A total of 20 LSU seniors will take the field in Tiger Stadium one final time on Saturday as the group leaves the school with three seasons of at least 11 wins and a national title.
BATON ROUGE — One of the winningest classes in LSU football history will take the field in Tiger Stadium one final time on Saturday as the Tigers close out their home schedule against Southeastern Conference Western Division rival Ole Miss.
Kickoff for the Tigers and the Rebels is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. in a game that will be televised nationally by CBS. LSU brings a 7-3 overall mark and a 3-3 league record into the game, while the Rebels are 6-4 overall and 3-3 in conference action.
LSU has won six straight and seven of its last eight games against the Rebels, which includes a 41-24 victory last year in Oxford. Ole Miss hasn’t won in Tiger Stadium since 2001.
Saturday’s game will serve as a send off for LSU’s 2008 senior class as 20 Tigers will play their final game in Tiger Stadium. Among the accomplishments of this year’s group of seniors, most of which came to LSU in the fall of 2004, include playing in a bowl game for four straight years; being part of a school-record three straight 10-plus win seasons; winning the national title and the conference championship in 2007.
Since signing with LSU in the spring of 2004, the seniors on this year’s team have been a part of one 12-win season, two 11-win seasons and a 9-win season. The Tigers have also finished ranked among the top five in the nation three times, including a No. 1 ranking in 2007 and No. 3 in 2006.
“This group of seniors, it’s a quality group of men,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “Football is a hard game. It’s not easy. You go out there and it’s contact…. it’s the elements, and it’s an aggressive sport and they’ve represented this school very well.
”Senior day certainly is the day that we honor them at home. When you get into the backend of every season and you play your last game with some quality guys, players you’ve turned to and relied on snap after snap, it’s tough to say good bye to them.”
One player in this year’s senior class is that of Kirston Pittman, who is actually in his sixth year with the Tigers. Pittman, who was granted a sixth-year of eligibility by the NCAA last spring, is the only active player in college football to have won two BCS National Championships. Pittman was a true freshman on LSU’s 2003 national title team and was a starting defensive end for the Tigers during last year’s national title season.
“Kirston Pittman is a guy who has been a part of two national championship teams,” Miles said. “He really suffered two severe injuries and overcame those injuries to play for this football team. He played extremely well on the field and gave us great leadership off the field. He’s going to leave here having accomplished what our program represents ? he’s earned his degree and at the same time been a part of championship football teams.”
In addition to Pittman, defensive end Tyson Jackson is another player who has turned in an outstanding career with the Tigers. Jackson, a three-year starter, has 18.5 career sacks and has been a constant force on the defensive line during his LSU career. Jackson will graduate in December with a degree in general studies.
“Tyson Jackson is another member of this class that is a quality person and every time he steps on the practice field or goes on the football field for us, he’s everything that is reported,” Miles said. “He’s just a quality player and a quality person and a leader on our football team.”
Of the 20 seniors on this year’s team, two have already graduated ? Pittman and center Brett Helms ? with another 12 scheduled to graduate in December. By the time the Tigers play in a bowl game in either late December or early January, 14 members of the football team will have earned their college diploma.
The list of 20 seniors includes 14 scholarship players and six walk-ons. Twelve of the 20 seniors are starters with two others seeing significant playing time for the Tigers.
“This is a quality group of guys who have contributed to this program with some great leadership,” Miles said. “These guys revere this school and have played really great football for quite sometime, so we’re going to miss them. There are some pretty special men in that group and I want the Tiger Stadium crowd to come out and say good bye to them.”
2008 LSU Football Senior Class
No. Name, Pos.
91 Charles Alexander, DE
40 Caleb Angelle, TE
30 Chad Baniecki, FB
48 Darry Beckwith, LB
2 Demetrius Byrd, WR
38 Brady Dalfrey, P
6 Colt David, PK
99 Marlon Favorite, DT
17 Josh Graham, PK
94 Donald Hains, DL
74 Brett Helms, C
93 Tyson Jackson, DE
79 Herman Johnson, OG
45 Quinn Johnson, FB
47 Tremaine Johnson, DE
63 Ryan Miller, C
5 Chad Moody, DB
50 Phillip Pigott, LB,
49 Kirston Pittman, DE
27 Curtis Taylor, S