After committing 14 penalties for 120 yards against Syracuse University on Saturday, the Tigers’ veterans on both sides of the ball are looking for ways to eliminate the same costly mistakes in LSU’s return to Tiger Stadium against Eastern Michigan University this Saturday.
“I think the biggest reason for it is a lack of focus,” said senior offensive tackle Vadal Alexander. “It’s something we can’t have. It’s definitely one of our number one priorities coming into this week. It can cost us down the road, and we can’t have penalties like that.”
Although the veteran lineman’s uncharacteristic false start penalties were easily caught on film, some of LSU’s costly offensive penalties, including the illegal formation call that negated sophomore running back Leonard Fournette’s 87-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, left the Tigers speechless.
Sophomore wide receiver Malachi Dupre said the call was surprising considering he and junior wide receiver Travin Dural checked with the referee before the play, and the Tigers ran the same formation before and after the call without any problems.
“When the flag was thrown, there wasn’t even any thought in my mind that it could have been on me and Travin,” Dupre said. “I ran down there celebrate with Leonard and looked back, and the flag was thrown. I thought for sure it might have been holding or something other than an alignment issue.”
Neal looks back on personal foul call
In a penalty-ridden game against Syracuse, junior defensive end Lewis Neal was on the receiving end of one of the rarest penalties in the game — a personal foul for continuing to play without a helmet.
When his helmet came off during the third quarter, Neal finished the play with a would-be sack on Syracuse sophomore quarterback Zack Mahoney. But the Orange were given 15 yards and a first down when the referees threw a personal foul flag on Neal.
“When it came off, I just saw the quarterback and went go get him,” Neal said. “I didn’t really notice that it was off. It was so fast.”
Although Neal said he understands why the rule exists, he said a better way to protect player safety would be to whistle a play dead when a defensive player loses a helmet.
“I don’t really see a personal foul,” Neal said. “I can see them stopping the play and letting me get of the field and putting someone else on the field, like they do for the offense sometimes.”
Dupre reflects on Head Injury
Everything was normal when Dupre lined up wide on LSU’s 20-yard line for a third-and-15 with 56 seconds left in the first quarter against Syracuse on Saturday, until it wasn’t.
When he leapt to make the would-be first down catch, Dupre’s head slammed on the turf of the Carrier Dome, leaving the sophomore wideout reeling for a moment.
“I really didn’t know where I was at for a minute,” Dupre said. “I just know when I hit the ground, I didn’t remember anything at all. I ain’t going to lie to you. I remember it now.
After he said he came to on the sideline and passed concussion tests, Dupre returned to the game to make three catches for 61 yards and a touchdown.
Looking back on his football career, Dupre said the only other time he lost consciousness on the field was in the state championship game during his junior season in high school, but he still made the catch on the play.
“It was kind of the same scenario on turf in the Mercedes -Benz Superdome,” Dupre said. “I landed on my head, but it wasn’t as bad as that.”