Excuse me if all my journalism classes and credibility are ruined for this statement, which will be presumably biased, but I’m the type of guy who calls it how I see it, and this is how I see it.
They cheated!
This has to be an especially tough loss for the LSU players, fans and coaches to swallow.
If not for the fact that the loss puts LSU two games behind Auburn in the Southeastern Conference Western Division or that with the plethora of weak schedules infecting college football’s top teams this season, a one-loss season will not get you in the national title game as it did in 2003.
Even if you disregard that after out-gaining Auburn on offense 311 yards to 182 and holding last year’s SEC leading rusher to 70 yards and that the better team did not win, it is extremely tough to decipher how men dressed in Foot Locker uniforms with no apparent athletic ability can decide the fate of such a crucial contest.
The referees roamed the field with the swagger of dictators, and their calls, or lack thereof, proved their mentality matched their aura.
For starters there were the two pass interference calls, which were almost identical in nature but seemed to go the same way.
Auburn’s way that is.
The first came when LSU senior Daniel Francis was tagged for pass interference after contacting a defender a half-second before senior Jesse Daniels intercepted a Brandon Cox pass.
Tough call, but a rule is a rule, right?
Obviously not when it applies for the home team as Auburn was called for pass interference when LSU senior receiver Early Doucet was held by Auburn’s Zack Gilbert on a fourth down pass, a half-second before the ball was swatted away.
But then something even ESPN’s 127-year-old Lou Holtz said he had never seen happen before happened. The referees decided to pick up the flag, and LSU ultimately turned the ball over late in the fourth quarter.
Hmmmm. . . interesting.
Then there was the fourth down “incompletion” to Jacob Hester, which was blatantly evident after review that it was a catch and fumble and should have been an LSU first down.
Unfortunately, the officials didn’t see it that way.
On the reverse side senior safety LaRon Landry apparently jarred the ball loose from an Auburn receiver with 5:40 remaining in the second quarter, but the receiver was ruled down, thus eliminating the possibility of a replay.
Hmmmm. . . interesting.
But you could only blame the officials to a certain extent until you look at what happened on the field.
There were the ghosts of seasons past, appearing in the form of dropped balls.
There was the paltry running game, which gained only 42 yards and averaged 1.8 per carry.
And also the quarterback’s clock management on the games last drive.
Even one of LSU’s best players in the Auburn series, Auburn kicker John Vaughn, could not get LSU over the hump with a 30-yard wounded duck that hit off the left upright in the second quarter.
But the bright side for LSU is that there still is a lot of football to be played this season, and you can take some positives out of this crucial conference divisional loss, which severely crippled the team’s chances of reaching the SEC title game.
JaMarcus Russell and the LSU passing game looked solid.
Despite some drops and a few off-the-mark passes, the offense gained 269 yards passing against one of the top defenses in the nation, and more importantly did not turn the ball over.
With the exception of two drives, the defense was dominant and looks like it will be a dominant unit all season, particularly the defensive line.
What the Tigers need to do is regroup mentally, iron out a few wrinkles offensively and move on because they will still have a great year.
Of course, unless the officials feel otherwise.
—–Contact Jeff Martin at [email protected]