A then-Category 4 hurricane on the horizon didn’t stop about 60,000 Tiger faithful from making an early morning trek to LSU’s 10 a.m. match against Appalachian State.The No. 7 Tigers showed no signs of morning fogginess from the earlier start time as they put a 41-13 hurting on Appalachian State. The game was bumped up from its original 4 p.m. start to ease safety concerns related to Hurricane Gustav evacuations.”When we were going to the pre-game meal, it was still dark outside,” said senior defensive end Tremaine Johnson. “Coach said to us yesterday, ‘We know there’s a lot of adversity out here, but we need to keep our heads in it, come out here and focus and win this game.'”Apparently, breakfast at dawn suits the Tigers well. LSU put the game out of reach with a 14-0 first quarter lead that grew into a 31-0 rout by halftime.Sophomore quarterback Andrew Hatch started for the Tigers, but redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee earned significant playing time as well.Both Hatch and Lee recorded their first career touchdowns in the first quarter of play. Hatch connected with Demetrius Byrd for a 17-yard touchdown, while Brandon LaFell scored on a 31-yard throw from Lee.Lee connected again with LaFell in the fourth quarter for a 39-yard touchdown pass, which marked the second of Lee’s career.Hatch rushed for 43 yards and completed 7-of-14 throws for 77 yards. Lee finished 6-of-10 for 116 yards, with one interception.Despite comments from Miles that all three quarterbacks would play, true freshman Jordan Jefferson did not see the field.”He is developing very nicely, and when I put him in the game, I want him to be able to really have a great start,” Miles said. “I think we look forward to him getting into the game.”Junior running back Charles Scott finished with 16 carries for a 160-yard career-high rushing performance. Scott opened LSU’s first possession by breaking free for a 56-yard run, the longest of his career.  It appeared to be a free run to the endzone, but Scott was chased down from behind and scored on the next play.Appalachian State junior quarterback Armanti Edwards completed 13-of-31 attempts for 155 yards and one touchdown. He led the Mountaineers with 23 rushing yards.Appalachian State coach Jerry Moore said he was disappointed but hopes to learn as much from this loss as he did with the Mountaineers’ 2007 upset over then-No.5 Michigan.”They are so athletic, and it just wore on us,” he said. “We would make a good play, and then have a down play. We hit CoCo [Hillary] on the first play. Everyone got excited and then the next thing you know, you get slammed.”Junior safety Danny McCray led the Tigers with seven total tackles, although he exited the game in the fourth quarter because of an unspecified leg injury. The severity of his injury is unknown.The Tigers’ punting game was less than impressive due to several shanked punts from senior Brady Dalfrey, who averaged 25.5 yards after 14- and 15-yard shanks.Miles said he held out senior place kicker Colt David (ankle injury) as a precaution. Sophomore Josh Jasper handled the place-kicking duties in David’s absence and finished 2-of-2 with a long of 33 yards.Senior defensive tackle Charles Alexander did not play due to a hamstring injury precaution and redshirt freshman linebacker Shomari Clemons did not dress because of a shoulder injury. Senior defensive end Kirston Pittman also played in limited capacity because of a “nick,” Miles said.The schedule for LSU’s upcoming week remains uncertain as Gustav moves closer to the Louisiana coast.All media opportunities with the Tigers have been canceled for Sunday and Monday, Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette said.”I know that this storm is bearing down on us,” Miles said. “I know that there are some serious considerations given in the state of Louisiana. I can only tell you that we’re with you.”Players said the team will meet midday Sunday to discuss preparations for the storm. The Tigers’ next scheduled game is Saturday against Troy at 7 p.m. in Tiger Stadium.”Our guys are looking, like the rest of the state, to see how bad this storm will be,” Miles said. “The only thing I can tell you is that we want to play, and if there is an opportunity, we will.”
Click here for a feature on junior running back Charles Scott, who led the Tiger’s offense against Appalachian State.—-Contact Amy Brittain at abrittain at lsureveille.com