Senior Day Sendoff Spoiled

Successful senior class comes up short in Tiger Stadium finale

by Matt Reynolds
Tiger Rag Assistant Editor

(At left) Kirston Pittman is the only player in college football history to be part of two BCS national championship team (Photo by J. Sam Frake)

It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

For an LSU senior class that leaves the school with three seasons of at least 11 wins and a national title under their belt, Senior Day last Saturday was painful on many different levels.

Despite running out of the tunnel in the North end zone of Tiger Stadium for the last time, the senior Tigers were forced to endure a 31-13 embarrassment by the hands of SEC divisional rival Ole Miss.

“It is disappointing but we came out today and fought hard,” LSU senior defensive tackle Marlon Favorite said. “We gave it our best shot. We had 20 seniors that tried so hard to win their last game. The rest of the young guys fought just as hard. Ole Miss played a wonderful game and we tried to get a win. Unfortunately we ended up on the bottom of this one.”

For this group of seniors, the resume is an attractive one.

–Playing in a bowl game for four straight years.

–Being part of a school-record three straight 10-plus win seasons.

–Winning the national title and the SEC championship last season.

But for the 20 players that played their last game at Tiger Stadium Saturday, this season has to be the most disappointing.

Especially for six-year senior Kirston Pittman, who has lived the peak of the LSU golden age of LSU football in the last six years.

As a true freshman Pittman was on the 2003 national championship team under former LSU coach Nick Saban and was a starter on last years BCS title squad.

In 2003, Pittman got some playing time as a speed rusher in passing situations and was used in the same role as a sophomore in 2004.

In the summer of 2005, a cyst developed on his left ankle which resulted in him missing the season. More injury trouble plagued Pittman in 2006, when he tore his Achilles tendon in summer practice and was lost for anther season.

But Pittman shined last season, leading the team with eight sacks and 13.5 tackles for losses while causing 14 quarterback hurries and intercepting a pass.

Pittman was granted a sixth-year of eligibility by the NCAA last spring for his injury suffered in 2006.

“Kirston Pittman is a guy who has been a part of two national championship teams,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “He really suffered two severe injuries and overcame those injuries to play for this football team. He played extremely well on the field and gave us great leadership off the field. He’s going to leave here having accomplished what our program represents – he’s earned his degree and at the same time been a part of championship football teams.”

Fullback Quinn Johnson, kicker Colt David, wide out Demetrius Byrd, defensive end Tyson Jackson, center Bret Helms, offensive guard Herman Johnson, linebacker Darry Beckwith, safety Curtis Taylor and defensive tackle Charles Alexander are some other notable players from this class.

David was a walk-on from the Dallas area that became the Tigers all-time leading scorer earlier this season when he booted a 51-yard-field goal against Georgia to surpass Kevin Faulk, who had 318 career points.

David tied his career long of 52 yards against Ole Miss. In his career at LSU, David has made 16 field goals of 40 yards or longer.

“It’s a nice accomplishment to tie my career-long tonight, especially my last game here,” David said after the loss on Saturday. “But this hurts. You want to come out strong for your last game in Tiger Stadium, and we just couldn’t pull it off tonight.”