The Tiger Diaries With Joey Fryoux

On October 10, the 2007 LSU Football Team was named the unanimous choice as the #1 team in the nation for the first time during the regular season since 1959. A week earlier, after an uninspired performance, and another Tiger victory, Head Coach Les Miles wondered jokingly about the wisdom behind the Tigers rise to the #2 spot ahead of USC. This season though, very few ‘experts’ claim a proven record to support wisdom, accuracy, or insight as every week the landscape of College Football has been littered with upsets of historical proportions. The Tigers had navigated their minefield of a schedule to this point unscathed…a schedule that, unlike many of the contenders for the national title from other conferences, is loaded with quality opponents throughout the year. Jacob Hester had just been named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts and heroism against Florida and was pictured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The sun was shining on the Tigers’ season and yet some fans continued to be absorbed in negativity. Early Doucet had missed the last four games and some cracks were beginning to show with the young receivers who were thrust into the spotlight in his absence. Miles, praised in most circles for his leadership and aggressive decision making, was criticized in his hometown for being too reckless and too much of a gambler. They argue that he is simply lucky when leading his team on five successful fourth down attempts to win against the defending national champions. Never mind that to a man this team publicly and vigorously attest that the faith that Miles has shown in them to produce in pressure packed situations like these has been a  tremendous source of motivation for them. A motivation to overcome and to perform FOR him! These nay-sayers, who love to point out  Miles’ shortcomings and propose that his predecessor Nick Saban is smarter and better and more disciplined, are the very same nincompoops that used to complain that Saban was too conservative and unimaginative. The facts are that after nine games this year, thirty-five in his LSU career, Les Miles’ record is 30-5 while at the same point Saban was 25-10.

Doucet returned to practice for the game against Kentucky, another ranked opponent on the road with an All-American quarterback, Andre Woodson. As it turned out, Doucet would be unable to play because of his injury, and the young receivers in his place struggled with dropped passes and mistakes. Miles professed that the Tigers had a good week of practice but the doomsday that callers to talk radio projected every week finally transpired as LSU suffered its first loss of the season, losing to the Wildcats 43-37 in three overtimes. The final nail in the Tigers’ coffin came on fourth down and two in the third OT. Unlike the other times this season when LSU had gone on fourth down, this was Miles’ only choice as Kentucky had scored a TD on its possession and led by six points. Charles Scott was stopped after gaining one yard when he needed two and again the doubters raised their ugly heads and spoke from their muddled minds and again they attacked Miles, this time for not having the team ready to play and to win. Still, all around them heads rolled across the country with upset after upset Saturday after Saturday. The Tigers benefited from the chaos and from their body of work to date and as the first BCS Standings were revealed, they found themselves at # 4 in the nation with much of the season still to play. It was the first LSU loss since October of 2006 to Florida and the Tiger Nation was sullen. The team did not play its best game committing 12 penalties costing them 103 hard earned yards but their were some bright spots and fine performances and above all as Coach Miles explained to the media and the masses, “The players played hard throughout the day and I’m pleased with their effort.” Good enough for me coach. The doomsday mentality notwithstanding, fans in the area seemed dazed by the loss but the team remained focused and determined to continue its quest for a national title. They directed their attention to the next hurdle, a visit to Tiger Stadium by the hated and rated Auburn Tigers.

Auburn was ranked #17 in the nation and had beaten Florida brandishing an exceptional rushing game and the usual staunch SEC defense they are known for. Despite the loss to Kentucky, the hype for Auburn/LSU was incredible locally and nationally. Auburn had won an unbelievable 8 SEC road games in a row while our Tigers had won 17 straight home games under Miles. That was the nation’s longest such streak and the most in school history since 1935. The winner of this match-up had represented the West in the SEC Championship Game 5 of the last 7 years and 92,630 fans packed Tiger Stadium to see this mammoth clash of titans. It did not begin well for LSU as they seemed tired legged for much of the early going. For his part, Early Doucet, making his return to action after four games slowly got his groove back and the fans were optimistic despite the Tigers heading to the locker room trailing 17-7 to Auburn. The Tigers were a tired bunch of warriors having gone to battle for seven straight weeks and they turned to their leadership to show them the way. Matt Flynn and Glenn Dorsey answered that called and turned in dynamic performances under dire circumstances. Dorsey was actually out of the game for some time after a vicious and illegal ‘chop block which was incredibly not penalized. The stadium was in a hush as Dorsey lay prone on the field after the play. The outpouring of concern was for his immediate condition but also for his future which is so bright and may have been in jeopardy. No player in recent memory has been more beloved by the throngs of LSU fans around the country than is Glenn Dorsey. He had every opportunity to leave Tigerland early last year for a tremendous amount of money to be earned in the NFL. Instead he opted to return to HIS school to ‘win a national championship’. That decision worried many as he rose to his feet and limped off the field and into the dressing room only to return later and wreak havoc on the ‘to that point’ rambunctious Auburn offense. In the end, LSU and Glenn Dorsey held the Vaunted running game of Auburn to a season low 98 yards rendering them one dimensional for most of the second half and allowing Mr. Flynn the chance to create some Saturday night magic.

What Flynn did was really not magic at all but the result of the will of a tough minded young man with a mission to accomplish and a history of hard work, dedication, and self-belief proven time and again both on the field and off. Time and again in the second Flynn found open receivers, changed plays at the line, and made drive continuing runs to lead LSU back. He hit Brandon Lafell for 15 yards on third and long. Flynn welcomed back Doucet by finding Early running free through the Auburn zone enough times to cause Auburn to dedicate a defender to him for any hope of slowing down LSU. He hit a swing pass to Keiland Williams who turned the perfectly led pass into a 46 yard gallop for the first touchdown reception of his career. Yet, as is the case with most big rivalry games, things turn quickly, and despite all their intense efforts Flynn and his team found themselves trailing late in the fourth quarter. After a late touchdown by Auburn Coach Tommy Tubberville was hesitant to kick the ball deep to speedster Trindon Holliday and the squib kick they employed gave LSU great filed position at their own 42 yard line with about three minutes to play. Enter Mr. Flynn! LSU trailed by one point, 24-23 and Matt systematically passed and ran the Tigers deep into Auburn territory. He was unflappable as usual, directing players into the correct formations and instructing in their responsibilities. As time wound down he had taken the Tigers well within Kicker Colt David’s range and with 25 seconds left on the clock, Matt stepped into the huddle to call what most everyone thought would be a safe play to position the ball to make for an easier try by David. But a safe and easy play is not really a part of Matt Flynn’s football personality and not really the way his coach sees the Tigers doing things. Instead, Flynn took the snap with 8 seconds remaining, dropped back, and lofted a perfect  spiral and a perfect strike into the northwest corner of the stadium… right in front of the student section. Demitrius Byrd made the catch and the stadium and state erupted into ecstasy. Games with Auburn tend to be this way and with one second showing on the clock Matt Flynn and his Tiger team had come back and won a thriller. He finished the game an amazing 22 of 34 for 319 yards and 3 TDs. He added 34 yards running the ball and LSU amassed 488 total yards on one of the nation’s best defenses. In a series where the winning team has won the last five games by a total of 14 points, the Tigers were happy to take an impressive 30-24 come from behind win and with a week off to rest and heal they could now turn their full attention to a game circled on the schedule since the beginning of the year. The Tigers now eye a showdown game against Alabama and their vilified ex-LSU coach, Nick Saban.

Having a bye week following a hard fought victory over Auburn that solidified the Tigers’ hold on the SEC West was seemingly heaven sent. Several key players like Glenn Dorsey, Tyson Jackson, Early Doucet, Craig Steltz, Herman Johnson, and others had nagging injuries that had slowed their performances and the long stretch of games coupled with some close calls and a loss on the road left the Tigers mentally weary and physically drained. But the hype was relentless and it started with radio call-in shows immediately following the Auburn game. Alabama was in the collective sights of the hunting fans of LSU and Nick Saban was clearly the prized prey they had waited so long to track.
Les Miles down played the significance of who was standing on the other sideline and he may have really meant it. For the two weeks of buildup, he continually and calmly and confidently assured even the most worrisome of souls that his team would find a way to take care of the next opponent. Miles believed it, the team believed it, and together they delivered. But could they have possibly imagined the turmoil and aggravation and heart pounding excitement we would all go through in the process?

Things began quite well for Tiger fans and after surrendering an early field goal to the Tide, LSU seized control of the game. Matt Flynn operated the offense like a well oiled machine and the defense looked to have benefited greatly from the week off as they were fast and fierce creating turnovers and stopping Alabama cold. After one play in the second quarter LSU was in control and leading 17-3. It was as quiet as more than 92,000 people could be, and the 7000 Tiger fans lucky enough to have found a ticket were delirious. And then it all changed. For some reason the Tigers as a team seemed to lose focus. The defense stopped a Bama drive but a penalty for a late hit gave the Tide another chance and on the next play they connected on a 56 yard touchdown pass that stunned the Tigers and made the score 17-10. On his next three possessions, the normally rock solid Matt Flynn had a melt down. Each of these possessions ended with a Flynn interception and though the defense played valiantly, Alabama would take back control of the game and would go to the break ahead of LSU 20-17. On his way to the locker room, Les Miles, having watched the malaise and knowing that everything he and his team had worked for, everything they had pulled into their sights was in jeopardy, stepped to the reporters and calmly and confidently stated his belief. “Matt Flynn and this team are sound, resilient football players. I look forward to seeing him come out in the second half and put all his mistakes behind him. I know this team will come out in the second half and get done what they came here to do.”

In the second half, the defenses had the upper hand until Alabama put together a well directed 80 yard drive for a touchdown. The Score was now 27-17 and Tiger fans were more than a little worried. Their high anxiety was short lived as Matt Flynn, true to form, came through in the clutch. Two plays later he hit Demitrius Byrd for a 52 yard TD pass and the roar that had developed over the past hour in Bryant-Denny stadium gave way to a worried hum.

The Tigers added 3 more on a Colt David Field goal but the Tide’s delirium would soon return when following the Tigers’ next possession Alabama returned an LSU punt 61 yards to put the Crimson Tide back in front 34-27 wit 7:33 left in the game. The pressure-cooker had been turned up on Flynn and the Tigers and Les Miles again leaned on his fifth year senior quarterback, as he had done so many times this year, and again Mr. Flynn would deliver. The ensuing Tiger drive progressed steadily and LSU moved the ball into Alabama territory. Another dropped pass by a young receiver once again put the drive and the season in doubt. Again the Tigers faced a fourth down and a last chance and again Flynn managed to find a way to the promised land, this time on a short pass to All-American Early Doucet. The senior receiver caught the ball in traffic enough to gain a first down. He then broke free and made a move before streaking down the middle of the field for the tying touchdown and once again the Tigers seized momentum of a crucial and close football game at crunch time. The Bama crowd fell silent once again as they wondered if their boys could hold off the Tigers for the final three minutes of the game. But it was not to be. As the tired looking Tide offense took control of the ball, the LSU defense looked stronger and faster and the results of the next few plays showed the championship mettle of which this team is made. On first down heavy pressure caused the Bama QB to throw the ball incomplete. On second down the Tigers turned the heat up and sacked Wilson for a two yard loss and the silence was deafening as the Crimson faithful could clearly see the sparks flying from the Tigers eyes. On third down all heel broke loose. Wilson dropped back to pass and a sea of white jerseys followed. Future star and current Freshman Defensive Back Chad Jones broke free grabbed Wilson, and spun him to the ground. In the process the ball popped free and Jones’ mates soon followed. Curtis Taylor Pounced on the fumble at the Tide’s three yard line with 1:40 left on the clock. Two plays later Mr. Dependable, Jacob Hester hurled his body over Herman Johnson for a touchdown and another nail biting, gut-wrenching, season saving comeback was complete. The final score LSU 41  Alabama 34 !!!