Compared to last year at the same point in the season — 2001 loss to Ole Miss and the 2002 loss to Auburn — the Tigers’ defensive line has made great strides.
It was about this time last season when the LSU defensive line put successful pressure on opposing teams’ quarterbacks. While it may not have showed up in the stat sheets, the pressure enabled a battered defensive backfield to help perform better and, in turn, the Tigers’ defense turned in its best performances when it counted.
This year, the line has been fairly consistent in leading a defense that has spent most of the year at No. 1 in the country.
While it might not have been a successful trip to Blacksburg, Va., four sacks were recorded. After a sackless performance against the Citadel, LSU was able to get Miami of Ohio quarterback Ben Roethlisberger five times.
Mississippi State quarterback Kevin Fant consistently was pressured, and UL-Lafayette quarterback Jon Van Cleave may not have known he was in Baton Rouge since he was touched up so much. This was the case when the Tigers beat Florida on the road and took advantage of a poor Gator offensive line.
Defensive Tackles
Junior tackle Chad Lavalais has continued to show his ability he flashed the last two seasons. Lavalais has 44 tackles, including three for losses and two sacks. He is instrumental in shutting down the opponents’ running game.
Byron Dawson has helped to shut down the run with Lavalais. Dawson has two sacks and three and a half tackles for a loss.
Backups junior Torran Williams and true freshman Kyle Williams also have been fairly solid. Williams has one sack and one tackle for a loss in limited action.
As for Williams, who hails from Ruston, he has made a solid contribution in his first season with the Tigers. Williams has two sacks and seven tackles, but will figure prominently in the future plans of the Tiger defense, especially if Lavalais decides to experiment with the NFL Draft.
Defensive Ends
The defensive end combination of sophomores Marcus Spears and Marquise Hill has been a success — despite the ankle sprain that kept Spears out of the Auburn game.
Both have three sacks on the year and both have three and a half tackles for losses. Spears has 30 tackles and Hill has 40. However, their size — Spears at six-foot-four, 295 pounds and Hill at a mammoth six-foot-seven, 294 pounds — often disrupts the run.
Senior Kenderick Allen is a leader. Despite nagging injuries which have affected most of his LSU career, Allen plays through the pain. This year Allen has nine tackles but provides another big body — six-foot-six and 318 pounds — for teams to fight through.
A pleasant surprise at defensive end has been Melvin Oliver. The 255-pound redshirt freshman has five sacks on the year and filled in admirably against South Carolina when Spears was out for a majority of the game.