With most of the crowd of 92,449 still waiting in anticipation, LSU sophomore place kicker Colt David made the kick of his collegiate career that boosted the No. 9 Tigers to a 23-20 win Saturday night against the University of Mississippi in Tiger Stadium.
After overcoming a 13-point deficit to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, Ole Miss blocked David’s potential game-winning extra point attempt to send the game into overtime.
“To be honest I haven’t had an extra point blocked since early in high school,” David said. “I thought the kick was one of my better kicks. I hit it solid and everything felt good, it just didn’t follow through.”
The Tigers (9-2, 5-2) were given another chance to capture the game after senior defensive back Daniel Francis forced a fumble on the Rebels’ first overtime possession. David said his 26-yard game-winning field goal was a much needed relief and said he was calm throughout the entire process.
“To be honest with you, I had my mind on something else,” David said. “I just tried to imagine everything when they tried to ice me up like I was back on the practice field. Just a normal kick and you can’t think of anything else in that situation. I was just thankful for the opportunity because after that missed kick I would do anything to redeem myself.”
Although the game ended in LSU’s favor, not so much can be said for the remainder of the game in which the Tigers struck first blood early in the second quarter after senior wide receiver Dwayne Bowe hauled in a 13- yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback JaMarcus Russell.
The 13-yard score marked the 21st time Russell and Bowe have connected for 6 points, moving the duo into a tie with former quarterback Tommy Hodson and former receiver Wendell Davis for the most career touchdowns in school history.
Bowe, who finished the game with seven catches for 64 and two touchdowns, said the record was a great achievement, but his only concern was to finish out the game on top.”It means a lot to me personally, but if we would have lost the game tonight, I wouldn’t of cared about the record,” Bowe said. “But I came through in the end. The offensive line did their job in the end, and we were victorious.”
Ole Miss responded after junior quarterback Brent Schaeffer and junior running back Bruce Hall connected on a 22-yard score to even the score at 7. Schaeffer completed only 6 of 14 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown
After a personal foul committed by LSU senior defensive end Chase Pittman placed the ball at midfield, the Rebels successfully recovered an on-side kick to begin their drive at the LSU 39-yard line. Another personal foul committed by Pittman and five consecutive rushes by Ole Miss running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis was all it took for Ole Miss to take a 14-7 lead late in the first half. Green-Ellis rushed 27 times for 92 yards.
Miles said the careless penalties committed by the team are something he will address this week in practice.
“I think the un-timeliness of the penalties [hurt our team],” Miles said. “There’s going to be some guys whose butts I’m just going to rip if this film shows me anything that resembles a personal foul without intent to play football.”
After forcing the Tigers to punt on their next possession and needing only 32 yards for another score, the Rebels could not capitalize as freshman kicker Joshua Shene missed a 37-yard field goal.
The beginning of the second half possessed similar results for the Tigers as Rebels freshman wide receiver Marshay Green returned the opening kickoff 62 yards to the LSU 33-yard line.
Shene capitalized on the great field position, knocking a 38-yard field goal through the uprights to increase Ole Miss’ lead to, 17-7.
Another 45-yard field goal by Shene on the Rebels next possession late in the third quarter put them on top, 20-7.
LSU began its comeback with 11:13 second left in the game as Russell hit junior wide receiver Early Doucet on a 4-yard pass to cap off a 59-yard drive and close the gap to, 20-14.
The Tigers tied the game at 20 with 14 seconds left after Russell and Bowe connected for their second score of the game. Russell completed 19 of 35 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns.
The Rebels held LSU to only 75 rushing yards on 27 attempts. LSU senior Justin Vincent led the Tigers with 39 yards on seven attempts, and LSU junior Jacob Hester was second on the team with 26 yards on seven rushes.
LSU true freshman Keiland Williams, who has had a larger role in LSU’s running game the past couple of weeks, did not play because of a “dinged ankle,” Miles said
With LSU’s win, this season’s team becomes just the fourth to go undefeated in school history.
The win also came on the day following the passing of former University of Michigan coach Bo Schembechler – Miles’ former coach. Miles played and coached under Schembechler at Michigan.
“I can tell you that football has lost a great man,” Miles said. “I will miss him. He was my mentor. He gave me my first chance. I thought about him a lot today.”
Miles said Schembechler was a unique coach that may never be replaced.
“There won’t be another like him,” Miles said. “He had it. He was unique. I was very fortunate to be coached by him. If I look back, everything I have in my personal and professional life is in some way tied to Michigan and that man.”
Contact Jay St. Pierre at [email protected]