Ready when called

• By RANDY ROSETTA
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Nov 6, 2009

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In a perfect world, LSU kicker Josh Jasper would like to limit his day against Alabama to trotting onto the field for several extra-point kicks.

Perfection may give way to what most kickers would really prefer, though, in what looms as a potential defensive struggle between two of the Southeastern Conference’s most talented teams.

In other words, a day when kickers and field goals play a major role.

Neither Alabama’s nor LSU’s defenses have budged much when teams enter the red zone, and with offenses that haven’t exactly been explosive, that doesn’t figure to change much for the Tigers and Crimson Tide when they square off this week.

LSU is tied for the SEC lead in red-zone defense, while Alabama ranks third.

Foes have gotten to the 20-yard-line or deeper 21 times against the Tigers and have been thwarted seven times, with four turnovers and three missed field goals.

Alabama has been nearly as good and considerably stingier. Tide opponents have knocked on the door only 14 times and have produced only five touchdowns.

Those numbers thrust Jasper and Alabama counterpart Leigh Tiffin into bigger roles.

Because any time the Tigers and Tide get close to field-goal territory, it’s likely the coaches are going to get all the points they can.

“The keys will be the opportunity to get seven (points) and certainly that’s what we’ll be playing for,” LSU coach Les Miles said.

“But once you’re in that red zone, you have to at least assure yourself three. It’s going to be a low-scoring game.”

Added Jasper, “I want us to score as many points as we can. But I also just want to get in field-goal range every time we have the ball at least.

“This game could easily come down to a kick.”