SEC Notebook: LSU a Tale of 2 Tigers

Will the real LSU please stand up?

Fourth-ranked LSU is between the hedges Saturday at No. 18 Georgia in a pivotal SEC showdown. Not only are the Tigers looking for their first victory in Athens, Ga., since 1986, they are facing their first ranked opponent of the season. Both challenges expect to test a LSU team still in search of its identity a month into the season.

"We're fortunate to be 4-0; we'd like to be 5-0, and only the next opponent stands between us and that goal," said LSU coach Les Miles, who will be making his first trip to Athens.

"I've never been to Athens, and I've never played between the hedges. I talked to (defensive coordinator) John Chavis about it, and he said it's a great environment. It's very much like any of the great SEC venues. It's loud and fun, and you'll really enjoy it. I really can't wait."

Georgia has won three straight and six of the last eight against the Tigers, tabbed a three-point underdog.

LSU's offense has played well this season behind quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who has passed for 708 yards and seven touchdowns. Although the Tigers have a talented group of running backs, paced by Keiland Williams and Charles Scott, who have combined for 363 rushing yards, LSU's ground game has been hit and miss. Mississippi State stacked the box and held the Tigers to just 35 rushing yards last week.

"I still want to run the football. It's too fundamental to me not to be important, and I want that," Miles said.

"I want it for Charles Scott and that offensive line and Keiland Williams, and I want to be able to come off the football. But again, the defense can choose to play everybody inside, and that makes it a much more difficult position to run the football."

LSU, which has upcoming home games against top-ranked Florida and Auburn, is also looking to avoid becoming the country's fourth consecutive team in the Top 5 to lose. But there is good news, too.

For the second consecutive week the SEC has three of the top four teams in the country -- No. 1 Florida , No. 3 Alabama and the Tigers. The last conference to have three of the top four in the AP poll was the Big Eight in 1971, when Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado were Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

Georgia, meanwhile, is determined to take better care of the rock.

The Bulldogs have a total of 12 fumbles and interceptions through their first four games, but they've managed to win three times. Only five teams in the NCAA's top division have a worst turnover ratio than Georgia, which has recovered one fumble and made two interceptions for a whopping minus-9. The Tigers have the country's fifth-best turnover ratio (plus-7).

"Every time you throw, you're taking a chance. Every time you run it, you're risking a fumble," Georgia head coach Mark Richt said. "We've just got to play ball and work on the fundamentals, things like ball security and making good decisions. The better we block, the better chance we'll have of not having turnovers. It all works together."



The defense isn't doing its part, either. Georgia has forced fewer turnovers than any team in the SEC.

Three in a Row?

LSU has recorded a goal-line stand in back-to-back games.

Last week against Mississippi State, the Tiger defense turned back the Bulldogs at the goal line with just over a minute left in the game to preserve the victory. The Bulldogs had four shots at the Tigers, three coming at the 1-yard line, but LSU turned them away each time.

The big plays came on third down when LSU safety Chad Jones tipped away a pass and then on fourth down when Jones stopped Mississippi State quarterback Tyson Lee shy of the end zone. A week earlier, UL-Lafayette was turned back after three tries from the 1-yard line. UL-Lafayette's last attempt from the 1-yard line resulted in a fumble, which was recovered by Perry Riley.

Not First Rodeo

If Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is cleared medically to play against LSU Oct. 10, following last week's concussion suffered against Kentucky, look for the Gators to take extra steps to protect their quarterback in the pocket.

Even so, head coach Urban Meyer admits that's a challenge because Tebow is "not your typical quarterback."

"Typical quarterbacks, when they get in the open field, they run out of bounds or slide," Meyer said.

"A lot of the runs are not designed runs. If something is not there a lot of quarterbacks throw it away. You don't see Tim do that very often. He's going to try to get positive yards. It's not like this is our first rodeo. We're very well aware of the pounding he takes. We're going to be very conscious of it for the right reasons. We always have been. He is a little more than he ever has been, conscious of it."

Blocked Correctly

UF offensive coordinator Steve Addazio has accepted blame for the play call and blocking scheme that saw Tebow get tattooed by Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndham.

While it's still unclear whether that's just coach-speak or left tackle Matt Patchan missed an assignment -- Wyndham came off the edge unblocked -- UF lineman Mike Pouncey says the blocking was correct.

"We blocked it right," Pouncey said.

"It was a no-deep call so we run blocked to the right and the backside end comes free and Tebow has to get the ball out fast and he didn't get the ball out fast. He knew he was coming. Tebow takes those hits all the time. I don't think it was the hit hat really knocked him out. His head hit someone (Florida lineman Marcus Gilbert's knee).

Nope, Addazio said. It's his responsibility to get players in correct positions.

"Ultimately on that play right there, where everything didn't exactly go to plan, it should go on one guy's shoulders - mine," Addazio said.

"That's it. No one else's. There's a fine line in there. To say this guy didn't do that, it's not an accurate statement at all. It goes on me. It's not on any player. I have to be in a better scheme."



In Hand

When is the game in hand?

That question has been debated often this week following Tebow's injury. Tebow was TKO'd late in the third quarter with the Gators leading the Wildcats by 24 points.

"That's always a tough question because the issue is you want to finish the game in a sound, solid fashion (as) how you started it," LSU coach Les Miles said. "It's something where the coach weighs the responsibility of getting your starters out before they get hurt."

Alabama coach Nick Saban didn't think the UF-Kentucky game as out of reach.

"I think it's the game, I think it's team you're playing," Saban said. "We didn't take our starters out until we were ahead of Arkansas 35-7 halfway through the fourth quarter."

No Love

South Carolina failed to crack the national rankings this week following last Thursday's victory over then-No. 4 Ole Miss.

Don't look for Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier, one of 59 coaches to vote in the USA Today poll, to fling his visor in disgust.

"I haven't paid a lot of attention to that, and I don't think it's a big deal," Spurrier said.