BATON ROUGE — LSU’s 19 seniors will play their final home game in Tiger Stadium on Saturday when the 18th-ranked Tigers host Ole Miss in a contest that will go a long way in determining the bowl fate for both schools.
Kickoff for the Tigers and Rebels in the inaugural Magnolia Bowl is slated for 2:35 p.m. The game will be televised nationally by CBS. The LSU seniors will be honored on the field prior to kickoff, while the school’s 1958 national championship team will be recognized at halftime.
This year’s LSU senior class has put together a 50-12 mark during their five years with the Tigers, and they’ve also been a part of three bowl victories, including a pair of BCS wins. Last year, LSU claimed the BCS National Championship with a win over Ohio State. Off the field, this year’s senior class has already graduated two players with another 12 scheduled to graduate in December.
GameDay Info
LSU vs. Ole Miss
Saturday, Nov. 22
2:30 p.m. CST
CBS
GameTime Temp: 61?
Rain: 0% chance
Humidity: 50%
Wind: ESE 10 mph
Forecast
Sunrise: 6:37 a.m.
Kickoff: 2:35 p.m.
Sunset: 5:05 p.m.
Times of Interest
8 a.m.
LSU Ticket Office opens
8 a.m. until kickoff
LSU Gift Center “Blow out at the Box” close-out sale at Alex Box
10:15 a.m.
“Cowboy Mouth” free concert in Tiger One Village (between Tiger Stadium and PMAC)
11:30 a.m.
Club level and Suites open at Tiger Stadium
11:45 a.m.
LSU Student gates open at Tiger Stadium
Noon
All remaining gates open at Tiger Stadium
12:20 p.m.
LSU walks down “Victory Hill”
12:30 p.m.
LSU Gameday presented by CST on the air | Watch Live Pregame Video
12:35 p.m.
Mike the Tiger comes down the hill
12:40 p.m.
LSU band marches down the hill
2:10:15 p.m.
TAF Foundation of Champions Presentation
2:12:30 p.m.
Guest Captains presentation
2:15 p.m.
Golden Band from Tigerland takes the field for pregame performance
2:20:30 p.m.
Alma Mater and National Anthem
2:24 p.m.
LSU Senior Presentation
2:32 p.m.
LSU takes the field
2:32:45 p.m.
Ole Miss takes the field
2:35 p.m.
Kickoff: LSU vs. Ole Miss
Pre-Game Presentations
TAF Foundation of Champions presentation
First Timeout of First Quarter
Magnolia Bowl Presentation (SW corner of field)
End of First Quarter
Billy Cannon Recognition (SW corner of field)
Halftime
1958 National Championship Team Recognition
LSU Golden Band from Tigerland performs
Guest Captains
Ed McCready
James Pierson
Robert Dow
Richard Brooks
“This is a special day for our seniors and their families,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “These seniors are a group of guys who have really contributed to this program with some great leadership and great accomplishments both on and off the field.
“These guys revere this school and have played really great football for quite sometime, so we’re going to miss them. I want that crowd to come out and say good bye to them. There are some pretty special men in this group who have represented LSU in a first class fashion. I’m proud of them and proud to have been a part of their lives for the past four years.”
LSU, which is coming off the biggest comeback in school history last week against Troy, brings a 7-3 overall record and a 3-3 league mark into the game. Ole Miss is 6-4 overall and 3-3 in league play.
Representatives from the Capital One Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Chick-fil-A Bowl, Liberty Bowl and Music City Bowl will all be on hand on Saturday in Tiger Stadium.
“We’ve had a good week of practice,” Miles said. “The focus and attention to detail from the players has been good. I like the shape we’re in physically. I look forward to playing this game. It’s going to be a rivalry game; we know it and certainly understand it.
“They’re a very good team, but they play better against us. We need to play a good football game ourselves. We’re looking forward to playing in this one ourselves. This will be a competitive, great afternoon in Tiger Stadium.”
If the Tigers are to have success against the Rebels, they will have to start quicker than they did a week ago when they fell behind 31-3 in the third quarter against Troy before rallying with 37 unanswered points to win, 40-31.
Offensively, the Tigers will to build off the momentum set during the second half last week against Troy when LSU scored 30 points in the fourth quarter against the Trojans. Quarterback Jarrett Lee led the second half charge by completing 18 of 26 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown after halftime as he directed the Tigers to their second fourth quarter comeback this year.
Lee, who has a shot at breaking all of the school’s freshman passing records, has found a favorite target in Brandon LaFell, who caught a career-best 12 passes last week. LaFell leads the SEC in receptions with 55 and ranks second in receiving yards with 772 yards.
Running back Charles Scott became the 12th 1,000-yard rusher in school history last week. Scott goes into the Ole Miss game rated No. 3 in the SEC with 1,071 yards and 14 touchdowns.
As a unit, the Tigers are scoring 32.1 points per game, No. 2 in the SEC, and they are No. 3 in the conference in total offense with 394.2 yards per game. LSU is also the only team in the SEC to rank among the top four in the league in both rushing and passing. LSU is averaging 180.9 rushing yards per game and another 213.3 passing yards a contest.
Defensively, the Tigers are allowing 24.9 points and 311.1 yards per game.
This week, the Tigers will be challenged by an Ole Miss offense that features the “Wild Rebel” formation, along with a top flight passer in Jevan Snead. Snead is among the best in the SEC in throwing the ball, having passed for 1,983 yards and 17 scores.
When the Rebels aren’t throwing the football, they rely on the “Wild Rebel” offense, something that has help contribute the Ole Miss’ average of 29.4 points and 391.4 yards on offense per game.
“Darren McFadden and Felix Jones were spectacular at it,” Miles said of the “Wild Hog” offense that Houston Nutt ran at Arkansas. “Both are playing in the NFL and both have had great starts to what appears to be long, productive professional careers. Certainly the formation and the motions have responsibilities on how to defend it. I think we’re better at it now having experienced the best Wildcat formation that I’ve ever seen last year against Arkansas.”
Miles said his team is ready to step back on the field in Tiger Stadium one final time this year.
“I think this team is looking forward to playing,” Miles said. “They’ve come off an unusual experience last Saturday; one that a lot of guys stepped up and played really well for a half and they’re looking forward to playing like that again.”
2008 LSU Senior Class
No. Name Pos. Hometown
2 Demetrius Byrd WR Miami, Fla.
5 Chad Moody DB Baton Rouge, La.
6 Colt David PK Grapevine, Texas
17 Josh Graham PK Covington, La.
27 Curtis Taylor S Franklinton, La.
38 Brady Dalfrey P Carencro, La.
40 Caleb Angelle TE Breaux Bridge, La.
45 Quinn Johnson FB Edgard, La.
47 Tremaine Johnson DE Galena Park, Texas
48 Darry Beckwith LB Baton Rouge, La.
49 Kirston Pittman DE Garyville, La.
50 Phillip Pigott FB Pearl River, La.
63 Ryan Miller C Lake Charles, La.
74 Brett Helms C Stuttgart, Ark.
79 Herman Johnson OG Olla, La.
91 Charles Alexander DT Breaux Bridge, La.
93 Tyson Jackson DE Edgard, La.
94 Donald Hains DL Diamondhead, Miss.
99 Marlon Favorite DT Harvey, La.