While national championship hopes may have vanished after the loss to Southeastern Conference rival Ole Miss last weekend, LSU has four games remaining to prove they belong in a BCS bowl game.
The road to that goal begins Saturday against Football Championship Subdivision opponent Furman (3-4, 2-2 Southern Conference).
The Tigers are 47-point favorites against arguably the easiest team on its 2013-2014 schedule. Furman lost four games already this season and experimented with five different quarterbacks.
But with BCS implications on the line and an upcoming bye week where LSU can’t control its own destiny, the Tigers must dominate the undermanned Paladins to stay in the hunt for a BCS berth.
“The season is not over,” said sophomore running back Jeremy Hill. “Last time this team won a national championship they had two losses. It’s a long season. There are a lot of upsets and we were one of them. We just have to keep playing.”
The Tigers’ 388 total yards of offense last week were overshadowed by senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger’s three interceptions. Mettenberger has the chance to redeem himself Saturday against a Furman defense that allowed more than 20 points in five of its seven games this season.
Mettenberger acknowledged that the LSU offense suffered from his individual play against Ole Miss and looks to bounce back on Saturday.
“I got a little ahead of myself, and I obviously paid for it,” Mettenberger said. “I learned from it and I’m getting ready for Furman.”
Mettenberger is not the only the LSU offensive player struggling as of late. While Hill was held to 64 rushing yards last week, star junior wide receiver Odell Beckham has gained less than 80 yards receiving in the last two games compared to his 114 yards per game average throughout the first six games.
“I think we are just shooting ourselves in the foot,” said junior wide receiver Jarvis Landry. “We have to be smarter with the football and take advantage of the opportunities. Being able to execute plays and carry out assignments is the most important part.”
Earning a spot in a BCS bowl game also calls for an improvement on the other side of the ball, where the LSU defense allowed 525 total yards of offense last week.
“We can get the confidence back up for the whole team,” said junior defensive tackle Anthony Johnson. “We can’t let any opponent off lightly. We’re going to come out and prepare for Furman.”
The chaotic nature that the end of the season brings can influence the BCS picture week to week. With two top-15 matchups remaining, the Tigers still fight for a spot in a prestigious bowl game.
“We’re going to try to get better,” said sophomore linebacker Kwon Alexander. “We’re going to play our hardest in every game. We’re going to try to get to a BCS Bowl. We’re going to do all we can to get to a [BCS] Bowl.”