At the request of coach Nick Saban, the real LSU defense came toplay Saturday afternoon in Tiger Stadium, bringing force anddomination along with it.
LSU shut out Mississippi State 51-0, the second biggest marginof victory in Saban’s four-plus seasons, and recorded itsfirst shutout since 2002. The win was the tenth in the last 11years against the Bulldogs.
Defensive players said Saban challenged them the entire weekleading up to the game to make more plays, create turnovers anddominate the opponent from start to finish – as the team didin 2003 en route to a national title.
“It was a big emphasis because coach Saban challenged usthis week,” said LSU defensive end Marcus Spears.”Monday when we came in he got us going and goteverybody’s mind focused on square one and to playingfootball how we play it around here. We had kind of lost that thelast three games. We have to show the young guys how we play aroundhere is our trademark, and that we want to establish an identityevery time we step on the field.”
LSU held the Bulldogs to 130 yards of total offense, only sevenfirst downs and forced MSU’s quarterbacks to throw fourinterceptions in the game.
Spears had one of those picks in the second quarter to put LSUup 27-0. Bulldogs quarterback Omar Conner was flushed from thepocket and threw the ball just before he went down. The ball wentdirectly to Spears, who returned his second career interception fora score.
“It was just another situation where this defense put usin a good position,” Spears said. “My assignment was tocatch it and haul it into the house.”
Spears picked off a pass in last year’s nationalchampionship game to put LSU up 14 points over Oklahoma. Spearssaid he never thought about getting another shot at an interceptionreturn for a touchdown, but he happened to be in the right place atthe right time once again.
“You’re always excited when it comes,” hesaid. “Fortunately [Conner] threw it. I don’tunderstand why he threw it. I thought he was trying to throw it outof bounds, but it came to me.”
Conner, who left the game after freshman defensive tackle GlennDorsey knocked him out of the game third quarter, was held to 44yards passing on 4-of-12 passing with three interceptions.Conner’s replacement, Kyle York, was 4-of-14 for 46 yardspassing.
LSU cornerback Corey Webster also had an interception, on top ofa forced and recovered fumble in the first quarter that led toLSU’s second touchdown.
Webster had to juggle and eventually tip the interception tohimself. After not getting any turnovers last week against Auburn,Webster said he was not going to let the ball drop.
“I just had to hold onto it,” he said. “Theywere preaching all week about turnovers, so I couldn’t letone slip away from me.”
Saban said many of the players had focused too much on theresults of winning and had lost the mindset of going out and justdominating the opponent, regardless of the score.
“This was the first game that I thought we went out andbeat the other team like we always want to do [and] dominate theline of scrimmage,” Saban said.
The defense established itself early, allowing Mississippi Stateinto LSU territory only once the entire game. On that drive late inthe first half, LSU strong safety Jessie Daniels picked off Connerand the Tigers went into halftime leading 34-0.
The Bulldogs also were held to 40 rushing yards, with no rungoing for more than nine yards.
Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom said the Bulldogs didnot take advantage of any opportunities they had on offense and LSUmade them pay for it.
“I told the players that I never dreamed that we would getdrummed like that,” Croom said.