2theadvocate.com | LSU Sports | Countdown to Showdown: 11 Days

By JOE MACALUSO AND JAY MARTIN
Advocate staff
Published: Dec 27, 2007

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MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM 2007

Fourth-and-10

The Saturday morning meeting of the Monday Morning Quarterback Club was never so well attended as it was the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day.

The day before, in that what’s now become a Friday afternoon game-time fixture on the schedules of LSU and Arkansas, the Razorbacks pulled off a 50-48 three-overtime win.

For the second time in a crazy-weird college football season, No. 1-ranked LSU was dethroned. The first time that happened in 2007 was after a three-OT loss at Kentucky.

But this one was in Tiger Stadium, and among the game’s 172 plays was one of the most analyzed plays in Les Miles’ three seasons at LSU.

All game long, LSU’s defense had taken hit after hit from Arkansas’s Wild Hog offensive scheme, a tactic that pulled starting QB Casey Dick to better utilize the talents of big-time running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. McFadden took over behind center in that formation.

What’s worse for the Tigers was that fullback Peyton Hillis, a guy with NFL potential written all over him, had proved to be another guy LSU defenders had to cover.

The fodder for Monday Morning QBs came on defense in the first overtime.

LSU was up 35-28 after Matt Flynn’s 12-yard run and Colt David’s PAT.

LSU’s defense held solid for Arkansas’s first three plays. A LSU stop here and the LSU faithful go home happy, LSU’s likely still No. 1 and all’s right with the world.

Fourth-and-10 from the 25: Time for the Wild Hog, right?

No, Arkansas had Dick in the game.

At the snap, LSU rushed only its four linemen and, among them, end Kirston Pittman was detailed to “spy” McFadden, to follow his every move.

McFadden stayed in to block, but Hillis drifted out to the right, ran down an uncovered right sideline and found a big hole in the defense.

Dick scrambled for an extra second, found Hillis and a 13-yard completion.

Hillis drove another nail in LSU’s coffin when he caught a 10-yard scoring pass from Dick to end the first OT.

Hillis scored Arkansas’s final TD, a 3-yard run, in the third OT.

“It was a great call by the (LSU) coaches,” Miles said. “Hillis was just able to slip out of the backfield and make the catch.”

In the post-game, Miles said the staff didn’t like calling a blitz to avoid one-on-one coverage if the Arkansas staff had called a quick pass.

Three days later, Miles, in a news conference talking about the Tigers’ SEC Championship Game matchup with Tennessee, had to field questions about that play.

“Would I have liked to have seen other strategy used to give us success? Absolutely,” Miles said. “I think you’re making your best call for victory right there. There’s always some percentage pro and con, but that was our best call for victory that we had.”

Vote for the most memorable moment of 2007

Advocate sportswriters have selected 20 memorable moments from LSU’s march to the BCS Championship Game, from the 45-0 win over Mississippi State through the 21-14 SEC Championship Game victory over Tennessee. This series will run through Jan. 1 when readers will be able to go to The Advocate’s Web site — http://www.2theadvocate.com — and vote on their most memorable moment of the season. The voting results will be run in Jan. 7 Advocate Sports’ BCS Game Day Special.

The list so far:

Fake field goal vs. South Carolina

Six interceptions vs. Mississippi State

Tigers overwhelm Virginia Tech

LSU unveils special uniforms for Tulane game

Fourth downs trigger win vs. Florida

Mike VI appears in Tiger Stadium

Auburn chop blocks LSU’s Glenn Dorsey

Debut of Pistol formation

Flynn-to-Byrd beats Auburn

LSU loses in 3OTs at Kentucky

Upset fuels fan frenzy

Spurrier solves the defense

Jones turns Tide with sack

Holliday 'returns' LSU to top

Defense can't stop Hogs in OT

2theadvocate.com's Countdown to the Showdown Archive

BCS TRIVIA

TODAY’S QUESTION: Who holds the BCS bowl games single-game pass receiving record?

WEDNESDAY’S QUESTION: Three players are tied for the record for the most rushing TDs in a BCS bowl game. Name them. How many TDs?

4 TDs. Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, 2000 Rose Bowl; Domanick Davis, LSU, 2002 Sugar Bowl; and, Vince Young, Texas, 2005 Rose Bowl.

NOTEBOOK

Meet the assistants

Sports fans around the country know the head coaches, Les “The Hat” Miles at LSU and Jim “The Vest” Tressel at Ohio State. Their assistant coaches often get lost in the media shuffle. Here they are:

LSU

Gary Crowton, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks … first year on staff … spent two previous seasons at Oregon … played at Snow College and Colorado State.

Josh Henson, tight ends/recruiting coordinator … third season on staff … first job Oklahoma State, 2001-04 … played at Oklahoma State.

Earl Lane, defensive line … second year at LSU … DL coach at South Florida, 1996-2005 … played at Northwood University in Michigan.

Doug Mallory, defensive backs … third year at LSU … secondary coach at Oklahoma State, 2001-04 … played defensive back at Michigan 1984-87.

D.J. McCarthy, wide receivers … first year at LSU … came from UCLA staff … at Central Florida 2004-05 … wide receiver at Washington 1991-93.

Bo Pelini, defensive coordinator … leaving staff for Nebraska head coach job … at Nebraska in 2003, Oklahoma in 2004 … OSU safety 1987-90.

Bradley Dale Peveto, special teams coordinator/ linebackers … third year at LSU … was defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee 2003-04 … defensive back at SMU 1982-86.

Larry Porter, assistant head coach/running backs … third year at LSU … came from Oklahoma State … running backs coach there 2002-04 … played at Memphis 1990-93.

Greg Studrawa, offensive line … first year at LSU … coached at Bowling Green 2001-2006 … grad assistant Ohio State 1997 … Bowling Green offensive tackle 1984-87.

OHIO STATE

Jim Bollman, offensive coordinator/offensive line … seven years on Tressel’s staff … Chicago Bears’ tight ends coach 1999-2000 … played at Ohio University.

Joe Daniels, quarterbacks … seven years on staff … 37th season in coaching … came from Cincinnati … running back at Slippery Rock.

Luke Fickell, special teams coordinator/linebackers … sixth season at OSU … played nose guard for Buckeyes 1993-96.

Paul Haynes, safeties … third year on staff … previous two seasons at Michigan State … native of Columbus … defensive back at Kent State.

Darrell Hazell, assistant head coach/wide receivers … fourth year at OSU … on Rutgers staff 2004-06 … played at Muskingum College.

Jim Heacock, assistant head coach/defensive coordinator … 12th year at OSU … played at Muskingum College.

Taver Johnson, cornerbacks … first year at OSU … 2005-06 at Miami, Ohio … two-time All-America defensive back at Wittenburg College.

John Peterson, tight ends/recruiting coordinator … joined staff in 2003 … offensive guard for Buckeyes 1987-90.

Dick Tressel, running backs … head coach’s older brother … head coach Hamline U. for 23 years … played at Baldwin-Wallace College.

BREAKING DOWN THE SHOWDOWN

LEFT TACKLE

CIRON BLACK

6-5, 320, Soph.

Tyler, Texas

Same hometown as starting QB Matt Flynn … a starter in freshman year at Robert E. Lee High when Flynn was senior QB … used LSU freshman redshirt season to get bigger, stronger … took starting job at left tackle in fall 2006 drills and started every game there since … freshman All-America, freshman All-SEC and SEC academic honor roll in 2006 … on line for 1,697 plays, most of any LSU offensive lineman in last two seasons … second-team All-SEC.

ALEX BOONE

6-8, 313, Jr.

Lakewood, Ohio

Takes the key spot in Buckeyes O-line that has allowed only 26 sacks last two seasons … Parade All-America at St. Edward High … started nine games in sophomore year before injury took him out of two games last year … returned for backup role against Michigan and started against Florida … started all 12 games this season … has durability, quickness and stamina to give Buckeyes push late in games … played in 33 games in three seasons.


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