Game 11: LSU 41, Ole Miss 24

• Published: Jan 3, 2008

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After the good and bad, the No. 1-ranked LSU Tigers left Vaught-Hemingway Stadium talking about the work ahead of them.

After a 41-24 victory at Ole Miss, LSU players and coaches showed no sign of excitement over winning the school’s first outright Southeastern Conference Western Division football championship and its third straight 10-win season.

They also displayed no panic over their further struggles with penalties and their most porous defensive performance of the season.

Whether Arizona’s 34-24 upset Nov. 15 of No. 2-ranked Oregon took away the Tigers’ sense of urgency to play for style points two days later, LSU coach Les Miles didn’t appear as if he’d had that on his agenda.

After sundown, the Tigers were talking about Arkansas and the short week of practice to get ready for the Nov. 23 game.

Quotable

“I’m looking for victory every week, and style points — honestly — don’t carry a lot of weight with me.”

LES MILES, LSU coach

Play of the game

Call Trindon Holliday LSU’s answer man. Ole Miss had just tied the game 7-7 in the first quarter on a 44-yard Marshay Green punt return when Holliday gathered in the ensuing kickoff at his 2. Holliday found a seam behind a wedge of blockers on the right hashmark and bolted to the outside for a 98-yard score with 3:04 remaining.

It was the Tigers first kickoff return for a score since the one Holliday ran back 92 yards for the winning points last year against Arkansas. In that game, Holliday’s return answered an 80-yard touchdown run on the previous play by Arkansas’ Darren McFadden.

Game ball

To Holliday. Sure Ole Miss stuck around and put up some big numbers against LSU’s defense. But games are won with points, not yards, and Holliday’s six put the Tigers ahead to stay.