2theadvocate.com | LSU Sports | Lee gets emotional in LSU comeback

By RANDY ROSETTA
Advocate sportswriter
Published: Nov 17, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

Throughout the rollercoaster ride his 2008 season has become, LSU freshman Jarrett Lee has been unflappable, both on the field and off.

In dealing with the media, the rookie quarterback has shown little emotion and been almost robotic in his answers to questions that have gotten progressively tougher as the Texan has racked up one interception after another — seven returned for touchdowns.

On the field, Lee hasn’t seemed fazed by mistakes, and even his successes have triggered little more than a mild fist pump.

He also shrugged off the vitriol of LSU fans that has gained momentum with losses to Georgia and Alabama, at least publicly. On Saturday night Lee was booed when he was introduced during the pregame and also heard some grumbling on a handful of misthrown passes.

Worse, he drew a derisive cheer or two when he threw a ball away instead of to a Troy defender.

Because of the even-keeled nature that has been his nature, it was surprising to see Lee show emotion several times Saturday during the 18th-ranked Tigers come-from-behind 40-31 triumph against the Trojans.

Before LSU’s rally got started, Lee overthrew Terrance Toliver on a fourth-and-four play. Toliver had lined up left and run and skinny post and was wide open. Lee rushed the throw and zinged it 15 yards over Toliver’s head. As soon as he uncorked the throw, Lee punched at the air in front of him and put both hands to his helmet in disgust.

On the Tigers’ next offensive series, Lee got in a groove and connected on 4-of-7 throws for 40 yards to fuel LSU’s best drive of the night. When the Tigers got to the 3-yard-line but stalled and faced fourth down, freshman backup Jordan Jefferson trotted on. Jefferson took a shotgun snap and raced to the end zone on a bootleg run, scoring a touchdown that began the comeback. As Jefferson sprinted off the field after his first career TD, Lee was the first to greet him with a chest bump.

As the LSU rally unfolded and the thinned-out Tiger Stadium crowd got revved up, Lee turned to the student section several times and waved his arms, imploring them to make as much noise as they could.

“They play with emotion,” LSU coach Les Miles said, referring to quarterbacks, but specifically about Lee. “It’s a poise, it’s intellectual, it’s cut throat do the right thing. You have to make quick decisions and you’re part of a team.

“There’s a lot of pressure in that position and I’m glad he allowed himself to respond a little bit. That’s what you play the games for.”

About the QB position

While Lee had another seminal moment against Troy, Jefferson also saw his most extensive action and made an impact.

The 6-foot-4 quarterback ran seven times for 17 yards and completed his first college pass (in six attempts) for 5 yards.

“He did pretty good,” Miles said. “He contributed. He hit a ball and missed a coupe of reads. He scrambled up in there a couple of times and could have gotten a first down if he had planted his foot on one run.”

Jefferson will remain the primary backup when the Tigers (7-3, 3-3 SEC) take on Ole Miss (6-4, 3-3) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Sophomore Andrew Hatch is still out with a lower left leg injury, although Miles was optimistic about his return.

“I would like to think he’s getting better,” Miles said. “(Today) is a day where they’ll do some review and testing. We hope to get him back at the end of this week.”

Hatch has been throwing, Miles said, but the coaches want to see him take some snaps this week — for the Rebels and before LSU heads north to face Arkansas in Little Rock on Nov. 28.

Pass happy

Troy quarterback Levi Brown hoisted 72 passes against the Tigers, the most ever by an opposing QB against LSU.

The previous high was the 66 passes former Kentucky star Tim Couch put up in a 63-28 loss to the Tigers in 1997. Dusty Bonner also attempted one for the Wildcats.

The Tigers also went airborne 41 times Saturday, contributing to the game lasting 3 hours and 43 minutes.

Late in the game, public address announcer Dan Borne’ flatly announced “There have been 112 passes thrown in tonight’s game.”

Miles wasn’t sure he heard right so he asked a Troy ball boy nearby “What the hell did he say?”

The message passed along, Miles uttered “Wow!”

Truckin’ along

LSU tailback Charles Scott joined the 1,000-yard season club with 90 yards Saturday, becoming the eighth Tiger back to top that plateau.

He has 1,071 yards this season and is on pace for 1,285 in the regular season and 1,392 including a bowl game.

Should Scott make a run at climbing into second place on LSU’s all-time single-season rushing list. Charles Alexander tops the chart with 1,686 yards in 1977, followed by Kevin Faulk with 1,282 in 1996 and 1,279 in 1998.

With a touchdown run Saturday, Scott now has 14 this season and is within striking distance of the single-season mark of 19, which was set by LaBrandon Toefield in 2001.

One other single-season record is Scott’s to lose. He is producing 5.9 yards a carry, which ranks first. Faulk produced 5.585 yards per carry in 1998.

One streak ends

LSU kicker Colt David shanked an extra point in the fourth quarter against Troy, ending a streak of 105 makes in a row — four shirt of matching David Browndyke’s record of 109 in a row from 1986-89.

David is now 192-of-195 on extra points for his career, which is a school record.

‘Modern era’

LSU’s comeback from 28 points down was identified by the school’s media relations staff as the biggest in the modern era.

The modern era began with the inception of the SEC in 1933.

Keep on truckin’

LSU junior tailback Charles Scott, affectionately known to his teammates as ‘Chuck the Truck,’ became the eighth back in Tigers history to rack up 1,000 yards or more in a season with 90 yards against Troy. Scott’s total of 1,071 ranks 10th on the all-time single-season list with two games to go this season.

1. Charles Alexander, 1977 1,686

2. Kevin Faulk, 1996 1,282

3. Kevin Faulk, 1998 1,279

4. Dalton Hilliard, 1984 1,268

5. Charles Alexander, 1978 1,172

6. Kevin Faulk, 1997 1,144

7. Dalton Hilliard, 1985 1,134

8. Terry Robiskie, 1976 1,117

9. Jacob Hester, 2007 1,103

10. Charles Scott, 2008 1,071


	Most Popular	Most Emailed	Hot Topics	Most Commented