SEC foes square off in Starkville

Aug 29, 2007, 15:29 GMT

Starkville, MS - College football fans will get an early look at the nation's second-ranked team as the LSU Tigers open the campaign with an SEC road clash against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

LSU's 10-2 regular season record in 2006 earned the program a BCS Bowl bid, as LSU was paired against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. In a game that was never close, the Tigers knocked off the Fighting Irish by a 41-14 margin. Although many key contributors are gone from that squad, including quarterback JaMarcus Russell who was taken first overall in the most recent NFL Draft, LSU possesses a dominant defense and plenty of talent on the offensive side of the ball. The Tigers are 80-28-5 in opening games and have begun the last four seasons ranked in the top ten.

Mississippi State enters this new campaign with decidedly lesser expectations. The Bulldogs finished last season with a 3-9 record, including 1-7 against SEC opposition, and head coach Sylvester Croom has done little during his brief tenure to restore the program to prominence. There aren't many returnees to get excited about, and the schedule is tough as usual.

LSU holds a 64-33-3 lead in the all-time series with Mississippi State, including a 47-17 romp over the Bulldogs a year ago.

Now that the aforementioned Russell has moved on to the pro ranks, Matt Flynn has his chance to start for LSU under center. Flynn only threw 20 passes last season as the backup, but he does know the offense and has the athleticism to put up strong numbers. Without question, the top target for the Tigers will be Early Doucet. Last season, Doucet made 59 catches for 772 yards and eight touchdowns despite sharing the spotlight with two other talented wideouts. Now, Doucet is clearly the top option, and he has blazing speed. The offensive line returns three starters and figures to be one of the top units in the SEC once again. That is good news for the teams tailbacks, as players such as Jacob Hester and Keiland Williams should find plenty of room to run. Alley Broussard was expected to be a major contributor as well, but he recently quit the team.

While the LSU offense does figure to be productive and should have success against the Bulldogs, the teams defense has a chance to be spectacular. Start up front, as the Tigers may possess the nations premier defensive line. The big man in the middle is Glenn Dorsey, a senior who could be a top 10 draft pick after this season. The fact that he made 64 stops a year ago is proof of Dorseys dominance, as interior defensive linemen typically do not approach those high tackle totals. Tyson Jackson and Charles Alexander will start at defensive end and will be expected to pressure the quarterback. All three starting linebackers from a year ago are back, and Darry Beckwith is the leading returning tackler with 65 stops. As for the defensive backfield, corners Jonathan Zenon and Chevis Jackson form quite possibly the top duo in the nation. This defensive unit is loaded and could be even better than last seasons group, a scary thought for opponents.

The most exciting player on the offensive side of the ball for Mississippi State is Tony Burks, a juco transfer who made an immediate impact for Croom's crew last season. On only 35 catches, Burks totaled 850 yards and five touchdowns. Burks has a chance to be special, but his production will obviously depend on the play of quarterback Michael Henig. As a sophomore last season, Henig completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes and threw two more interceptions than touchdowns. On a positive note, Henig got better as the season went on and is expected to be a strength of the team in 2007. The offensive line has a wealth of returning players with experience, and they will be expected to open holes for Tony Dixon. Last season, Dixon posted 668 yards and nine rushing touchdowns on only 169 carries, but finding room to run against the Tigers doesn't figure to be easy.

This offseason, Croom had to replace six starters on the defensive side of the ball, a tall task to say the least. But rather than dwell on the negatives, there are some positives that can be pointed out. For instance, defensive end Titus Brown is back for his senior campaign after registering 7.5 sacks as a junior. Also, middle linebacker Jamar Chaney is back for his junior season, and he will be counted on to be a leader. Also, both starting safeties from 2006 remain on the roster, and continuity in the defensive backfield is essential. Strong safety Derek Pegues had four interceptions a year ago and will again be a ball hawk.

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