LSU: A Year in Review While there is a fierce debate about which teams belong in the Nokia Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4 at the Superdome, there is no denying this: LSU is the most unexpected championship contender. Friday December 12, 2003 By Mike Triplett Staff writer BATON ROUGE -- While there is fierce debate about which teams belong in the Nokia Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4 at the Superdome, there is no denying this: LSU is the most unexpected championship contender. The Tigers began 2003 last season with a loss to Texas in the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day, wrapping up an 8-5 campaign on the same day Oklahoma beat Washington State in the Rose Bowl and Southern Cal routed Iowa in the Orange Bowl. LSU came into this season ranked No. 14. But as the year unfolded, the Tigers emerged as one of the nation's elite, winning 12 games for the first time in school history. Here's a look at the Tigers' unforgettable path to New Orleans: Aug. 30, Baton Rouge -- LSU 49, LOUISIANA-MONROE 7 After a 39-minute thunderstorm delay in the first quarter, the Tigers shook off the rust to score 42 consecutive points in the second and third quarters. WHAT WE LEARNED: LSU did indeed possess a game-breaking corps of receivers. The star of the bunch, junior Michael Clayton, caught six passes for 152 yards, including two highlight-reel touchdowns of 40 and 66 yards. WHAT THEY SAID: "I think tonight was a glimpse of what we can do," LSU junior quarterback Matt Mauck said. "Obviously we can execute a little better." Sept. 6, Tucson, Ariz. -- LSU 59, ARIZONA 13 Before anyone knew how good the Tigers would be -- or how bad the Wildcats would be -- LSU made a big statement on the road against their hapless Pacific-10 foe. The Tigers scored on their first seven possessions. WHAT WE LEARNED: Sophomore receiver Skyler Green might not be a bad idea at punt returner. Green, who backed up junior Shyrone Carey at the position, scored on an electrifying 62-yard return in the fourth quarter. Soon, the job would be his full-time. WHAT THEY SAID: "Playing on the road is something we didn't do too well last year, and it's something you have to do to be able to win in the SEC," senior offensive tackle Rodney Reed said. "We would have been successful playing almost anybody with that intensity." Sept. 13, Baton Rouge -- LSU 35, WESTERN ILLINOIS 7 LSU led just 13-7 in the third quarter before Mauck threw three touchdown passes in a 12-minute span. WHAT WE LEARNED: LSU's offense could be inconsistent at times. The Tigers were burned by penalties, dropped passes, blown pass routes and missed kicks. But Mauck still threw for a then-career-high 305 yards and four touchdowns. WHAT THEY SAID: "The defense did a great job taking care of us," Clayton said -- a thought that could sum up LSU's entire season. Sept. 20, Baton Rouge -- LSU 17, GEORGIA 10 Coach Nick Saban caught a little flak for suggesting this was "not a big game." But later, Mauck would say it was the game that let him know the Tigers had a realistic shot at a national championship. With ESPN's Gameday crew on hand, the Tigers won the dramatic battle between top-11 teams when Mauck hit Green with a 34-yard scoring pass with 1:22 remaining. Green later admitted he ran the wrong route on the play. WHAT WE LEARNED: LSU's defense wasn't just good, it was among the best in the Southeastern Conference. Georgia quarterback David Greene was rattled all day by a blitz-crazy LSU defense that pressured him, confused him and batted down several passes at the line of scrimmage. WHAT THEY SAID: "In the big picture, it's one win in the SEC," Saban said. "This game was a big step in having success. Now the next step is dealing with success." Sept. 27, Starkville, Miss. -- LSU 41, MISSISSIPPI STATE 6 LSU dealt with success just fine. LSU junior safety Travis Daniels returned one interception 48 yards for a touchdown. Senior safety Jack Hunt returned another to the 1-yard line. WHAT WE LEARNED: Third-string tailback Justin Vincent, a freshman, might come in handy later in the season. He carried the ball six times for 58 yards and a touchdown. WHAT THEY SAID: "When you get one-dimensional, you have big problems against them, because they're able to bring their blitzes," Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill said. Oct. 11, Baton Rouge -- FLORIDA 19, LSU 7 Following an open date, the Tigers didn't get out of their funk. Even before the game, Saban and the players said practices were sluggish. The game was worse. The Tigers' only points came on Green's punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter. Mauck threw two interceptions, sophomore tailback Joseph Addai injured his knee, and LSU committed 13 penalties for 99 yards. WHAT WE LEARNED: We thought we learned that LSU couldn't handle the pressure after moving up to No. 6 in the national polls. Instead we discovered that it's a long season, and every team has one bad day. While it wasn't true at the time, by season's end no Division I-A team was undefeated. WHAT THEY SAID: "It's OK to make one mistake," Clayton said. "But if everyone makes one mistake, that's what happens." Oct. 18, Columbia, S.C. -- LSU 33, SOUTH CAROLINA 7 LSU bounced back brilliantly, holding the Gamecocks to zero rushing yards. The Tigers rushed for 263 yards with three freshmen at tailback. WHAT WE LEARNED: Before Vincent became LSU's go-to tailback, this was freshman Alley Broussard's night to shine. The 225-pound wrecking ball ran for 108 yards on 19 carries. WHAT THEY SAID: "We got outplayed, outcoached and most importantly, out-enthusiasmed," South Carolina coach Lou Holtz said. Oct. 25, Baton Rouge -- LSU 31, AUBURN 7 It was sweet revenge for LSU against the SEC Western Division's preseason favorite. LSU won by the same score that Auburn won by one year earlier. WHAT WE LEARNED: A lot, actually. The Tigers proved their 5-0 start was no fluke. The loss to Florida was the fluke. LSU scored three touchdowns in the first quarter and kept Auburn scoreless until the fourth quarter. WHAT THEY SAID: "That was a total team win," Saban said. "The excitement before the game was electric, and I think our players came out and played that way early in the game." Nov. 1, Baton Rouge -- LSU 49, LOUISIANA TECH 10 Mauck completed his first 14 passes, four of them for touchdowns. The Tigers gained a total of 653 yards. WHAT WE LEARNED: According to the Bulldogs, LSU was a stronger opponent than the Miami Hurricanes, whom they played earlier in the season. Turns out Louisiana Tech was right. Top-10 teams Miami, Georgia and Washington State all lost Nov. 1, opening the door for LSU's championship run. WHAT THEY SAID: "If they are not the best team in the country, I'd be shocked," Bulldogs coach Jack Bicknell said. Nov. 15, Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- LSU 27, ALABAMA 3 With LSU victories starting to become routine, Alabama settled for a fourth-quarter field goal to avoid becoming the Tigers' first shutout victim. WHAT WE LEARNED: The balance of power has officially shifted in the SEC. We also were reminded of what a powerful weapon Clayton could be. He caught a career-best 12 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. WHAT THEY SAID: "We made a statement. But the statement ain't finished yet," LSU junior linebacker Lionel Turner said. Nov. 22, Oxford, Miss. -- LSU 17, OLE MISS 14 In the first meaningful game between these storied rivals in more than three decades, the Tigers took control of the SEC West. LSU overcame a miserable start, which included a Mauck interception being returned for an Ole Miss touchdown barely one minute into the game. Rebels kicker Jonathan Nichols missed a potential tying 36-yard field-goal attempt with 4:15 remaining. WHAT WE LEARNED: LSU's defense was determined to carry the Tigers. After the Rebels' quick 7-0 lead, they didn't score again until the fourth quarter. LSU held off a furious rally by the Rebels' Eli Manning, sacking the Heisman candidate three times and intercepting one of his passes. WHAT THEY SAID: "I kind of thought, 'I hope (LSU's offense) throws another interception, so we can go out there and stop them again,' " LSU senior defensive tackle Chad Lavalais said. "Hey, put it on our shoulders. It's been on our shoulders all year, so it was no different in this game." Nov. 28, Baton Rouge -- LSU 55, ARKANSAS 24 The Tigers clinched the SEC West and a school-record seven conference wins. Mauck threw four touchdown passes. Vincent ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns. WHAT WE LEARNED: The entire football-watching nation learned that LSU meant business on the day after Thanksgiving. Tigers fans felt this performance should have gotten LSU more love from the pollsters. WHAT THEY SAID: "If we win the SEC championship game, I'm sure some people are going to have something to say if we're not in the final two teams," Reed said. Dec. 6, Atlanta -- LSU 34, GEORGIA 13 The Tigers saved their best for last, dominating the fifth-ranked Bulldogs and earning a spot in the BCS championship game. It was arguably LSU's biggest victory in 45 years. Vincent broke the game open with an 87-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and finished with 201 yards, two touchdowns and the MVP trophy. Mauck and Clayton connected on a 43-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter. And LSU's defense sacked Greene five times and intercepted three passes. WHAT WE LEARNED: Nothing -- until the next day. On Saturday night, LSU only hoped its dazzling win was enough to impress the computers and the pollsters that made up the BCS computer formula. The Tigers' magical 12-1 season wound up being more worthy than USC's 11-1 season by 16-hundredths of a point. WHAT THEY SAID: "I just want to say that I don't believe this team was motivated by what bowl game we would play in," Saban said. "They wanted to win the SEC. They wanted to prove to people that we were the best team in the league."
