LSU fans made it clear JaMarcus Russellwas their pick to be LSU’s starting quarterback during the Tigers’22-21 overtime win over Oregon State on Saturday.
Chants of “Russell, Russell” rang throughout Tiger Stadium inovertime as the redshirt freshman lay on the ground with a footcramp.
    But senior quarterback Marcus Randall,who fans booed before halftime, led the Tigers to victory on afive-yard touchdown run. It was the second time Randall reenteredthe game in the second half because of Russell’s cramps.
    Russell said he pulled for his teammatewhile receiving attention from the training staff.
    ”I’m trying to look, and they’re stillrubbing me down,” Russell said. “I knew Marcus had great things inhim. I knew he was going to go in there and get us where we neededto be.”
    Saban said shuffling the quarterbacks inand out of the game was like managing a baseball pitching staffwith Randall as the starter, Russell as the middle reliever andRandall coming back in to close the game.
    ”Skip [Bertman] thought I did a nice jobof working the pitchers today,” Saban said.
    Neither quarterback solidified himselfas the starter in the game, Saban said.
    ”I don’t know about the quarterbacksituation,” Saban said. “I think we need to analyze what we did outthere today.”
    Randall appeared anxious during thefirst half, Saban said. The fifth-year senior threw an interceptionon his first pass attempt and completed 7-of-18 passes for 66 yardsin the game.
    ”I just think that Marcus Randall neededto settle down,” Saban said. “He had done an outstanding job allthrough spring and all through fall camp of playing within himself.And whether it was the conditions today or the wet ball orwhatever, I think he just tried a little too hard and was missingthe target too much.”
    Saban gave Russell the nod to start thesecond half in the locker room at halftime.
    ”He gave me that look and said ‘it’syour time,” said Russell, who completed 9-of-25 passes for 145yards. “Right then, I knew I had to stay focused and go do it.”
    The decision to start Russell in thesecond half was to calm Randall’s nerves, Saban said. But Russell’sability to move the ball kept him in the game.
    Russell jump-started the Tigers’ offenselate in the third quarter with a 16-yard strike to junior widereceiver Skyler Green.
    The Tigers were on their way to tyingthe game late in the fourth quarter when Russell went down with afoot cramp. Randall came in and led the team to a fourth-and-goalat the two yard-line before Russell reentered the game.
    ”I was kind of surprised but I neverquestion the coach,” Randall said. “He might have thought that wasa play that he was just better running at.”
    Russell overthrew Green in the end zoneon the play.
    Russell took advantage of the secondchance, connecting with sophomore wide receiver Dwayne Bowe for a38-yard touchdown with 1:05 remaining in the game.
    Diving into the end zone on thetwo-point conversion, Russell tied the game. It was the same playhe failed to convert on the previous drive.
    ”The exact same thing was open,” Russellsaid. “This time I felt that I had to make up for the lastseries.”