Dominance continued: SL teams take district titles
October 29, 2013
BREAKING: Coach, girlfriend, 3 others given criminal summons after Destrehan forfeitures
October 30, 2013
LSU turned over the football, missed an extra point, and was dominated in time of possession by more than a two-to-one margin during the first half of Saturday night’s homecoming game with Furman.
But the second half of the game was all Tigers.
LSU may now head comfortably into its bye week with Alabama looming.
The Tigers overcame a sloppy first half and outscored Furman 28-0 in the second half en route to a 48-16 victory.
LSU amassed 672 total yards in the victory – a number that is even more impressive when one considers that LSU held possession of the football for fewer than eight minutes in the first half of the game.
“The game started sloppy,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “We turned the ball over twice in the first half. The scores (in that half) were not inclined to what we would like. Second half, the offense took control and the defense played like they were supposed to and looked like they were supposed to.
“Eventually, we caught speed and played like we were supposed to.”
Just days before Halloween, LSU was costumed as a wretched football team in the first half of Saturday night’s game.
The Tigers forced Furman to punt on the opening possession of the game. From there, things looked promising as LSU collected a few first downs and marched down the field.
But those hopes quickly burned to ash, as quarterback Zach Mettenberger was intercepted for a touchdown by Reggie Thomas – a score that gave Furman a 7-0 lead with 10:52 to go in the opening quarter.
It took LSU just 65 seconds to answer that score to make the game 7-all. The scoring play was a 55-yard scamper from Jeremy Hill, who had 14 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns.
But the rest of the first half remained ugly for the Tigers who just couldn’t deliver an early knockout punch to the outmatched Football Championship Subdivision foe.
The Tigers’ young and inconsistent defense couldn’t keep the Paladins’ offense off the field in the opening half. Furman converted 4-of-10 third down conversions and 1-of-1 fourth down conversions in the opening half of play – first downs that allowed the Paladins to control the game by eating up the clock.
LSU led 20-16 at the break thanks mostly to its red zone defense that limited Furman to a pair of short field goals. But 10 of those 16 points were off Tigers’ turnovers.
Miles said against a stiffer foe, the scoreboard would have been tilted.
“We cannot turn the ball over. It’s that simple. A muffed punt and an interception. … there’s some things that we have to eliminate.”
In the second half, LSU took control and dominated the game for the duration.
The Tigers’ offensive line bashed Furman’s front at ease, routinely getting more than 10 yards a play.
In addition to Hill’s big night, Terrence Magee pounded forward for 108 yards and two touchdowns.
“We all want to get the reps and playing time,” Hill said following the game when asked about LSU’s depth. “I think that is what makes us so competitive and such a good backfield. Each guy wants to get the job done. We are hungry to go out there and play.”
With the Tigers finally in control, LSU’s defense also played better in the back-half of the game, limiting Furman without a second half first down until the middle of the fourth quarter.
Linebacker Kwon Alexander said the difference from one half to the next was simple – the Tigers executed and stayed focused in the second half of the game.
“I don’t know what was going on out there,” Alexander said. “But we got it together. (Defensive coordinator John Chavis) came in and told us what we needed to do. We made some adjustments and then went out there and played ball.”
With the win, the Tigers are now 7-2 on the season.
LSU will rest this week – the first bye week of the Tigers’ season.
The Tigers are the only major conference FBS program to not have a bye week yet this season.
Mettenberger said that the rest is welcome because the Tigers are tired.
The quarterback said LSU will be ready for the Crimson Tide.
“We just need to get healthy,” Mettenberger said. “We have been going since August 2nd without a break. This is going to be a great time for us to heal and take a break. We are going to re-focus and re-charge batteries. We are going to get ready for a battle in Tuscaloosa.”
Following the victory against Furman, LSU also got some good news in the NCAA’s Top 25 polls.
LSU is ranked No. 11 in the Associated Press poll – up a couple spots from the team’s position this past week.
If the Tigers can finish the year strong, they should be in line to make a leap.
LSU will play Alabama (No. 1) and Texas A&M (No. 12) in its final three games of the season.
The team’s position in the polls could impact LSU’s bowl placement.
LSU halfback Jeremy Hill powers past Furman’s defense in the opening half of Saturday’s game between the Tigers and the Paladins. LSU gained 672 total yards against the outmatched Football Championship Subdivision foe en route to an easy 48-16 victory. The Tigers will next play Alabama.
