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Patrick Peterson has swag — Heisman swag.
 
The junior cornerback stole the show Saturday for the third time in four games for the undefeated LSU football team (4-0), paving the way to a 20-14 victory against No. 22 West Virginia (3-1). Peterson caught a second-quarter punt at the LSU 40-yard line and exploded up the middle of the field, only needing one cut to go virtually untouched, 60 yards to paydirt.
 
Peterson — who has been garnering Heisman Trophy consideration with his standout play on defense and special teams — looked up at the student section and did his best imitation of the Heisman pose that was inspired by the front cover of the NCAA Football ‘06 video game.  
 
LSU was charged with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty because of the celebration.
 
“I apologize,” Peterson said about the penalty. “I was caught in the moment, but I’ve just got to control myself on the celebration next time.”
 
Peterson’s return was his first career touchdown in Tiger Stadium.
 
While Peterson was electrifying the crowd with his dazzling returns, the Tigers failed to answer a question that has plagued the team all season. While there aren’t many 4-0 teams mired in quarterback controversies, especially when coming off a win over a ranked opponent, that’s precisely where LSU sits.
 
The Tigers beat the Mountaineers using the same win-ugly formula used all season.
 
The offense had an atrocious night, while the defense and special teams were spectacular for the Tigers, who survived a 14-point West Virginia rally.
 
Junior running back Stevan Ridley was once again the only bright spot for a Tiger offense that failed to post at least 100 passing yards for the third straight game.
 
“We can run the football well. We didn’t throw it as well as we would’ve liked,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “Our quarterback play has got to get better. It’s just that simple.”
 
Junior quarterback Jordan Jefferson completed less than 50 percent of his 22 pass attempts and only managed 75 yards through the air. Jefferson looked indecisive on more than one occasion and heard the crowd’s vociferous displeasure for it.
 
The home crowd of 92,575 booed Jefferson enthusiastically for every over- or under-thrown receiver and every option keeper that was snuffed for minimal yardage. The crowd even booed Jefferson when he stumbled to a first down on an option play.
 
Miles was not pleased with the crowd reaction.
 
“I wonder if they realize how they represent themselves when they boo. Our team flew around and busted their tail, and you know what? They were not perfect,” Miles said. “But to think that somebody could boo great effort, are you kidding me? It doesn’t make any sense. That guy [who boos], he goes to work, he goes to the coffee pot and he complains about the coffee. He didn’t make it.”
 
The loudest cheers of the night may have come when junior quarterback Jarrett Lee — once the ultimate target of fan animosity — entered the game for Jefferson late in the fourth quarter.
 
Lee completed both passes he attempted, though one was nullified by one of 12 penalties against LSU.
 
Ridley carried the LSU offense on his back, especially in the second half when he toted the ball 14 times for 89 of his 116 yards. Ridley consistently broke 12- and 13-yard runs to keep the Tigers in the game but remained unsatisfied with the offense’s performance.
 
“I actually got aggravated because we’re a lot better than what we’ve shown,” Ridley said. “It’s kind of bittersweet. We’re 4-0, yes we’re happy, but at the same time I’m still aggravated because this team has so much potential.”
 
The defense saved the day again for the Tigers, limiting a high-flying West Virginia offense to 177 total yards. The defense also forced two turnovers and blocked a chip-shot field goal.
 
“[The Mountaineers are] probably the quickest and most speedy guys I’ve ever played against,” said senior linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, who led the Tigers with 11 tackles. “They had about five or six guys they could just move around.”
 
The defense bottled up Mountaineers senior running back Noel Devine. Devine entered the game having rushed for more than 111 yards in each of West Virginia’s games this season, but the LSU defense stifled the speedy back to the tune of 37 yards on 14 carries.
 
Perhaps the most telling stat of the game was the defense’s performance on third down. West Virginia only converted two of 13 third-down attempts — many of them in third-and-short situations.
 
The special teams dominated once again, accounting for 13 of the Tigers’ 20 points. Seniors Derek Helton and Josh Jasper downed four out of six punts inside the 20-yard line and came within inches of downing a fifth. Jasper connected on his two field goal attempts as well.
 
 
 
 
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Contact Luke Johnston at [email protected]