With 26 consecutive wins since 1982, games against in-state opponents are as close as it gets to a sure thing at LSU.
 
However, while many Tiger fans approach the matchup against Louisiana-Monroe as a glorified scrimmage, Warhawks junior wide receiver Luther Ambrose recognizes his chance to orchestrate a coming-out party in front of more than 92,000 guests.
 
Saturday’s game against LSU represents the latest in a long string of opportunities for Ambrose to make an impact against elite competion.
 
Ambrose made his way onto the national stage in June when he finished third in the 100-meter dash at the NCAA track championships, clocking a time of 10.12 seconds. The career-best time came despite having spent most of spring in football practice rather than focusing exclusively on track.
 
While he said he surprised even himself with the result, perhaps he shouldn’t have. As a high school junior, Ambrose handed district rival Joe McKnight the only 100-meter loss of his high school career at the state track meet, beating the future Southern California star by five thousandths of a second.
 
“I just step up to the challenge in anything,” Ambrose said. “Every time against someone good, or in a big situation, I end up stepping up. That’s just what I do.”
 
His track results lend credence to his confidence, but the upcoming battle with the LSU secondary represents his biggest challenge to date on the gridiron. That he’ll get a chance to play in Tiger Stadium, less than an hour from his hometown of St. James, makes him relish the matchup even more.
 
“I’m always looking forward to competing against the best,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to play in that stadium, and I get a chance to play there against one of the best defenses. I can’t ask for anything better than that.”
 
For his part, LSU junior cornerback Patrick Peterson understands the problems Ambrose can present to opposing defenses.
 
“It’s hard guarding those smaller, shifty receivers,” Peterson said. “You’ve got to stay a little more aggressive. That’s definitely going to be a fun challenge. I’m getting excited.”
 
Ambrose represents a growing trend of sprinters being utilized in college football as running backs or wide receivers. The past two NCAA 100-meter champions are Florida running back Jeff Demps and former LSU running back Trindon Holliday. Former Clemson running back C.J. Spiller was a 100-meter semifinalist at the 2009 NCAA Championships.
 
“There was a time period when everybody used smaller receivers that could run, and then everybody went big, and now you’re kind of seeing a little bit of a transition back to where they’ve got some speed guys,” said ULM coach Todd Berry. “Certainly for our offense, we want some fast guys and don’t really care about the size.”
 
Rick Gaille, who coached Ambrose at St. James High School, warned against mistaking Ambrose for a sprinter in a football uniform.
 
“He has track speed with football skills,” Gaille said. “There’s a lot of people that have speed, and there’s a lot of people that have football skills, but there’s very few people that have that combination.”
 
That combination manifested itself during Ambrose’s senior year in a semifinal game of the Class 2A state playoffs. As Gaille remembers it, the Wildcats were in a third-and-30 situation near midfield when he called a play for his then-All-State running back.
 
“We ran a delay draw type of play to him,” Gaille said. “He broke four or five tackles and ran away from the rest of the defense to not only get us a first down but score. That really showed all of his assets in one play.”
 
Ambrose switched from running back to wide receiver after enrolling at ULM. Despite leading the team in catches, yards and touchdowns this season, he said he’s still a work in progress.
 
“It was difficult [to change positions] because in high school we didn’t throw the ball that much. I had to work on my hands, technique, routes and reading defenses. It’s always an ongoing process of learning.”
 
 
 
 
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Contact Ryan Ginn at [email protected]