Historic comeback

• By RANDY ROSETTA
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Nov 16, 2008 - UPDATED: 1:02 a.m.

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Words like embarrassing and humiliation haven’t been part of the LSU football program’s vocabulary for quite a while, but those two and just about any other of that ilk were lurking in the wings on a chilly Saturday night at Tiger Stadium.

Instead, something weird — and historical — happened before the Tigers’ 2008 season completely unraveled.

LSU’s embattled quarterback blossomed and the Tigers defense did a much-needed about-face against a Troy offense that did everything right for two quarters and one possession.

Those two plot lines allowed the Tigers to construct a comeback that will survive as the stuff of legend for years to come in front of the sparse but hearty few thousand fans who stuck it out.

Down by four touchdowns and with an offense unable to get out of its own way for 2‰ quarters, LSU stormed back from a four-touchdown deficit by notching 37 unanswered points in the game’s final 16:26 to somehow, some way rally for a 40-31 triumph over the feisty Trojans.

Afterward the LSU players and coaches gathered in front of the students who persevered and followed tradition, singing the alma mater. There was also a palpable sigh of relief after the Tigers generated the biggest comeback in the program’s modern history.

“That certainly was not the recipe for victory we prescribed, but victory is sweet, and I promise you our football team is enjoying it at this moment,” LSU coach Les Miles said.

A target of criticism for weeks and another wave of boos on Saturday, Lee was at the eye of the storm for the Tigers (7-3) as he completed 11-of-14 passes in the fourth quarter for 138 yards and a touchdown.

That performance came on the heels of his seventh interception returned for a touchdown this season — Troy’s Terrence Moore went 27 yards for the score midway through the second quarter.

Lee finished the night 20-of-34 for 216 yards and as a new LSU cult hero after catching fire on three drives that triggered the comeback.

“That doesn’t happen a lot,” Lee said. “I’ve never been part of a comeback that big. That shows you a lot about our team. We played hard and fought back. Not one time in our minds did we think we were going to lose this game.”

The Tigers minds might have been willing, but their bodies didn’t seem capable for the longest time.