LSU’s track record following a season’s first loss under coach Nick Saban is less than stellar.
In Saban’s first campaign with the Tigers in 2000, LSU’s first loss came against Auburn 34-17. The next weekend, Homecoming weekend, the Tigers laid an egg against the University of Alabama-Birmingham 13-10.
Late in the game with the Tigers driving, quarterback Josh Booty called an audible at the line of scrimmage.
The audible went south and Booty was forced to improvise, resulting in an interception that deadened the crowd in Tiger Stadium and further fueled fans’ disgust in Booty’s ability.
The encore came only a season later. Following LSU’s 26-18 defeat at Tennessee, Rex Grossman and the Florida Gators proceeded to trounce the Tigers in Death Valley, 44-15.
However, as luck would have it, the Tigers won the Southeastern Conference Western Division in 2001 and exacted revenge on Tennessee in the SEC Championship 31-20.
The Tigers’ lone victory following the first loss under Saban came in 2002. But the Tigers’ 35-10 victory came against a less than impressive opponent in The Citadel. LSU lost the prior week to Virginia Tech 26-8 in Blacksburg, Va.
Now in the 2003 edition, LSU started the season with an impressive run to a 5-0 record and a No. 6 ranking in the nation. Then those pesky Gators came to town and bullied LSU all over the field last Saturday with a freshman quarterback at the helm and a coach on the hot seat.
The 19-7 loss to Florida last weekend needs to be more than motivation for LSU. The Tigers are 13-2-1 all-time against South Carolina, but the Gamecocks may very well be the best team in the SEC fans have never heard about.
“South Carolina is a very good football team,” said Saban in a press conference Monday. “They have one of the best defensive football teams in the SEC by only giving up 16 and one-half points a game.”
When scrolling through the rosters in NCAA Football 2004, surely it is easy to name every quarterback and running back for each SEC school. Then South Carolina comes up and the names are a bit murky.
Meet Dondrial Pinkins, South Carolina’s quarterback (he is No. 5 for you NCAA Football junkies). Pinkins is a double threat offensively, passing for 1,003 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for another 144 yards and one touchdown through six games.
“Their quarterback is a very good athlete, and has improved as a passer,” Saban said.
Demetris Summers assumes the running back role for the Gamecocks. Summers has rushed for 453 yards and three touchdowns for USC this season, including 105 yards and one touchdown receiving.
“Demetris Summers is an outstanding running back,” Saban said. “He has made a lot of people miss. He has made some big play runs for them this year.”
Filling another skill position is sophomore wideout Troy Williamson. He burned the Tigers’ defense in 2002 as a freshman for a 60-yard touchdown score. So far in 2003, Williamson has 18 receptions for 254 yards and one touchdown. The touchdown came in a win against No. 15 Virginia, covering 99 yards. It is the longest pass reception and play from scrimmage in USC history.
Just because no one knows who these guys are does not mean the Tigers’ defense is not prepared for them. According to cornerback Corey Webster, preparing for a team with no nationally recognized players is no different from preparing for a team like Florida.
“We just come out and prepare for everybody the same way,” Webster said. “We practice real hard and try to come out and be on the winning end, because you can’t slip up on anybody. This is the SEC, everybody has great athletes.”