Jefferson returns as LSU whips Kentucky, 35-7

It wasn't pretty. It wasn't overwhelming, but the Tigers simply took all four quarters to grind out four offensive touchdowns and one defensive to whip the hapless Kentucky Wildcats 35-7.
The big news of the game was the return of veteran quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who scored on a one-yard sneak to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.
To be honest, many of the Tiger faithful booed him when he trotted on the field. It was a mixed emotion-type thing.

Will Jarrett Lee, who got LSU to No. 1, be relegated to a backup role now? Will Jefferson get equal snaps now? All we know is that opposing defenses have that much more to worry about now.

"When Jordan Jefferson scored that touchdown, and (starting quarterback) Jarrett Lee celebrated, that's when I knew right then, that the word 'team' means so much more," LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery said. "Jordan's been through a whole lot, so now he can tell the story of how, 'I went through this, bounced back, came back on the team, and now we're all a big family again.'"

After the game, LSU coach Les Miles said Jefferson's return simply opens up the playbook.

"We will use Jefferson in a variety of ways," said Miles, who did not allow Jefferson to speak with reporters after the game. "At different times in the season, we will need every skill and every collective attribute of our team."

On the stat sheet it will show that LSU had their average of 178 (give or take) yards rushing, but in reality the Kentucky front line stuffed the Tigers more times than they will be given credit for.


With Spencer Ware leading the way (until he was injured) LSU’s power running game gained only a paltry yards on its first 12 carries.

“It’s really tough, because we came out and we thought we had them,” linebacker Ronnie Sneed said. “It was like, ‘Hey, we’re here to fight.’ I felt like we were showing them. We played pretty tough. Then it just slipped away from us.”

Wildcats starter Morgan Newton had an abysmal game, misfiring on his first nine throws and being sacked three times. 

Kentucky coach Joker Phillips put true freshman quarterback Maxwell Smith in for the second half but he was even worse, going 1 for 5 before fumbling the ball on a sack.

"We just thought we needed a spark and wanted to give Morgan a chance to sit back and watch the game from a distance," Phillips said.

Phillips was piping-hot mad in the first quarter when LSU scored their first TD. Replay showed that the Tigers broke the huddle with 12 men, which should have been a flag. Instead, the referee touched his flag during the commotion but didn't throw it. If he had, the Tigers might have elected not to put Jefferson in and may have had to settle for a field goal.

Another controversial call was when Odell Beckham, who scored on a swerving 52-yard touchdown earlier, had a jump ball clearly taken from him in the second half. Replays showed that the defender had took possession from Beckham but the referees gave the ball to LSU at the Wildcat 5-yard line. It was a crucial play in the game if for nothing more it would have given Lee an interception.


The Wildcats were outgained 348 yards to 155, with more than half of that coming very late in the game. To put it another way, UK had 59 yards in the first three quarters.

After the game, Kentucky's coach indicted his players.

“We’ve got to find out if our kids are willing to continue to fight, scratch and claw,” Phillips said. “I think we’ve got a chance to turn this thing around … but we’ve got to start making plays, and we’ve got to start playing smarter.”

LSU wanted the shutout but couldn't keep it as Newton returned to the game and hit Matt Roark with a 4-yard pass with 6:09 on the clock.

LSU Tyrann Mathieu, who by now must be at least looked at for Heisman consideration, continued his strong play, scoring on a 23-yard fumble return that he forced on a sack. He set the school record for forced fumbles on the play. He had another in the fourth quarter.

"I was just sneaking up to the line and it was just getting to the quarterback," said Mathieu.

Next up for the Tigers, Florida.

Will Kentucky Upset Alabama?

Yes, if:
KU senior receiver Dicky Lyons Jr. mans up and becomes an outspoken leader to his freshmen cohorts. Coach Rich Brooks has endured bad route-running, dropped passes, fumbles and plain ineptitude through the first 5 games this year. Alabama may embarass them.

And if 3 key players, receiver/quarterback Randall Cobb, linebacker Micah Johnson, and defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin play up to their potential after being out last week.

If KU doubleteams Julio Jones, the sensational freshmen receiver for the Tide.

And if the Kentucky fans can make righteous noise like they did last year against LSU, which catapulted KU into the national championship.
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What Happened To Kentucky?

They boasted a Heisman-hyped quarterback in Andre Woodson, a dues-paying coach in Rich Brooks and alot of feel good.
The way their blue jerseys electrified the field was a cool contrast to every other team they played. They looked good on TV.
They even teased the Bluegrass fan base with a 46-points-a-game average and thoughts of running away with the SEC East.
In September they were a perfect 5-0 and nationally ranked in the top 10.
Then it happened.
The worse thing that could happen to them, happened to them.
They beat the No. 1 team in the nation.
Game over.
Is it me, or has KU just not been the same team since that fateful October 13th?
They've won all of 1 game since then (against Vandy and they had 13 penalties) and lost 3.
What happened?
If they would have lost to LSU in triple or quadruple overtime maybe they would have saw their flaws a little earlier and fixed them against Florida or Georgia.
As it stands, the LSU win, while it was a great win, became the beginning of a subtle-but-all-too-familiar slide to mediocrity. And what stands out the most? They're so good! Kentucky, if it didn't make the mistakes, could play with anybody in the SEC (the LSU game proves that). The Florida game could have turned out different with just a few plays going the other way.
But as it stands, KU is left to play the role of spoiler to Tennessee, who only beat the teams they were supposed to beat, and lost to the ones they were supposed to lose to.

5 Greatest Video Clips from SEC 2007 Football

(1.) Auburn-Florida game: Caught Up in the Frenzy of College Football Celebration, Dude. Does. THE. ROBOT?? WTF!?




(2.) Kentucky receiver Steve Johnson busts into a freestyle rap before the season opener against Eastern Kentucky. He caught one ball for 18 yards (but, in the biggest game of the season, against then-No. 1 LSU, he caught 7 balls for 134 yards and 1 touchdown).

Kentucky receiver Steve Johnson busts into a freestyle rap before the season opener against Eastern Kentucky. He caught one ball for 18 yards (but, in the biggest game of the season, against then-No. 1 LSU, he caught 7 balls for 134 yards and 1 touchdown).


(3.) Auburn Defensive Coach Will Muschamp calls Arkansas Motherf--kers


(4.) LSU reciever Brandon Lefell absolutely POSTMARKS Mississippi State defender ("You Got Knocked Da F--k Out" Montage at end)


(5.) Arkansas Running Back Darren McFadden's 80-yard TD off simple sweep against South Carolina Gamecocks (and look of disgust by USC's Boyd at end)


(5a.) BONUS:
LSU fake field goal-TD-run by Colt David against South Carolina Gamecocks (and look of disgust by Steve Spurrier)

LSU-KENTUCKY STATS, extra points

Former LSU head coach Mike Archer, who served as defensive coordinator at Kentucky under Bill Curry and Rich Brooks, watched Saturday's game from a box adjacent to the press box. It was Archer's Tigers that catapulted the team to national prominence in the late 1980s with popular signal caller Tommy Hodson. Archer is in his first season as defensive coordinator at North Carolina State, which was off this weekend. What was his choice of adornment? A UK polo shirt and cap.
Saturday's loss marked the first time under Miles that LSU has lost when the Tigers rushed for at least 100 yards. LSU had been 26-0.
The Tigers finished with 261 yards rushing.
Charles Scott led the Tigers with 94 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. He had 91 yards on five carries in the first half.
Rare shutout: Another streak that came to an end Saturday was LSU's 25-game run with at least one quarterback sack. The last time the Tigers failed to record a sack was in a 56-3 rout of North Texas in 2005. Kentucky, meanwhile, had three sacks.

Injuries mount: LSU lost two key defensive starters in the fourth quarter as right cornerback Chevis Jackson and defensive end Kirston Pittman both went out, not to return.

On the offensive line, Ryan Miller made his first career start at right guard in place of Lyle Hitt. Miller then moved to center in the second half when Brett Helms left the game. Hitt replaced Miller at guard.

Early Doucet, who was questionable all week after missing the past four games with a groin injury, did not see any action until LSU's final possession in the third overtime.

Kentucky receiver Steve Johnson Raps before Game

Kentucky receiver Steve Johnson freestyles before the Eastern Kentucky game this year. If his rap skills are any indication of his game skills ....

5 Reasons Why LSU Lost to Kentucky

Well, the inevitable has happened.
LSU, my Mighty Tigers, have fallen in defeat to the Kentucky Wildcats.
Here are 5 reasons why:
1. RYAN PERRILLOUX DISAPPEARED: The hybrid-running back/quarterback threat for LSU totally vanished after the 3rd quarter for some unknown reason. Although several Tigers got banged up (including tailback Jacob Hester) indications are that he wasn't one of them. After an uneven 3 quarters that saw Perrilloux get 15 yards on 5 carries, LSU's coaches didn't call his number again. This, despite the fact, that he didn't run not one option play the entire game. LSU's final play, a fourth-and-2, was a perfect situation for Perrilloux who could have ran an option on the play, instead LSU went with a shaky Matt Flynn the entire 4th quarter, and overtime.
2. KENTUCKY RECEIVER STEVE JOHNSON: No player has had such a big effort against the Tigers defense this year, including Tim Tebow. Johnson, who caught 7 balls for a season-high 134 yards (a whopping 19.1 yard average!), absolutely owned the Tigers secondary all night. It was Johnson, who moonlights as a rapper, that got open in the end zone for a 7-yard score in the third overtime, wide open because defender Jonathan Zenon tripped and fell down (Andre Woodson double-pumped before throwing the ball, giving LSU a chance for a sack, but alas it came a half-second too late).

3. LSU COULD NOT STOP THEM: The LSU defense gave up 375 yards of total offense, but it was deceptive. Kentucky, which trailed 27-14 late in the third quarter, started to POUND THE BALL against the Tigers just when the LSU coaches thought they would see a barrage of pass plays from Woodson. It was a brilliant strategy by UK and it outfoxed Les Miles. UK freshman running back Derrick Locke (20 rushes, 64 yards) ground up just enough yards to keep the LSU defense from pinning back its ears and the Wildcats scored the game’s next 20 points, AND put the first overtime points on the scoreboard. Kentucky's big tight end Jacob Tamme seemingly came up with big catches and equally good blocks while LSU's secondary got rocked: Chevis Jackson was knocked out of the game (2 swollen eyes after a helmet-to-helmet collision); Craig Steltz almost bit off his tongue when he was jarred in the chin unsuspectingly, and Jonathan Zenon was outmanned and undersized.

4. WOODSON WAS UNSACKABLE: The Tigers committed 12 penalties for a season-high 103 yards in negative yardage, but the biggest trump card their defense had all season was its ability to lay a quarterback horizontal. On Saturday, there was none of that. LSU failed to sack Woodson, ending a streak of 25 consecutive games with at least one sack. Barring a couple of late knockdowns he pretty much wasn't hit all night.

5.IT WAS ACTUALLY 4TH-AND-3: The game came down to a fourth-and-2 play at the Kentucky 17, but it was actually fourth-and-2.7, a long two. If the LSU coaches put in their best fourth-and-3 play they would probably still be undefeated. Instead they put in a fourth-and-1 play. The result? Kentucky linebacker Braxton Kelly stuffs LSU tailback Charles Scott for a 1-yard gain, sending hysterical fans onto the field and smoke from cannon fire into the air. "I thought it was close," said Scott, who wept in the tunnel as the echoes of "Go Big Blue" filled the hallway near the visitors' locker room.

Who's Afraid of Andre Woodson?

I picked Kentucky to upset LSU.
It was before the season, before Craig Steltz hit some people, before Jacob Hester fell forward by the nose of a football.
This was even before Kentucky's Andre Woodson set a major college record for consecutive passes without an interception (breaking the mark of 271 held by Fresno State's Trent Dilfer). The NCAA best mark would reach 325 pass attempts without an pick until Woodson threw one against Florida Atlantic. (He still had a career-best five TD passes in a 45-17 win).
But now the Tigers come to town? Will there be a letdown? I kinda sensed it in preseason, but you know how these things go. Coming off the Florida game, I thought they'd be flat, and they may still be, but now I have some clarity about the whole thing: Craig Steltz is still going to hit somebody, and teeth-grittingly hard. Glenn Dorsey is still going to have to be blocked by somebody. If the game goes status quo, then Brandon Lafell drops 3 passes in the first half, then catches 2 difficult third-down passes in the second half. But this Woodson fellow scares me.
No, not like Tim Tebow scared me. Woodson's no Superman, he's more like a Daredevil, somebody that will pick you apart. He's been Heisman talk this year, but then again, so has everybody?
Think LSU coach Les Miles has Woodson on his radar?
"He leads the SEC in passing yards," Miles said. "He is a young man that will play for years in the NFL. He is going to be a great challenge to our defense."
The 6-foot-5-inch, 230-pound Woodson has already thrown for 1,536 yards and 18 touchdowns to 2 interceptions. Eighteen TDs to 2 picks. Wow. It's come against the likes of Eastern Kentucky, Kent State, Florida Atlantic ... and Louisville. That was the game that launched the radar for Woodson. He lofted a long pass over a tired cornerback and the receiver, who was hit in stride, did the rest. Woodson also led a victory over Arkansas. The Razorbacks kind of helped the Wildcats beat them though, fumbles and interceptions for touchdowns will do that.
In any event, Woodson will be wild and loose at Commonwealth Stadium. Hopefull, so will the Tigers.