Miami(OH) @ LSU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hellah10]

Write up coming later on this too. I dont plan on playing it...but I see a few are interested...therefor I will try to help out as much as I can. What I can tell you is this....LSU fans (from tigerforums.com) are veryyyy worried about the LSU secondary.....and everybody is pissed at Matt Mauck!!

Their D and O-line are huge...so are their linebackers...Surprisingly The Citadel did not allow a sack?The Citadel!!!!

 

[hellah10]

You Miami backers better hope he gets protection

 

[hellah10]

THE GAME


Miami (1-1, 0-0 MAC) returns to the road this week, where it plays three of its next four games, traveling to LSU (1-1, 0-0 SEC) for a 7 p.m. Saturday night kickoff in Baton Rouge, La. The RedHawks own an 11-10 record on the road under head coach Terry Hoeppner. The Tigers come into the game ranked No. 25 in the Associated Press poll and No. 22 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. The RedHawks suffered a 29-24 setback to Iowa last week in Oxford, while LSU rolled over the Citadel, 35-10, in Tiger Stadium. LSU rushed for 293 yards and four touchdowns vs. the Citadel but only managed 107 yards passing. The LSU defense held the Citadel to 236 yards of total offense. This will be Miami's third trip into Tiger Stadium where the RedHawks own a 1-1 series mark. The biggest upset in school history came in 1986 at LSU, when Miami upset the then-No. 8 Tigers, 21-12 behind the quartetbacking of Terry Morris, who was inducted into Miami's Athletic Hall of Fame last weekend. LSU got its revenge in the last meeting in 1990, beating Miami, 35-7.

TERRY HOEPPNER


After spending 13 years as a Miami assistant, Terry Hoeppner (pronounced HEP-ner) was named the RedHawks' head coach in 1999. He posted a 7-4 record in his inaugural season, joining the likes of coaching legends John Pont, Ara Parseghian and Bill Mallory as seven-game winners in their first seasons as Miami head coaches. A 1969 graduate of Franklin (Ind.) College, Hoeppner owns a 21-15 (.583) overall record in his fourth year as a head coach. Last season vs. Bowling Green on Nov. 3, Hoeppner reached the 20-win plateau in just his 31st game, faster than such former Miami coaching standouts as Bo Schembechler (32) and Randy Walker (43). Since coming to Miami in 1986 under then head coach Tim Rose, he has served as a linebacker coach (1986), defensive back coach (1987-93), assistant head coach/defensive back coach (1993-95) and assistant head coach/defensive coordinator (1995-98). Hoeppner's other college coaching stint came at his alma mater as defensive coordinator (1980-86). Miami's record with Hoeppner as defensive coordinator was 32-11-1 and 44-22-2 as an assistant head coach. Hoeppner is 1-0 vs. SEC teams (W, 33-30 at Vanderbilt in 2000), but this is his first career meeting with LSU.

SERIES VS. LSU


This will be the third meeting between Miami and LSU with the series tied at 1-1. After Miami took the series opener in 1986, upsetting the then-No. 8 Tigers, 21-12, for the biggest upset in school history, LSU found revenge in 1990, up-ending the Red and White, 35-7.

MIAMI VS. SEC


Miami is 11-10-1 all-time vs. the Southeastern Conference. The RedHawks are 3-2 vs. South Carolina, 4-6-1 vs. Kentucky, 1-0 vs. Florida and Georgia and 1-1 vs. Vanderbilt and LSU. The RedHawks' last win against an SEC team came in the 2000 season opener, defeating Vanderbilt in dramatic fashion, 33-30. Miami's most successful run to date came from 1973 to 1975 when it posted a record of 32-1-1. Included in that run was five wins vs. SEC teams and three Tangerine Bowl Championships.

MIAMI VS. THE BCS


Miami football has a distinct reputation of playing "anyone, anywhere, at anytime," as Coach Hoeppner has said this season. This year is no exception as the RedHawks face a high-profile schedule this season that includes North Carolina, Iowa and LSU in its first three games. The Red and White own a record of 30-56-8 (.361) vs. teams from the six Bowl Championship Series (BCS) conferences. Miami's biggest success against the six conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Southeastern and Pac-10) has been with the SEC where it's posted a winning mark of 11-10-1 (.523).

REDHAWKS ON THE ROAD


In recent seasons, Miami has experienced nearly as much success on the road as it has at home. Since 1997, the RedHawks have recorded a 21-13 road mark (.618), while going 18-6 at home (.750). In non-conference road games the past five years, the RedHawks are 7-6 with wins at Army (1998, 1999), Virginia Tech (1998), Cincinnati (1998), Northwestern (1999), and North Carolina (1998, 2002).

GRINDING IT OUT


The running game has sputtered out of the blocks this season for the RedHawks, gaining a total of 189 yards in the first two games (94.5 yards per game). Of the 189 yards, 137 came in the second half of the game versus North Carolina. Last week versus Iowa, the Hawkeyes limited Miami to 14 yards on 17 carries. The 17 carries are the fewest since the RedHawks equaled that total against Army in a 27-7 loss at home on Oct. 26, 1996. In that game, the Cadets held the ball for over 43 minutes in the game.

 

[hellah10]

Finishing it off


Under head coach Terry Hoeppner, Miami is 16-4 (.800) when tied or leading heading into the second half.

TIME WARP


In 112 years of football, Miami's quarterbacks recorded a total of seven 300-yard passing games. Last season alone, freshman quarterback Ben Roethlisberger tossed four 300-yard plus games, highlighted by his school-record 452 yards at Hawai'i. Last week against Iowa, Roethlisberger tied the school record for 300-yard passing games with four when he passed for 343 yards on 33-of-51 attempts. Of the school's top five single-game performances, he now has three. For more details see the right-hand column on page 18.

GUNNING FOR A NINTH STRAIGHT WINNING SEASON


Coming off a 7-5 record in 2001, Miami shoots for its ninth straight winning season this fall. The RedHawks are 59-30-2 during this current string. The school record for consecutive winning seasons is 17 (1943-1959), while the record for consecutive non-losing seasons is 33 (1943-1975).

600 and Counting


Miami, which ranks 13th nationally among long-running Division I-A football programs for overall winning percentage, joined an elite club on Oct. 6, 2001, versus Buffalo. The 31-14 win was the Red and White's 600th all-time victory, making Miami the 22nd school to accomplish the feat. Prior to Miami, North Carolina was the last team to join the club and ranks 20th with 609 victories. Miami is the first MAC program to reach this milestone.

Spreading It Around


Freshman quarterback Ben Roethlisberger tried to keep all of his receivers happy last year, spreading the ball around to 12 different receivers. Of that group, seven caught an average of one pass per game, led by Roethlisberger's favorite target, Jason Branch, with 46 receptions. Roethlisberger spread his touchdown passes around as well, completing scoring strikes to nine different receivers, including five players with two or more. In the first two weeks of this season, Roethlisberger has picked up where he left off, getting the ball to eight different players vs. North Carolina and nine against Iowa.

Wins versus UNC lead to Good things


In the previous two seasons in which Miami has scored victories versus North Carolina, the RedHawks have gone on to produce a combined record of 18-3-2, including an almost perfect season, 10-1, in 1998.

THE THREE AMIGOS


Since the start of the modern history of Miami football, which began in 1948, 15 receivers have gone over the 500-yard mark for a season. Only twice during the 53-year stretch have two players gone for over 500 yards in the same season (1987 - Andy Schillinger and John Stofa; 2000 - Ty Buxton and Sly Johnson). Last season, three RedHawks - Jason Branch, Michael Larkin and Eddie Tillitz - eclipsed the 500-yard plateau for the first time in program history. All three return for this season.

THE Dynamic Duo


For the first time since George Swarn (1983-86) and Andy Schillinger (1984-87) in 1986, Miami has the luxury of two 1,000-yard receivers on its roster at the same time. Senior wide receiver Eddie Tillitz surpassed the 1,000-yard mark versus North Carolina two weeks ago, joining fellow senior Jason Branch, who cleared the 1,000-yard milestone last season. Branch currently has 90 receptions for 1,240 yards, while Tillitz has 87 receptions for 1,005 yards. The two wide receivers are the 17th and 18th Miami players to go over 1,000 yards receiving in their careers.

HURRY-UP HAWKS


With its spread offense, one thing is for certain: Miami can score quickly from anywhere. Last season, the RedHawks scored 43 touchdowns, covering an average of 64 yards per drive in just over 3:06 per drive. Of those 43 scoring drives, 12 occurred in less than 2:00. This season has not been much different as the RedHawks have used an average of 6.4 plays per drive and 2:21 on its eight scoring drives .

IT AIN't OVER, TILLITZ OVER


Senior wide receiver Eddie Tillitz (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) has become one of the big play makers for Miami over his career, making key plays for the RedHawks vs. Buffalo, Akron and Ohio just last year. After returning his third career punt for a touchdown, an 80-yarder versus Buffalo, Tillitz capped one of the most memorable moments in Miami football history as he pulled in Ben Roethlisberger's game-winning touchdown pass as time expired vs. Akron on Oct. 13. One week later with Miami down 21-7 just before the end of the first half at Ohio, Tillitz pulled in an important 11-yard touchdown to pull the RedHawks within seven points heading to the break. He later grabbed the game-winning score with 8:36 left in the game. Last year, Tillitz touched the ball 68 times as a receiver (43 receptions) and punt returner (25 punt returns), moving the ball an average of 12.4 yards per touch, including a team-high 13 plays of over 20 yards. Of those 13 plays, four went for touchdowns In 2000, after not returning a punt for a touchdown in 283 consecutive games-the longest such streak in Division I-A football- Tillitz stopped Miami's drought on Sept. 9 at Eastern Michigan. Tillitz returned not one but two punts for TDs against the Eagles. The streak dated to Oct. 19, 1974 (John McVay, 66-yard punt vs. Bowling Green). Further research revealed that during the 26-year stretch, the RedHawks went 1,628 punt returns without a score.

Not Quite Taking Advantage of their opportunites


Despite causing nine North Carolina turnovers in the season opener, Miami let the Tar Heels stay in the game until the end, scoring just 14 points off turnovers. The RedHawks converted on four-of-seven trips inside the 20-yard line, including one drive where Miami had five chances to score from the North Carolina one-yard line. For the season, the RedHawks are five of nine from the RedZone, including a 1-for-2 performance (one touchown) last week vs. Iowa.

Big Ben Up for O'Brien


The Davey O'Brien Foundation recently announced the preseason watch list for the 2002 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, given annually to the nation's top college quarterback. Miami sophomore quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (Findlay, OH/Findlay) was one of 32 named to the list. Roethlisberger, the nation's top freshman quarterback in passing yards, touchdown passes and total offense from a year ago, put together the best season by a Miami quarterback in 2001, breaking school records for passing yards (3,105), completions (241), touchdowns (25), completion percentage (63.3 percent) and total offense (3,294). All of those totals rank among the top 10 in Mid-American Conference history, and his yardage and touchdown totals were both MAC freshmen records. Last season, Roethlisberger earned MAC Freshman of the Year and was Football Writer's Association of America first-team all-America and named second-team all-MAC honors. The O'Brien Award is named in honor of the late Davey O'Brien, the all-American and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback for Texas Christian University who led the Horned Frogs to the 1938 national championship.

A Good Start to his career


When you compare sophomore quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to some of the other high-profile quarterbacks in the country through their first 14 appearances, he stacks up well, having more completions, attempts and passing yardage. Below is a chart comparing Roethlisberger to eight of his counterparts across the country.

Name, School Comp. Att. Yds. Pct. TD Int. Ben Roethlisberger, Miami (OH) 290 465 3,652 62.4 29 14 Rex Grossman, Florida 196 312 2,874 62.8 31 9 Seneca Wallace, Iowa State 217 345 2,821 62.9 16 12 Ken Dorsey, Miami (FL) 207 353 2,765 58.6 27 6 Casey Clausen, Tennessee 211 334 2,642 63.2 22 10 Eli Manning, Mississippi 201 318 2,386 63.2 23 3 Bryron Leftwich, Marshall 138 238 1,644 58.0 10 9 Jason Gesser, Washington State 174 331 2,377 52.6 16 12 Chris Simms, Texas 70 129 900 54.3 7 8

Roethlisberger's stats are through Sept. 7 Statistics provided by Stats Inc.

 

[hellah10]

Robillard Named to Butkus Award Watch List


Miami University senior linebacker Matt Robillard (Milford, Conn./Milford Academy) has been identified on the preliminary watch list of 67 Division I football players that meet the criteria for the 18th Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's best collegiate linebacker. Robillard, also a first-team all-Mid-American Conference honoree in 2001, is a converted defensive back that totaled 109 total tackles and a team-leading 74 solo stops a year ago. The senior also led the RedHawks with 13 tackles-for-loss, including five quarterback sacks. Robillard ranked 19th in the MAC with 9.0 tackles per game in 2001. Robillard earned a spot on the squad in 1998 after walking on. He received a scholarship the following year. Robillard is one of just four MAC players to earn a spot on the Butkus preliminary list. The list will be cut down to three finalists, who will be announced via a national teleconference with players, coaches, media members and Butkus Award officials on Thursday, November 14.

RedHawk Linebacking Duo Named to Lombardi Award Watch List


Miami University linebackers Terrell Jones (St. Louis, Mo./Mehlville) and Matt Robillard (Milford, Conn./Milford Academy) have each been identified on the preliminary watch list of 49 Division I football players that meet the criteria for the 33rd Rotary Lombardi Award. Jones, a first-team all-MAC selection a year ago, ranked 12th in the MAC in tackles per game (10.0 tpg) during the 2001 season, amassing a Miami team-best 124 total tackles. A selection to The Sporting News Freshmen all-America team and runner-up for MAC Freshman of the Year in 2001, Jones recorded double-digits in tackles seven times in 12 games last season and six times as a freshman. Robillard, also a first-team all-MAC honoree in 2001, led the RedHawks with 13 tackles-for-loss, including five quarterback sacks. Robillard ranked 19th in the MAC with 9.0 tackles per game in 2001. Last season, Jones and Robillard were the first Miami linebacking tandem to each earn first-team all-MAC plaudits since current National Football League products JoJuan Armour and Dustin Cohen achieved the feat in 1998. Jones and Robillard are two of just five MAC players to earn spots on the preliminary list. Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen and those players who line up within five yards of the football.

RedHawk Linebacker Named to Nagurski Trophy Watch List


Miami University linebacker Terrell Jones (St. Louis, Mo./Mehlville) has been identified on the preliminary watch list of 64 Division I football players selected by the Football Writers Association of America for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy presented by the Charlotte Touchdown Club. The award has been presented annually since 1993 to the nation's top defensive player. Jones, a first-team all-MAC selection a year ago, ranked 12th in the MAC in tackles per game (10.0 tpg) during the 2001 season, amassing a Miami team-best 124 total tackles. A selection to The Sporting News Freshmen all-America team and runner-up for MAC Freshman of the Year in 2001, Jones recorded double-digits in tackles seven times in 12 games last season and six times as a freshman. The winner of the Nagurski Trophy will receive the honor on Dec. 9 in Charlotte, N.C. Now in its 10th year of honoring the defensive player in Division I football, the award is named after Hall of Famer and University of Minnesota and Chicago Bears star Bronko Nagurski.

With a Snap of the Fingers


In just one short month, freshman long snapper Dave McClain (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) has gone from walk-on to playing against the likes of North Carolina. When it was determined senior long snapper Scott Sagehorn wouldn't play this year due to a knee injury suffered last season at Hawai'i, the Miami coaching staff went in search of a replacement and found local Cincinnati-product and walk-on David McClain to help fill his shoes. Since joining the team, McClain has worked his way up the depth chart and logged his first collegiate snaps two week's ago at North Carolina. His first game experience was memorable, as the game was played in a constant downpour of rain. McClain finished the game a perfect seven-for-seven on his snaps.

Old Miami ... New Miami, Same Tradition ... New Look!


Miami University head football coach Terry Hoeppner unveiled three new uniform designs this past summer. The RedHawks will be debuting the white away uniform at North Carolina this week before returning home the next week to host the University of Iowa in their new red uniforms. The third alternate uniform will be used in coordination with special home events. The uniforms are a break from the Miami uniforms of the last thirty years, going away from the traditional red jersey and white pants combinations that the team has sported the past several years. "As you look around college football you see a lot of teams making a switch from the traditional uniforms they have worn for years to something new," said Hoeppner. "It was time to buy new uniforms and we put the idea out to our kids and they were excited about a change. This year's marketing theme is 'Old Miami ... New Miami, Same Tradition ... New Look' and the uniforms embody just that. We were able to combine elements of the traditional Miami Red and White with a progressive design. They make us look fast, even standing still."

Getting Out of the Blocks Early


When camp opened on August 8, 104 players took part in the annual fitness test, administered by head strength and conditioning coach Dan Dalrymple. According to Dalrymple, an impressive 69 players tallied perfect scores on the test, which consists of a series of sprints, weight lifts and agility tests. "Nothing was mandatory this summer," Dalrymple said, "but the vast majority of the guys really answered the bell. A lot of our key guys are in the best condition of their lives." Dalrymple noted that perhaps the biggest surprise of the day came from the freshman class, as 25 of the 27 newcomers passed the conditioning test, where 50 percent typically fail.

Familiar Name - Part I


As people read down Miami's roster, one quick question comes to mind as they come to sophomore place-kicker Jared Parseghian (Sylvania, Ohio/St. John's): Any relation to Ara Parseghian? The answer: yes. Jared is the great nephew of college coaching legend and Miami alumnus Ara Parseghian. Last season, Parseghian converted on 26-of-28 extra-point attempts and 6-of-10 field goals.

Familiar Name - Part II


Freshman wide receiver Michael Larkin (Cincinnati, OH/St. Xavier) is another name on the Miami roster that garners a great deal of attention. Larkin is the second cousin to the Larkin family that includes Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin, Xavier University's all-time leading basketball scorer Byron Larkin, minor-league baseball player Stephan Larkin and another Michael Larkin that played football at Notre Dame. Against Iowa, Miami's Michael Larkin made a grand debut, pulling in three catches for 121 yards, including his first career reception, which was a 56-yard touchdown pass. He emerged as the RedHawks' long-ball threat in 2001, averaging 18.2 yards per catch (37 receptions for 672 yards). His 81-yard touchdown reception at Bowling Green is the longest catch of his career and was the 12th longest pass play in college football last year.

Miami Picked Second in MAC East Division
Garnering three first-place votes and 257 total points, Miami was picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference East Division in a preseason poll by the MAC News Media Association. Marshall earned 43 first-place votes and was predicted to finish atop the East Division and win the MAC Championship Game, while new MAC member UCF was picked third, garnering one first-place vote. Bowling Green, which shifted to the West Division beginning this season, was selected to finish first in the West Division. Toledo and Western Michigan, who, Division champions, Marshall (Nov. 2) and Toledo (Oct. 26) this season.

New Look MAC


The Mid-American Conference and the University of Central Florida officially announced this summer that the Orlando-based institution will become a football only member of the MAC effective this year. The move increases the MAC membership in football to 14 with two divisions of seven teams. UCF competes in the East Division along with Akron, Buffalo, Kent State, Marshall, Miami and Ohio. Bowling Green, which had been in the East, moves to the West Division and join Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western Michigan. The MAC, headquartered in Cleveland, is one of only three conferences to hold a championship game with the divisional winners meeting each year for the league title. This year's championship game, scheduled for Friday, Nov. 30 on ESPN, will be at the site of the West Division winner.

 

[hellah10]

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (Ticker) -- No. 12 Louisiana State hosts Miami of Ohio in another non-conference tuneup before opening defense of its Southeastern Conference championship in two weeks.

LSU (1-1) rebounded from a season-opening loss to Virginia Tech to defeat The Citadel, 35-10, last week. The Tigers wore down the Bulldogs with an effective ground attack, rushing for 350 yards, their highest total since 1999.

LaBrandon Toefield, Domanick Davis and Joseph Addai each rushed for more than 80 yards, but the Tigers have struggled to get much going through the air. Matt Mauck has completed just 23-of-53 passes for 224 yards with no touchdowns and a pair of interceptions in LSU's first two contests.

Mauck was only 8-of-18 for 90 yards with an interception against The Citadel. He did score on a six-yard run early in the third quarter to give the Tigers a 28-0 lead.

LSU hosts Mississippi State in its SEC opener on September 28.

The Tigers' secondary could be tested by Miami quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who completed 33-of-51 passes for 343 yards and two touchdowns in last week's 29-24 loss to Iowa. He also had a pair of TD passes to Michael Larkin called back because of penalties.

Roethlisberger, who passed for more yards and touchdowns than any freshman in the country last season, threw for 204 yards in Miami's season-opening 27-21 win over North Carolina, a game in which the RedHawks forced nine turnovers.

LSU posted a 35-7 win over Miami in the last meeting in 1990 to even the all-time series at a win apiece. However, in 1986, Miami, then known as the Redskins, shocked the eighth-ranked Tigers, 21-12.

LSU last played a Mid-American Conference school in 1997, routing Akron, 56-0.

 

[hellah10]

Saban Speaks to Media Before Miami (Ohio) Game
09/09/02




BATON ROUGE -- LSU head coach Nick Saban addressed the media in his weekly press luncheon on Monday in the LSU Athletics Administration Building as the Tigers (1-1) prepare to face Miami of Ohio on Saturday in Tiger Stadium. Members of LSUsports.tv can watch the archive now.

QUOTES FROM LSU HEAD COACH NICK SABAN AT HIS WEEKLY PRESS LUNCHEON

"After viewing the film of the last game it really reinforced what I had said after the game in terms of the intensity our players played with, I think especially in the first half. I don't think the third quarter was especially what we wanted it to be but I was pleased with the effort and toughness and the way our players competed in the game."

"We obviously didn't always get the execution exactly like we wanted it and that is something that we definitely need to work on and need to improve on. I think sometimes when you have young players you have to take it one step at a time and that is something that we are trying to do. We are trying to get down to compete in the game, play hard and give effort and then we will try to make the corrections we need to make to get better execution. I think one of the things that you need to do with these type of players, ones trying to develop, whether they have been starters before or are just playing for the first time is to get them to believe in the process of what they are doing rather than worrying about the results of what they do."

"I think typically we all like to think of outcomes because that is what our goal is and that is what we are motivated to do, but the fact of the matter is if you do things correctly then that gives you the best chance to have success. Sometimes with older players they learn that through their experience, that if they key the right thing, do the right thing, key the right split, run the pattern at the right depth, that all those things in terms of the process, help get the kind of outcome that you want. That is certainly what we are trying to get our team to believe in now- doing it the right way and paying attention to detail will help our execution and that good things will happen because of that execution. We are going to work hard to continue to improve and I think we have a lot of work to do, but I am not disappointed at all with the effort that we had in the game and I think we accomplished a lot of things in this game."

"I think the fact that we got Marcus Randall to play a couple of series in the game in the second quarter when it was still a game was a good thing. Did it affect the momentum of what we were trying to do on offense, maybe a little bit. I still think for the overall good of our team long term that was a real positive to get Marcus in the game to get him feeling better about himself physically as well as the fact that there are some things that he feels he needs to improve on so that he will be ready to play when the time comes, because he is a young player too."

"This team we are about to play is obviously a good football team and they are sitting there right now after beating North Carolina at North Carolina and I am sure they are sitting there today saying 'We should have beat Iowa too.' I think they had two touchdowns called back in the game and that would have been the difference in the game. So they have a very good football team. They do have a very good quarterback who made freshman All-America last year and threw for 3,100 yards and 25 touchdowns and has thrown for almost 600 yards this year. They do a very good job offensively, are very well-coached and they play sound and aggressively on defense."

"I coached in the MAC (Mid-American Conference), I played in the MAC and when I was at Kent State we beat Virginia Tech once and we beat North Carolina State once and Miami (Ohio) beat somebody in the Big 10 almost every year and they beat LSU in 1986. This is not an uncommon occurrence for teams in the MAC to have good programs to be able to beat Division I opponents. All that you have to do is ask North Carolina. Marshall does it and they are in that league, so I understand that to these guys (Mac), it is their dream to be able to play in games like this. A lot of these guys who play on teams maybe didn't have an opportunity to go to those schools, like a Big 10 school or an SEC school or whatever and this is their opportunity to prove that they should have had that opportunity and they play that way. They will play that way in this game and they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I feel like our players need to understand that because this is not a bad team that we are going to play."

"From our standpoint we are going to have several guys in red shirts today. Not that we do not feel they will probable for the game, Eric Edwards will not practice today but Ben Wilkerson will in a red shirt on a limited basis. We will not make a decision about Eric Edwards until Wednesday or Thursday. Ben will go day-to-day and we will see how it goes with him."

"We will find out today when we have our team meeting if our players understand how good of a team we are playing this week. We will be able to get the point across to them at 2:20 today when we have our team meeting. I haven't really talked to the players about this, but we watched the film at 6:45 a.m. this morning and they were very attentive in terms of trying to learn some things that we need to do to get better. We will also find out how their approach this week in practice relative to preparation is because that will determine to a large degree whether they really understand. I think that if they watch tape, and they all better watch tape, then it won't be hard to figure out even if we don't say anything. The should see that their quarterback and their offense is especially good."

 

[hellah10]

Adobe Money Makers

LSUs link
http://www.lsusports.net/fb/pdf/02game03notes.pdf

 

[hellah10]

Adobes Money Makers

Miami(OH) link
http://www.fansonly.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/mioh/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/090902-LSU_Notes

 

[hellah10]

MIAMI (OH) REDHAWKS at LSU TIGERS
7 p.m. (E) * Tiger Stadium (91,600) * Baton Rouge

MIAMI (OH) (1-1, 0-0 MAC)
Head Coach: Terry Hoeppner (Ohio, '94)
Overall/Yrs: 21-15 (.583) / 5th * MU/Yrs: 21-15 (.583) / 5th
2002 Schedule: 9/1-at North Carolina (W 27-21); 9/7-IOWA (L 24-29); 9/14-at LSU; 9/21-KENT STATE; 9/28-at Akron; 10/5-at Cincinnati; 10/12-NORTHERN ILLINOIS; 10/19-at Buffalo; 10/26-at Toledo; 11/2-OHIO; 11/12-at Marshall; 11/23-CENTRAL FLORIDA
Conference: Mid-American Conference
National Rankings: N/A
Formations: Offense - Multiple * Defense - 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.muredhawks.com

Individual Statistical Leaders
Rushing: Jr. RB Cal Murray [29 for 119; 4.1 avg. 1 TD] [45]
Passing: So. QB Ben Roethlisberger [49-84-1; 58.3 pct; 547 yards; 4 TDs]
Receptions: Michael Larkin [10 for 100 yards; 10.0 avg; 2 TDs]
Scoring: Three tied at 12 points.
Tackles: So. DB Matt Pusateri [25 TT (11-14)]

LSU (1-1, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Nick Saban (Kent State, '73)
Overall/Yrs: 62-34-1 (.646)/ 9th * LSU/Yrs: 19-8 (.704)/ 3rd
National Rankings: 22nd - ESPN/USA Today; 25th - AP
Formations: Offense - Multiple * Defense - 4-3
Internet Web Address: www.lsusports.com

Individual Statistical Leaders
Rushing: Jr. TB LaBrandon Toefield [16 for 131 yards; 8.2 avg.; 2 TDs]
Passing: So QB Matt Mauck [23-53-2; 43.4 pct.; 224 yards; 0 TDs]
Receptions: So. WR Michael Clayton [10 for 104 yards; 10.4 avg.; 0 TDs] (4) [50]
Scoring: Jr. TB LaBrandon Toefield [2 TD; 12 points] and Sr. RB Domanick Davis [2TDs; 12 points]
Tackles: Sr. LB Bradie James [37 TT (18-19); 1.5 TFL (-6); 1 sacks (-3)]

Series History
Record: Tied 1-1 * Last: LSU 35-7 (9/15/1990 in Baton Rouge)
Notes: LSU is 3-1 all-time against current Mid-American Conference foes (1-0 v. Akron; 1-1 Miami (OH); 1-0 v. Ohio) ... In 1986, Miami defeated the then eight-ranked Tigers 21-12 to give LSU it's first home loss since 1984 ... LSU went on to claim the SEC title and play in the Sugar Bowl ... As head coach of Toledo in 1990, Nick Saban led the Rockets to a share of the Mid-American Conference title and defeated the Redhawks, 20-14, in the season openers

 

[ctownguy]

I am a Miami, Oh graduate. First they change the schools name from Redskins to Redhawks, damn politcally correct a..holes.

Next they make the FB team play in those hideous uniforms, what's up with that, god they are bad.

What next a women FB HC :shrug:

 

[hellah10]

:lol:

 

[hellah10]

 

[hellah10]

Hoeppner feels refs? inaccuracies may have led to MU defeat
By Pete Conrad
e-mail address: pconrad@coxohio.com
Cox News Service

OXFORD | Miami University football coach Terry Hoeppner has a tape that shows seven plays from last Saturday's 29-24 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes. The tape doesn't have a title. If it needs one, The (Not So) Magnificent Seven might be appropriate.

None of the seven plays helped Miami's cause, and Hoeppner said he believes each of the seven involved an incorrect decision by the officiating crew. "It was frustrating for our players and coaches that we were faced with the adversity we were forced to overcome," Hoeppner said. "If I do nothing about it, we'll have to continue to take whatever's handed to us."

Hoeppner said he spoke with the Mid-American Conference commissioner of officiating about the plays and is sending a copy of the tape to the Big Ten Conference.

Hoeppner knows that none of the plays will be overturned, that Iowa's victory will stand. His official complaint, or rather query, is just his way of saying, "Hey guys, what's up with this?"

"I'll leave it to the powers that be," the Miami coach said, adding that all he wants are officials who work to the best of their abilities "and not be a factor in the game."

The first play on the tape shows a punt by Valley View High School graduate Mike Wafzig. On the return, a block in the back is made by an Iowa player. The RedHawks? Korey Kirkpatrick is about to attempt a tackle when he is shoved to the ground from behind. The officials call a penalty and then wave it off.

The second play shows Michael Larkin's touchdown catch from Ben Roethlisberger in the first quarter which is negated by an offensive pass interference penalty called against Miami wide receiver Jason Branch. "I've never seen that called before, offensive pass interference on the guy the ball's not even thrown to," Hoeppner said, adding that Branch didn't initiate contact and that he was guilty only of "not trying to avoid the defender."

The third play shows an official running into a Hawkeye who was standing along the sideline. "That should be an automatic penalty," Hoeppner said. Instead, the officials issue a warning to Iowa coaches and players to stay back from the field. Play No. 4 shows Roethlisberger's fourth-quarter TD pass to Larkin, which also was called back. Miami offensive lineman Justin Smith is flagged for a hold. "In my mind it should have been a no-call," Hoeppner said.

The fifth and sixth plays show Miami receivers getting knocked down in the end zone late in the fourth quarter, first Branch and then Andre Henderson. The tape shows both receivers being hit, clearly, before the ball arrives. No penalty is called on either play.

The seventh play shows Iowa quarterback Brad Banks, about to get sacked near the Hawkeyes? 10-yard line on third down, fling the ball away toward the sideline, without looking. An official throws his flag, but because a Hawkeye player is in the general area, the flag is picked up. Hoeppner said it's an obvious attempt by Banks to avoid a loss, and that the receiver had no chance of catching the football. "Some interesting decisions for sure," he said.

 

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Pass rush key as LSU readies for RedHawks


Tigers anticipate ?quick-tempo' game


09/10/02

By Jim Kleinpeter
Staff writer/The Times-Picayune









BATON ROUGE -- LSU coach Nick Saban said his players don't need a history lesson to know how dangerous their next opponent is.

Miami of Ohio is a name that makes LSU fans wince. In 1986, the RedHawks pulled off a shocking 21-12 upset of the then-No. 8 Tigers. And this year's RedHawks (1-1) are a tough match in their own right, judging from their victory at North Carolina and a close loss to Iowa.

"I think if they watch the tape, it won't be hard to figure out," Saban said. "Even if we coaches don't say anything."

What the Tigers will see is a Mid-American Conference team with 15 starters returning from a 7-5 ballclub. Not the least of the returning starters is sophomore quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is as big as his name is long.

Roethlisberger, 6 foot 5 and 240 pounds, was a freshman All-American last season, completing 241 of 381 passes for 3,105 yards and 25 touchdowns, with 13 interceptions. In two games this season, Roethlisberger has completed 49 of 84 passes for 547 yards and four touchdowns.

Michael Larkin has 10 catches for 100 yards and Jason Branch nine for 134.

The RedHawks' passing game will be a major step up in class for the LSU defense. The Tigers have faced two teams with lightly regarded passing games. As a result, LSU is ranked first in the SEC in pass defense (84.5 yards per game) and pass-defense efficiency (69.3). The Tigers are fifth and 12th in the nation in those categories, respectively.

Saban said a healthy pass rush is critical to LSU's chances. The Tigers failed to get a sack against The Citadel in Saturday's 35-10 victory.

"It's always a big factor," said sophomore defensive end Marcus Spears. "You've got to get a good pass rush, and we're going to focus on that a lot this week. When we affect him, we affect the offense. If we can just get in his face, affect his throwing lanes, make him run out of the pocket, we'll be OK."

"This guy (Roethlisberger) is hard to sack, a lot like the guy (Jared Lorenzen) from Kentucky," Saban said. "He is athletic. He moves his feet, and he has good pocket presence. He's made a lot of plays already in his career, scrambling, making people miss, shaking off sacks and has a very good knack for knowing where his people are downfield."

Saban said he wasn't concerned that his pass rushers didn't have a sack Saturday. Citadel quarterback Jeff Klein ran several sprint-out plays to avoid the pressure, but he was hit several times and forced into bad throws.

Saban said he was more disappointed about the interior linemen not pushing the pocket in the middle to keep the quarterback from stepping up.

"That affects the quarterback as much as sacking him or getting pressure from the edge," Saban said. "You stop the run with 11 guys, you stop the pass with 11 guys. The more you affect the quarterback, the better chance you have to have an effective pass defense. The rushers usually affect the quarterback more than the defenders in coverage."

LSU players welcome the challenge. The increased number of pro-style passing offenses has caused coaches to tailor their defenses to match. With 40 passes a game and three- and four-wide-receiver sets, pass rushers and defensive backs can shine.

"It's going to be a quick-tempo game," said free safety Damien James. "We have to be ready. I like it. It's more challenging. He's going to try to test us."

 

[hellah10]

First passing challenge

Miami of Ohio QB piling up big numbers early in career

By CARL DUBOIS
cdubois@theadvocate.com
Advocate sportswriter

Listening to LSU football coach Nick Saban, one gets the idea that it's as hard to defense quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as it is to spell his name. The Miami University (Ohio) sophomore was a Freshman All-America last season.

The third game of his sophomore season will be against LSU in Tiger Stadium.

Saban didn't tell a joke or a story to open his weekly news luncheon Monday. When the other team has a quarterback like Roethlisberger, Saban said, he has more important things on his mind at the start of the week.

"Late nights, early mornings," Saban said, referring to the preparations for the game between No. 25-ranked LSU (1-1) and Miami (1-1) at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Miami will be the first significant test this season of LSU's pass defense, a unit whose troubles last season were well-chronicled. In Miami's 29-24 loss Saturday to Iowa, the RedHawks passed for 343 yards.

Virginia Tech and The Citadel, LSU's first two opponents, aren't noted for top-notch passing. Their combined total against LSU was 169 passing yards.

Roethlisberger could reach that number before halftime.

At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, he has a strong arm and playmaking ability. Last season he passed for more yards (3,105) and touchdowns (25) than any other Division I-A freshman in the country.

In the loss Saturday to Iowa, he was 33 for-51 with two touchdown passes.

Miami opened the season with a 27-21 victory at North Carolina.

"I'm sure they're sitting there saying, 'We should have beat Iowa too,' because they had two touchdowns called back, and that would have been the difference in the game," Saban said.

Against Iowa, Roethlisberger threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Jason Branch and a 27-yard catch-and-run scoring pass to Michael Larkin -- a second cousin of Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin.

Two other touchdown passes to Larkin were nullified by penalties.

"Watching the tape on Sunday, we felt like we let one get away," Miami coach Terry Hoeppner said.

Statistically the game was as close as the score.

"We just came up a little short," Hoeppner said. "That's a very good Iowa football team, and they don't give you very much margin for error. We were very efficient on offense and yet, a couple of plays short.

"We did a credible job on defense but needed to stop them one more time and were not able to."

Miami is located in Oxford, Ohio, 35 miles north of Cincinnati. Founded in 1809, it's named for the Miami Indian Tribe that inhabited the area now known as the Miami Valley region of Ohio.

The RedHawks compete in the Mid-American Conference. Saban played and coached at Kent State and coached at Toledo, both MAC schools. He said he knows teams from the MAC get up for games against high-profile teams.

Saban said he hopes LSU's practices this week show that the Tigers seem to grasp that Miami is no pushover. He planned to emphasize the point, but he said he hopes the players learn from their own research.

"I think that if they watch tape, and they all better watch tape, then it won't be hard to figure out even if we don't say anything," Saban said. "They should see that their quarterback -- and their offense -- is especially good."

LSU free safety Damien James was one of several LSU defenders who said he knows the Tigers have a tougher challenge this week.

"I think it's going to be a lot more competitive for us, for our secondary," James said.

Defensive end Marquise Hill said he watched a videotape of Roethlisberger -- "he throws some pinpoints," Hill said, "some frozen ropes" -- and said LSU will need a better pass rush against him than in its first two games.

"He's a big quarterback," Hill said, "and you can't let him get comfortable, or he'll pick you apart all night. It's going to be key for us to pressure him up the middle to kind of flush him out, rattle him a little bit and get him out of his game plan."

LSU's front four will be looking for more of a pass rush, Hill said.

"We really haven't gotten a push, because most of the teams have been using some trickery to try to keep us off balance, because they know that's our main focus -- to try to get a pass rush on them," he said. "They've been using draws and counters and powers, trying to slow up our pass rush.

"This week we'll be able to go up the field a little bit more, because Roethlisberger -- I'm not sure how you pronounce his name -- he's a passer."

 

[hellah10]

LSU Notebook

By GLENN GUILBEAU
gguilbeau@theadvocate.com
Advocate sportswriter

UNHAPPY RETURNS

Don't blame LSU kick returner Domanick Davis for looking over his shoulder every now and then.


For the second consecutive week, Davis returned a punt 80-plus yards for a touchdown, only to turn around to see a penalty flag against his team. Both were called back because of illegal blocks.

He had an 81-yard return called back at Virginia Tech on Sept. 1 and an 82-yard return was called back Saturday. LSU's Demetrius Hookfin blocked illegally below the waist against Tech, while Corey Webster illegally pushed a player from The Citadel in the back.

LSU coach Nick Saban was asked Monday at his weekly news luncheon how frustrated he felt over the two plays.

"Probably not as frustrated as Domanick Davis, who would be leading the nation by 40 yards a return had we not had two 80-yard returns called back," Saban said.

Davis is 10th in the Southeastern Conference in punt returns and kickoff returns with 9.9- and 23.4-yard averages.

Saban was mainly frustrated over the lack of execution.

"The two penalties were completely different," Saban said. "It (the most recent one) was a call that was created by a lack of fundamental execution of technique by the guy that did it. He put himself in a bad position. Therefore, when he tried to make up for being in a bad position, he pushed the guy in the back.

"Had he done the technique correctly, he would have never been in that position. Those are the kind of things I talk about when we talk about execution. The players did get that point this morning."

NO. 1 VS. THE PASS

Guess who has the No. 1 pass defense in the SEC? That's right -- LSU, which has ranked toward the bottom of that category for the last several years.

LSU is No. 1 in the league with an average of 84.5 passing yards allowed a game and is No. 5 in the nation. The Tigers also lead the SEC in pass defense efficiency and are 12th nationally.

In total defense, LSU is third in the SEC and 19th in the nation with 233.5 yards allowed a game.

It is very early in the season, though, and the Tigers have not played a passing team yet. That will happen Saturday when Miami of Ohio (1-1) plays the No. 25 Tigers (1-1) at 7 p.m. Saturday in Tiger Stadium.

Miami of Ohio sophomore quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has completed 49-of-84 passes for 547 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. His 126.37 efficiency rating would put him fourth in the SEC.

INJURY REPORT

Starting tight end Eric Edwards and No. 1 cornerback Demetrius Hookfin did not dress out for practice Monday because of injuries.

Starting center Ben Wilkerson practiced on a limited basis. Among the players wearing the red jersey for non-contact were defensive end Marcus Spears, fullback Joseph Addai and tailback LaBrandon Toefield.

Saban said the only player questionable for Saturday's game is Edwards, who has a foot injury.

"We won't make a decision on Eric Edwards probably until Wednesday or Thursday," Saban said. "Then we'll go day to day and see how it goes with him."

Saban was satisfied with sophomore tight end Demetri Robinson, who started, and redshirt freshman David Jones, who also played in Edwards' absence.

"We're not disappointed at all in the way they played," Saban said. "In fact, David Jones showed that he's made a lot of improvement and played fairly well."

ALLEN BACK

Senior defensive lineman Kenderick Allen was in on 16-18 plays against The Citadel after sitting out the Virginia Tech game with a knee injury that slowed him during preseason camp.

"That's about what we wanted to play him," Saban said. "And he played those in four-play blocks. I think he's probably 100 percent healthy but probably not in the kind of condition he needs to be. So these next couple weeks of practice need to be his fall camp, so to speak. Hopefully, we'll get to play him more in this game."

NO TELEVISION

The LSU-Miami of Ohio game will not be on any type of television.

There were earlier reports that the game might be on pay-per-view in Ohio, but that will not happen, according to LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette.

 

[hellah10]

Tigers' passing game still working out kinks

By CARL DUBOIS
cdubois@theadvocate.com
Advocate sportswriter

On the eighth play of the 2001 football season, LSU wide receiver Jerel Myers caught a 23-yard pass from Rohan Davey. It was the first of seven completions in the Tigers' first two games of the season that covered 20 yards or more.

A year later, LSU is still looking for its downfield passing game.

In a 35-10 victory Saturday over The Citadel, the Tigers' longest pass play was for 14 yards. LSU's longest completed pass in two games this season covered 17 yards.

Virginia Tech was without two starting defensive backs in its 26-8 victory over LSU. The Citadel was, frankly, an overmatched Division I-AA opponent.

If this season were a children's book, the title might be "See Mike the Tiger Run." If it were a higher-education report, it might be "Why Can't Mike Pass?"

Saturday's rains, creating a wet field and a wet football, played a role. Breaking in backup quarterback Marcus Randall, who played in an LSU uniform for the first time, also influenced a game plan that coach Nick Saban said was designed to be conservative.

But the Tigers, even with All-America wide receiver Josh Reed now in the NFL, have a corps of talented, speedy pass receivers this season. They have yet to show signs of being dominant.

Some of that starts with the trigger man. Starting quarterback Matt Mauck has succeeded Davey, who is also in the NFL. Mauck has five games of college experience, two as a starter.


He and the wide receivers -- who were responsible for five of LSU's eight dropped passes against Virginia Tech -- are still trying to learn each other's nuances.

Until that happens, LSU is a basketball team without the threat of a 3-point shot. A baseball team without long-ball power. A football team whose opponents line up eight and nine defenders near the line of scrimmage, daring the Tigers to throw deep.

Saban knows the downfield passing game is clearly an area that needs a lot of improvement, but he's sure it will come.

"I think the more we make those plays, the more confidence we'll get," Saban said. "The more confidence we get, the more you'll see some of these guys making some big plays, because I think we're capable."

Saban said LSU threw the ball well during August practices. Such veterans as Myers, Reggie Robinson and Michael Clayton clicked. Such newcomers as Bennie Brazell and Shyrone Carey were also impressive.

Now the Tigers need to get that precision into the games.

"I think we've got some new guys playing," Saban said, "and I think we've got some guys that can make plays that we've got to get the ball in their hands so they can make plays. And we've got to do it down the field."

That doesn't always mean throwing it deep. Reed made a name for himself by gaining many yards after the catch, an ability not nearly as developed among the receivers on this year's roster.

LSU's offensive line, shuffled and reshuffled since last season, blocked well against The Citadel's eight-man fronts. Neither Mauck nor Randall was sacked.

But Mauck underthrew Jerel Myers on a deep ball after Myers got behind The Citadel secondary, and the pass was intercepted. A 14-yard pass from Mauck to Devery Henderson was LSU's longest pass play.

In the Tigers' first two games last season, they completed four passes of 17 yards and passes of 20, 23, 28, 29, 32, 42 and 45 yards. Two passes scored touchdowns.

That was then. This is now. This season LSU has yet to throw a touchdown pass.

Saban's game plan Saturday was conservative for many reasons. He wanted the Tigers to establish themselves as physically dominant, controlling the line. After the loss to Virginia Tech, he said the Hokies challenged LSU's toughness, and he couldn't say his team won that battle.

Saban said LSU abandoned the running game -- at its expense -- against Virginia Tech, and that's where he put his emphasis against The Citadel.

"It wasn't our intention going into the game to throw it a lot, even though we wanted to try to improve our ability to throw the football," Saban said. "And we threw it effectively -- short -- but we never made any big plays, and we never threw the ball down the field much."

The Tigers averaged 7.3 yards per carry Saturday. A multidimensional passing game wasn't a must to defeat The Citadel.

Soon it will be.

"It was a win," Mauck said, "but we'll have to do a better job of throwing the ball down the field."

No one who was in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night will argue with him.

 

[hellah10]

Close score keeps LSU reserves on bench

By CARL DUBOIS
cdubois@theadvocate.com
Advocate sportswriter

LSU football coach Nick Saban was glad to see backup quarterback Marcus Randall play Saturday night in a 35-10 victory over The Citadel, but he said he would have liked for Randall and other reserves to have more playing time.

Randall entered the game in the second quarter with LSU leading 21-0, but starting quarterback Matt Mauck played several second-half series as The Citadel pulled to within 28-10 early in the fourth quarter.

"I was disappointed that we didn't have the opportunity maybe to get ahead by one more score when it was 28-0," Saban said. "If we could have gotten one more score we were going to put a lot of people in the game."

Randall, a sophomore, tore a knee ligament during LSU's spring game. The Citadel game was his collegiate debut.

"It was good to get Marcus in the game," Saban said. "He got hit real good one time and fumbled the ball, but I think it helped him. I think it helped his confidence just to get in there and play."

Saban said he wanted Randall to gain confidence in his ability to make decisions as well as confidence in his rehabilitated knee, so he'll play without fear. Randall completed two of four passes for 17 yards.

"We need to keep working with him to improve him as well," Saban said.

POLLS: LSU dropped one spot to No. 25 in The Associated Press weekly poll despite defeating The Citadel. Wisconsin, No. 25 a week ago, moved up three spots after defeating West Virginia 34-17 to improve to 3-0.

UCLA's season-opening 30-19 victory over Colorado State vaulted the Bruins into the rankings for the first time this season. UCLA is No. 23 this week after dropping Colorado State five spots to No. 24, the spot previously held by LSU.

LSU (1-1) will be searching for its first victory over a Division I-A team this season when it plays host to Miami of Ohio (1-1) at 7 p.m. Saturday in Tiger Stadium. The Citadel competes in I-AA.

LSU is No. 22 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, up a spot from last week.

CHARLIE MAC: LSU will officially dedicate the Charles McClendon LSU Football Practice Facility with a news conference and ceremony at 2 p.m. today.

McClendon, who coached the Tigers to 13 bowl games in 18 seasons (1962-79), died of cancer Dec. 6 at age 78.

His wife, Dorothy Faye McClendon, and LSU Director of Athletics Skip Bertman will be among those in attendance at the ceremony, which will be held at the gates of the facility on Skip Bertman Drive.

ODDS AND ENDS: LSU free safety Damien James now has eight career interceptions, the most among active Southeastern Conference players. ... Domanick Davis' two touchdowns marked the fourth multi-touchdown game of his career, including last season's Sugar Bowl, in which he scored four times.

PLAYERS OF WEEK: Davis earned offensive player of the week honors from the coaching staff after rushing for 84 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Linebacker Bradie James and free safety Damien James shared defensive honors. Bradie James had a team-high 18 tackles, including one for a loss. He also forced a fumble and added three quarterback pressures.

Damien James added 10 tackles, three pass deflections and returned an interception 32 yards in the fourth quarter for LSU's final points of the contest.

Junior Adrian Mayes was named special teams player of the week for his performance on kick coverage teams. Mayes finished with one tackle on special teams and he added another tackle from his safety position on defense.

 

[hellah10]

GAME NOTES: The upstart Miami-Ohio RedHawks invade the Bayou this weekend in an effort to upset the 25th-ranked LSU Tigers. Miami is a member of the MAC, college football's most underrated conference. After knocking off North Carolina by a score of 27-21 in the season opener, the RedHawks almost shocked Iowa this past weekend, losing by a score of 29-24 to the Hawkeyes. Should Miami find a way to knock off LSU in Saturday's game, it will be hard to ignore two victories in three weeks over major conference teams. Speaking of the Tigers, they bounced back strong from the opening loss to Virginia Tech with a 35-10 victory over an overmatched Citadel team this past weekend. Under head coach Nick Saban, LSU is now 6-2 following a loss. This game marks the fifth time that the Tigers have faced a current member of the MAC, as their record against the conference stands at 3-1 currently. Also worthy of mention is the fact that Saturday's tilt marks the second time in seven games that LSU is not facing a ranked opponent. The all-time series between these two squads is tied 1-1, although the RedHawks and the Tigers have not met since 1990.

It can be argued that no player in the nation means more to his team than Ben Roethlisberger means to the RedHawks. Roethlisberger, who passed for more yards and touchdowns than any other freshman last season, was 33-of-51 for 343 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to Iowa. It is also important to point out that he had two touchdown passes to Michael Larkin negated by penalties. His pocket poise and accuracy for a young signal caller is phenomenal. Through two games, he has thrown four scoring passes against just one interception. Larkin, who leads the squad with 10 catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns, caught seven balls for 83 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Iowa. Unfortunately, the running game did not hold up its end of the bargain against the Hawkeyes, generating an embarrassing total of only 14 yards on 17 carries. Considering that the RedHawks racked up 226 rushing yards against North Carolina two weeks ago, there isn't major cause for concern yet.

Defensively, the RedHawks simply did not play well enough to win against Iowa. They yielded 444 yards of total offense in the game and 22 first downs. Also, they allowed the Hawkeyes to convert on 7-of-14 third downs and hold the ball for well over 33 minutes. Against the run, Miami surrendered 188 yards on 40 carries. The pass defense was not any better, as Iowa posted 256 yards on 67 percent completions. A major problem for the RedHawks is that they were unable to make big plays, evidenced by the fact that they had zero sacks or interceptions. Matt Pusateri was all over the field for Miami, as he posted 15 total tackles in the loss. Through two games, he leads the squad with 25 stops. As a team, the RedHawks are allowing an average of 445 yards of total offense per game, a rather high number that needs to improve.

As for LSU on offense, it obviously misses the leadership and physical ability of Rohan Davey and Josh Reed, two standouts from a year ago who have moved on to the NFL. After posting only 214 yards and one touchdown against a tough Virginia Tech defense in the opening game loss, the Tiger offense played much better this past weekend against a much less formidable Citadel squad. The unit pounded out 400 total yards and 19 first downs despite losing the time of possession battle by almost three minutes. The ground attack was the key to LSU's success, as the talented duo of Domanick Davis and LaBrandon Toefield led the way for 293 rushing yards on 40 attempts. Toefield carried six times for 85 yards and a touchdown, while Davis racked up 84 yards and two scores on 15 attempts. The passing attack, led by Matt Mauck, was once again ineffective. He completed only 8-of-18 passes for 90 yards and an interception. Michael Clayton is the team's go to guy through the air, as he has 10 catches for 104 yards in two games. Unfortunately, neither Clayton nor any other LSU receiver has reached the end zone thus far, a drastic contrast to last season's explosive aerial attack. If the Tigers can not run the football effectively, it is difficult to imagine Mauck and the receivers putting a respectable amount of points on the board.

For the second straight game, LSU held an opponent under 300 yards of total offense, The Citadel managed only 236 yards against the Tiger defense, which has little margin for error with the team's uncertainties at the quarterback position. The last time an LSU defense held back-to-back opponents under 300 yards was way back in 1997, and the unit is currently 19th in the nation and 3rd in the SEC in yards allowed at 233.5 per game. Last season, the Tigers ranked 108th nationally in pass defense by allowing 279.4 yards per game through the air. Things have been much different in the early going this year, as LSU has allowed only 169 total passing yards well below 50 percent completions in two games. The Citadel managed a mere 236 yards this past weekend and moved the chains only 13 times. While there are plenty of talented players on the LSU defense, no one will argue that Bradie James is the force behind the great start. A ferocious linebacker with a tremendous combination of size, strength, and speed, James racked up an eye-popping total of 18 tackles in this past weekend's victory. He also knocked a pass down and forced a fumble, proving that he can make plays all over the field. Through two games, the Butkus candidate has 37 stops to his credit and must be accounted for by Miami on every play.

Mauck is a far cry from Davey, and LSU has no chance of repeating as SEC champions unless the passing game improves tremendously. Toefield and Davis are exceptionally talented runners, but gaining big yardage against consistent eight men fronts is difficult. While Roethlisberger will keep this game close with his gunslinger approach, expect the Tigers to get the job done at home and remain in the top-25 for at least another week.