ORGERON MAKES LSU HEAD COACHING DEBUT AS TIGERS HOST MISSOURI FOR HOMECOMING

Ed Orgeron will make his LSU head coaching debut on Saturday night when the Tigers host Missouri at 6:30 p.m. for the school’s annual Homecoming contest. The game will be televised on the SEC Network with Brent Musburger (play-by-play), Jesse Palmer (analyst) and Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter). LSU brings a 2-2 overall mark and a 1-1 record in Southeastern Conference action into the contest. LSU is coming off an 18-13 road loss to Auburn. Missouri, behind the play of quarterback Drew Lock, who leads the league in passing yards per game (377.0) and passing touchdowns (14). Missouri is the only current SEC school that LSU has never beat in football. LSU is 0-1 vs. Missouri, losing to the Tigers in the 1978 Liberty Bowl, 20-15. This will be the first meeting between LSU and Missouri as SEC foes and the first time Mizzou has played in Tiger Stadium. Orgeron will serve as LSU’s interim head coach for the remainder of the 2016 season. Orgeron, who has also served as a head coach at Ole Miss and interim head coach at Southern Cal, has a 16-27 overall mark (10-25 at Ole Miss, 6-2 at Southern Cal). LSU goes into Saturday’s game with one of the top offensive and defensive players in the SEC. Junior RB Leonard Fournette leads the SEC in rushing with 128.7 yards per game (386 yards total, 2 TDs), while sophomore DE/OLB Arden Key has registered a league-best 6.5 sacks and 7.0 tackles for loss (second in SEC) in four games. As a unit, LSU’s offense, now under the direction of Steve Ensminger, is averaging 21.0 points and 339.5 total yards per game (191.8 rushing, 147.8 passing). Junior QB Danny Etling is 1-1 as LSU’s starter and he’s completed 40-of-71 passes for 433 yards, 3 TDs and 1 interception. Other offensive leaders for LSU include sophomore RB Derrius Guice (239 yards, 1 TD), senior WR Travin Dural (14 rec., 142 yards, 1 TD), junior WR Malachi Dupre (11 rec., 99 yards) and Fournette (9 rec., 69 yards). Other defensive leaders for the Tigers include: LBKendell Beckwith (36 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1.0 sacks), S Jamal Adams (30 tackles), and Duke Rile­y (28 tackles, 2.5 TFL). CB Tre’Davious White has returned both an interception (21 yards vs. Wisconsin) and a punt return (60 yards vs. Jacksonville State) for touchdowns. He also has 11 tackles, 2 PBUs and a fumble recovery.

 

TALKING POINTS

• Ed Oregon makes his LSU head coaching debut on Saturday against Missouri. Orgeron will look to become the fourth straight coach to win his LSU debut – joining Hal Hunter (1999), Nick Saban (2000) and Les Miles (2005).

 

• LSU is 2-2 with both losses coming by a combined total of 7 points. LSU lost two games in September for the first time since 2000. LSU is 2-2 for the first time since 2001 when Tigers won eight of their last nine games to claim the SEC Championship (their first since 1988) and won the Sugar Bowl.

 

• LSU has won seven straight games played during the month of October (all four last year and final three in 2014).

 

• LSU hasn’t lost a home game during the month of October since 2009 when top-ranked Florida beat the Tigers, 13-3 on Oct. 10. LSU’s current October home winning streak stands at 16.

 

• DE/OLB Arden Key leads the nation in sacks per game with 1.63 a contest. In four games, Key has registered 6.5 sacks and 7.0 tackles for loss. That’s the most for any LSU player during the first four games of a season dating back to 1980. (Note: The NCAA rarely included sacks in game stats prior to 1980).

 

• RB Leonard Fournette rushed for 100+ yards for the 18^th time (11 coming in SEC play) in his 28-game LSU career last week vs. Auburn. LSU is 14-4 when Fournette reaches the 100-yard mark, which includes a 9-2 record in SEC games.

 

• In four games, LSU’s defense has allowed just 3 points in the first quarter. The Tigers have also allowed just 4 touchdowns this year, which is the fewest in the SEC. The 4 TDs allowed through four games ties for the 5^th fewest in the nation this year. Miami is first with 2.

 

• LSU has been good up front on both sides of the ball as the Tigers are No. 2 in the SEC in sacks (14) and No. 4 in the league in sacks allowed (6).

• Dating back to last year, LSU has had a 100-yard rusher in seven straight games and the Tigers are 5-2 in those games.

 

• 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 vs. Jacksonville State. White has returned three punts for TDs during his career, one shy of tying Skyler Green’s school record.

 

• LSU RB Leonard Fournette became the quickest player to 3,000 rushing yards in school history 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, October 1 at 6:30 p.m. CT

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

Television:            SEC Network or WatchESPN.com

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

Sirius Satellite Radio – ch. 126; XM Radio – ch. 192

Series Record:  Missouri leads, 1-0

Series Notes:

This is the first meeting between LSU and Missouri as conference foes, and just the second ever meeting between the two teams … Missouri leads the series, 1-0 … LSU and Missouri last meet on Dec. 23, 1978 in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis … Missouri won that contest, 20-15 … Missouri is the only current SEC member that LSU has yet to face since the league expanded in 2012 … Missouri is also the last remaining SEC opponent that LSU has yet to beat.

 

NOTEBOOK

 

The Tigers on Homecoming

LSU will play its 90^th homecoming game on Saturday when the Tigers host Missouri in Tiger Stadium. LSU has an overall record of 62-24-3 all-time on homecoming. LSU has won 15-straight homecoming games coming into the weekend, as this will be the third time in the last five seasons that the Tigers will host a conference opponent, earning wins over a third-ranked Ole Miss team in 2014 and 22^nd-ranked Mississippi State squad in 2012. During the streak, LSU has shutout three opponents, while holding teams to fewer than 20 points in 12 games.

 

LSU In October Games

LSU is 297-145-19 when playing in the month of October. The Tigers have not dropped an October home game since 2009, as during that time the team is 22-5 overall.

 

Arden Key Leading The Way in Sacks

LSU sophomore linebacker Arden Key has already exceeded his entire 2015 career mark with 6.5 sacks through four games of the 2016 season, as he became the first Tiger since LaRon Landry in 2004 to earn a sack in each of the first three LSU contests of a season. His five were the most through the first three since Anthony “Booger” McFarland had four after the first three games of the 1998 season and the most for an LSU player since 1980 since stats were officially kept in games. Key currently leads the nation in total sacks and sacks per game, averaging 1.63, as his 45 total sack yards is third nationally.

 

Fournette Leads SEC in Rushing Yards Per Game

Picking up from where he left off from his sophomore campaign, LSU junior running back Leonard Fournette currently leads the Southeastern Conference in rushing as he is averaging 128.7 yard­s per game. With three 100-plus yard contests through four outings, Fournette is averaging 5.8 yards per touch, tied for sixth individually with a pair of touchdowns as well. The New Orleans product won the rushing crown last season and is currently 10^th overall nationally in the category. Fournette is also leading the nation in all-purpose yards, with a 151.7 average, a shade over 10 yards better than the next closest player.

 

Stingy Defense Ranks Highly

With a highly-touted group returning this year, the LSU defense has been one of the best in the conference and nationally overall, as the Tigers have only given up four touchdowns which is the fewest allowed by any SEC team so far this season and is third overall averaging 341.2 yards per game given up. The four touchdowns allowed is tied for fifth nationally, while ranking in the top 50 in total defense. LSU has only given up 67 points through these first four games and has given up just a field goal in the first quarter alone, 19 fewer than the defense gave up in 2015 and is the eighth time in 10 years that the team has not given up 70 points through the first third of a season.

 

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

With his 60-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 the 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)         3,373
5. Harvey Williams (1986-90)                     2,860

 

Etling The 13th LSU QB To Make First Tiger Stadium Start

LSU junior QB Danny Etling was the 13th QB to make his first Tiger Stadium start last 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 13 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 13-game winning streak by LSU quarterbacks in their first Tiger Stadium start:

Year    Player                            Opponent (Results)                             Stats                                                      

2016    Danny Etling                Mississippi State (W, 23-20)              19-for-30, 215 yards, 1 TD, 23 rush yards

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

 

Etling The Ninth Quarterback To Make First Career LSU Start In SEC Game, 15th Overall

With earning the start last Saturday at home against Mississippi State, Danny Etling was the ninth quarterback in LSU history to make his first career start against an SEC opponent and the 15th quarterback to do so since the Southeastern Conference went to divisions following expansion in 1992. The last to do so was Brandon Harris, who earned his first start as a true freshman on the road against Auburn back in 2014 and before that, Jarrett Lee against the Bulldogs at home in 2008. The following is a look at how LSU quarterbacks have fared in their first SEC start since the 1992 season when the league went to the divisional format:

Year          Quarterback                 Game                           Results                   Stats

2015          Danny Etling                Miss. State*                 W, 23-20                 19-for-30, 215 yards, 1 TD, 23 rush yards

2014          **Brandon Harris        at Auburn*                  L, 41-7                    3-for-14, 58 yds

2008          Jarrett Lee                     Miss. State*                 W, 34-24                 18-for-27, 261 yds, 2 TDs

2008          Andrew Hatch              at Auburn                    W, 26-21                 2-for-6, 16 yds, 40 rush yds

2007          Matt Flynn                    at Miss. State               W, 45-0                   12-for-19, 128 yds, 2 TDs

2005          **JaMarcus Russell      at Florida*                   W, 24-21                 6-for-10, 2 INT, 56 yds, 0 TD

2002          ** Rick Clausen            Ole Miss*                     W, 14-13                 2-for-6, 1 INT, 9 yds, 0 TD

2002          Marcus Randall            South Carolina*         W, 38-14                 12-for-24, 0 INT, 183 yds, 0 TD

2002          Matt Mauck                   Miss. State                   W, 31-13                 4-for-12, 0 INT, 52 yds, 1 TD

1999          ** Rohan Davey           Auburn                        L, 41-7                    4-for-11, 2 INT, 31 yds, 0 TD

1999          Josh Booty                     at Georgia*                 L, 23-22                  19-for-45, 3 INT, 280 yds, 1 TD

1998          Craig Nall                     at Arkansas*               L, 41-14                  15-for-30, 0 INT, 147 yds, 0 TD

1995          Herb Tyler                    Ole Miss                      W, 38-9                   13-for-23, 0 INT, 190 yds, 2 TD

1994          Melvin Hill                   at Florida*                   L, 42-18                  11-for-18, 3 INT, 128 yds, 0 TD

1992          Jamie Howard              Tennessee                    L, 20-0                    10-for-23, 1 INT, 124 yds, 0 TD

 

*-Indicates first career start

**-Indicates the player started the game but did not finish.

 

LSU’s Defensive TDs

LSU has scored the 22 defensive touchdowns since 2005 against Wisconsin 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. 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)

 

#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 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