Three minutes into LSU’s 49-10 win against Louisiana Tech on Saturday, LSU quarterback Matt Mauck hit wide receiver Michael Clayton for a 34-yard touchdown pass. The long pass set the pace for the night as the Tigers raced out to a 28-0 first quarter lead.
By the time junior back-up Marcus Randall replaced Mauck late in the second quarter with LSU up 49-3, Mauck had tied the LSU record for most consecutive completions with a 14-for-14 start.
“He was hot like a firecracker,” said wide receiver Skyler Green. “He did it tonight. He made plays.”
Mauck shares the record with Chad Loup, who threw 14 consecutive completions against Arkansas on Nov. 27, 1993.
“[Mauck] played extremely well in the game,” LSU coach Nick Saban said. “He did a good job of getting us in the right play. He really did a fantastic job out there.”
Mauck finished the game 18-for-20 with 311 yards and four touchdowns.
“When the quarterback is playing like that, it’s tough to get beat,” said senior offensive tackle Rodney Reed.
Mauck said the team is starting to put it all together and is peaking at the right time.
“It was a credit to my teammates and how well they did and how well they executed,” Mauck said.
With the win, LSU (8-1) has its best start since 1973 when the Tigers went 9-0. Tech is now 4-5 on the season.
“It’s November and we’re going down to the wire,” Saban said.
Several wide receivers shared responsibility for LSU’s 365 total net passing yards. Leading the Tigers was Green with 103 receiving yards on nine catches and one touchdown.
“I was pleased with how our receivers played,” Saban said. “Skyler played well. Michael played well. It makes us most effective on offense.”
Clayton, who had four catches for 85 yards, said LSU’s depth at the wide receiver position reduces the pressure on any one receiver and keeps the defense guessing.
“It helps me that the defense has to respect every receiver because they can take it a distance,” Clayton said. “They don’t know if you’re going for a block or taking a pass.”
Devery Henderson racked up 96 yards on two catches, both of which were touchdowns.
“He’s a fast guy,” Green said of Henderson. “He runs his routes to get open.”
Freshman receiver Craig Davis, a New Orleans native, added four catches for 35 yards to the LSU total. This was the biggest game for Davis thus far as he entered the game with two catches for 16 yards.
Tech’s quarterback Luke McCown surpassed the Bulldogs’ record for completions with a pass to Erick Franklin in the first quarter. McCown, who finished the game 11-for-28 with two interceptions, now has 1,024 career completions.
McCown threw for one touchdown which came in the second half.
Having played Miami when the Hurricanes were ranked No. 3 in the nation, McCown said the Tigers rank with the best in the country.
“Looking at the film I did not think [the Tigers] were as fast as they were on the field,” he said. “All the credit in the world goes out to them. They are a great football team and they have a shot at winning the national championship. Their defense is obviously as good as Miami’s or better. They are a great football team.”
Jack Hunt and Kyle Williams each intercepted passes from McCown while Brian West and LaRon Landry combined for three sacks.
The Tigers totaled 288 rushing yards against the Bulldogs.
Freshman running back Justin Vincent ran for 47 yards on four carries. However, it was Alley Broussard who led the Tigers with 106 yards on 16 carries.
Joseph Addai returned to the field after missing two games due to a knee injury. Addai had eight carries for 44 yards.
“I think Joseph did fine in the game,” Saban said. “We wanted to give him six to eight carries to give him confidence.”
Tech no match for Tigers
November 3, 2003