Game 13: LSU 21, Tenn. 14

• Published: Jan 3, 2008

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LSU’s best offensive player missed most of the fourth quarter. Its best defensive player missed almost the entire second half.

Its senior quarterback didn’t play at all, and others went to the sideline with injuries throughout this SEC Championship Game.

Then, to end a Saturday that began with a report that their coach was headed to Michigan, a report Les Miles angrily denied as false, the Tigers made a series of big plays down the stretch to defeat Tennessee 21-14.

Oh yeah, the victory allowed the Tigers to reach the the BCS national title game.

Cornerback Jonathan Zenon’s 18-yard interception return scored the game’s last touchdown with 9:54 left, and linebacker Darry Beckwith’s interception at the LSU 7-yard line with 2:42 left kept the Volunteers from answering.

The game’s Most Valuable Player, quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, scored on a two-point conversion run after Zenon’s touchdown and picked up an important first down as LSU kept the ball away from Tennessee at the end.

Quotable

“Have a great day!”

LES MILES, LSU coach

Play of the game

The situation: Tennessee 14, LSU 13, with just more than 10 minutes left in the Southeastern Conference Championship game. Third down-and-5 from the UT 14.

LSU’s No. 1-ranked SEC defense needed a stop, but had to do it against a senior quarterback Erik Ainge, who came into the game with staggering numbers — 27 touchdowns, which he had added to with two TD passes in the game, against only eight interceptions .

Zenon was man-to-man on UT wide out Quintin Hancock.