Sep 5, 2007, 16:15 GMT
Baton Rouge, LA - The best matchup of the week takes place in the Bayou, as the second-ranked LSU Tigers play host to the ninth-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies in Baton Rouge. The Hokies are everyone's sentimental favorites this year, as the Blacksburg community and Virginia Tech University attempts to rebuild after April's brutal massacre on campus. Last weekend's season-opening festivities left no dry eyes in Lane Stadium, as the Hokies went on to top East Carolina in a tough, emotional affair, 17-7. Frank Beamer's squad must find a way to raise the bar on the field this weekend, as they face an uphill battle in Baton Rouge. Les Miles' Tigers are one of the few favorites to play for national title this year and a season-opening 45-0 shutout of SEC-foe Mississippi State did little to dissuade anyone in believing the Tigers are for real. LSU has won eight straight games dating back to last year and 13 straight in Tiger Stadium. This game is also only the third time in Tiger Stadium history that a non- conference tussle will feature a pair of top-10 programs. This marks just the second all-time meeting between these two teams, with Virginia Tech posting a 26-8 win in Blacksburg in 2002.
It wasn't exactly an offensive eruption for Virginia Tech in the season- opener, as the team managed just 278 yards of total offense against what was supposed to be an inferior East Carolina team. What was considered a strength of the Tech offense, the ground game, proved to be rather disappointing against the Pirates, as junior RB Branden Ore (23 carries for 71 yards) was stymied all game long, as the Hokies managed just 33 yards rushing on 1.1 yards per carry. Ore, who managed just 3.0 yards per carry, was one of the ACC's top ground-gainers a year ago and will need to find a way to produce against a vaunted LSU defense after a poor game last week. Junior QB Sean Glennon however, had a solid outing against the Pirates, completing over 66 percent of his passes (22-of-33), for 245 yards and one TD. Sophomore tight end Sam Wheeler was the top target downfield, with seven receptions, for 81 yards and the lone TD.
Virginia Tech has been able to mask any offensive deficiencies over the years with a staunch defense and this year could be more of the same. The Hokies led the nation in scoring defense and total defense in 2006, and got off to another fast start in the season-opener, holding ECU to just 261 yards of total offense. The rush defense showed some chinks in the armor, yielding 142 yards to the Pirates, but the pass defense was top-notch, giving up a mere 119 yards. The team's trio of All-American candidates led the way with linebackers Vince Hall (team-high 13 tackles) and Xavier Adibi (10 stops) combining for 23 tackles and defensive back Brandon Flowers chiming in with another 10 tackles. Some areas of concern heading into this week however, are the team's inability to generate a pass rush in the season-opener (no sacks) and the fact that Tech forced just one turnover (an INT), while committing two of their own (two fumbles). This unit is much more effective when playing downhill and forcing the action.
Senior quarterback Matt Flynn did little to make people forget about JaMarcus Russell, as Flynn was a modest 12-of-19 in the season-opener, for 128 yards, with two TDs and no interceptions. In fact, the Tigers did much more damage on the ground (198 yards), despite the absence of a true workhorse in the backfield. The team boasted of seven different ball carriers against MSU, led by RB Jacob Hester (14 carries, for 68 yards). Where Flynn was successful was in getting the ball in the hands of talented wideout Early Doucet, who finished the game with nine catches, for 78 yards and one score.
The offense's job was made easy by the LSU defense, which forced seven Mississippi State turnovers, including six interceptions. LSU was able to completely erase any semblance of an MSU ground game, holding the Bulldogs to a pathetic 10 yards rushing on 26 carries, The pass defense was up the challenge as well, yielding just 136 yards. In addition, LSU recorded eight TFLs and four sacks. Senior safety Craig Steltz may have only recorded three tackles in the game, but he made one of the biggest impacts, with three interceptions (tied the school-record) and 100 yards in returns. Senior LB Ali Highsmith was the team's top tackler, with eight stops, while All-American senior tackle Glenn Dorsey finished second with five tackles. Dorsey added two TFLs and one sack to his statline.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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