Big Play Defense Puts Forth Best Outing Versus Tide

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LSU defense finally plays complete game in loss to No. 1 Alabama

by Matt Reynolds
Tiger Rag Assistant Editor

(At left) Marlon Favorite puts the heat on Alabama’s John Parker Wilson (Photo by Steve Franz/LSU)

Despite a loss on Saturday, LSU can take comfort knowing that its defense has its pop back.

Even though the stats weren’t picture perfect, the numbers were clearly better than the previous two Tiger losses.

The Tigers surrendered 475 yards to Florida in the 51-21 LSU loss, and in the 52-38 loss to Georgia the Tigers surrendered 443 yards, including consecutive scoring plays of 49 and 68 yards.

The Tigers defense gave up 353 yards to No. 1 Alabama on Saturday, but only rendered two offensive touchdowns in regulation.

“I asked this team to work hard, and they did,” LSU coach Les Miles said after the game. “They gave us everything that we asked them to do. That defense, wow. That’s the defense I came to appreciate, that defense right there.”

In all fairness, the defense should only really be faulted for one of those two touchdowns in regulation. LSU freshman quarterback Jarrett Lee was picked off by Alabama safety Rashad Johnson on LSU’s own 25-yard-line and Johnson returned it to the 15, giving the Crimson Tide an extremely short field to conquer. Four plays later Alabama had six points on a John Parker Wilson quarterback keeper.

In the second quarter, Lee would give up his sixth “pick six” of the season.

“I think the sense of urgency of the defense was definitely raised more this game,” LSU senior defensive tackle Marlon Favorite said. “The mind-set up front was just be gap sound, play your game, play within the schemes we played all week. For most of the game, we did a pretty good job of that. We showed we improved. This was the best I’ve seen this team as a whole the whole season. Not just the defense, but really as a team.”

Alabama went 63 yards on its opening possession, but sophomore safety Chad Jones stripped the ball from receiver Earl Alexander just short of the goal line to snuff out a threat before any damage could be done.

It was the second forced fumble of Jones’ career, his first coming against the Tide last season.

“We feel good about the way our defense played,” Jones said. “We did better this week. We gave up touchdowns though, and our defense just does not like to give up touchdowns.”

The Tigers held the SEC’s top ranked rushing offense to 138 yards on 37 attempts. The Crimson Tide was averaging over 200 yards per game going into the contest.

Alabama junior Glenn Coffee led the Tide on the ground with 126 yards on 26 carries for one touchdown run. Quarterback John Parker Wilson had five rushing attempts for eight years, but two rushing scores. Power back Mark Ingram was limited to just seven yards on five carries.

“I know how our defense could play,” LSU senior defensive lineman Tyson Jackson said. “I knew we’d arrive, and it happened tonight. We were sound. We were communicating”

LSU freshman Patrick Peterson continues to improve every game, as he notched his first career interception in the second quarter when he picked off Wilson. Peterson also had two solo tackles and two assists.

Ricky Jean-Francois came up with a huge play when he blocked a 30-yard Alabama field-goal attempt on the final play of regulation to send the game into overtime.

Jean-Francois has the last two blocked field-goal attempts for LSU, the previous one coming against Ohio State in the BCS championship game in January.

Jean-Francois tried to catch the ball, but it bounced to Beckwith, who first tried running to the right and then retreated toward LSU’s goal line before falling down on the one.

Although it’s impossible for the defense to continue to overcome the mistakes of Lee, the squad refuses to point fingers or throw LSU’s young quarterback under the bus.

“We’ve got to stay together,” LSU senior linebacker Darry Beckwith said. “You’re going to go through tough times. Your career isn’t going to be peaches and cream. We have to press forward and back him up 110 percent. If not, it could really go downhill. We have to stay positive.”