While Alabama running back Shaud Williams is getting publicity for leading the Southeastern Conference in rushing yards with 1,140 while averaging a stout 114 yards per game, quarterback Brodie Croyle tends to fly under the radar screen.
But coach Nick Saban and the Tigers’ defensive unit has immense respect for him.
“Brodie’s a very talented player,” Saban said. “He has a quick release, an accurate, strong arm and he’s athletic, scrambles and makes a lot of plays.
“This is really his first year starting. I’m sure he had a couple of throws earlier in the year that he’d like to have back. I think he’s played better and better as the year has gone on. I think he’s an outstanding quarterback, one of the best in our league.”
Croyle, who has had to deal with a shoulder injury most of the year, has completed 137-of-242 passes on the year for 1,722 yards. He has 13 touchdowns to eight interceptions.
Junior defensive end Marcus Spears is also impressed with Croyle, who he met on a recruiting visit when the two were high school seniors.
“I think he’s a good quarterback,” Spears said. “He can hurt you. He scrambles and he looks to pass while he scrambles. You just have to play responsible football against him. As I say every week, you have to hit him in the face.”
Spears’ partner in crime, fellow junior defensive end Marquise Hill echoed similar feelings.
“They’re good players,” Hill said of Williams and Croyle.
“Their whole team, not just those two guys … their whole team’s real good. The thing for us is to play our game. We’re not going to go out there and worry about No. 3 [ranking] and all of that. We just watch the game on mute, we don’t play the game on mute. We’re not listening to all the hype.”
A look back
Just one year ago when LSU played Bama, controversy surrounded the game.
An Internet report surfaced of a supposed speech Saban had with his players in the lockerroom after the “Bluegrass Miracle” win over Kentucky. The speech was laced with profanity and often criticized and poked fun of ‘Bama’s current situation with NCAA probation.
The report later was found to be fabricated. There was no truth to it.
Following Bama’s dominating 31-0 win, then-coach Dennis Franchoine ran to midfield and pointed his finger at Saban. He also let Saban know how he felt about the situation.
One year later, the incident still leaves a horrible taste in Saban’s mouth.
“I think it’s a very unfortunate thing that happened that somebody misrepresented myself, our program and the character and class that we try to bring to this organization … someone can put something on the Internet and bring it all down,” Saban said. “It was the most embarrassing situation I’ve ever experienced as a coach. For their players and coaching staff to respond to me like they did for something that I never even did and it’s unfortunate. I’d like to apologize but it’s hard to apologize when you didn’t do anything.
“The guy [that fabricated the story] did apologize but that never got acknowledged much by anyone.”
Mr. Mo….mentum
In its previous two games, the Tigers’ offense has gotten off to a piping hot start. LSU scored 21 points against Auburn and 28 versus Louisiana Tech.
Receiver Michael Clayton said he would like to see the trend continue.
“Coach Fisher has done a great job,” Clayton said. “All of that depends on our opponents’ advantages and disadvantages. What’s the team’s [weaknesses] that we can attack?”
Offensive lineman Rodney Reed said while there is a worry an off week can kill momentum, it was good time for an off week because he felt better physically on Monday.
“We have three more games left and that’s it,” Reed said. “If you can’t get motivated and get ready for three more games … then you shouldn’t be wearing an LSU football jersey.”
When asked if revenge or the continued pursuit of improving would be a motivating factor for LSU, Spears had a simple answer.
“Continue to be good,” Spears said. “Last year, you have to forget about. They beat us 31-0. That happens to a lot of teams. But for us and what we’re trying to accomplish, the motivation has to come for right now. That’s why we keep pushing. We know we have a good opportunity and in order to reach our goals, we have to win.”
Reed also chose to avoid motivation by means of revenge.
“I think revenge is always a bad motivational tool,” he said. “Because when things happen bad early that revenge motivation kind of goes out the window. It’s more the anticipation of doing well and imprinting our brand on everybody in the SEC.”
Etc.
Saban addressed the strength of LSU’s non-conference schedule – or lack thereof according to many national outlets.
Bowling Green, Marshall and Virginia Tech have all dropped games with LSU recently and Saban said this has caused problems.
“I’m going to defend what’s happened here with the people who helped in trying to create our schedule and make it the best we possibly can,” he said. “Even though those teams weren’t Top 10 teams, they have respectable records this year, fairly good tradition and probably would have enhanced our schedule to some degree, maybe not as much as we would have liked it to be.”
In the meantime, Saban said LSU is working on scheduling a possible home-and-home with Arizona State.