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Game Day Info:
When: Saturday November 3rd @ 4:00PM CT
Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Television Coverage: CBS
BAMA Team Stats
Total Offense: 414ypg (44th) Total Defense: 355ypg (46th)
Points Per Game: 32ppg (39th) Points Per Game Allowed: 21ppg (35th)
Rushing Offense: 267 (26th) Rushing Yards Allowed: 170ypg (44th)
Passing Offense: 244 (46th) Passing yards Allowed: 224ypg (60th)
BAMA Key Stats and Personnel
Passing: John Parker Wilson (173-299, 1876 yds, 11TD, 5 INT)
Rushing: Terry Grant (127-697, TD), Glenn Coffee (90-413, 4TD), Roy Upchurch (28-161, 1TD)
Receiving: D.J. Hall (50-764, 5TD), Matt Caddell (27-257, 1TD), Mike McCoy (23-168, 1TD)
LSU Team Stats
Total Offense: 435ypg (27th) Total Defense: 232ypg (2nd)
Points Per Game: 37ppg (18th) Points Per Game Allowed: 15ppg (5th)
Rushing Offense: 224ypg (12th) Rush Defense: 162ypg (142nd)
Passing Offense: 211ypg (75th) Pass Defense: 161ypg (4th)
LSU Key Stats and Personnel
Passing: Matt Flynn (106-190, 1288 yds, 8TD, 5INT)
Rushing: Jacob Hester (113-544, 5TD), K. Williams (41-283, 5TD)
Receiving: Brandon LaFell (30-412, 1TD), Early Doucet (22-246, 2TD)
BAMA Quick Hits
BAMA enters the game fresh off what has to be their biggest win of the year in thrashing Tennessee 41-17. Confidence for this bunch of Tide football players is sky high right now. It will take more than confidence to defeat an LSU team that is currently ranked 3rd in the Nation.
The Tide offense appears to have found its stride after posting 27 or more points in each of the last three games. Leading the way is quarterback John Parker Wilson who has thrown 11 touchdown passes on the season, and 3 against Tennessee in the team's last game. The rest of the offense is pretty well balanced with runningbacks Glen Coffee and Terry Grant tag-teaming defenses to the tune of 1100 yards and 11 scores, and a receiving corps that has not only proved talented, but deep as well. The one point of concern going into Saturday's game would be the patchwork offensive line that BAMA has had to play with.
Defensively the team appears to be improving game by game, though they still are not where they need to be by SEC standards. Stopping LSU will be a tall order for this Tide defense.
Tide Player LSU Must Focus On:
After a shaky start, John Parker Wilson had a standout game against Tennessee and has begun to show he can manage the new offense and take what the defense allows. If LSU can confuse and harass the young quarterback they will win going away. If Wilson has another monster day things could go either way.
BAMA Will Win If:
With LSU being better across the board at pretty much every position on the field the one area where the Tide enjoys a slight advantage is at quarterback. Tiger quarterback Matt Flynn is no slouch and certainly has a bevy of talented players to get the ball to, but John Parker Wilson is probably a little better. After starting the season with some shaky performances Wilson has started to put things together. Against Tennessee Wilson completed 36 passes for over 360 yards and 3 scores. LSU's defense is light years better than that of the Volunteers but if Wilson gets confidence and "gets off" then BAMA has a legit shot to pull this one out at home.
LSU Quick Hits
It seems almost weekly that Crazy Les Miles and his merry bunch of Bayou Bengals are all over the news for some crazy, mixed up reason. Two weeks ago it was because of their dramatic, last-second victory over Auburn. It wasn't the victory that made the news though. It was the way it occurred. The Tigers elected to take one shot at the end zone before kicking the game-tying field goal and luckily for Miles the pass wound up being completed with time running out. Some folks may have played it safe and gone for the gimme field goal, but not Les Miles. Crazy Les just looks challenges in the eye and says, "Gimme your best shot." Or something like that.
Regardless of what you think about Miles and some of his questionable decisions you can't argue with the end results. Louisiana State comes into the game ranked 3rd in both the Coach's poll and the AP, and is primed for a run at the national championship if they can continue to win out. It's a difficult task for any SEC team but LSU has the players to make it happen.
Player BAMA Must Focus On:
Pick one. That's really what it comes down to. LSU is better across the board at every position with the possible exception of quarterback, and that one is a toss up. With Jacob hester and Keiland Williams running it and Brandon LaFell hauling in passes from Matt Flynn even the best defenses would have a tough time shutting down all of LSU's weapons.
LSU Will Win If:
To score or not to score? That is the question. On paper we know that LSU is superior and on paper they should win. But we don't win football games on chalk boards or note pads, we play them on the field. And in a year where all of the top teams have experienced major problems holding onto the top spots, and schools like Appalachian State have done the seemingly impossible, it's anyone's game. Take that along with a matchup that is seemingly becoming a grudge match between the two fanbases, players and coaches, this one could end up being a dandy.
If LSU can move the ball against the Crimson Tide defense (and they should be able to) and put up points it might not be much of a game. If however, LSU gets bogged down into a grind-it-out, slugfest BAMA has a legit shot to pull it out at home. Scoring (for LSU) will be the determining factor in the game tomarrow. If LSU comes in and plays lights out on offense the Tide faithful will have to wait another year for revenge.
