By Ryan Rogers
LSUsports.net
It wasn’t that long ago that LSU fans had lost hope of LSU winning a SEC West title. After a 35-24 loss to Ole Miss and an Auburn upset win over top-ranked Florida, LSU was 2? games out of first place and a comeback to win the division seemed impossible. Phones at hotels in Shreveport, La., were ringing as the Tiger faithful planned another trip to the Independence Bowl.
One major mistake was made in the Christmas planning of these fans. They forgot check with Nick Saban and his team to see what their plans were for Christmas. Turns out, they hadn’t changed at all. Atlanta on Dec. 8 and a bowl game on New Year’s Day were still on the agenda. Saban and his players didn’t give up and now they have a chance to do the unthinkable and win LSU’s first SEC West title ever Saturday against Auburn.
“We never gave up. Never did it cross our minds that we were out of this race,” said junior running back Domanick Davis. “We took it one game at a time, stayed together, overcame adversity and worked hard. Look how it turned out. We’re right here where we knew we could be.”
Senior offensive guard Dwayne Pierce admits losing to Ole Miss was tough.
“It felt like the season was over. All of our hearts were broken. I looked over and saw Rohan (Davey) crying in his locker and it brought tears to my eyes. But we hung tough and now we have an opportunity to do what we set out to do from the beginning.”
Saban is emphasizing that his team focus in on the task at hand and not get caught up in all the hype.
“The key thing for our team this week is going to be that we need to focus,” said Saban at his weekly press luncheon. “We need to have the ability to focus on beating Auburn. Not on going to Atlanta, not on winning a championship, not on who we might be going to play in the championship, not on the ring we would get if we won the championship, because all of those things would be counterproductive to us being able to have success in the game. We need to focus on what we need to do to beat Auburn.”
So how did the Tigers get in this position? The first thing that had to happen is LSU winning all of their remaining conference games. LSU began in fashion with a 35-21 thumping of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., that saw record-breaking performances from Rohan Davey and Josh Reed.
The second thing that had to happen was LSU needed some help from other teams. On Nov. 17, LSU received that help. Georgia defeated Ole Miss 35-15 and in a huge upset Alabama went into Auburn and beat the Tigers 31-7. It marked the first time in four scenarios that the “Iron Bowl” went the Tigers way in the hopes of claiming the division.
A week later the Tigers beat Arkansas in a wild 41-38 shootout and the stage was set for Saturday’s showdown with Auburn.
The Arkansas game exemplified the spirit and perseverance of the 2001 Tigers. Sure Rohan Davey could have given up after he turned the ball over five times. Sure the Tiger defense could have folded when Arkansas got in the red zone, and sure leaders like Robert Royal and Ryan Clark and playmakers like Josh Reed and LaBrandon Toefield could have called it quits. But if you didn’t believe it before, believe it now, this LSU team has no quitters.
Davey maintained the composer to come back and throw two touchdown passes to Reed and one to Michael Clayton to push the Tigers out in front. LSU’s defense forced two field goals and held another Arkansas drive to a missed field goal, which was the difference in the game. Royal made a huge catch on third down for 27 yards to keep a drive alive and Clark collected his third interception of the season on the Arkansas 17-yard line, which led to a Toefield touchdown the very next play.
“A big key to our success is that we don’t get down on one another. We have confidence in each other. Rohan (Davey) made some mistakes (in the Arkansas game), but nobody in the huddle blamed him,” said Reed. “We all knew he was going to come back and win the game for us and he did. It’s the same thing if a receiver drops a pass or someone misses a block, no one points fingers on this team. That’s why we are successful.”
What Reed is talking about has been evident from the very beginning. It was quite obvious watching this team practice in the fall that they have chemistry. The players are close one another and they trust one another to succeed. This is something that has carried over from last year.
This Saturday will mark the first time since 1973 that a game in Tiger Stadium decides the SEC Championship. LSU lost to Alabama 21-7 that year, as both teams were 5-0 in SEC play heading into the conference finale. Since the insertion of the SEC Championship game in 1991, it’s the first time LSU is playing for a West title in its final game.
Many players came to LSU in the hope that the Tigers would play for a conference championship. To see that dream realized has humbled all of them.
LSU fans have waited a very long time to see LSU in this position. You can guarantee that flags will be flying, barbeque pits will be burning and fans will be cheering their hearts out Saturday. The players want to give something back to the people that make LSU football such a great experience for them. There is a sentiment around the locker room to win the game for more than just themselves, but for everyone who has helped them and cheered them on along the way.
“We want to win this one for the seniors, the coaches and the people of Baton Rouge. They want us to win so much. We hope to win for everybody,” says left guard Stephen Peterman.