There may not be a single person in Oxford, Miss., that has garnered so much attention as junior quarterback Eli Manning
Manning has lived under a microscope, all the while trying to live up to the Heisman Trophy-status the Rebel fans have given him. However, this season it has been tough.
Ole Miss has a failing running game that saw its starter, Robert Williams, dismissed from the team. Ronald McClendon is the leading rusher for Ole Miss, gaining 293 yards on 68 carries.
Despite the success of defenses in the Southeastern Conference to make Manning’s offense one-dimensional, the New Orleans native still has had success. Manning has completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for 2,663 yards and 17 touchdowns.
He leads the conference in passing yards per game [266.3 yards] and total offense per game [258 yards]. However, Manning is third in the conference in interceptions thrown with 11.
“They have a great quarterback,” said LSU head coach Nick Saban. “Eli Manning is as good a quarterback as anyone has in the league. He is having a very good year, and he has a good, consistent receiving corps. They have been able to move the ball effectively and score points in almost all their games.”
The Tigers want to get pressure on Manning and force him to make bad decisions. While the sack statistic is not indicative of how much pressure a defensive unit gets on a quarterback, LSU is near the bottom of the SEC with 21 sacks on the season.
Senior defensive tackle Byron Dawson said getting in Manning’s comfort zone will be a key.
“As a defensive front we have to really get pressure on him quick,” Dawson said. “That’s one of our plans going into this week is to work on our pass rush and really get after him and rattle him.”
Sophomore defensive end Marcus Spears agreed and said LSU must make the Rebel offense one-dimensional.
“We just need to stop the run and try to make them pass,” Spears said. “If you’re going to stop the run and get them in a passing situation and get them in a long-yardage situation that they don’t want to be in, then you’re going to make something happen.”
Spears said the Tigers know what kind of damage Manning can do.
“He is [a very good player],” Spears said. “You just have to get after him and get in his face. If you [don’t affect him], a guy like that will make plays. We respect him.”
The task will be a tall chore for the Tiger secondary as well. LSU is fourth in the nation in pass efficiency defense.
“He’s a good passer,” said senior safety Norman LeJeune. “He has great efficiency. We have to practice well this week, especially in the defensive backfield. We have to work on the little things like keeping guys cut off.”
But there’s one thing Manning does well, according to the Brusly native.
“His poise,” LeJeune said. “He has great poise. He’s a calm passer and he knows where he wants to go, and if its not there, he looks them off. He shares the ball with all his receivers. He gets the ball along to everybody.”