LSU faces post-Tide hangover
So, now what? LSU’s surge under interim football coach Ed Orgeron hit a familiar snag last Saturday night, when the Tigers suffered a 10-0 loss to top-ranked Alabama. That marked LSU’s sixth consecutive setback to Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide, but how Orgeron handles life after Bama could determine whether he becomes the full-time replacement for Les Miles.
The Tigers are having to quickly refocus for this week’s trip to Arkansas, which is coming off a 31-10 thumping of Florida.
“It’s been a challenge,” Orgeron said. “In the past, we have not played well after Alabama games, but we plan on changing that. We’ve had energetic practices, but we have to keep up the energy all week and gauge what we’re doing right before the game to make sure that we’re ready to go.”
Miles went 2-3 his last two seasons in regular-season games that followed a loss to Alabama, including a pair of 17-point losses to Bret Bielema’s Razorbacks. Arkansas not only has newfound momentum — the Razorbacks allowed just 12 rushing yards against the Gators after surrendering 543 the game before at Auburn — but Saturday is its senior night.
“You have to block that out,” Orgeron said. “This has to be about us.”
LSU will try to get Leonard Fournette going again after the junior tailback was held to 35 yards last Saturday. Fournette’s 48.3-yard average in three meetings against the Tide isn’t much different from his 50.0-yard average in two games against Arkansas.
When asked how his defense, which isn’t loaded with five-star talent, has been so successful against Fournette, Bielema said, “First, probably a little bit of luck, but our guys have been wired in. We might have had the good fortune of playing him a little bit later in the year, but we know he’s going to be healthy and ready to rock and roll Saturday.”
This is the only Saturday this season with seven Southeastern Conference head-to-head matchups, and the Arkansas-LSU game may be the most intriguing. It may also be the most important of the year for Orgeron, whose Tigers still must face Florida and Texas A&M.
“This is a new year,” he said. “We realize the things that have happened in the past. We’re aware of the stigma that we don’t play well after the Alabama game, but I think we’re out to prove that it’s not going to happen to us this year.”
Pasquali’s Pix:
Mississippi State at Alabama: The Bulldogs only scored six points against Alabama last year, and that was with Dak Prescott at quarterback. Crimson Tide 30, Bullies 3.
South Carolina at Florida: Should these two teams along with Kentucky and Tennessee finish in a four-way tie within the SEC East at 4-4, Will Muschamp’s Gamecocks would head to Atlanta. Gators 17, Gamecocks 13.
Kentucky at Tennessee: Methinks this is a slightly better gauge than last week as far as the Volunteers proving they have moved on from their turbulent October. Vols 35, Wildcats 24.
Wofford at UTC: Given that this is sandwiched between the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s basketball team’s trips to Tennessee and North Carolina, one could accurately say this is a pretty big weekend for Mocs athletics. Mocs 34, Terriers 13.
Auburn at Georgia: Good things happen to the Bulldogs against Auburn in years that end in “6,” such as the fire-hose upset of 1986, the four-overtime upset of 1996 and Matthew Stafford’s breakout performance in the upset of 10 years ago. Bulldogs 24, Tigers 21.
Vanderbilt at Missouri: Commodores inside linebacker Zach Cunninghan leads the SEC with 94 tackles and coolest blocked field-goal attempts of alltime. Commodores 20, Tigers 16.
Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech: The Hokies are seeking their eighth win against the Yellow Jackets in the past 10 seasons. Hokies 31, Yellow Jackets 14.
LSU at Arkansas: How awesome would a Bielema-Orgeron cage match be beforehand? Razorbacks 26, Tigers 23.
Last week: Winners ………………… 21 LSU first downs……….4 Pasquali is 201-49 overall (80.4 percent) this season.