Ready and willing

• By RANDY ROSETTA
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Nov 11, 2009 - Page: 1C

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Chances to play college football at the highest level aren’t exactly handed out indiscriminately, particularly in a high-profile spot like running back.

Those opportunities are hard-earned and fleeting and meant to be appreciated.

LSU sophomore Stevan Ridley has learned that quickly.

For senior Keiland Williams, the learning curve has been longer and more winding.

This week, those two step into a spotlight created after senior Charles Scott’s season, and likely his college career, ended with a broken collarbone.

How much Ridley and Williams contribute remains a mystery until they step on the field and is likely to from week to week.

What doesn’t figure to diverge is the motivation both players have as they take the first step to fill Scott’s shoes.

“Am I prepared?” Ridley said. “I have a lot of work to do. Ready for the opportunity? I’d say I’m ready. You don’t know how ready you are until you’re thrown in there.

“If the coaches are ready to throw me out there, I’m ready to go. I’m going to practice hard and try my best to do the best for the team.”

The matter of whether the LSU coaches are ready to see what Ridley can do was answered when he took over for Scott against Alabama.

Ridley’s first carry was certainly a scrapbook memory: He started to the left side, caromed off Crimson Tide man-mountain Terrence Cody and sliced back to his right and headed straight to the end zone pylon for an 8-yard touchdown run.

That he got the call over the more battle-tested Williams was a surprise to Ridley, whose first carries of the season came the week before in a 42-0 romp past Tulane.

“For them to call my number down there in the red zone was shocking,” Ridley said. “You have to come back to reality real fast. You have to go in there and make it happen. They’re not just calling your number to go in there and make out the formation and have 11 people on the field. They call your number to make something to happen and I really take that to heart and wanted to go out there and make something happen.”