LSU FAN ZONE

LSU Tigers News, Schedule, Pictures and Players

Danny Johnston, The Associated PressOle Miss Coach Houston Nutt didn't udnerstand the depth of the LSU rivalry until he became the Rebels' coach.

BATON ROUGE -- Among the difficulties LSU will face Saturday when it hosts Ole Miss is this: The game might mean more to the Rebels. For one thing, it has been a while since Ole Miss beat the Tigers. LSU has won six in a row against the Rebels and seven of the past eight, a one-sided run that has given the game a sort of for-granted aura among LSU fans.

BATON ROUGE -- A playoff system in college football looks like it is still a long way off, but Saturday's LSU-Ole Miss game has a bit of a playoff subplot. When the teams kick off at Tiger Stadium, bowl bids will be at stake. It appears the winner will be the frontrunner for the AT&T Cotton Bowl, according to bowl officials. The loser probably goes to the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, provided each wins its game the next week.

Mark Saltz, The Associated PressPoint guard Bo Spencer scored 21 points in his season debut, but coach Trent Johnson expects him to pass and set up teammates more than lead the team in scoring.

BATON ROUGE -- All you instant Bo Spencer fans out there, don't get used to it. Spencer debuted as LSU's starting point guard with 21 points against Jackson State on Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, and it's not that he can't do again. It's just that it was a little off script.

John McCusker, The Times-PicayuneAfter a switch from linebacker to fullback, Quinn Johnson has become a key part of LSU's power running game.

BATON ROUGE -- One could say LSU senior fullback Quinn Johnson never really stopped being a linebacker. As a fullback, he's constantly looking for someone to hit, and when he does, his game gets going.

Michael DeMocker, The Times-PicayuneIn his senior season, Demetrius Byrd is six receptions and 185 yards shy of his 2007 totals.

BATON ROUGE -- Although his statistics aren't what they were last season, wide receiver Demetrius Byrd insists he's still having fun as his senior year draws to a close at LSU. Byrd has just four touchdowns this season after scoring seven last season, including a 61-yarder at Alabama in the Tigers' 41-34 victory and the game-winner in the closing seconds in LSU's 30-24 win against Auburn at Tiger Stadium.

LSU head football coach Les Miles talks about the close one against Troy and the upcoming game with Ole Miss in this video.

Watch Les Miles' November 10th press conference

Michael DeMocker/The Times-PicayuneThe Hornets are hoping that shots start falling and wins start coming this week.

For those of you scoring at home - and those scoring inside the Hornets' locker room - the spread sheet now reads four losses in the past six games for New Orleans after a Saturday night smack at Houston.

Michael DeMocker/The Times-PicayuneThe Hornets are hoping that shots start falling and wins start coming this week.

For those of you scoring at home - and those scoring inside the Hornets' locker room - the spread sheet now reads four losses in the past six games for New Orleans after a Saturday night smack at Houston.

John McCusker/The Times-PicayuneLes Miles and the LSU players celebrate the Tigers come-from-behind win against Troy on Saturday.

BATON ROUGE -- Continuing in a near giddy mode after LSU's miraculous comeback Saturday night against visiting Troy, Coach Les Miles said Sunday night he hopes the game will prove a springboard for greater success.

Miles compared the largest comeback in school history, in which the Tigers overcame a four-touchdown deficit to win 40-31, to a game he lost when he coached at Oklahoma State. There, the Cowboys took a commanding lead over Texas only to see Longhorns quarterback Vince Young engineer an amazing Texas win in the second half. Texas did not lose again for more than a year, going undefeated and claiming the national championship in 2005.

The Associated PressFlorida's running back Chris Rainey (3) runs across the goal line for a touchdown during the second half of NCAA college football game against South Carolina in Gainesville, Fla.

OK, so there's the Associated Press, the Coaches' poll and the BCS rankings, but none have the enthusiasm, or maybe sarcasm, as the Times-Picayune rankings. We'll give you a brand of humor with these picks - usually with a crazy pick at No. 25 each week - or in our quips about a certain team. Don't get too worked up about it, though, nobody goes to a bowl or stays home from a bowl based on our poll, it's all in fun.

LSU football moved up one spot in the Associated Press rankings Sunday, checking in at No. 18.

The rise comes after LSU (7-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) mounted the biggest comeback in school history Saturday night when the Tigers overcame a 28-point deficit and beat Troy 40-31. LSU hosts Ole Miss this Saturday in a game with a Cotton Bowl invitation considered likely for the winner.

AP Photo / Bill HaberThe Tigers' biggest comeback ever stood out in a somewhat tame weekend.

LSU showed some actual gumption and fire in a dramatic comeback win over Troy, the big boys in college football played some compelling football, and there were even some nice upsets.

But the story of Saturday was not that day's action (and it was never going to be unless something gigantic like Alabama losing happened), but rather what college football fans now have to look forward to.

Florida-Alabama. Texas Tech-Oklahoma. Michigan State-Penn State. The Civil War. Rivalries. Huge games. Championship dreams dashed.

We ain't seen nothing yet.

John McCusker, The Times-PicayuneQuinn Johnson celebrates his fourth-quarter touchdown as LSU stormed back to beat Troy.

LSU needed the most remarkable comeback in its long football history Saturday to beat Troy, as the Tigers stormed back from a four-touchdown deficit to win 40-31 at Tiger Stadium.

John McCusker, The Times-PicayuneLSU QB Jarrett Lee overcame a rough start to lead LSU to a comeback win over Troy.

BATON ROUGE -- Maybe this is Jarrett Lee's redemption game. It looked as if Lee had buried himself after throwing his seventh interception returned for a touchdown in the second quarter. But Lee rebounded to guide LSU to its biggest comeback in history in Saturday's 40-31 victory.

Mark Saltz, The Associated PressBo Spencer, right, scored a career-high 21 points to help LSU to victory in Coach Trent Johnson's first game.

BATON ROUGE -- LSU got the Trent Johnson era under way successfully Saturday, and maybe the Bo Spencer era, too. Seldom used as a freshman point guard last year, Spencer took charge with a career-high 21 points to help LSU past Jackson State 79-65 in the season opener for both teams at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

BATON ROUGE - LSU is now in the driver's seat. Troy quarterback Levi Brown threw incomplete on fourth and 15 from the Troy 34 and the Tigers have the ball, the lead and only 3:27 left. Chalres Scot rumbles up the middle for 30 yards putting LSU at the Troy 4 with the clock running. Three plays later, Quinn Johnson bowls over from the 1-yard line and LSU has locked it up, with a 40-31 lead and 1:40 left. Amazing, and that only begins to describe this game.

BATON ROUGE - Kristen Oaks, a senior Mass Communications major from West Monroe, La., was named 2008 Homecoming Queen in a pre-game ceremony at the LSU-Troy football game.

Josh King, a senior from Zachary majoring in Electrical Engineering, was named Homecoming King.

BATON ROUGE - Point guard Bo Spencer scored a career-high 21 points as LSU gave first-year men's basketball Coach Trent Johnson a 79-65 victory in his debut against Jackson State Saturday.

Tasmin Mitchell and Chris Johnson added 17 points each for the Tigers who outscored the visitors 40-26 in the second half. Johnson and Terry Martin had seven rebounds each for LSU.

Spencer, a sophomore, connected on seven of 12 shots from the field, three of five from 3-point range in 34 minutes.

Michael DeMocker, The Times-PicayuneDemetrius Byrd says LSU players have set out to run the table for the rest of the season. 'We don't want to lose again,' Byrd said.

BATON ROUGE -- As a general rule, teams usually schedule a game they figure they'll have an easy time winning for homecoming. LSU (6-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) hasn't followed that rule today, according to the Tigers players and coaches.

Michael DeMocker, The Times-PicayuneJordan Jefferson will get significant playing time today against Troy, according to Coach Les MIles.

TROY (6-3) vs. LSU (6-3)

Kickoff: 7 p.m., Tiger Stadium.

Weather: Clear, 35 degrees

Coaches: LSU, Les Miles (68-30, eighth season overall, 40-9, fourth season at LSU); Troy, Larry Blakeney (142-71-1, 18th season, all at Troy).

Radio: 870-AM, 105.3-FM

Injuries: LSU, QB Andrew Hatch (leg) doubtful; FS Curtis Taylor (shoulder) questionable. Troy, Jerrel Jernigan (knee) questionable; DB Chris Bowes (foot) doubtful.

John McCusker/The Times-PicayuneKeiland Williams is one of a few LSU running backs who will try to have a big game against Troy.

BATON ROUGE - So exactly how will the LSU football team respond against Troy on Saturday?

One, the Tigers won't take it for granted that this is an automatic win. The Trojans are pretty good.

Two of Troy's three losses are to Ohio State and Oklahoma State. This will be a difficult test for the Tigers.

James Varney and Jim Kleinpeter, LSU beat writers for The Times-Picayune, discuss tomorrow's game.

Chris Granger, The Times-PicayuneGarrett Temple and Tasmin Mitchell are seniors who played key roles on LSU's last Final Four team.

BATON ROUGE - It might be a new day for the LSU basketball team, but one thing that remains the sam is that Garrett Temple and Tasmin Mitchell will play key roles for the Tigers' success.

With that knowledge, new LSU basketball coach Trent Johnson discusses the upcoming season and what his expectations are.

LSU opens its season Saturday against Jackson State.

AP Photo / Dave MartinDrew Brees and the Saints are in major need of a win this weekend.

Every Friday at 1 p.m., NOLA.com and David Gladow host a sports chat to preview the upcoming weekend in sports.

Hot topics this week are sure to include the New Orleans Saints, their playoff hopes and the injury status of their players, the New Orleans Hornets and questions about their somewhat shaky start and of course the LSU Tigers, who are looking to improve their bowl positioning (and possibly find a quarterback).

Check with us and 1 and chat about your favorite New Orleans area sports topics.

John McCusker/The Times-PicayuneLSU's Patrick Peterson gets an interception in the first quarter against Alabama.

LSU fans, the heartbreaking loss to Alabama is behind you. But, most of the team looked better last week. Most of the team. So, there was that much of a silver lining.

Now the Tigers turn their attention to closing out the season strong and going to a decent bowl game.

It begins Saturday with Troy.

So you know what that means. Let's chat. Join Times-Picayune beat reporter James Varney at noon today. We'll start taking your Tigers questions a little after 11:30.

AP Photo / Jay LaPreteCan Ohio State make fans miserable a third straight season?

It's perhaps a touch early to even be discussing this, but given how much fans love to talk about it, it seemed prudent to discuss the BCS and a couple of nightmare scenarios that might lay in store for it.

The Bowl Championship Series has surely had its share of messed up situations thus far. One need only look back to last December, when the top two teams in the standings lost on the final weekend, creating mass chaos for the pollsters in trying to determine who should represent the sport in the BCS National Championship Game.

Ultimately, critics were split on whether the pollsters got it right, as LSU was lauded (given its credentials and eventual dominating championship win) and Ohio State was criticized (because of its own track record and eventual one-sided loss).

BATON ROUGE - Now is the time for all good hands to come to the aid of the party, according to LSU Coach Les Miles.

As the No. 19 Tigers (6-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) prepare for their rescheduled homecoming Saturday against Troy (6-3, 4-1 Sun Belt Conference), the issue of dropped passes has become contagious. By Miles' count, at least three receivers dropped passes in the overtime loss to No. 1 Alabama last week, and the topic is one to which the Tigers have devoted considerable attention at practice this week.

BATON ROUGE -- When Trent Johnson was hired in April to redirect the fortunes of LSU basketball, he didn't find a full cupboard. The team's best player, Anthony Randolph, left for the NBA after one season, leaving behind a group spotted with talent but no true stars.

What Johnson does have are two solid building blocks -- senior Garrett Temple and junior Tasmin Mitchell -- to start the foundation of his LSU basketball program, which debuts Saturday at 1 p.m. against Jackson State at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

POS.//NAME, SCHOOL//HGT.//WGT.

QB//Russell Shepard, Cypress Ridge, Houston//6-2//185

                The jury is still out as to what position Shreveport-Fair Park quarterback Morris Claiborne might play at the collegiate level.

AP Photo / Charlie NeibergallPenn State's loss to Iowa shakes the rankings up this week.

The biggest question in coming up with a college football top 25 this week is what to do with Penn State.

The Nittany Lions' last-second loss on the road to Iowa wasn't entirely unexpected for those paying close attention, but it also cast into doubt just how good Penn State actually is.

My take is as follows.

Michael DeMocker, The Times-PicayuneLed by Charles Scott, LSU is third in the SEC in rushing at 187.8 yards per game.

BATON ROUGE -- Buried in the mounting interception total racked up by LSU this season is an apparent statistical anomaly: The Tigers' offense is not that bad. LSU ranks No. 3 in the Southeastern Conference in rushing at 187.8 yards per game, and No. 4 in passing offense at 212.4. The Tigers' red-zone output ranks second in the conference, and its total offense is third. LSU is 33rd in the nation in total offense.

Michael DeMocker/The Times-PicayuneFreshman Jordan Jefferson could get some playing time this week.

In a perfect world, LSU coach Les Miles would've done a better job protecting Jordan Jefferson's redshirt, wouldn't have used the freshman quarterback enough in mop-up situations that it would cost Jefferson a season.

But now that that option is exhausted, the only fair thing for Miles to do is to give the kid a chance - a real, legitimate chance - to show what he can do in the fire of a competitive game. Anything less than that would be an insult to Jefferson, and it'd be worse than having him hand off to running backs in mop-up duty and calling that "seasoning."