Starkville, Miss. - Travelers driving on almost all main highways of Mississippi greeted by a giant billboard that says: "The masters of this space."
It has become a football team of the State of Mississippi, with the slogan of the recent crushing rival Ole Miss, the Bulldogs coach, Dan Mullen is often called a "school of the north."
A giant banner with the same message is hanging on one side of the field of Scott and LSU Coach Miles had to laugh when he saw it before Thursday night's SEC opens against the No. 25 Bulldogs.
If the state of Mississippi is the state is still paying taxes to Miles, whose team beat the seventh consecutive year with a 19-6 victory before a crowd of 56,924. Overall, MSU has lost 19 of their last 20 games against LSU, including 12 in a row.
After struggling with a 6-3 lead at halftime, the Tigers' defense No. 3 "dominated the Bulldogs overcome in the second half, holding to 76 yards of offense and five trials for the first time in the last 30 minutes .
"It was not perfect by any stretch, but I felt like the intensity of the defense was solid and it ended up being the story of the day," said Miles. "I felt like the offense does things to do. I think we did the things we had to do to win."
LSU defense is about as close to perfect as it gets. Bulldogs had an average of 321 yards rushing in the first two games, 59-14 and defeated Memphis 41-34 defeat Auburn, defending BCS national champions. But MSU managed just 52 yards rushing on 34 attempts against LSU, which reached 15 deals with the loss.
"This is the way we play every play," said Morris Claiborne LSU corner. "I do not want anyone to get something from us."
Most offenses would likely have a hard time just to go beyond the first line of defense LSU. Tigers can go as far as about eight players at the front, rotate tackles and ends in and out of the game to use the offensive linemen. Each player is just as good or better than it replaced. Mississippi State, LSU ends and tackles Kendrick Adams Bennie Logan, Michael Brock and Anthony Johnson combined for 10 ½ tackles for loss and three sacks and a half.
"We want to be the most physical guys in the field," said Brockers. "We're trying to be the more physical defensive front of the country. In all the games, we do not feel like anybody can score for us."
Mississippi State certainly hard to score against LSU in the first two quarters. When the Bulldogs managed only a 26-yard field goal in the first half, LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee threw Brockers, the part before the second half.
"I told him I just run the clock out and have the ball," said Brockers. "I told him he had won by a score 9-6. This is how all games. If our offense can score three points, we will win by a score of 3-0. We're going to take."
Miles seems to be happy to win ugly as well. When the senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson has suspended the team's first open Sept. 3 against Oregon in his alleged role in a barroom fight in Baton Rouge, La., Lee returned to the starting role. He was forced to line up as a freshman in 2008 - after starter Ryan Perrilloux was kicked off the team - and threw the interception of 16 years, seven of which were returned for touchdowns.
With the recent weakness Lee, Miles seems more than willing to run the football and soccer field to show their position randomly Lee are behind him. LSU ran 38 times for 148 yards against MSU, with Spencer Ware is the leader with 107 yards on 22 attempts.
"It's definitely a piece of the formula for some competitions. If you prove the need to open more, we will adjust," said Miles. "This defense is playing very well. If we do things well on offense, we can win many games."
Lee, an official from Brenham, Texas, was strong enough against Mississippi State, completing 21 of 27 for 213 yards with one touchdown and is an interception. He threw a touchdown from 19 yards Rueben Randle on a ball thrown on a road gently blend into the end zone early in the fourth quarter.
The interception of Lee, who came after the Tigers took a 16-6 lead, was his first in 132 pass attempts. Lee said he does not let mistakes bother him.
"This sort of thing will happen, so you just have to go back and go to the next room," said Lee. "I'm just trying to play smart and confident. As a young player, would that kind of game that bothered me and I would have lingered on him for a few coins. Now I just spent. "
It is easier for Lee to errors in the mirror after LSU's defense has the field. It is also easier to throw goes out of bounds, rather than force, and send the ball away.
Tigers catcher Russell Shepard lower return before next week's game at number 18 in West Virginia. Sheppard has the ability to play great versatility and could allow Miles to open the offense a little more.
"I think there are some things we do and very specific with him, honestly," Miles said.
But after three games it's pretty clear that the Tigers will be built around their defense threat.
"They are a legitimate SEC, big-time team," said Mullen. "This is what we have in this league. They are a really good football team. How is it runs in this league. We are in the SEC West and we are trying to take our program to the next level. The next step is a national championship. You do not win the SEC West, going to a bowl game and get national recognition. The team that wins the SEC West is the best team in the country. "
Based on results through three weeks, LSU looks like the best team in the SEC West. But the Tigers play at No. 2 Alabama, Nov. 5.
Brockes believes LSU defense may be better by then.
"Our defense is really good," he said. "But we need to learn many things and you get much better. You just have to wait and see. It 'scary. It' amazing, what would we do if we played with more technology."
0 comments:
Post a Comment