The Tigers’ 21-14 victory over Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl to crown them as national champions was sweet for LSU fans and players, and so was the homecoming for sophomore wide receiver Skyler Green.
The Westwego native and Higgins High School graduate returned home to play what became the biggest game of his two-year college career in the Nokia Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4.
Green made an impact on the game. He scored the first touchdown of the game on a 24-yard end-around run up the right side to put the Tigers ahead 7-0.
With 11:38 remaining in the first quarter, quarterback Matt Mauck handed the ball to Green, who raced around OU defenders for his first rushing touchdown of the season.
Green said OU did not expect LSU to run that play.
“I’m sure they were pretty surprised, but we practiced it and it couldn’t have come at a better time,” Green said.
Green finished the game with three carries for 22 yards and two receptions for 23 yards. He also returned three punts for a total of 26 yards.
Punt returning proved to be Green’s specialty this year, with a season average of 19.8 yards a return going into the Sugar Bowl. He led the nation in punt returns with 22 for 436 yards and two touchdowns, a statistic that earned the sophomore Second Team All-SEC and Third Team All-American honors.
But the Tigers were closely matched on special teams against Oklahoma, Green said, yet were able to work together to overcome that in other aspects of the game.
“Special teams was pretty much even tonight,” he said. “They blocked a punt and got the momentum, but we still went out and drove the ball 80 yards for a touchdown. That just shows you how focused and poised our team is and how well we play together. We’re really champions.”
Playing high school fooball just outside of New Orleans, Green said he only could have dreamed of the accomplishments he has achieved this season and the chance to come back to the Superdome to play for and win the National Championship.
“It was the most incredible game I’ve ever played in,” Green said. “Hats off to the OU defense. They played great, and our guys played great too.”
While the Tigers proved they could beat Oklahoma, many still question what a matchup against Southern California would yield. No matter what controversy likely will be brought up for years to come about the split title with the USC Trojans, Green said he believed before the game and still believes the winner of the Sugar Bowl is the true national champion.
“It really doesn’t matter right now if the BCS puts us as national champs,” he said. “We went out there and played dominant and proved we were the dominant team. It’s all in the way we played, the way we stuck together.”