Battle of aches and pains

• By RANDY ROSETTA
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Nov 12, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Although there doesn’t appear any long-term damage, Saturday’s rugged showdown against No. 1-ranked Alabama took a noticeable toll on the Tigers offensive line.

Every starter up front except right guard Lyle Hitt was banged up enough at some point to require medical attention during the game.

Starting center Brett Helms left the game in the second quarter and didn’t return with an apparent head injury, with veteran utility man Ryan Miller filling in. Miller also spelled Hitt and left guard Herman Johnson.

Johnson and left tackle Ciron Black, LSU’s two most veteran and sturdy linemen, each had to be helped off the field, as did right tackle Joseph Barksdale. All three have practiced this week.

“I think it was a very physical game,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “I think it was physical on both sides. Certainly our offensive line fared very well. At times there were some physical blows passed that created injury, but our guys fought through and kept playing.”

Added Hitt, “I didn’t come off, but it wasn’t because I wasn’t beat up. It was a physical game and this streak of games with no bye week takes its toll. But that’s how it is in the trenches every week. Anybody you go against is going to be a battle.”

LSU tailback Charles Scott carried the ball 24 times and other than a 30-yard touchdown burst in the first quarter, none of his runs were long. Instead, most were bruising blasts into the teeth of Bama’s defense.

“It was very physical,” Scott said. “You can’t tell me guys in Baton Rouge and Bama right now that aren’t still hurting from that game. It was a very physical game.”

Miles said earlier this week that Helms may “miss a day” of work, but he expects all the o-line starters to be ready for Saturday’s game against Troy.

LSU offensive coordinator Gary Crowton broke out the ‘Wild Tiger’ look for two snaps against Alabama, with very different results.

The formation, with sophomore tailback Richard Murphy lining up in the shotgun as the quarterback and QB Jarrett Lee splitting out as a receiver, worked for a 9-yard gain during LSU’s game-tying fourth quarter drive.