It’s Senior Night in Tiger Stadium, as No. 10 LSU (8-2, 5-2 SEC) continues its march toward a potential 10-win season with a 6:30 p.m. home kickoff against Rice.
The game will be broadcast on ESPNU and the LSU Sports Radio Network. Fans can watch online at WatchESPN.com or listen live at LSUSports.net/live.
LSU will honor 18 seniors Saturday night who will play their final games in Death Valley: Terrence Alexander, John Battle, Nick Brossette, Garrett Brumfield, David Ducre, Keith Fulton, Trey Gallman, Jack Gonsoulin, Rory Luke, Wesley McKoy, Justin Mikush, Foster Moreau, Seth Newsome, Michael Ostrom, Ed Paris, Turner Simmers, Cole Tracy and Jacory Washington.
“I’m proud to have 18 seniors playing in their last game,” said head coach Ed Orgeron. “I know our fans are going to be out there to support them. These guys have poured their heart and their soul out for the Tigers. Six of them already have their degree and the rest of them are scheduled to graduate this spring. And that’s why you come to school and get a great degree from LSU and I’m proud of these seniors. They have done so much for our school, so much for myself and they’re great young men.”
The class is part of four of 19 straight seasons of eight or more wins for the Tigers. It’s the longest active streak in FBS football, tied with Oklahoma. It’s also the longest streak in SEC history.
Brossette enters the game as LSU’s leading rusher with 792 yards and 11 touchdowns. If he maintains his 79 yard per game average, he could finish the season with more than 1,000 yards rushing after a bowl game. LSU is 6-0 this season when outrushing its opponents, and Rice allows 172 yards per game on the ground to LSU’s 134 allowed per game.
“Coming into the season we had those questions at running back, there’s no questions any more,” Orgeron said of Brossette. “He’s had a tremendous season. Very proud of Nick. He’s an outstanding young man. I hope he gets a thousand yards. I don’t know how many shy he is, but whatever it is, I want him to get it, give him a chance to get it, he’s very deserving. And he’s turned into a vocal team leader for us. And Nick being a leader sometimes you have to step out and you have to say things that are tough, you have to do things that are tough, Nick has done that, he’s a tremendous young man, can’t say enough good things about him.”
On defense, Battle enters the game with a career high three interceptions. He’s questionable to play with an injury, but for his career, he’s started 27 games with 142 tackles and 5 interceptions.
His safety partner, sophomore Grant Delpit, is a finalist for the Bronco Nagurski Trophy as college football’s best defensive player. Delpit has 63 tackles, 5 sacks, 5 interceptions, and 9.5 tackles for loss this season to pace LSU’s defense, which leads the SEC and ranks second nationally with 16 interceptions.
Kicker Cole Tracy, a Lou Groza Award semifinalist as the nation’s best kicker, has nailed 22-of-25 field goals this year, missing just once inside of 50 yards all season. For his career, Tracy has made 90 field goals, the most in college football.
Starting Saturday with Rice, LSU’s goal is to press on to a 10-win regular season, needing to win its final two regular season games to get there. Currently sitting at No. 7 in the College Football Playoff standings, hopes are high for a potential New Year’s Six Bowl – if not a playoff appearance, should enough breaks fall their way.
“They poured their hearts out this season,” Orgeron said. “We’re 8-2, I’m very proud of the character of this football team. We talked about it and I don’t talk about the standings or none of that, but we do talk about finishing strong, taking them one game at a time and taking it to a New Year’s Day bowl. These guys deserve that, obviously we have to play well this week, we have to play well the week after, we can’t look ahead, but it’s something for them to shoot for.”