A crowd of 92,630 watched big plays fall dead as LSU wide receivers dropped big passes. But the biggest pass of the game fell right were LSU wanted it – into junior wide receiver Demetrius Byrd’s arms.
LSU senior quarterback Matt Flynn connected with Byrd to score the go-ahead touchdown with one second remaining in the game, propelling then- No. 4 LSU to a 30-24 win against then-No. 17 Auburn on Saturday in Tiger Stadium.
“I did not expect that, that play would take down to one second,” said LSU coach Les Mies. “But certainly it worked right.”
As the clock was winding down, Flynn squeezed a 22-yard touchdown pass into Byrd under tight coverage by Auburn sophomore cornerback Jerraud Powers. “I sort of had my hand pressed on [Byrd] and as soon as I turned my head to look at the ball, it was already in there; and I had my hand on it and went to rip it out at the end,” Powers said. “He just made a heck of a play.” Byrd slid across the endzone turf for the game-winning touchdown in regulation as Death Valley erupted. If Byrd had dropped the ball, time would have expired and LSU would have had no chance for a 39-yard, game-winning field goal attempt. “I was waving my hand to [LSU offensive coordinator Gary] Crowton,” Byrd said. “I guess he saw it. I was calling for the go routes and when I got in the huddle, that was the play call. I knew I had to make a play on it.”
LSU dug itself into an early deficit for the fourth time in five games when Auburn senior quarterback Brandon Cox connected with sophomore wide receiver Montez Billings for a 17-yard touchdown pass with 10:10 left in the first quarter.
Cox finished with 199 passing yards and two touchdowns and was 18-of-28 in the game.
LSU responded after running back Keiland Williams scored on a 46-yard screen pass from Matt Flynn to tie the game at 7-7.
Auburn took a 14-7 lead after Powers returned a fumble by LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux to the LSU 3-yard line. The fumble return set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Auburn senior running back Carl Stewart.
Flynn was 22-of-34 for 319 yards with one interception – his highest total yardage of the season.
“[Flynn] was just taking it one play at a time,” Byrd said. “He was taking his time going over his reads, and the offensive line was giving him enough [time] to get the ball out.”
LSU did not score again until the opening drive of the third quarter when LSU junior kicker Colt David hit a 29-yard field goal.
Flynn increased his offensive production in the second half with 222 yards and a touchdown.
LSU came into the game averaging 232 rushing yards per game and 196 passing yards per game but did not meet its rushing average. But with the return of senior receiver Early Doucet, the Tigers were able to achieve a season high in passing yards.
Doucet had seven catches for 93 yards – six of which came in the second half.
“It is a big help to have a playmaker like that back,” Byrd said. “If he was feeling hurt anytime this game, he didn’t show it. He was out there making plays and showing that he was back to Early.”
LSU receivers dropped several balls, continuing a trend that has plagued the unit all season.
The interception Flynn tossed was the result of a bobbled pass by wide receiver Brandon LaFell that Auburn defensive back Patrick Lee snagged out of the air.
“We are going to get [LaFell] back on the field, and we are going to support him,” Miles said. “We just felt like there were other guys we wanted to put in the game. We wanted to give him some time to relax and get comfortable with play.”
Doucet’s 93 yards and seven receptions were the most in both categories for a receiver since Doucet last played against Virginia Tech.
In the five games Doucet missed, no LSU receiver had more than six receptions. Sophomore wide receiver Jared Mitchell’s 82 yards receiving against Middle Tennessee was the highest one-game receiving yardage total during Doucet’s absence.
“We game-planned for Doucet,” said Auburn sophomore defensive back Jerraud Powers. “We knew that if he came back, he was going to be full-go, ready-to-go.”
Miles addressed some of the issues with second-half mistakes. LSU took two early timeouts in the second half that Miles said were because of incorrect personnel on the field.
“There were some mistakes that have to be ironed out,” Miles said. “I am not going to put up with illegal procedures and time off the clock and timeouts used inappropriately.”
—Contact Amos Morale at [email protected]
No. 3 LSU takes down another top-25 opponent with late fourth-quarter heroics
By Amos Morale
October 21, 2007
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