LSU Game Notes for Mississippi State

LSU (1-1, 0-0)) vs. Mississippi State (1-1, 1-0)

 

LSU Welcomes Mississippi State To Tiger Stadium For SEC Opener and “Gold Game”

LSU opens Southeastern Conference play on Saturday night when the No. 20/22 Tigers host Mississippi State in Tiger Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2 with Mike Patrick (pxp), Ed Cunningham (analyst) and Dr. Jerry Punch (sideline) on the call. LSU enters the game with a 1-1 overall mark after its 34-13 win over Jacksonville State last week, while Mississippi State (1-1, 1-0 SEC) beat South Carolina, 27-14, to open league play. LSU has won 15 of the last 16 meetings between the teams, the only exception coming the last time they met in Tiger Stadium when the Bulldogs won, 34-29, in 2014. LSU has opened its conference schedule with a victory in eight out of the past years, again the only exception coming in that 2014 loss to Mississippi State. Last year, LSU opened the season (after the cancellation of the McNeese State game due to weather) with a 21-19 victory over Mississippi State in Starkville, a victory that propelled the Tigers to a 7-0 start. LSU coach Les Miles, the Dean of SEC Football Coaches, enters the game with a 113-33 mark at LSU, making him the second-winningest coach in school history. Overall, Miles has a 141-54 record, which includes four years at Oklahoma State. Offensively, the Tigers are averaging 314.0 total yards per game (185.0 rushing, 129.0 passing). All-America RB Leonard Fournette is expected to return to action this week after sitting out the Jacksonville State game. In his place, sophomore Derrius Guice rushed for 155 yards and a TD in helping lead the Tigers to the win. Junior QB Danny Etling came off the bench in the second quarter and rallied the Tigers to 27 points in that frame for a 27-10 halftime lead. Etling, a Purdue transfer playing in his first game at LSU, threw for 100 yards on 6-of-14 passing with one TD. He also rushed for a touchdown. Defensively, LSU is allowing 14.5 points and 353.5 total yards per game (127.0 rushing, 226.5 passing). LB Kendell Beckwith leads the Tigers with 17 tackles, 2.5 TFL and a sack. OLB Arden Key has nine tackles and 3.0 sacks, while S Rickey Jefferson has 14 tackles and an interception.

 

TALKING POINTS

• LSU coach Les Miles has won 63 SEC games (61 regular-season, 2 championship games) during his career with the Tigers leaving him two shy of tying Charles McClendon’s school record for wins in SEC play of 65.

 

• With his 60-yard punt return for a TD, CB Tre’Davious White became the first non-offensive player to score touchdowns in the first two games of the season since Jonathan Zenon did it 2006 (vs. UL-Lafayette and Arizona). White opened the year with a 21-yard interception return for a TD vs. Wisconsin.

 

• LSU has had a 100-yard rusher in five straight games dating back to last season and the Tigers are 4-1 in those games.

 

• With 155 yards vs. Jacksonville State, Derrius Guice became the first LSU running back to rush for 100 yards in the first start of his career since 1997 when Cecil Collins has 232 yards against Auburn in what was his first start at LSU.

 

• LSU is 56-7 under Les Miles when a running back reaches the 100-yard mark, which includes a 13-3 record when Leonard Fournette hits the century mark.

 

• Tre’Davious White is now one punt return shy of tying the school record for punt returns for a touchdown following his spectacular 60-yard return last week vs. Jacksonville State. White has returned three punts for TDs during his career, one shy of tying Skyler Green’s school record.
• LSU is 50-6 in night games in Tiger Stadium under Miles.

 

• LSU is now 29-4 following a loss under Miles.

 

• LSU RB Leonard Fournette became the quickest player to 3,000 rushing yards in school history last week when he eclipsed the mark against Wisconsin. Fournette did it in 26 games and 491 attempts to better Kevin Faulk, who reached the milestone in 28 games and 572 attempts.

 

GAMECENTER

 

Date/Time:          Saturday, September 17 at 6 p.m. CT

Location:             Baton Rouge, La. – Tiger Stadium (102,321)

Television:         ESPN2 or WatchESPN.com

Radio:                  LSU Sports Radio Network – 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge

Sirius Satellite Radio – ch. 112; XM Radio – ch. 191

Series Record:  LSU leads, 72-34-3

Series Notes:

LSU and Mississippi State meet for the 110th time on Saturday with the Tigers leading the series 72-34-3 … LSU’s held on for a 21-19 win over the Bulldogs to open the 2015 season, earning an eighth-straight win over MSU in Starkville … Overall, LSU has won 15 of the last 16 and 22 of the last 24 against Mississippi State … The Tigers have won 11 of the last 12 games against Mississippi State in Tiger Stadium… LSU hasn’t lost back-to-back games against Mississippi State since 1990 and 1991 … LSU is 14-6-1 all-time against the Bulldogs in Starkville … LSU goes into the Mississippi State game ranked in the Top 25 for the 12th consecutive season … This will be the 13th straight game vs. Mississippi State that LSU goes into the game ranked in the Top 25 … With 72 wins in the series, LSU has more victories over Mississippi State than any other team in the history of the Tiger program … The next closest is the 69 wins LSU has against Tulane … The LSU-State series dates back to a 52-0 Tiger win in 1896 … LSU coach Les Miles is 9-1 vs. Mississippi State, which includes a 5-0 record in Starkville … Miles has more wins over  Mississippi State (10) than any other team he’s faced as a head coach, which includes a 4-1 record in Baton Rouge.

 

NOTEBOOK

 

Les Miles vs. The SEC

LSU coach Les Miles is 63-29 against SEC teams (all games) since taking over for the Tigers in 2005. The 63 wins include two victories in the SEC Championship Game, while two of the 26 losses include a defeat to Georgia in the 2005 SEC title game and the loss to Alabama in the 2012 BCS National Championship game. In games that count toward the SEC standings, Miles is 56-24. LSU is 31-9 under Miles in SEC home games and 25-15 in SEC road games.

 

LSU in SEC Openers

LSU is 50-28-5 all-time in Southeastern Conference opening games, winning eight of the last nine overall. Under head coach Les Miles, the Tigers are 8-3 in SEC opening contests, as Saturday’s game against Mississippi State is just the fifth time in his 12 years that the team will open conference play at home. LSU has opened SEC play with the Bulldogs 13 times and is 11-1-1 all-time.

 

White Second in Career Punt Return TD’s, One Away From Record

With his 60 (81 if you count the yards to left, right and backwards) yard punt return for a touchdown against Jacksonville State, senior Tre’Davious White moved into a tie for No. 2 all time with his third score off of a punt in his LSU career. White has scored each of the last three special teams touchdowns dating back to 2014 for the Tigers, and is one away from tying former Tiger Skyler Green who holds the career record with four from 2002-05. White is the fourth LSU player ever to have three in a career, with the rest of the list as follows:

Rank      Name                                                          Punt Return TD’s

1. Skyler Green                                       4
2. Tre’Davious White                            3
3. Craig Burns                                         3
4. Tommy Casanova                             3
5. Pinky Rohm                           3

 

Fournette Becomes Fastest Back To 3,000 Rushing Yards in LSU History

In his fourth carry of game against Wisconsin, junior running back Leonard Fournette eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark, becoming just the fourth player in program history to do so and the fastest, needing just 26 games and 572 total rushing attempts. Fournette finished the game with 138 yards on the ground on 23 carries, his 16th career 100-yard rushing game at LSU, and for his career is averaging 120.2 yards on the ground, 6.1 yards per carry on 19.6 attempts per game. Here are the top five rushing leaders in LSU history:

Rank      Name (Years)                                             Total Yards

1. Kevin Faulk (1995-98)                       4,557
2. Dalton Hilliard (1982-85)                      4,050
3. Charles Alexander (1975-78)                      4,035
4. Leonard Fournette (2014-present)                 3,125
5. Harvey Williams (1986-90)                      2,860

 

Etling Could Be 13th LSU QB To Make First Tiger Stadium Start

LSU junior QB Danny Etling could be the 13th QB to make their first Tiger Stadium start on Saturday against Mississippi State. Etling, a transfer from Purdue, came off the bench in LSU’s third offensive series of the game against Jacksonville State and led the Tigers to three touchdowns on the next four scoring drives as the Tigers defeated the Gamecocks 34-13. LSU quarterbacks in their first Tiger Stadium start have won 12 consecutive games, a streak that dates back to the 2002 season. The last time an LSU quarterback lost his first start in Tiger Stadium came in 1999 when Josh Booty and the Tigers dropped a 31-10 decision to eighth-ranked Florida. Here’s a look at the current 12-game winning streak by LSU quarterbacks in their first Tiger Stadium start:

Year        Player                                            Opponent (Results)                     Stats                                                       

2015        Brandon Harris                            Auburn (W, 45-21)                       12-for-17, 74 yards, 1 TD, 66 rush yards, 2 TD’s

2014        Anthony Jennings                       Sam Houston State (W, 56-0)     7-of-13, 188 yards, 3 TDs, 43 rush yards

2012        Zach Mettenberger                      North Texas (W, 41-14)               19-of-26, 192 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int.

2009        Jordan Jefferson                           Vanderbilt (W, 23-9)                   20-of-29, 138 yards, 10 rush yards

2008        Jarrett Lee                                     Miss. State (W, 34-24)                  18-of-27, 261 yards, 2 TDs, 1 Int.

2008        Andrew Hatch                              Appalachian State (W, 41-13)     7-of-14, 77 yards, 1 TD, 43 rush yards

2007        Ryan Perrilloux                           Middle Tennessee (W, 44-0)       20-of-25, 298 yards, 3 TDs, 37 rush yards

2007        Matt Flynn                                    Virginia Tech (W, 48-7)              17-of-27, 217 yards, 2 TDs, 1 rush TD

2004        JaMarcus Russell                          Vanderbilt (W, 24-7)                   2-of-5, 24 yards, 13 rush yards

2002        Rick Clausen                                Ole Miss (W, 14-13)                     2-of-6, 9 yards, 1 Int.

2002        Marcus Randall                            South Carolina (W, 38-14)          12-of-23, 183 yards, 36 rush yards, 1 TD

2002        Matt Mauck                                   The Citadel (W, 35-10)                                8-of-18, 90 yards, 1 Int. 1 rush TD

 

LSU’s Defensive TDs

LSU scored the 22nd defensive touchdown in the Miles Era on Saturday when Tre’Davious White returned an interception 21 yards for a TD in the third quarter of the 16-14 loss against Wisconsin in Green Bay. The Tigers are 16-3 in games when scoring a defensive touchdown under Miles. The following is a look at LSU’s defensive touchdowns since 2005:

Year   Opponent               Play                                                                                      Results

2016   Wisconsin              Tre’Davious White  21-yard interception return         LSU lost to Wisconsin, 16-14

2015   E. Michigan            Deion Jones 26-yard interception return                      LSU def. E. Michigan, 44-22

2014   New Mexico St.     Kendell Beckwith 29-yard interception return            LSU def. New Mexico St., 63-7

2014   Miss. State              Danielle Hunter 25-yard fumble recovery                   LSU lost to Miss. State, 29-34

2012   Miss. State              Craig Loston 100-yard interception return                  LSU def. Miss. State, 37-17

Idaho                       Ronald Martin 45-yard interception return                  LSU def. Idaho, 63-14

Idaho                       Lavar Edwards 23-yard interception return

2011   Georgia                  Morris Claiborne 45-yard interception return            LSU def. Georgia, 42-10

2011   Ole Miss                 Ron Brooks 46-yard interception return                       LSU def. Ole Miss, 52-3

2011   Ole Miss                 Kevin Minter 0-yard fumble recovery

2011   Auburn                   Ron Brooks 28-yard interception return                       LSU def. Auburn, 45-10

2011   Kentucky                Tyrann Mathieu 23-yard fumble return                        LSU def. Kentucky, 35-7

2010   ULM                        Ron Brooks 32-yard interception return                       LSU def. ULM, 51-0

ULM                        Lavar Edwards 29-yard fumble return

2009   Washington           Jacob Cutrera 29-yard interception return                   LSU def. Washington, 31-23

2009   Miss. State              Patrick Peterson 37-yard interception return               LSU def. Miss. State, 30-26

2008   Tulane                     Chris Hawkins 24-yard fumble return                                LSU def. Tulane, 35-10

2007   vs. Tennessee         Jonathan Zenon 18-yard interception return                     LSU def. Tennessee, 21-14

2006   Arizona                  Jonathan Zenon 41-yard interception return                     LSU def. Arizona, 45-3

2006   UL-Lafayette          Jonathan Zenon 20-yard interception return                     LSU def. La.-Lafayette, 45-3

2005   at Vanderbilt         Ali Highsmith 22-yard fumble return                                 LSU def. Vanderbilt, 34-6

2005   Tennessee               Kenneth Hollis 3-yard interception return                        LSU lost to Tennessee, 30-27 (OT)

 

LSU Is 29-4 Under Les Miles Following a Loss

LSU is 29-4 since 2005 under Les Miles following a loss. Coming off a loss in the Music City Bowl to Notre Dame, LSU opened the 2015 season with a 21-19 win at Mississippi State. The only times LSU has lost back-to-back games under Miles came in 2008 when the Tigers dropped November games to Ole Miss and Arkansas, November 2014 with losses to Alabama and Arkansas and November 2015 with losses at Alabama, home vs. Arkansas and at Ole Miss. LSU has never lost consecutive games in Tiger Stadium under Miles.

 

#NFLSU – Tigers Lead The Way On Week 1 NFL Rosters Since 2014

Since 2014, the LSU football program has had the most former players on active NFL rosters heading into week one than any program in the nation with a combined 121. In 2016, LSU again leads the way with 43 former players on NFL 53-man squads, topping all other schools for the third-straight season, as it’s also the second consecutive year there have been at least 40 Tigers on active rosters. The SEC makes up four of the top five over that span, while being five of six schools with at least 100 players in the NFL over that time.

 

School                                      Total No. of Players 

LSU                                           121

Alabama                                  112

Florida State                           105

Georgia                                    104

Florida                                     102

Southern California              102

 

No. 18 Tradition Passed Down to Tre’Davious White

A tradition established in 2003 continues as senior cornerback Tre’Davious White was voted to wear the No. 18 jersey for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. White was presented the jersey by coach Les Miles following a vote of the coaching staff and former LSU No. 18s during the Tigers’ first team meeting of fall camp in 2015 and then again this year. White is one of LSU’s leading returners on defense after recording 44 total tackles, with 30 on the solo end and 1.5 tackles for losses. Against Syracuse in the Carrier Dome, White cleared 69 yards in a shade over nine seconds on a punt return for a touchdown in the win over the Orange. Jersey No. 18 was born when, in 2003, quarterback Matt Mauck guided LSU to its first national championship since 1958. His number became synonymous with success — both on and off the field — as well as a selfless attitude that has become the epitome of being an LSU football player. After his final year with the Tigers, Mauck passed the jersey number down to running back Jacob Hester, who then helped LSU to another national title in 2007. Here is a look at the jersey No. 18s:

Years      Player                                        Position

2003        Matt Mauck                               QB

2004-07   Jacob Hester                             RB

2008-09   Richard Dickson                      TE

2010        Richard Murphy                      RB

2011        Brandon Taylor                        S

2012        Bennie Logan                           DT

2013        Lamin Barrow                          LB

2014        Terrence Magee                       RB

2015-16   Tre’Davious White                 CB

 

LSU Brings Back 17 Starters in 2016 from the SEC’s Top Five Total Offense and Defense in the SEC a Season Ago

LSU ended the 2015 season as one of the most potent offenses in the conference and provided a formidable defense to stop any opposing side earning top five rankings in both total offense and defense. Going into 2016, the Tigers return 17 starters from both sides of the line, including bringing back six players who were eligible in the draft as juniors in Kendell Beckwith, Travin Dural,Rickey Jefferson, Lewis Neal, Ethan Pocic and Tre’Davious White. Backed by consensus All-American Leonard Fournette, and All-SEC performers Jamal Adams, Arden Key and others, LSU will forge into a new season as one of the most talented Tiger teams in recent history.

 

LSU is 50-4 Overall in Non-Conference Games Under Les Miles

LSU brings a 50-4 record in non-conference games heading into the game against Jacksonville State. LSU’s only four non-conference losses under Les Miles came against Penn State in the Capital One Bowl to end the 2009 season, Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31, 2012, Notre Dame in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30, 2014 and Wisconsin in the Lambeau Field College Classic last week. Of the 49 wins under Miles against non-conference opponents, 13 have come against Top 25 teams, 41 have come by double-digits and LSU has scored 40 or more points in 30 of the 53 games.

 

LSU Has Been Ranked in 140 of 146 Games Under Miles

Since Les Miles took over at LSU, the Tigers have been represented in the AP and Amway Coaches’ Poll 170 of the 179 weeks. The exception came during the final three polls of the 2008 season, five weeks in 2014 and the week heading into the Texas A&M game last season. In addition, since the start of the 2002 season, LSU has played 174 of 182 games ranked in the top 25, including 140 of 146 games under Miles. LSU has a 108-32  record in games played as a Top 25 team under Miles. The only five games that LSU didn’t play as a Top 25 team during the Miles era came in 2008 against Arkansas in the regular-season finale and Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, in 2014 at Florida, vs. Kentucky and at Texas A&M, and in the 2015 regular season finale vs. Texas A&M. This year marked the 16th consecutive season that the Tigers were ranked in the preseason polls as LSU came in at No. 5 in the Associated Press and No. 6 in the Amway Coaches Top 25 polls.

 

Leonard Fournette in LSU Top Five for Career 100-Yard Rushing Games

Since joining the program as a freshman in 2014, running back Leonard Fournette has rocketed up the LSU rushing charts, including ranking in the top five in reaching at least 100 yards in multiple games.  In 2016, Fournette rushed for 138 yards in the opener against Wisconsin in Green Bay, carrying the ball 23 times against the Badgers to get to 16, three shy of matching former Tiger great Dalton Hilliard. Here is a list of the most 100-yard rushing games in LSU history:

Rank      Player                                100-Yard Games                   Seasons at LSU

1. Kevin Faulk                      22                             1995-98
2. Charles Alexander          20                             1975-78
3. Dalton Hilliard                19                             1982-85
4. Leonard Fournette          16                             2014-present
5. Jeremy Hill                       11                             2012-13

 

This Day vs. Night Thing in Tiger Stadium

The facts indicate that LSU plays better at night in Tiger Stadium than they do during the day. The numbers show that since 1960, LSU is 241-64-4 (.780) at night under the lights compared to a 34-25-3 (.573) mark in Tiger Stadium during the day. Since 2000, LSU is 99-15 (.868) overall at home, which includes a 75-9 (.893) mark at night in Tiger Stadium and a 24-6 (.800) record during the day. Prior to 2000, LSU had only won 10 games at home during the day in 32 tries. From 1960 to 1999, LSU posted a 10-19-3 (.359) record at home during the day. The following is a breakdown of LSU’s night record, day record and overall record in Tiger Stadium since 1960:

Decade   Record at Night     Record during the day                 Overall Tiger Stadium Record

1960-69   47-9-2                        2-2-1                                                 49-11-3

1970-79   51-12-1                      1-2                                                     52-14-1

1980-89   38-16-1                      3-5-2                                                 41-21-3

1990-99   30-18                         4-10                                                   34-28

2000-09   49-5                           11-6                                                   60-11

2010-15   25-4                           13-0                                                   38-4

2016        1-0                             0-0