2006 LSU Tigers

2006 LSU Tigers Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

Jan. 3
Sugar Bowl
LSU 41 ... Notre Dame 14
LSU rolled up 577 yards of total offense and scored 27 unanswered points on the way to a blowout. The Tigers got up 14-0 in the first quarter on a three-yard touchdown run from Keiland Williams and an 11-yard scoring grab from Dwayne Bowe, but Notre Dame got back in it with a perfectly thrown 24-yard pass to David Grimes and a ten-yard pitch to Jeff Samardzija. The Tigers answered by going 82 yards in five plays ending the first half with a five-yard JaMarcus Russell run, and the rout was on. After two long drives finished with Colt David field goals, the Tigers put it away on a 58-yard pass to Brandon LaFell. Williams scored on a 20-yard run to finish off the Irish. 
Player of the game ... LSU QB JaMarcus Russell completed 21 of 34 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns and an interception and ran for 16 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 21-34, 332 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Keiland Williams, 14-107, 2 TD  Receiving: Early Doucet, 8-115
Notre Dame - Passing: Brady Quinn, 15-35, 148 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Darius Walker, 22-128  Receiving: Jeff Samardzija, 8-59, 1 TD
Notes & Thoughts ... Quarter by quarter game notes ... LSU seemed like it could turn it on at any time and put the game away. The Notre Dame defense did nothing special against anything the Tigers wanted to do, and JaMarcus Russell was nothing short of extraordinary. ... Brady Quinn wasn't anything special only completing 15 of 35 passes even though the Tigers didn't blitz as often as expected. ... 31 first downs, 245 rushing yards, and 332 passing yards for LSU. Notre Dame's defense still has a long way to go and still hasn't improved to a near-elite level since the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. ... Where were the deep balls to Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight? Where was the running from Darius Walker in the second half? ... Russell's decision has been made; he has to go off to the NFL now. His stock will never be higher.

2006 Schedule CFN Prediction: 10-2 2006 Record: 11-2 Preview 2006 predicted wins
9/2	UL Lafayette W 45-3
9/9	Arizona W 45-3
9/16	at Auburn L 7-3
9/23	Tulane W 49-7
9/30	Miss State W 48-17
10/7	at Florida L 23-10
10/14	Kentucky W 49-0
10/21	Fresno State W 38-6
11/4	at Tennessee W 28-24
11/11	Alabama W 28-14
11/18	Ole Miss W 23-20 OT
11/25	at Arkansas W 31-26
1/3	Sugar Bowl Notre Dame W 41-14

2005 Schedule CFN Prediction: 10-1 2005 Record: 11-2 Preview 2005 predicted wins
9/10	at Arizona St W 35-31
9/24	Tennessee L 30-27 OT
10/1	at Miss State W 37-7
10/8	at Vanderbilt W 34-6
10/15	Florida W 21-17
10/22	Auburn W 20-17 OT
10/29	North Texas W 56-3
11/5	Appalachian St W 24-0
11/12	at Alabama W 16-13 OT
11/19	at Ole Miss W 40-7
11/26	Arkansas W 19-17
12/3	SEC Championship Georgia L 34-14
12/30	Peach Bowl Miami W 40-3

Nov. 24
LSU 31 ... Arkansas 26
In a wild fourth quarter stretch, LSU increased its lead to 24-12 on a seven-yard touchdown catch from Early Doucet only to see Darren McFadden take the next play from scrimmage 80 yards for a score. Just when it seemed like Arkansas had all the momentum, Trindon Holliday returned the ensuing kickoff for a score. Arkansas was able to get within six on a Felix Jones five-yard touchdown run, but failed on its final drive when Casey Dick misfired on four straight passes. Arkansas ran for 298 yards and three touchdowns along with a 21-yard Marcus Monk touchdown catch, but the lack of a consistent passing game proved to be the downfall. JaMarcus Russell threw two touchdown passes for the Tigers highlighted by a 47-yard play to Craig Davis in the second quarter.
Player of the game ... In a losing cause, Arkansas RB Darren McFadden ran 21 times for 182 yards and two touchdowns, completed two of two passes for 33 yards, and caught a pass for seven yards.
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 14-22, 210 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Keiland Williams, 13-68, 1 TD  Receiving: Dwayne Bowe, 5-68
Arkansas - Passing: Darren McFadden, 2-2, 33 yds
Rushing: Darren McFadden, 21-182, 2 TD  Receiving: Robert Johnson, 1-28
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... LSU might not be playing for the SEC title, but it'll have to settle for the honor of being the SEC's most respected team, at least for the moment, with six straight wins leaving open the door for a possible at-large BCS bid. The run defense was ripped apart by Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, but that's nothing to be ashamed of. The secondary, when it had to, sniffed out everything the Hogs tried to do forcing Arkansas QB Casey Dick to have an awful game. Of course, Trindon Williams stole the show with his kickoff return for a score, now the coaching staff has to figure out how to get the ball in his hands more in open space to utilize all his speed.

Nov. 18
LSU 23 ... Ole Miss 20 OT
LSU scored on a five-yard touchdown catch from Dwayne Bowe with 14 seconds to play tie it at 20, but the the Colt David extra point attempt was blocked forcing overtime. Brent Schaeffer was sacked and lost a fumble on the Ole Miss overtime possession, and LSU took advantage as David nailed a 26-yard field goal for the win. Bowe started off the scoring with a 13-yard catch, but Ole Miss reeled off 20 straight points on a 22-yard Bruce Hall catch, a BenJarvus Green-Ellis one-yard run and two Joshua Shene field goals. The fourth quarter was LSU's with JaMarcus Russell throwing a four-yard touchdown pass to Early Doucet before going on a 58-yard, 11-play drive culminating in the game-tying score. Patrick Willis made 12 tackles for the Rebels.
Player of the game ... LSU QB JaMarcus Russell completed 20 of 36 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 20-36, 223 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Jacob Hester, 12-42  Receiving: Dwayne Bowe, 7-64, 2 TD
Ole Miss - Passing: Brent Schaeffer, 6-14, 72 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: BenJarvis Green-Ellis, 28-96, 1 TD  Receiving: Mike Wallace, 4-35
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... If JaMarcus Russell is thinking about heading to the NFL early, and he certainly has the skills to do so, he might want to think again after the close call against Ole Miss. The Rebels did a great job of disguising their blitzes and generating pressure from all angles, and Russell didn’t do a good enough job of sniffing them out, While he came through in crunch time with the fourth quarter needed to pull out the win, it was an uneven performance. The Tigers won’t be able to get away with the Ole Miss effort against Arkansas next week.

Nov. 11
LSU 28 ... Alabama 14
LSU got a near-perfect day from QB JaMarcus Russell with three touchdown passes along with a 38-yard Keiland Williams touchdown run to dispose of the Tide. The Bama offense got a 29-yard Ken Darby touchdown run in the first and a six-yard Nikita Stover scoring grab in the second, and then the LSU defense took over bending, but not breaking in the second half. The Tigers managed a 17-yard Jacob Hester touchdown catch in the third quarter to put it away.
Player of the game ... LSU QB JaMarcus Russell completed 18 of 21 passes fro 207 yards and three touchdowns and ran seven times for 36 yards
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 18-21, 207 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Keiland Williams, 9-79, 1 TD  Receiving: Early Doucet, 7-101, 1 TD
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 22-35, 291 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ken Darby, 13-36  Receiving: D.J. Hall, 8-142
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... LSU continues to be amazing at home with JaMarcus Russell impressing more and more week after week. Alabama threw everything it had at the big Tigers star, but to no avail. Russell is moving better in the pocket and is scrambling more effectively. The SEC title might be out of reach with Arkansas just needing to beat Mississippi State next week to be win the West, but if the Tigers can dispose of Ole Miss and then win impressively over the Hogs, they have a shot to be in the BCS. The run defense is playing well enough to pull off the wins, while Keiland Williams is starting to provide a bit more pop to the ground game.

Nov. 4
LSU 28 ... Tennessee 24
JaMarcus Russell connected with Early Doucet for a four-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds to play to cap a 15-play, 80-yard drive that took up 7:14. Tennessee appeared to have all the momentum after Jonathan Crompton, who stepped in for an injured and ineffective Erik Ainge, connected with Robert Meachem for a 54-yard touchdown pass to take the lead. Russell and Doucet hooked up for an eight-yard play on fourth and eight to keep the final drive alive, and then again for an 11-yard play to get in scoring range before two runs led to the final score. LSU turned it over four times with three Russell interceptions including a 31-yard interception return for a score from Demetrice Morley early in the second half. Crompton and Meachem connected from 37 yards out in the second quarter for Tennessee's other touchdown, while Russell threw touchdown passes to Craig Davis from 23 yards out to start the scoring and to Dwayne Bowe from five yards away in the third.
Player of the game ... LSU QB JaMarcus Russell completed 24 of 36 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions and ran seven times for 71 yards
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 24-36, 247 yds, 3 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: JaMarcus Russell, 7-71,  Receiving: Early Doucet, 8-73, 1 TD
Tennessee - Passing: Jonathan Crompton, 11-24, 183 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Arian Foster, 10-44. Receiving: Robert Meachem, 5-121, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Where'd LSU get a running game from? Thanks to one big run from JaMarcus Russell, and a good job done spreading the carries around, the Tigers were good at keeping Tennessee off balance. Most impressively in a hostile environment, Russell and the offense answered after two potential back-breaking plays with a ten-play, 77-yard touchdown drive after the Demetrice Morley interception return for a touchdown and the 15-play game-winning drive after Robert Meachem made a brilliant 54-yard touchdown catch. While the SEC title might be out of reach, the Tigers can still make things extremely interesting in the Big 12 race by winning out.

Oct. 21
LSU 38 ... Fresno State 6
LSU waited out the rain and had no problems with Fresno State with Craig Davis returning a punt 77 yards for a score and catching a 30-yard touchdown pass and JaMarcus Russell throwing two touchdown passes. Fresno State managed two Clint Stitser field goals, but only gained 211 yards of total offense. Trindon Holliday started off the Tiger scoring with a 38-yard touchdown run and Alley Broussard ran for a 21-yard score.
Player of the game ... LSU QB JaMarcus Russell completed 15 of 19 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 15-19, 210 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Alley Broussard, 5-67, 1 TD,  Receiving: Dwayne Bowe, 4-106, 1 TD
Fresno State - Passing: Sean Norton, 13-20, 134 yds
Rushing: Dwayne Wright, 15-42. Receiving: Dwayne Wright, 5-55
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... LSU once again showed it can blow out bad teams at home having no problem disposing of Fresno State .... no one is noticing. The team needs to beat someone decent, and now it gets two weeks off to prepare for Tennessee with plenty of time to focus and prepare for a must-win to keep any SEC title hopes alive. The biggest plus out of the win over the Bulldogs was the running game that rumbled for 184 yards to provide a little bit of balance. The defense dominated on third downs.

Oct. 14
LSU 49 ... Kentucky 0
LSU rolled over Kentucky with 278 passing yards and 268 on the ground with JaMarcus Russell and Matt Flynn each throwing two touchdown passes and Jacob Hester running for two first half scores. Russell connected with Dwayne Bowe on first half scoring passes from seven and 48 yards out on the way to a 28-0 first half lead, and then Bowe caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Matt Flynn in the third. Kentucky only gained 227 yards of total offense.
Player of the game ... LSU WR Dwayne Bowe caught six passes for 111 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 15-18, 226 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Charles Scott, 9-56,  Receiving: Dwayne Bowe, 6-111, 3 TD
Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 14-37, 151 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Curtis Pulley, 5-32. Receiving: Keenan Burton, 7-62
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... LSU is scary-good at home, but then again, it hasn't played any of the big boys. It's a shame there isn't anyone of note outside of Alabama coming into Death Valley. JaMarcus Russell plays at another level at home, while the defense was stifling against Kentucky this week. The real excitement is over 268 yards from a running game that's been spotty at best all year. Expect even more of a slaughter against Fresno State.

Oct. 7
Florida 23 ... LSU 10
Florida overcame a 7-0 deficit with 23 straight points highlighted by a funky one-yard jump pass from Tim Tebow to Tate Casey with :22 left in the first half. Tebow ran for a one-yard score and threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Louis Murphy for the offensive points, and then the defense and special teams came through as LSU combusted. Early Doucet fumbled the second half kickoff on the three and got dropped for a safety, there was a fumbled snap on the one-yard line, had a punt blocked and fumbled a punt. The Tigers only managed a 45-yard Colt David field goal in the second half.
Player of the game ... Florida QB Tim Tebow completed two of two passes for 36 yards and two touchdowns and ran nine times for 35 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 24-41, 228 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Jacob Hester, 9-43,  Receiving: Craig Davis, 8-85
Florida - Passing: Chris Leak, 17-26, 155 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Kesthan Moore, 10-36. Receiving: Andre Caldwell, 5-38
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... LSU should be happy it only got blasted 23-10 by Florida. The Tigers didn't play like a polished team with mistakes in just about every phase. With no running game to speak off, it was up to JaMarcus Russell to press a bit against the jacked up Gator D, and he threw three picks, lost a fumble, and should've been intercepted two other times. LSU is now 0-2 against good teams, but it isn't out of the SEC title hunt thanks to Auburn's loss to Arkansas. There's no margin for error the rest of the way if the Tigers have BCS hopes.

Sept. 30
LSU 48 ... Mississippi State 17
Only a midgame lightning storm could stall the LSU offense that rolled at will scoring the first 35 points of the game highlighted by two Charles Scott touchdown runs and a 37-yard touchdown pass to Early Doucet. Mississippi State was able to get a 32-yard Adam Carlson field goal at the end of the first half and a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown from Derek Pegues. LSU kept motoring in the fourth with short scoring runs by Jacob Hester and Alley Broussard around a 46-yard touchdown catch from MSU's Tony Burks.
Player of the game ... LSU QB JaMarcus Russell completed 18 of 20 passes for 330 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 18-20, 330 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Jacob Hester, 8-49, 1 TD  Receiving: Craig Davis, 6-101, 1 TD
Mississippi State - Passing: Omarr Conner, 15-28, 212 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 8-20  Receiving: Lance Long, 5-37
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... No one thumps a bad team like LSU. The Tigers blew away Mississippi State thanks to a brilliant day from JaMarcus Russell, and now it's time to beat someone good. The concern has to be with the running game that only managed 108 yards. The Bulldogs have a good run defense, but LSU still should've been able to pound the ball a bit more effectively. When the outcome was still in question, the defense swarmed and was fantastic at forcing the MSU offense off the field. Florida's not going to put up big points on this group, so if Russell and the offense can hit on a couple of big plays, LSU will come away with the win.

Sept. 23
LSU 49 ... Tulane 7
LSU scored 14 points in each of the first thee quarters highlighted by three Early Doucet touchdowns in the first half and two Charles Scott scoring runs. The game was well in hand with the LSU backups came in with Matt Flynn and Jacob Hester each running for short scores. Tulane finally got on the board late in the fourth on a one-yard Anthony Scelfo run.
Player of the game ... LSU WR Early Doucet caught four passes for 36 yards and two touchdowns and ran once for 17 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 17-23, 198 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Charles Scott, 15-101, 2 TD  Receiving: Craig Davis, 6-86
Tulane - Passing: Scott Elliott, 4-13, 48 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Ray Boudreaux, 6-47  Receiving: Preston Brown, 3-9
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... LSU got over the Auburn heartbreak in a big hurry with a dominating performance against Tulane. The Tigers have been fantastic at home so far and should easily get to 4-1 next week against Mississippi State before the showdown at Florida. JaMarcus Russell has taken his game to another level, and if he keeps playing like this, LSU will beat the Gators. The running game was fine thanks to some big runs from Charles Scott, but the overall consistency still isn't there. That means it's Russell or bust on offense against the big boys.

Sept. 16
Auburn 7 ... LSU 3
Auburn survived a tough, hard-hitting battle holding on twice with a controversial late deflection by Eric Brock to stop one drive, after the officials picked up the flag after calling pass interference, and a big hit on Craig Davis on the six-yard-line as time ran out. Auburn got a one-yard Brandon Cox quarterback sneak for a touchdown in the third quarter to cap off a 12-play, 75-yard drive. LSU got its only score on a 42-yard Colt David field goal as time ran out at the end of the first half. Auburn only gained 182 yards of total offense, LSU gained 309.
Player of the game ... Auburn DB Eric Block made four tackles and broke up one pass to stop LSU's final two drives.
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 20-35, 267 yds
Rushing: Justin Vincent, 6-16 Receiving: Craig Davis, 7-94
Auburn - Passing: Brandon Cox, 11-20, 110 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Kenny Irons, 25-70  Receiving: Courtney Taylor, 3-22
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... How can an official pick up a flag on a pass interference penalty? How can JaMarcus Russell not throw the ball into the end zone on the game's final play? Tiger fans are going to be ticked off over the way the loss to Auburn ended, but both calls were good ones. One quick move from Craig Davis at the six, and LSU wins the game on a classic final play. LSU has to take heart that it could move the ball a little bit with Russell coming up with a great game under extreme pressure. The running game, which hasn't been there all season, proved to be a liability. That has to change against Tulane and Mississippi State before facing Florida.

Sept. 9
LSU 45 ... Arizona 3
The LSU defense dominated Arizona from the start allowing a mere 152 total yards of offense and 35 rushing yards while coming up with three interceptions. Jonathan Zenon started off the scoring with a 41-yard interception return, and then the Tiger offense got involved less than two minutes later with the first of Jacob Hester's two touchdowns on a five-yard catch. Hester would later run for a 28-yard score. Alley Broussard ran for a 17-yard score on the way to a 24-0 halftime lead, and the rout was on. The Wildcats got their only points on a 33-yard field goal with just over a minute to play.
Player of the game ... LSU LB Darry Beckwith led the team with nine tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Stat Leaders: Arizona - Passing: Adam Austin, 8-19, 67 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Jennings, 8-53. Receiving: Syndric Steptoe, 4-26
LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 13-20, 196 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Charles Scott, 4-47, 1 TD  Receiving: Jacob Hester, 6-53, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... It's hard to argue with two straight 45-3 wins. Arizona was supposed to come into Death Valley and give the Tigers a run. Nyuh uh. LSU's defense was all over the field with too much speed in the back seven for the Wildcat passing game and too much still on offense. JaMarcus Russell has been tremendous to start the year, but that's partially because he's getting ten days to throw. He's not going to have the same amount of time to work against Auburn next week and he'll need a bit more of a running game to help move the attack.

Sept. 2
LSU 45 ... UL Lafayette 3
LSU wasn't always perfect early, but the passing game clicked without a problem as JaMarcus Russell threw three touchdowns passes and Jonathan Zenon returned an interception 20 yards for a score. UL Lafayette got a 41-yard Drew Edmiston field goal to make it 14-3 in the second quarter, but the Tigers scored 31 unanswered points highlighted by a 28-yard touchdown grab from Dwayne Bowe.
Player of the game ... LSU QB JaMarcus Russell completed 13 of 17 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: UL Lafayette - Passing: Jerry Babb, 7-17, 63 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Tyrell Fenroy, 12-52. Receiving: Derrick Smith, 2-23
LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 13-17, 253 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Alley Broussard, 8-46, 1 TD  Receiving: Dwayne Bowe, 4-88, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The lack of a running game in the first half against UL Lafayette was a bit disturbing, but things started to kick in after Alley Broussard started to do his thing. JaMarcus Russell looked in midseason form as he and the quarterbacks averaged a whopping 13 yards per pass attempt. Things get progressively harder playing Arizona next week before the showdown at Auburn, but this was a good scrimmage to get several backups some meaningful work.

2006 LSU Preview

- LSU Preview | Offense | Defense | Depth Chart | Further Analysis

2005 should've been the year.

New head coach Les Miles wasn't everyone's favorite choice to take over for Nick Saban, but he inherited a heater of a hand with as much next-level talent and athleticism as anyone in the nation. While the Tigers were able to survive Auburn, Florida, and road trips to Arizona State and Alabama, it couldn't deal with a big hurricane.

Was it a case of being mentally and physically cashed in the overtime collapse against Tennessee after having to move the Arizona State game to Tempe? Maybe. After all, many of the players had to deal with the Katrina aftermath.

Was the team running on empty at the end of last year in the SEC title game after dealing with a full season of tough battles as well as the daily world of hurricane problems? That's not giving Georgia enough credit, but the outside factors couldn't have helped.

Now the tremendously loaded team has on-field issues to face. If the Tigers couldn't win it all last year when it had defensive tackles Claude Wroten and Kyle Williams, offensive linemen Andrew Whitworth, Rudy Niswanger and Nate Livings, first-round draft pick running back Joseph Addai, star end Melvin Oliver, and leading tackler Cameron Vaughn, how is it going to win it all this year? Truth is, it's not.

Name anyone outside of the Pittsburgh Steelers that could survive road trips to Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and a much, much improved Arkansas team. LSU could be one of the three best teams in America, split the road games, and finish the regular season 10-2 and playing in the Cotton Bowl.

Does that mean it'll be acceptable to shoot for anything less than an SEC title and, if the world breaks the right way, a 2003-like campaign where the Tigers lose one game and get the benefit of the doubt from the BCS? That's not that far-fetched, but it would likely require everyone else losing at least once and for the team to be far more consistent.

The quarterback situation has to be settled and air-tight shut after this fall. Matt Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux are more than capable of leading LSU to an SEC title, but if JaMarcus Russell has to look over his shoulder every time he tried to throw into triple coverage, the offense won't run smoothly.

Running back is a question mark with the top two backs coming off of torn ACLs, the lightning fast receiving corps has to make even more big plays and live up to all of its talent, and the offensive line has to deal with the loss of three stars while trying to get more push for the running game.

The defense will be amazing as long as tackles Glen Dorsey, Charles Alexander and Marlon Favorite do a spot on impersonation of Wroten and Williams, and as long as the starting linebackers stay healthy. LaRon Landry and Jessie Daniels are NFL safeties spending time in the college ranks, and corner Chevis Jackson is an All-SEC playmaker waiting to break out.

Yes, expectations are sky-high once again in Baton Rouge and Miles' honeymoon period is officially over. This will be a team to keep an eye on all season long, and it'll be even more interesting next year.

The Schedule: It's a relative walk in the park outside of the road games. LSU only plays four away from the friendly confines of Baton Rouge, but they're doozies having to go to Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas. Barring a mini-miracle, or a meltdown against a fired up team like Fresno State or Arizona, the only home date to worry about is against Alabama. The four road games are all spread out with two home games followed up by an away game up until the end.

Best Offensive Player: Junior QB JaMarcus Russell. He'll make several bad plays, won't be consistent, and won't run for any appreciable yards, but he's fantastic in crunch time and has an arm that could throw a grape through a brick wall. Backup quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux are good enough to win a national title with, but it's Russell who has the combination of experience and talent.

Best Defensive Player: Senior FS LaRon Landry. Shouldn't he be off being a multi-millionaire? The senior will be among the nation's best defensive backs all season long and should be a first round draft pick next year. He has the perfect combination of NFL size, speed, and highlight reel hitting ability.

Key player to a successful season: Junior RB Alley Broussard. LSU always has running backs to spare, but things got dicey in a big hurry with Broussard still trying to come back from a knee injury and Justin Vincent tearing up his ACL in last year's Peach Bowl. Super-recruit Keiland Williams has all-world potential, but Broussard needs to be healthy and confident in his mended knee for the offense to shine its brightest.

The season will be a success if ... LSU wins the SEC West. It's not going to be easy, but after playing for the title last year, anything less will be a major disappointment. This is a national title team with a solid schedule, but 10-2 in the regular season would be a big accomplishment. Beating Florida and Tennessee on the road would be nice, and Arkansas will be frothing at the mouth at the regular-season finale, but LSU can't win the West if it doesn't come out alive on ...

Key game: September 16th at Auburn. The LSU version of the Tigers won a 20-17 thriller last season and has to come out of the conference opener with a win or face the daunting task of having to win in Gainesville and Knoxville to have any hope of playing for the SEC title.

2005 Fun Stats: 
- Penalties: LSU 108 for 907 yards - Opponents 86 for 610 yards
- Field goals: LSU 14 of 24 - Opponents 13 of 25
- Fumbles: LSU 20, lost 13 - Opponents 21, lost 4

The Last Time LSU…
…played in a bowl game…2005 (Peach Bowl vs. Miami)
…missed a bowl game…1999
…pitched a shutout…2005 (Appalachian State)
…was shutout…2002 (Alabama)
…scored 50 points…2005 (North Texas)
…went undefeated…1958
…won a conference title…2003 (SEC)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…2001 (Rohan Davey)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2003 (Justin Vincent)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2003 (Michael Clayton)
…had a first-round draft choice…2006 (RB Joseph Addai)