by Chris Macaluso
LSUsports.net
In world full of uncertainties, there were two safe bets the wary football fan could have made before the opening kick of Saturday’s LSU-Tulane match-up.
First: After Tulane’s 70-35 loss to BYU in its opening game of the season, it was pretty safe bet that LSU would be able to score a few points against the over-matched Green Wave defense.
Second: After scoring 35 points in its opening-game loss to BYU, it was a pretty safe bet that the Green Wave offense would score a few points against the LSU defense.
The only wish on the minds of most of the Tiger Stadium record crowd of 91,782 was that LSU score more.
That wish came true with a 48-17 final tally in favor of the Tigers.
LSU put the first nail in the Green Wave coffin just 26 seconds into the game when Tiger tailback LaBrandon Toefield followed a 59-yard Dominick Davis return of the opening kick with a 28-yard touchdown scamper.
The LSU offense exploded in the second quarter for 27 points, spreading the scoring wealth among tight end Robert Royal, Davis, Toefield and place kicker John Corbello, who was 2-3 in field goal attempts. Toefield scored again in the fourth quarter from one yard out to end the scoring in the game.
LSU finished the game with 494 total yards while the Green Wave piled up 391. But the LSU defense held tight when it counted, limiting the Wave to just 2-of-12 third-down conversions. LSU also held the Wave to just 48 yards rushing while the Tulane defense surrendered 232 yards to the Tigers on the ground.
“I respect the way our defense played for 60 minutes and didn’t let them score in the late stages of the game,” said LSU Coach Nick Saban. “I thought the defensive front did an outstanding job of stopping the run.”
Both Toefield and Tiger quarterback Rohan Davey played well with Toefield finishing with 58 yards on 15 carries and three touchdowns and Davey completing 19-of-29 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. But, there were few standouts on either side of the ball for either team, something Tiger Coach Nick Saban said he doesn’t have a problem with.
“It was a great win for us. Obviously there were a lot of good things that happened on that field today,” Saban said. “Obviously there were a lot of things we could improve on.”
Hopefully for Saban and his team, that improvement will come this week in practice and against Utah State next Saturday. After that, the Tigers jump into Southeastern Conference play with both feet.