LSU Football Notebook
LSU vs. Houston
November 13, 1999
Tiger Stadium
Baton Rouge, La.
7 p.m. Kickoff
LSU HOSTS HOUSTON IN NON-CONFERENCE CONTEST
LSU (2-7, 0-7 in the SEC) returns to action on Saturday as LSU plays host to Houston (5-4, 2-3 in Conference USA) at 7 p.m. in Tiger Stadium.
The game will mark LSU’s final non-conference contest of the season and it will also be the Tigers’ last Saturday game of the season. LSU’s final contest against Arkansas will be played in Tiger Stadium on Friday, Nov. 26. LSU enters the Houston contest coming off another heartbreaking defeat, this time a 23-17 setback to 12th-ranked Alabama. The loss to Alabama marked the third time this season in which LSU fell to a ranked opponent on the road in the final minute (lost to Georgia, 23-22 and to Mississippi State, 17-16). LSU enters the Houston contest with a 2-0 mark against non-conference teams.
LSU FALLS SHORT IN UPSET-BID OF ALABAMA, 23-17
Josh Booty’s effort to lead LSU to a come-from-behind win over 12th-ranked Alabama fell just short Saturday as the sophomore quarterback was stopped one yard shy of the goalline as time expired in the Tigers’ 23-17 loss to the Crimson Tide. LSU’s comeback bid was set up by the Tiger defense. Trailing 23-7 late in the third quarter, LSU defensive tackle Johnny Mitchell intercepted a batted pass and returned it 66 yards for a TD to cut the Bama lead to 23-14. LSU cut the lead to 23-17 when John Corbello hit a 32-yard field goal set up by a Ryan Clark interception. The Tide drove the length of the field and had first and goal at the Tiger 10 with less than four minutes to play, but the LSU defense kept Bama out of the endzone and the Tide missed a 27-yard field goal try, setting up LSU?s final drive. On that last drive, Booty completed six passes, including two to Josh Reed, to get to the Alabama 1-yard line with 21 seconds to play. On first and goal at the 1-yard line, Booty was denied the endzone and time expired. The Tiger defense limited Alabama’s Heisman Trophy candidate Shaun Alexander to only 18 yards rushing on 14 carries.
LSU VS. HOUSTON
Opponents: LSU (2-7) vs. Houston (5-4)
Date: Saturday, November 13, 1999
Time: 7 p.m. Central
Site: Tiger Stadium (80,000)
TV: None
Series: LSU leads, 1-0
The LSU-Houston Series :
LSU and Houston meet for only the second time on Saturday with the Tigers holding a 1-0 advantage in the series. In the only other meeting between the teams, LSU posted a 35-34 win in Baton Rouge on Sept. 7, 1996. In that game, LSU scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to rally from a 34-14 deficit to post the victory. LSU’s Rondell Mealey, then a freshman, rushed for 161 yards, including a 36-yard run for the winning score with 3:22 left in the contest, against the Cougars in 1996. LSU coach Gerry DiNardo is 1-0 against the Cougars.
The Coaches:
Gerry DiNardo is in his fifth season as LSU coach
Previous position: Vanderbilt, head coach, 1991-94
Career record (9th year): 51-48-1
LSU record: 32-23-1
vs. Houston: 1-0
Kim Helton is in his seventh year as Houston coach
Previous Position: LA Raiders, offensive line coach, 1990-92
Overall record (7th year): 22-53-1
Houston record: 22-53-1
vs. LSU: 0-1
LSU VS. HOUSTON
The LSU Tigers return home for their first non-conference game since the second week of the season when they take on the Houston Cougars in a non-televised game Saturday at 7 p.m. in Tiger Stadium. LSU is 2-7 overall and 0-7 in SEC play following a narrow 23-17 loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa last weekend. Houston is 5-4 overall and 2-3 in Conference USA action coming off of a 36-31 win over Tulane at Houston last Saturday. LSU has wins over San Jose State and North Texas, but consecutive losses in the SEC to Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Alabama. Houston has victories over Rice, UL-Lafayette, Cincinnati, North Carolina and Tulane, with losses to Alabama, Alabama-Birmingham, Louisville and East Carolina.
TRACKING RONDELL MEALEY
LSU tailback Rondell Mealey needs 63 yards to move into seventh place in LSU history in rushing yards.
No. Name Years Att. Yds. TD
1. Kevin Faulk 1995-98 856 4,557 46
2. Dalton Hilliard 1982-85 882 4,050 44
3. Charles Alexander 1975-78 855 4,035 42
4. Harvey Williams 1986-90 588 2,860 27
5. Terry Robiskie 1973-76 578 2,517 29
6. Garry James 1982-85 491 2,217 27
7. Brad Davis 1972-74 456 2,165 15
8. RONDELL MEALEY 1996- 431 2,103 27
9. Billy Cannon 1957-59 359 1,867 24
10. Eddie Fuller 1986-89 376 1,816 9
MEALEY AMONG LSU TD LEADERS
Rondell Mealey is tied with Harvey Williams and Garry James for fifth place in LSU history in rushing touchdowns. If Mealey scores three more touchdowns, he will become only the fourth player in school history to score 30 rushing touchdowns in a career. Kevin Faulk, who played at LSU from 1995-98, holds the school record with 46. Here are LSU’s all-time rushing touchdown leaders:
No. Name Years TD
1. Kevin Faulk, 1995-98 46
2. Dalton Hilliard 1982-85 44
3. Charles Alexander 1975-78 42
4. Terry Robiskie 1973-76 29
5.t Harvey Williams 1986-90 27
5.t Garry James 1982-85 27
5t RONDELL MEALEY 1996- 27
8. Billy Cannon 1957-59 24
MYERS MOVES INTO 50-CATCH CLUB
With four catches against Alabama, Jerel Myers became the 11th player in school history to catch over 50 passes in a season. The freshman from Houston has 53 catches for 703 yards and he caught his second touchdown pass of the season against the Crimson Tide. Myers’ 53 catches ties for the eighth most in a season in school history, and it is the most ever for an LSU freshman. Here are the top 10 single season receiving leaders by number of catches.
No. Name Rec. Year
1. Wendell Davis 80 1986
2. Wendell Davis 72 1987
3. Sheddrick Wilson 60 1995
4. Tony Moss 59 1989
5. Larry Foster 56 1998
6. Tony Moss 55 1988
7. Abram Booty 54 1998
8t. JEREL MYERS 53 1999
8t. Todd Kinchen 53 1991
10. Eric Martin 52 1983
MITCHELL MAKES BIG PLAY
Senior defensive tackle Johnny Mitchell, one of the Tigers’ steadiest players over the course of the last two seasons, came up with a big play when it was needed against Alabama. Mitchell batted an Alabama pass in the air, hauled it in and rambled 66 yards for a touchdown. The touchdown moved the Tigers to within 23-14. Mitchell made a similar play last year when he blocked an Idaho pass into the air, caught it and ran 36 yards for a touchdown in the Tigers’ victory over the Vandals in Tiger Stadium.
DEFENSE SCORES AGAIN
Johnny Mitchell’s interception return for a touchdown marked the third time in four games that the Tiger defense put points on the board, and the fifth time this season. On October 16 against Kentucky, Jarvis Green blocked a punt through the back of the end zone for a touchdown, and on October 23 against Mississippi State, Ryan Clark recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for an LSU touchdown. In the first two games of the season, Fred Booker returned an interception for a touchdown against San Jose State and Mark Roman returned an interception for a touchdown against North Texas.
LEJEUNE IS YOUNGEST NEW STANDOUT
In a season filled with emerging freshman players, drop linebacker Norman LeJeune is the latest to take a role in the highlight tapes. LeJeune, who stepped in as a starter at drop linebacker when regular starter Lionel Thomas was injured against Kentucky, has intercepted one pass in each of the last two games and also recovered a fumble against Alabama. He finished with 13 tackles against the Crimson Tide to give him 39 stops on the season.
YOUTH HIGHLIGHTS TIGER DEFENSE
LSU’s defense, which held Heisman Trophy candidate Shaun Alexander to just 18 yards on 14 carries, featured five sophomores and two true freshmen in its starting lineup. The rest of the unit was made of up two seniors and two juniors. The Tiger defensive unit would have been younger had regular rush linebacker Jeremy Lawrence, a redshirt freshman, started instead of junior Kareem Mitchell. Mitchell opened at defensive end as Jarvis Green moved to rush linebacker for the Alabama game. Here’s a look at the young Tiger defense against Alabama:
SENIORS (2)
DT Johnny Mitchell HLB Charles Smith
JUNIORS (2)
DE Kareem Mitchell RCB Fred Booker
SOPHOMORES (5)
NG Muskingum Barnes RLB Jarvis Green
LCB Robert Davis FS Ryan Clark
SS Shane O’Toole
FRESHMEN (1)
ILB Treverance Faulk DLB Norman LeJeune
CORBELLO STAYS STEADY
Freshman placekicker John Corbello stayed the course against Alabama, booting a 32-yard field goal for his ninth successful kick in 12 tries this season. Corbello has also been perfect in his extra point attempts, making all 15 of his tries this year. Corbello’s nine field goals is the most by an LSU player since Andre’ Lafleur made 13 in 1995.
OTHER NOTES FROM THE LSU-ALABAMA GAME
Domanick Davis’ 51-yard kickoff return was the longest by an LSU player since Rondell Mealey returned a kickoff 63 yards against Arkansas in last year’s season finale … Jeremy Witten, LSU’s designated pooch punter, punted for the third time this season, landing the ball at the Alabama 10 yard line; his previous two punts were downed at the two and the one yard line in games earlier this season.
WILLIAMS AND MITCHELL KEEP STREAKS ALIVE
LSU left offensive tackle Louis Williams has now started 20 straight games at that position, and has started on the Tiger offensive line in 21 of the Tigers’ last 25 games. LSU defensive tackle Johnny Mitchell has also started in 20 straight games at that position for the Tigers. Mitchell, a senior team captain, has played in every LSU game except one since joining the team in 1996. He started every game at tackle last year and has started all six games this season.
LSU-HOUSTON TIES
There are seven players on the LSU roster from the state of Texas: Jason Baggett of Baytown, LaVar Johnson of Galena Park, Terrence O’Bryant of New Waverly, Thomas Dunson of Spring, Shaun Wynn of Tyler, and Walter Moreham and Jerel Myers of Houston. There is one player on the Houston roster from the state of Louisiana: Alvin Lee of Hammond. LSU running backs coach Michael Haywood is a native of Houston, Texas. He graduated from St. Thomas High School in Houston. Houston equipment manager James Frazier is a 1995 graduate of LSU. As a student he worked in the Tiger equipment room under LSU equipment manager Jeff Boss, who has turned out a number of equipment managers active today in college football.
TIGERS IN THE SEC
Following are categories in which LSU players rank in the top five in the SEC:
Receptions – Jerel Myers, tie-No. 2, 5.89 catches per game
Punting – Corey Gibbs, No. 4, 42.1 yds per punt Kickoff Returns – Domanick Davis, No. 4, 24.09 per return
Following are categories in which LSU ranks in the top five in the SEC:
Passing Defense – No. 4, 185.8 yards per game
Pass Efficiency Defense – No. 2, 103.7 rating
Least Penalties – No. 2, 57