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. The game wasn't nearly as close as the score indicated as Oklahoma failed to gain 150 total yards. The victory set off a wild celebration on Bourbon Street as Tiger fans crammed the French Quarter.

2. LSU 7, Auburn 6 (Oct. 8, 1988) - Coming off back-to-back losses, LSU was reeling and staring a 2-3 start. Auburn had steamrolled their way to a No. 4 national ranking with what was arguably the nation's best team. all know the story. LSU's defense bent but did not break, allowing a pair of field goals. Then, with 1:47 remaining, quarterback Tommy Hodson found fullback Eddie Fuller in the back of the endzone on fourth down for the game-winning touchdown. The play set off such a raucous celebration that it was registered on the seismograph across campus. It was Auburn's only loss of the year and prevented the Tigers from meeting Notre Dame for the national championship in the Sugar Bowl.

3. LSU 28, Florida 21 (Oct. 11, 1997) - Florida entered as the defending national champion and the No. 1 team in the nation. The Gators had won four straight SEC titles and 25 straight SEC games. On the legs of Herb Tyler, the Tigers sprinted out to a quick 14-0 lead. Cedric Donaldson sealed the victory with an interception return for a touchdown in the second half. For the first time in school history.

4. LSU 12, Auburn 6 (Sept. 16, 1995) - The night that brought back the magic. Whether you like Gerry DiNardo or not (and you probably don't), he changed the face of LSU football with this win over a top 10 Auburn team. In front of a packed house at Death Valley, LSU held off Auburn all game long and sealed the win when Troy Twillie picked off a pass in the end zone in the waning moments.

5. LSU 31, Tennessee 20 (Dec. 8, 2001) - LSU wins its first SEC championship in 13 years with a stunning upset of second-ranked Tennessee. Starting quarterback Rohan Davey went down to injury in the second quarter. He was replaced by an inexperienced Matt Mauck, who wasn't very effective passing, but he carved up the Vols defense with quarterback draws en route to being named the game's MVP.

6. LSU, 35, Arizona State 31 (Sept. 10, 2005) - The first game for LSU after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the fifth-ranked Tigers rallied for an improbable victory over No. 15 Arizona State. The game was originally scheduled for Baton Route, but moved to Tempe. LSU looked beat in the second half, but blocked a punt and a field goal and returned both for touchdowns to rally for a 21-17 lead. The team's went back-and-forth until JaMarcus Russell found Early Doucet for a 39-yard touchdown on fourth down in the final minutes for the victory.

7. LSU 38, Tennessee 31 (Sept. 30, 2000) - The game that kicked off the Nick Saban era. LSU had started 2-2, including an embarrassing loss to UAB on homecoming the week before the game. Rohan Davey took over at quarterback and battled through injury to connect with Robert Royal for a 25-yard touchdown on the first play of overtime to seal the victory. LSU went on to an 8-4 season and began to establish itself as a national contender for years to come.

8. LSU 17, Alabama 13 (Nov. 6, 1993) - In a game that very possibly saved Curly Hallman's job for another year, LSU knocked off fifth-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa, snapping the Crimson Tide's 32-game unbeaten streak. The Tigers were en route to their fifth consecutive losing season while Alabama was the defending national champion and went on to win the SEC West.

9. LSU 33, Kentucky 30 (Nov. 9, 2002) - Frankly a game LSU didn't deserve to win after blowing a big lead. However, the Tigers were saved by "The Bluegrass Miracle." On the final play of the game and 75 yards away, Marcus Randall rolled right and threw it as far as he could. Two Wildcats tipped the ball and it fell right to Devery Henderson, who bounced off a pair of tacklers and scored the one of the most impossible touchdowns in LSU history. Halfway through the play, Kentucky fans stormed the field and were already tearing down the goalpost before realizing what had happened.

10. LSU 34, Georgia 13 (Dec. 6, 2003) - LSU jumped all over Georgia early and never looked back while routing the favored Bulldogs for its second SEC Championship in three years. Justin Vincent was named the MVP after running for more than 200 yards against a previously stingy UGA defense. Playing in Atlanta, Georgia had a huge home-field advantage and was thought to be the better team despite falling to LSU in Baton Rouge a few months earlier.

Morning Thread (7/7)

2006-07-07T08:19:00.000-05:00

Good morning Tiger fans. Here's your daily dose of LSU news:

The Advocate's Scott Rabalais has a list of the top 10 teams he would like to see LSU schedule in football. No. 1? Michigan.

The Wolverines are THE national program that LSU has never played, and a mighty attractive one to boot.
... [snip]
Why? Well, to Michigan going south usually means going to Southern Cal for the Rose Bowl. And LSU hasn’t played a regular-season game against a Big Ten opponent since traveling to Ohio State in 1988. It would be grand, but don’t expect LSU and Michigan to hook up unless it’s in the Capital One Bowl.

The Birmingham News ranks the SEC coaches in order from most job security to the least.

4. Les Miles, LSU - Did a remarkable coaching job post-Katrina and also managed to shed the yuppie earpiece for old-school headphones. (Seriously, made a big difference in terms of image).

Job security: Excellent. But things can change fast on the bayou.

Auburn running back Kenny Irons lists his top five players to watch in college football. LaRon Landry and Alley Broussard each made the list.

As part of a series in which it features each of the 2006 LSU Hall of Fame Class inductees, LSUsports.net has this story on all-time leading rusher Kevin Faulk.

Mike the Tiger has been named the fifth best mascot in the country by ESPN.com writer Bruce Feldman. Uga from Georgia took the top spot in the subjective rankings that included live and costumed mascots. About Mike, Feldman said:

Legend has it that the Tigers will score a touchdown every time Mike roars before the game. (My logic here is if I'm Les Miles I'm taking him to Taco Bell a few hours before kickoff just for good luck. Worst comes to worst, you could just wheel Mike's cage over by the visiting team's sideline.)

If you're wondering just how big Mike is in the hearts of LSU fans, get this: In the past year, the 400-pound bengal has moved into a new $3 million, 15,000-square foot habitat and just had a book published about him. He draws some 100,000 visitors a year to the enclosure tucked between the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and the Bernie Moore Track Stadium.

Baseball coach Paul Mainieri and his staff arrived on campus on Thursday.

Perhaps the greatest player to ever wear an LSU jersey, Todd Walker, is profiled by Scott Ferrell.

The Shreveport Times has a nice feature on how former LSU baseball player Aaron Hill is becoming a solid pro for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Former LSU basketball star Jerry Reynolds has been named the associate head coach at Webber International University, an NAIA school.

Discuss ...

Morning Thread (7/6)

2006-07-06T08:14:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the absense as I was on vacation, but we're back with today's morning thread for you. Things are pretty quiet around LSU after a long couple weeks in the baseball coaching search.

Ted Lewis of the New Orleans Times-Picayune breaks down all the preseason football publications. However, he leaves out some key information, as in what they say about LSU.

Current AD and legendary baseball coach Skip Bertman was one of 10 inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame inaugural class on Monday. Bertman was one of four coaches inducted by the College Baseball Foundation. The hall is in Lubbock, Texas.

Some house cleaning from earlier this week. Tiger Stadium renovations are moving on as scheduled. Of course, all the work was supposed to be done before last season, but with everything Baton Rouge has been through in the last 12 months, we'll give a little.

Morning Thread (6/30)

2006-06-30T08:16:00.000-05:00

Good morning Tiger fans. Sorry for the delay, but there seemed to be a few more items of note this morning than usual:

New baseball coach Paul Mainieri will be bringing two assistants with him to join his staff. Though it had been speculated, former LSU assistant Dan Canevari won't be joining the staff.

Free safety LaRon Landry and offensive guard Will Arnold have been named preseason All-Americans by Rivals.com.

More from Rivals as LSU has been ranked fourth in the preseason by the website. Ohio State, Notre Dame and Southern Cal were the top three.

The resounding victory over Miami in the Peach Bowl and the play of quarterback Matt Flynn showed the public the Tigers have plenty of talent on the bench. Les Miles needs to replace three starters on the offensive line, but LSU has plenty of talent at the skill positions. A very deep, athletic recruiting class that Rivals.com ranked seventh will help as well.

ESPN Insider's Todd McShay has named LaRon Landry as the top defensive back in the country.

Landry is the epitome of a versatile defensive playmaker at the collegiate level. The hard-hitting, ballhawking safety surprised with his decision to return to Baton Rouge for a fourth go-around as a full-time starter. In three seasons to date, Landry has amassed 241 tackles, 18 passes broken up, nine interceptions and seven sacks -- not to mention a national championship ring as a true freshman during the 2003-'04 season.

Football coach Les Miles spent last week visiting troops in Iraq as part of a USO tour.

“I got more from my trip than I could possibly have given,” Miles said Thursday. “I’m very grateful that I was allowed to go over and represent a very common thought here, which is thanks. I told them the job they are doing is as important a job as being done in the world.”

Tyrus Thomas was introduced to the Chicago media on Thursday. He said he will wear number 24, combining his number 12 with the number 12 of friend Ryan Francis of USC, who was fatally shot last month.

The women's basketball team led in the nation last season in road attendance, averaging 7,083 fans per road game. The Lady Tigers ranked 14th in home attendance at 6,273 fans per game.

Sad news out of Chicago as Northwestern head football coach Randy Walker died of a heart attack on Thursday evening. Walker was the first coach in school history to lead the team to three straight bowl games. He was 52.

From the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction category, Jose Canseco has signed a contract with the independant San Diego Surf Dawgs to pitch.

Discuss ...

Thomas vs. Swift

2006-06-29T17:15:00.000-05:00

Last night, Tyrus Thomas became the second top five pick for LSU in the John Brady era when he went fourth to the Portland Trailblazers (he was later traded to the Chicago Bulls). Of course, LSU's most recent top five before Thomas was Stromile Swift in 2000, when he was the second overall pick by the Vancouver (now Memphis) Grizzlies.

The two compare favorably at this point in their career:

Swift was named the SEC Player of the Year as a sophomore after sitting out half of his freshman season due to academics. Thomas redshirted as a freshman due to injury and was then named SEC Freshman of the Year and SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year.

Both came out of seemingly nowhere from the beginning of the season to go in the top five of the draft.

At the time, both were considered one of the best, if not the best, overall athlete in the draft and a star forward in the making.

In 2000, CNNSI.com's Marty Burns had the following to say about Swift when grading the Grizzlies draft:

PF Stromile Swift is just the kind of athletic big man they needed. It was an easy call, but give the Grizzlies credit for not blowing it.

On Thursday, Burns said the following about the Bulls draft:

GM John Paxson got perhaps the draft's best prospect in Thomas while adding the big defensive guard he needed in Sefolosha and another decent prospect in Khryapa. Though Thomas doesn't solve Chicago's desperate need for a low-post scorer, it's doubtful Aldridge would have done so right away either. Meanwhile, Thomas also gives Paxson a blue-chip piece for a future blockbuster trade (maybe Kevin Garnett?).

Swift has had a productive career, averaging 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds, but has never really blossomed into the star that he was predicted to be. That's not knocking Swift, he has been a key player on multiple playoff teams in Memphis.

However, for Thomas, hopefully he will live up to his enormous talent and become a future NBA All-Star. I think everyone that witnessed Thomas in action this year, particularly the NCAA Tournament, would say he has the chance to be great.

Morning Thread (6/29)

2006-06-29T08:02:00.000-05:00

Lots of news relating to LSU yesterday with the hiring of baseball coach Paul Mainieri and the NBA Draft. Let's get to it.

Paul Mainieri was announced as the 25th head baseball coach in LSU history on Wednesday.

Mainieri and his wife Karen have strong ties to Louisiana and LSU, the place they met 31 years ago.

Tiger signees look forward to learning about Mainieri's philosophy.

Former Tiger standout Blair Barbier, who played for LSU's 1997 and 2000 national championship teams, will join Mainieri's staff:

“For a young coach only in his second year to get back to LSU and learn under one of the best coaches in college, I can’t explain how fortunate I am,” a beaming Barbier said Wednesday after LSU’s news conference to introduce Mainieri. "Whatever he tells me to do, I’ll do.”

In the NBA Draft last night, Tyrus Thomas was picked fourth overall by the Portland Trailblazers and promptly traded to the Chicago Bulls. ESPN Insider's Chad Ford thinks the Bulls got a steal:

The Bulls traded down to get Tyrus Thomas and picked up Viktor Khryapa in the process. I think this is a great pick for the Bulls. Thomas has the most upside of anyone in the draft. Don't be surprised if the Bulls move Tyson Chandler now that Thomas is in the picture. And it's impossible to discount the possibility that this pick might be used as bait to get Kevin Garnett later this summer.

The Chicago Tribune's Mike Downey is trying not to get too excited about Thomas.

Collegefootballnews.com has released its preseason preview of LSU.

Women's golfer Melissa Eaton won the Collegiate Players Tour Pelican Point Golf Club tournament on Wednesday.

Discuss ...

LSU Gets a Proven Unknown

2006-06-28T12:39:00.000-05:00

Skip Bertman sounds convinced:

“When I began the search for a new LSU baseball coach, I was looking for a unique individual,” Bertman said. “It would take someone special to lead this program, someone who would demand excellence in both athletics and academics, someone who would represent LSU with dignity and class, and someone who would thrive in the high expectations of a championship program.

“I believe LSU has found that man, and his name is Paul Mainieri.”

So, here's what we know about Mainieri. He's won a lot. He's won games, conference championships and conference tournament championships. He's even won regionals and a super regional, advancing a northern school to the College World Series.

He's also done this in a watered-down, at best, conference. It's the equivalent of the Gonzaga men's basketball team going 13-1 in its conference every year. The Big East ranked 14th this year in Conference RPI. Guess where the SEC was. Nope, not first, but a respectable second. After all, the SEC's run of eight straight RPI titles had to come to an end sometime.

Back to the point. Mainieri has been dominating a conference ranked lower than the Big West, the Sun Belt, the Southern (home of College of Charleston's John Pawlowski), the Colonial Athletic Association and the Atlantic Sun. After Notre Dame, the next highest RPI team in the Big East was St. John's, which ranked 74th. And, I'm not saying reaching the College World Series is easy, but catch a break here and pull of an upset there and you're in one time. Going more than once proves excellence, not getting to a regional with an automatic bid every year and getting bounced.

Mainieri has never had to stand up to the type of competition he will have at LSU. Who else did he have to compete against players for at Notre Dame? Nobody from the Big East or Big Ten, that's for sure. Definitely not SEC teams. When did he have to face quality competition like Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama in a one-month span? He's never faced it at the assistant level like Tim Corbin (Vanderbilt) or John Pawlowski (CofC) did at Clemson. He's never faced it like John Cohen (Kentucky) did at Florida.

Mainieri could very well turn out to be the right man for the job. He could very well return LSU to baseball glory. But I don't see it. I don't see him being better than Pat McMahon (Florida), Mike Bianco (Ole Miss), Ray Tanner (South Carolina) or Cohen. For the sake of LSU baseball, I hope I'm blind.

Morning Thread (6/28)

2006-06-28T08:03:00.000-05:00

Here's some meat for all you Tigers:

It's official. Paul Mainieri, the head coach at Notre Dame this past season, will be announced as LSU's new baseball coach later today, ending a 24-day search.

Former LSU baseball player Wally McMakin, a friend of Mainieri's, thinks LSU did well.

"Skip let Paul know early, though, that he was interested," McMakin said. "I think we've got a very good one. He's a fiery Italian now. He's very competitive. It's hard to get a northern school like Notre Dame into the College World Series, but he did it."

Current pitcher Derik Olvey pitched for Mainieri at Notre Dame before transferring to LSU.

"From my experience, he's a big pitching-and-defense guy,'' Olvey told the Advocate. "I don't know if that's the style of baseball he recruited for, being in the North, where the ball doesn't fly. This year they had a pretty good offensive club.''

It's a big day for former LSU basketball player Tyrus Thomas. He is expected to be a top five pick in tonight's NBA draft.

ESPN Insider's Chad Ford says Thomas will go to the Bulls at No. 2.

A few days ago, this one seemed like a lock. Thomas had started pulling out of workouts, and rumors were flying that the Bulls told Thomas' agents he was coming to Chicago.

But since then, things have been pretty fuzzy. The Bulls and Thomas' agents denied that a deal was in place. Thomas started visiting places like Minnesota (No. 6) and Houston (No. 8). Meanwhile, LaMarcus Aldridge refused to work out for Charlotte, with his agent claiming that Aldridge had been locked up. And then there's the ongoing talk that Brandon Roy is the Bulls' choice.

At the end of the day, I think Thomas is the pick. The Bulls have been high on him all year, and none of the strange happenings the past few weeks (including Thomas' cutting short two Bulls workouts because of stomach problems and a pulled groin) should change that.

Obviously, there are big things happening in Baton Rouge right now. Discuss ...

Morning Thread (6/27)

2006-06-27T07:59:00.000-05:00

Here's your morning dose of LSU news:

According to both Skip Bertman and Paul Mainieri, the baseball job has not been offered, but Mainieri is flying down for an interview.

Mainieri will travel to Baton Rouge tonight for a formal interview with LSU athletic director and former baseball coach Skip Bertman.

Bertman denied Monday that the LSU job has been offered to anyone, and said he has one other unnamed candidate to speak to besides Mainieri.

Apparently, Bertman has one more candidate other than Mainieri to talk to. Let's hope that candidate has something very intriguing to say.

WAFB is reporting that former Tiger Blair Barbier will be on Mainieri's staff.

Former LSU assistant baseball coach Turtle Thomas has taken a position at Arizona State for former Notre Dame head coach Pat Murphy. Ah, the cycle of life ...

Apparently, the fact that Manieri is leaving has failed to register a blip on the radar of the South Bend Tribune. The news has made it to the Rivals site, but only because the LSU writer wrote about it.

Meanwhile, Oregon State won its first baseball national title and only the second national title in any sport in school's history last night with a 3-2 win over North Carolina.

The LSU basketball team will face Louisiana Tech this year.

LSU men's basketball coach John Brady has reached the Final Four, but there is another milestone he has been working on for years that will finally come to fruition this season.

Brady has scheduled Louisiana Tech for a Saturday, Dec. 23, game in the Maravich Assembly Center, which will complete his goal of playing all 12 Division I basketball school in the state.

In recruiting news, center Ryan Pugh of Hoover High School in Birmingham, Ala., is making his decision Thursday morning. He is choosing between Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, Clemson and Oregon.

Discuss ...

Mainieri the new coach

2006-06-26T19:20:00.000-05:00

According to WAFB, Athletic Director Skip Bertman will announce Paul Mainieri, the Notre Dame coach, as the replacement for Smoke Laval.

"Sources close to the LSU baseball program tell WAFB 9 SPORTS Athletic Director Skip Bertman has chosen Smoke Laval's successor.

Former LSU baseball player Paul Mainieri will be named LSU's new head baseball coach at a Wednesday news conference, set for noon, sources say.

Mainieri has won 533 games in 12 seasons at Notre Dame, and gave the Irish their first college world series trip in 45 years, when his team beat top-ranked Florida State in 2002 to advance to Omaha."

While it will take time to see how this hire turns out, it seems like LSU could have done better. For some reason, Bertman was unable to lure any interest from top coaches and settled for candidates who haven't really distinguished themselves.

Mainieri, like all new head coaches, deserves a chance. However, the knee-jerk reaction to this hire is that LSU isn't the program it once was and not even close to the one the fans expect.

Baseball Search Moves to Notre Dame

2006-06-26T16:31:00.000-05:00

With the recent announcement that Notre Dame's Paul Mainieri will be interviewing for the baseball job, that brings the total number of interviews to three. While I don't question Manieri has solid credentials -- he's done a very good job at a tough place -- I do question why LSU is struggling to lure a top-notch coach. LSU should be one of the top five baseball jobs in America based on tradition, fan support and facilities (okay, soon-to-be facilities).

Whatever the reason, the inability of LSU to successfully pursue a top-notch coach has led Skip Bertman to going after "proven" head coaches who have proven to be nothing but slightly better than average.

Find me a young, hungry coach -- assistant or head -- with a plan. One that relishes the opportunity to coach at LSU and knows exactly what it will take to get the job done. Find me the diamond in the rough. Find me a WINNER! LSU did it in football with Nick Saban. Kentucky has done it in baseball with John Cohen.

Tim Corbin is nice, but he hasn't done anything spectacular. The same can be said for Mainieri who has built a resume in the weak Big East. John Pawlowski of College of Charleston isn't your proto-typical "home run candidate," but he is the only coach interviewed who has shown the potential of leading LSU back to the promise land.

Welcome to Death Valley

2006-06-26T15:33:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the new internet blog home for LSU sports here at welcometodeathvalley.blogspot.com. Hopefully with time, this site will become a community for LSU fans from around the globe to catch up on their beloved Fighting Tigers.

While I'd prefer to remain anonymous to retain the freedom to speak freely, I will share a little about me. I am a recent graduate of the College of Business at LSU with a deep-rooted love for my Tigers. My LSU highlights include being in Death Valley for the "Earthquake Game," the "Bring Back the Magic" win and the 1997 victory over No. 1 Florida.

I've been in the stands for two SEC Championship Games and two Sugar Bowls, the 2004 version of which was one of the greatest moments of my life.

However, my LSU experiences are not concentrated solely on football as I've cheered and agonized over countless games from men's and women's basketball, baseball and other, less-publicized sports.

I hope to use this space as a chance to share my LSU thoughts and feelings and to create a community for others to do the same. GEAUX TIGERS!