KENTUCKY (2-2, 0-1) at LSU (4-0, 1-0)
When: 12:20 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 1
Where: Tiger Stadium; Baton Rouge, La.
TV: SEC Network; Radio: Big Blue Sports Network
Last Meeting: Oct. 13, 2007 - @UK 43, LSU 37 (3 OT)
LSU 2011 Schedule
Sept. 3 - vs. Oregon^ (W, 40-27)
Sept. 10 - NORTHWESTERN ST. (W, 49-3)
Sept. 15 - at Mississippi St. (W, 19-6)
Sept. 24 - at West Virginia (W, 47-21)
Oct. 1 - KENTUCKY
Oct. 8 - FLORIDA
Oct. 15 - at Tennessee
Oct. 22 - AUBURN
Nov. 5 - at Alabama
Nov. 12 - WESTERN KENTUCKY
Nov. 19 - at Ole Miss
Nov. 25 - ARKANSAS
^Arlington, Texas
Notes: LSU leads the all-time series 38-16-1…Kentucky shocked then-No. 1 and eventual national champion LSU 43-37 in triple overtime the last time the two schools met, which was 2007…The Cats’ last trip to Baton Rouge was not nearly as successful, losing 49-0 in 2006…LSU leads the series 22-5-1 in Death Valley…Former UK defensive lineman Elliott Porter transferred to LSU after last season…Since that loss at LSU in 2006 the Cats have gone 6-7 versus teams from the SEC West…LSU is just 6-9 in day games since the start of the 2008 season…Tigers coach Les Miles is in his seventh season at LSU and won the 2007 BCS National Championship.
OPENING KICKOFF
Playing LSU these days is not much of a break for anyone but if there is any bright spot for Kentucky in this game it’s the fact the Wildcats’ chances of an upset were aided by the television executives controlling programming. The game was picked up by the SEC Network, meaning it will kickoff at 11:20 a.m. central time. Why is that significant? LSU has arguably the starkest contrast between its play at night and during the day, as the Tigers are 47-4 during Les Miles’ tenure under the lights and just 18-13 during the day, including only 6-9 at night over the past three seasons. LSU has famously played nearly all of its home games at Tiger Stadium under the lights and are just 24-25-3 since 1960 in day games at the stadium.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Les Miles’ public persona has become that of a wildly successful betting man, a thirsty gambler who wins at a card-counting pace. But as often as his coin tosses pay off, Miles’ success over his tenure in Baton Rouge is thanks in large part to a defense annually among the best on any level of football. Only once in the last four seasons has LSU ended the year ranked worse than 12th in total defense or 17th in scoring defense, proving once again that you can gamble more often and survive a suspect offense if you can dominate the defensive side of the football. Ask Mississippi State what it’s like to try and move the ball against the latest batch of athletes in tiger stripes, even without All-American defensive back Patrick Peterson and a host of others that moved on after the 2010 season.
FRESH FACE
When Anthony Johnson came out of O.P. Walker High School in New Orleans the local paper, The Times-Picayune, said the 6-foot-3, 294-pound defensive tackle looked as much like a New Orleans Saints player than a kid headed to college. Johnson was ranked the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2011 class by 247Sports and the No. 2 defensive tackle, which became even more of a boon for LSU when he enrolled last January and went through spring drills. Although Johnson hasn’t made a ton of tackles – defensive tackles rarely do – he has notched some tackles for loss and proven to be one of the five or six dominating LSU defensive linemen that have made life impossible for opponents thus far. With the state of Kentucky’s struggling offensive line, this could be a bad match up for the Cats.
TIGERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Jarrett Lee, Quarterback
2011 Statistics: 56-87, 624 yards, 64.4% completions, 6 TD, 1 INT
Bio Buzz: LSU has spent the last few years attempting to settle on a quarterback, eventually picking Jordan Jefferson in what was more a who is the lesser of evils decision than anything else. Then Jefferson was accused of beating a man outside of a bar and the Tigers were forced to go back to Lee, the senior who has been inconsistent. Lee, at least early this season, has played well, but it will be interesting to see if the newly reinstated Jefferson plays against UK.
Rueben Randle, Wide Receiver
2011 Statistics: 18 receptions, 282 yards, 3 TD
Bio Buzz: LSU’s offense has been suspect the past few years but it has always seemed to find at least one receiver who can deliver a big play when the Tigers need it most. While Randle doesn’t have a ton of catches he finds way to come up with the ones that matter and typically turns them into the game-breaking variety.
Morris Claiborne, Cornerback
2011 Statistics: 17.0 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss, 2 INT
Bio Buzz: Claiborne was often picked on by opposing quarterbacks last season but you could understand the rationale given All-American Patrick Peterson was standing on the other side of the field. Now Claiborne, who had five interceptions in 2010, is starring in his own right and has proven to be a tough cookie both on defense and on kick returns (9 returns for an average of 32.4 yards per kick with one touchdown).
Ryan Baker, Linebacker
2011 Statistics: 12.0 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks
Bio Buzz: Baker entered the season as one of the SEC’s top returning linebackers, a speed demon that runs like a safety and yet hits like a freight train. The senior had 87 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 2010 so even though his numbers are a bit down through the first few games he’s still a playmaker waiting to wreck an offense on just about every possession.
Michael Brockers, Defensive Tackle
2011 Statistics: 14.0 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, INT
Bio Buzz: LSU’s defensive line is loaded with talent, and the scary thing is it’s almost all young (four sophomore and a true freshman among the top eight players). Brockers is just a sophomore but the 6-foot-6, 306-pound tackle has been nearly impossible to block thus far in 2011 and helps set the tone for a group that has been a load to handle.
