In 2005, Hurricane Katrina forced LSU to play 10 regular season games in little more than eight weeks.The Tigers lost 20-17 to Tennessee in the first contest of that 10-game streak but didn’t drop another game during the regular season. LSU defeated three ranked Southeastern Conference opponents that season en route to a 10-1 record before los to Georgia in the SEC Championship game and defeated Miami in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl to finish the season 11-2.The Tigers start a similar situation this Saturday when they play Florida, the first of eight LSU opponents in seven consecutive weeks. LSU had to postpone its game against Troy until Nov. 15. The date was supposed to be a bye for both schools, but Hurricane Gustav forced the teams to reschedule.LSU has three SEC opponents remaining ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll – No. 2 Alabama, No. 10 Georgia and No. 11 Florida. Senior safety Curtis Taylor, a freshman on the 2005 team, said the hurricane’s devastation taught the Tigers about overcoming adversity and preparing for the unexpected.”You’re going to have mental breakdowns every once in a while,” Taylor said. “Your body is going to wear down.”  He said playing 10-straight games taught them the wear and tear of football is as inevitable as a hurricane hitting Louisiana.The Tigers know the eight-game stretch this season can take a toll on their record as well. “The toughest part is just getting through,” Taylor said. “We play a big game every week, so it doesn’t matter how many we play in a row.” LSU coach Les Miles used the team’s final open date last weekend to rest his players. “First and foremost, we healed,” he said. “I gave them Saturday and Sunday off to get their legs fresh.” One player much in need of a recovery period is senior linebacker Darry Beckwith. Beckwith, who will start Saturday after missing two games with a knee injury, said players need to take care of their bodies to keep pace with their opponents. “[We] need to get treatment and cold whirlpools every day,” Beckwith said. “We’re not the only team in the country going through an eight-game stretch.” Tennessee has already started a string of nine consecutive games. Arkansas’ post-Hurricane Ike schedule has them in the middle of an eight-game run. Miles said he prefers having games every weekend.”More than anything, playing a game gives our guys something to look forward to and play for victory,” Miles said.- – – – Contact David Harvey at [email protected]