LSU has won eight games since the 2005 season when trailing entering the fourth quarter. But so far this season, LSU has made it the norm to come out of the gates and locker room blazing.The Tigers have outscored opponents by a combined 37-3 in the first quarters of games.”We like to play with the lead,” said redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Lee. “That gives us the option to run or go to the play action pass. It opens up our playbook.”LSU has also controlled third quarters of games this season and outscoring opponents, 41-7.LSU junior running back Charles Scott said LSU’s success in the first and third quarters should be credited to the adjustments made by the Tigers’ coaching staff.”We prepare for an opponent all week and want to come out smoking,” Scott said. “Then we go in at halftime and cool off, and the coaches get our game plan back on track. Then we get back at it.”But LSU has had more problems in the second and fourth quarters of games. LSU has only outscored opponents, 41-24, in the second quarter, and the Tigers have been outscored, 27-23, in game’s final period.The Tigers’ worst second quarter of the season came Sept. 20 against Auburn when they were outscored, 14-0 and had to come from behind in the second half to win.But in that game, LSU reverted to its 2007 form, when they overcame four fourth quarter deficits and came from behind to secure the win.Junior linebacker Perry Riley said LSU’s stats in the fourth quarter are because of the Tigers having big leads and letting up on their opponents.”We know we’ll make the plays when we need to,” he said.    Lee said for LSU to have success in the final eight games of the season, the team has to avoid playing from behind like it did against Auburn — a situation Lee takes the blame for.”That was a mistake on my part,” Lee said. “I’ve learned from that, and we hope to go into Florida and reverse that.”Fast starts are nothing new to the Tigers under fourth-year coach Les Miles.LSU has scored first in 23 of its last 31 games, including all four games this season.Riley said playing with a lead makes things easier for players on both offense and defense because it takes the unpredictably out of the opponent’s game plan.”It lets us know that they can’t do certain things that they normally would do,” he said. “It makes it easier to know when to blitz and when to drop into coverage because you have a better idea what play they’re running.”But LSU’s reputation as a ‘second half team’ has also been evident on the Tigers’ schedule.LSU has a 24-3 record in games played in November, December and January since 2003.The Tigers have lost seven games in September and October in that span. Senior defensive tackle Charles Alexander said LSU’s success in the back end of seasons should be attributed to the team’s depth.”We do not have to lean as heavily on our starters as other teams do,” he said. “In this league, that keeps everyone more fresh when the stakes get higher later in the season.”—-Contact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]