LSU runs over Arkansas 41-17

LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu sparked the lackluster LSU Tigers to a 41-17 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks Friday, shutting the door on the Hogs' BCS hopes.

The Honey Badger returned a punt 92 yards for a game-tying score and the Tigers turned to the ground game, churning out big yards and running throug Arkansas for 286 yards rushing, wiping out a 14-point deficit with a 41-17 win that put them in the SEC championship.

"I could hear my teammates in my ear saying, 'Man, we need you to go make a play,'" Mathieu said. "I was able to help the momentum really go in our favor.

"You have no idea how bad I just wanted to go out there and make a big play for our team. I was fortunate enough to be able to do that."

LSU had to doubt itself at first as Arkansas scored first then popped the ball loose from Michael Ford and scored on a defensive touchdown to take a 14-0 lead early. But the Honey Badger took what he wanted, namely a 92-yard punt return for TD. Game on.

The LSU ground game came alive as Kenny Hilliard, Spencer Ware and Jordan Jefferson all scored on the ground for LSU (12-0, 8-0 SEC), which is 12-0 for the first time and will play No. 13 Georgia next weekend in Atlanta.

A win over the Bulldog and the Tigers will play for the BCS title against Okahoma State or Alabama. And you know what? The Tigers might get there even with a loss.

"That was a huge turning point in the game," Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said after the contest in which he was caught by CBS cameras mouthing dirty words at LSU coach Les Miles (watch video below). "We were trying to get the ball punted to the sideline, but he miss-hit it a bit and punted it to the middle. ... (Mathieu) made a great cut and made us miss at the point of attack. He made a great play."

LSU DESTROYS Ole Miss 52-7

LSU quarterback got the long ball going Saturday night as the No. 1-ranked Bayou Bengals ravished Ole Miss 52-7.

The Tigers (11-0, 7-0 Southeastern Conference) matched their best start since 1958, the days of Billy Cannon. It was the worst whipping Ole Miss has recieved since a 49-0 shellacking from Georgia in 1974.

Jefferson started his second consecutive game, going a perfect 7 of 7 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. That was all the Tigers needed after building a 35-3 lead at halftime. Alfred Blue, the Tigers No. 3 running back, powered the Tigers with 74 rushing yards. Spencer Ware added 70 yards and a touchdown.

Ole Miss (2-9, 0-7) has lost six straight games and a school-record 13 straight conference games. Barry Brunetti rushed for a team-high 74 yards as the Rebels managed just 195 total yards.

"It's unfortunate to have a coach (Houston Nutt) end a home stand in a fashion like today," LSU coach Les Miles said in the wake of the news that Nutt would be fired at season's end. "That being said, we look forward to our future. It's something that we're really pointed to. It's a short week, but we're looking forward to taking on a very talented Arkansas team (next weekend)."

LSU whips Western Kentucky, 42-7

This one had 'trap game' written all over it. And for a half, it was true.

Western Kentucky coach Willie Taggart had one bragging right after his team got whipped 42-7 by the top-ranked team in the country.

“We scored more points than Alabama,” he said.

Can't argue there. The Hilltoppers came into Death Valley and kept the game competitive into the third quarter.

“We played hard and didn’t give up,” Taggart said. “I believe we were going to win, but I knew it wouldn’t happen if we didn’t play perfect.”

LSU (10-0) came in favored by nearly six touchdowns, but perhaps due to not taking WKU seriously only led only 14-7 at halftime.

“We just were flat,” said LSU defensive end Barkevious Mingo. “There really is not much you can say about that. Early on we were just not ready to play.

“This game kind of woke us up and we won’t let this happen any more games this year. The Alabama game is over now. We are going to move on and hopefully play for a lot more the rest of this season.”

Jordan Jefferson completed a beautiful 59-yard bomb to Rueben Randle to open up the scoring for the Tigers.

Jefferson played until 12 minutes remained in the fourth quarter, when Lee relieved him, drove down the field and threw a 5-yard scoring pass.

Hilltoppers quarterback Kuwaun Jakes completed 11 of 24 passes for 97 yards and was intercepted once by linebacker Tahj Jones.

4 Reasons why Alabama lost to LSU 2011

First off, let's be honest. If the referees don't call a block in the back, the Tide take over at LSU's 3-yard-line after an intereception return. Also, if the referees don't make the initial call of an interception on the Michael Williams-Eric Reid jump ball, again, it's Tide's ball at the 1. But these were two supremely talented defenses going at it when No. 1 LSU went to Bryant-Denny Stadium to face the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide.

Here are the 4 reasons why Alabama lost the game.

1. Bama's confidence @ QB: AJ McCarron refused to look in the middle of the field for his passes. The one interception spooked him something awful. Don't know if he thought he could screenpass all day (which was very successful), but sooner or later you've got to throw the ball vertically to keep the defense honest. Nick Saban refuses to let his players "just play." As someone who likes to be in complete control, iIf he could take over the use of their limbs via puppetry he'd do it.

2. Sometimes you can just get too cute: Trent Richardson was built for a game like this. He got 23 carries, but he should have gotten 33. The trick-play wild cat pass that ended in an interception was unnecessary. Richardson had just churned out a 24-yard run and was feeling it. But Bama's coaches saw fit to switch it up a bit, I guess. Wrong move.



3. Kicking themselves: Alabama missed four field goals, including Cade Foster's 52-yard attempt after the Tide got the ball first in the extra period. It could be argued that the first two shouldn't have been kicked, but Nick Saban could have been setting up a fake field goal attempt for later in the game.

4.Receiver Marquis Maze was hobbled ... and Tide coaches should have saw that. His crucial leg injury wound up at the center of two key miscues in the fourth quarter. Maze, favoring his leg, threw a pass out of the wild cat formation to a wide open tight end. But he threw it on his back foot, the bad one. It was intercepted. Also, in what some are saying was the play of the game, Maze chose not to field a  long line-drive punt. He turned away from it around his own 40 and the ball rolled all the way to the Alabama 19. INstead of the Tide taking over at the LSU 40-yard line he let the ball roll all the way to the 19. The 72-yard punt totally reversed the field position and took the wind out of the Bama coaches.

LSU escapes Alabama in OT, 9-6

L.S.U. is the best team in the country. The Tigers beat the Alabama Crimson Tide 9-6 in overtime at Alabama's home field. The Tigers now  take full control in the SEC and the B.C.S. standings.


Yes, Trent Richardson is a beast, but so is the LSU secondary. The score is low. Boring. The game however was not. LSU should have won 12-6, but Michael Ford stepped out of bounds at the seven-yard line on an option play from a last-split-second delivery from Jordan Jefferson.

L.S.U. ran two plays from the seven, putting the ball in the middle of the field, before calling on Alleman. He drilled it, pushing the Tigers to 9-0 and putting them firmly in the driver’s seat for a berth in the national title game.

Alabama is certainly kicking itself (no pun intended) for the three missed field goals and one blocked one.. They had one blown opportunity after another yet in his press conference Bama coach Nick Saban handled it like a stand-up guy. "Nobody is to blame. We had some missed opportunities."

Yes, you did, Nick.

L.S.U. just outlasted the Tide. They couldn't really do much with the Tide. LSU couldn’t move the ball, not consistently. The Tigers had tackling issues in the second half,, where Richardson started to gash them. The Tigers even survived a surprisingly poor punt by Brad Wing.

But, the Tigers are on top of college football. WE are NO. 1.