BATON ROUGE — LSU will look to keep its chances for a BCS bowl game alive on Saturday as the ninth-ranked Tigers close out the 2006 home slate against Ole Miss in Tiger Stadium.
Kickoff for the game is set for 7 p.m. The game will be televised on a pay-per-view basis on TigerVision.
The Tigers go into the game ranked No. 9 in the both the USA Today Coaches Poll and the Associated Press Top 25. LSU is also No. 11 in the BCS, which puts the Tigers in the mix for an at-large pick for one of the BCS bowl games. For a team to be considered for an at-large berth in a BCS bowl game they must win at least nine games and be ranked among the top 14 in the BCS standings. A win over Ole Miss makes the Tigers eligible for an at-large spot.
Purchase TigerVision Pay-Per-View in Louisiana
Listen Live in the Geaux Zone powered by USAgencies
GameDay Central: Complete Fan Information
Send Your ‘Ask the Announcer‘ Question for the Nov. 24 Arkansas Game
Get your game Gear online at LSUshop.net
LSU Fan Photos: Submit your favorites now
“We’re in improved position but again we don’t control our destiny,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “The only thing that we can control is the games that are on our schedule and we look forward to playing the very next one and that’s Ole Miss on Saturday.”
LSU, winners of four straight overall and 12 in a row at home, brings an 8-2 overall mark and a 4-2 league record into the contest. LSU has also won four straight and five of the last six against the Rebels, including a 40-3 victory in Oxford last season. The Rebels are 3-7 overall and 1-5 in Southeastern Conference action.
Weather (Forecast)
GameTime Conditions: Clear
GameTime Temp: 54?
High: 70?
Low: 41?
Chance of Rain: 0%
Humidity: 66%
Wind: NNW @ 3 mph
Sunset: 5:07 p.m. CT
LSU vs. Ole Miss
Event Schedule for Saturday, Nov. 18
Time Event
4:30 p.m. All gates to Tiger Stadium open
4:50 p.m. LSU team walks down hill to locker room
5:15 p.m. Mike the Tiger loaded and brought to Gate 11
5:30 p.m. LSU band marches down hill to Tiger Stadium
6:49 p.m. LSU seniors introduced at midfield
7 p.m. Kickoff: LSU vs. Ole Miss
Pregame:
Team LSU recognized
TAF 20-year members recognized
Halftime:
LSU Golden Band from Tigerland performs
Guest Captains:
Keith Melancon
Mike Gambrell
Gregg Dubroc
Kevin Langford
Chad Loup
Notes:
Levee lots off of River Road closed … Alternate free lots are the Hayfield and the Fairway, located off of Gourrier Lane … Fans asked to carpool when possible.
Saturday’s game will also serve as Senior Day for the Tigers as LSU will honor 22 seniors prior to kickoff. This year’s senior class has been a part of 49 victories as well as the 2003 BCS national title and what will be five bowl games. They are the second-winningest class in school history, trailing only the 2005 senior class that won 51 games during their career.
“We will take 22 seniors into Tiger Stadium for the final time on Saturday,” Miles said earlier this week. “It will be an awfully important outing for those players. They have a really distinct opportunity that if they win two games, they will tie as the class with the most wins in LSU history. If they have three wins, they will exceed that class (2005 senior class) by one.
“We have a very, very good senior class and a group of men that we will really miss. We want to send them off with a victory.”
The Tigers also bring a 13-game winning streak in games played in the month of November into the contest. LSU hasn’t lost a game in November since the 2002 season when Arkansas posted a 21-20 victory over the Tigers in Little Rock.
“We have had a good week of preparation,” Miles said. “The players have worked hard this week and they’ve done a good job of preparing for a very talented Ole Miss team. We understand the history of this game and we understand that it’s important that we be ready to come out and compete for 60 minutes. We are looking to build on what we did a week ago.”
A week ago, the Tiger offensive exploded for 21 first half points en route to a 28-14 win over Alabama. After a sluggish start, the Tiger defense pitched a shutout in the second half after allowing a season-high 14 first half points to the Crimson Tide.
“Our defense ran into an Alabama team that had a really good game plan,” Miles said. “One, they weren’t going to hold the ball long. They were going to throw it fast. We got to the quarterback at times and other times he made just tremendous throws. Our defense was challenged to continue to play. They responded to the challenge and really did a nice job in the second half. I think they came out of that game having learned something.”
The Tiger defense goes into the Ole Miss game with the task of shutting down Rebel quarterback Brent Schaeffer and running back BJ Green-Ellis. Schaeffer has thrown for 1,239 yards and seven touchdowns, while Green-Ellis ranks second in the SEC in rushing with 866 yards and six scores.
“They are much better on offense,” Miles said. “They have a nice tailback in BJ Green-Ellis. They are a powerful running football team and they have a quarterback in Brent Schaeffer who can move the ball around with his arm and feet.”
LSU brings a defense that is ranked No. 2 in the nation in both total yards allowed (231.0) and scoring (10.4) into the game. Ole Miss’ offense is scoring only 14.8 points and averaging just 274.2 yards per game.
Offensively, the Tigers continue to revolve around the play of quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who goes into the game having thrown for 2,364 yards and 21 touchdowns this year. Russell, who is 22-4 as LSU’s starting quarterback, has climbed to No. 2 in school history in passing TDs with 45 and he’s fourth in total offense with 5,927 yards.
Russell’s top targets have been the trio of Craig Davis, Dwayne Bowe and Early Doucet. The trio has combined for 136 receptions, 1,944 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The Tiger offense has also benefited from a running game that has established itself in recent weeks, largely due to the emergence of true freshman Keiland Williams. In wins over Tennessee and Alabama, the Tigers have rushed for over 200 yards in each of those games. Williams has rushed for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns in LSU’s last two outings.
“We understand the history of this rivalry,” Miles said. “We understand that it is a border war. We understand how important this game is. We like our match-up. We bring in the No. 1 (in the SEC) offense in scoring and total offense and the No. 1 defense in scoring and total defense into this game. We enjoy being in Tiger Stadium. This will be an opportunity to experience a victory and a chance for us to pick up our ninth win of the season.”