 |  |
 |
|
| Monday, August 19 Toefield, Davis give Tigers nasty bite at RB By Pat Forde Special to ESPN.com |
||||||||||
|
Outlook: By season's end the Tigers were one nasty football team, rising all the way into the Top 10. They won their last five games against quality competition, including the SEC championship game and the Sugar Bowl, and averaged 36 points per game in the process. The two biggest stars, receiver Josh Reed and quarterback Rohan Davey, have moved on, but LSU might still be the best in the West. LaBrandon Toefield (992 rushing yards and an SEC-record 19 rushing touchdowns) appears healthy after tearing his ACL in the SEC championship game and teams with multipurpose threat Domanick Davis (528 yards) to provide the best tailback tandem in the league. (LSU is so deep at RB that the ineligibility of star recruit Justin Vincent won't be felt.) Matt Mauck, another of the SEC's former pro baseball players turned quarterbacks, filled in for Davey solidly in the SEC title game -- but he still has something to prove as an every-down QB. If he can't prove it, junior-college transfer Michael Harrison or redshirt freshman Rick Clausen (yep, Casey's little bro) might get a chance.
Unlike running mate Trev Faulk, linebacker Bradie James turned down the NFL for one more year of college ball. He moved to middle linebacker in the spring and could be the best defensive player in the league. LSU will need his leadership and talent to improve a defense that gave up a bunch of big plays (393 yards per game, mostly through the air) but also made a bunch of them (an SEC-high 19 interceptions). Former linebacker coach Will Muschamp is the new coordinator, replacing Gary Gibbs. Special teams will again be a strength. Davis is one of the nation's best return men on both punts and kickoffs, and punter Donnie Jones averaged 43.1 yards per punt and 39.4 net. Place-kicker John Corbello made 14 field goals last year but was only 9-18 from 30 yards and out. Nick Saban is 18-7 in two years at LSU and shouldering into the Fulmer/Holtz Club of the league's best coaches (formerly known as the Steve Spurrier Throne Room). But LSU has a funny way of devouring coaches after fast starts. Remember, Mike Archer and Gerry DiNardo were instant hits as well before eventually being fired. Nevertheless, Saban is such a solid coach and capable recruiter -- and the local talent is so abundant -- that there is no foreseeable reason why the Tigers shouldn't be a permanent member of the SEC elite. Keep an eye on: Marcus Spears was a heavily recruited tight end who saw playing time last year as a true freshman at that position, fullback and defensive end. He was moved to defense only last spring and played well. The 6-5, 280-pound Spears was a remarkably agile basketball player as a Houston high-schooler, and that athleticism could help him excel in pass rush and pursuit. Key game: Although LSU plays a name season-opening opponent for the first time in years (at Virginia Tech Sept. 1), the Tigers could well be 5-0 when they visit The Swamp Oct. 12. One thing Saban has not been able to do is compete with the Gators: he's 0-2 at LSU with an average losing margin of 30.5 points. The two games that follow are big as well: South Carolina at home, then a trip to Auburn. It's a good year if. . .: The cans of insect repellent players found in their lockers to combat West Nile virus don't need to be used. In terms of on-field accomplishments, LSU's voracious fans can be greedy. Give them a taste of 10-3, a BCS bowl win and a Top 10 ranking, and they crave it every year. Without Davey and Reed, that might be asking too much this time around, but there's still enough talent here to win the West and be among the top three or four teams in the league. Both Georgia and Tennessee are off the schedule -- the first time they've played neither since 1997 -- which can only help. Pat Forde covers college football for the Louisville Courier-Journal. |
|
|||||||||
