You don’t find many 4-0 teams mired in a quarterback controversy, especially when coming off a win over a ranked opponent – but that’s precisely where LSU sits.
 
The Tigers beat the No. 22 West Virginia Mountaineers using the same win-ugly formula they have used all season.
 
The offense had an atrocious night while the defense and special teams were spectacular for the Tigers, who survived a 14-point West Virginia rally to win, 20-14.
 
Junior running back Stevan Ridley was once-again the only bright spot for a Tiger offense that failed to post 100 yards through the air for the third straight game.
 
“We can run the football well. We didn’t throw it as well as we would have liked,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “Our quarterback play has got to get better. It’s just that simple.”
 
Junior quarterback Jordan Jefferson completed less than 50 percent of his 22 pass attempts and only managed 75 yards passing. Jefferson
looked indecisive on more than one occasion, and was hearing the crowd’s vociferous displeasure.
 
The home crowd of 92,575 booed Jefferson loudly for every over or under-thrown receiver, or every option keeper that was snuffed for minimal yardage. The crowd even booed Jefferson when he stumbled to a first down on an option play.
 
Miles was not pleased with the crowd reaction.
 
“I wonder if they realize how they represent themselves when they boo? Our team flew around and busted their tail, and you know what? They
were not perfect,” Miles said. “But to think that somebody could boo great effort, are you kidding me? It doesn’t make any sense. That guy
[who boos], he goes to work, he goes to the coffee pot and he complains about the coffee. He didn’t make it.”
 
The loudest cheers of the night may have come when junior Jarrett Lee – once the ultimate target of fan animosity – entered the game for Jefferson late in the fourth quarter.
 
Lee completed both passes he attempted, though one was nullified by one of 12 penalties against LSU.
 
Ridley carried the LSU offense on his back, especially in the second half when he toted the ball 14 times for 89 yards. Ridley consistently broke 12 and 13 yard runs to keep the Tigers on the field, but remains
unsatisfied with the offense’s performance.
 
“I actually got aggravated because we’re a lot better than what we’ve shown,” Ridley said. “It’s kind of bittersweet. We’re 4-0, yes we’re happy, but at the same time I’m still aggravated because this team has
so much potential.”
 
The defense saved the day again for the Tigers, limiting a high-flying West Virginia offense to 177 total yards. The defense also forced two turnovers and blocked a chip-shot field goal.
 
“They’re probably the quickest and most speedy guys I’ve ever played against,” said senior linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, who led the Tigers with 11 tackles. “They had about five or six guys they could just move
around.”
 
The defense bottled up senior running back Noel Devine. Devine entered the game having rushed for more than 111 yards in each of West Virginia’s games this season, but the LSU defense stifled the speedy back to the tune of 37 yards on 14 carries.
 
Perhaps the most telling stat of the game was the defense’s performance on third down. West Virginia only converted two of 13 third down attempts – many of them in third and short situations.
 
The special teams dominated once again, accounting for 14 of the Tigers’ 20 points. Seniors Derek Helton and Josh Jasper continued to show an absolute mastery of the punting game, downing four out of six
punts inside the 20-yard line, and coming within inches of downing a fifth.
 
Jasper connected on his two field goal attempts as well, and of course, the night wouldn’t be complete without a Patrick Peterson sighting.
 
The junior cornerback took a second quarter punt 60 yards for a touchdown — his second punt return touchdown of the season – to put the Tigers ahead,17-0. Peterson drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the play for striking the Heisman pose.
 
Peterson was apologetic after the game for the penalty, which pushed LSU back to the 15-yard line for the ensuing kickoff.
 
“I apologize. I was caught in the moment,” Peterson said. “I’ve just got to control myself on the celebration next time.”
 
The Tiger defense also took advantage of the effect the crowd noise had on sophomore quarterback Geno Smith, who was only making his fourth start of his career.
 
At one point in the fourth quarter, with the Mountaineer offense backed up inside its own 15 yard line, Smith moved down the line to communicate with his offensive linemen amidst deafening noise on third down.
 
Smith inexplicably tried to take the snap from the right guard, before Devine grabbed him and pulled him back to the center. The play was stopped for no gain, and West Virginia punted to LSU.
 
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Contact Luke Johnson at [email protected].