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Trying to tame the Tigers
LSU says it would be 'crazy' to overlook Appalachian State
AP File Photo
Coach Jerry Moore of Appalachian State (above) shows the "three fingers" that people flash him on the streets in Boone, representing the Mountaineers' three national titles.
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Published: August 30, 2008
BATON ROUGE, La.
Appalachian State brought down the Big House last year. Now can it cast a pall on Death Valley?
The Mountaineers, whose stunning upset of Michigan in last season's opener grabbed national attention, will have another chance at making headlines today when they take on LSU at 11 a.m. EDT in front of an expected sellout crowd of 92,400 and an ESPN Classic television audience.
The game originally was scheduled for 5 p.m. EDT.
A spokesman for LSU's board said that Gov. Bobby Jindal's office asked for the time change because of concerns over traffic, as evacuees are expected to be heading north through Baton Rouge because of the approach of Tropical Storm Gustav.
Today's game is the first time that NCAA Division I defending champions -- LSU in the bowl subdivision and ASU in the championship subdivision -- will meet in a season opener.
Despite the hoopla from last year's surprise win, Coach Jerry Moore of the Mountaineers is keeping things in perspective. He knows that his team faces long odds, despite what happened at Michigan last year when Appalachian became the first FCS team to beat a nationally ranked FBS opponent.
"We're not that naïve," Moore said. "We know that we're huge underdogs. Our players know that, and they've prepared the best they can prepare. We're going to try to play hard and see what happens … hopefully it will make us a better football team."
There are signs that LSU is doing anything but taking Appalachian lightly.
"After watching the Michigan game with Appalachian State, it would be crazy on our part to overlook those guys," said Tyson Jackson, a defensive end for the Tigers.
LSU, ranked No. 7 in the preseason AP poll, returns seven starters on offense and five on defense from a team that beat Ohio State in last year's FBS title game. Appalachian, ranked No. 1 in preseason FCS polls after winning its third straight national title, returns five starters on offense and six on defense.
The Mountaineers lost key players -- including NFL draft picks Dexter Jackson and Corey Lynch -- who had significant roles in the upset over Michigan and will be relying on an entirely new secondary.
Moore said that his team must keep mistakes to a minimum to have any chance.
"We had very few penalties against Michigan," Moore said. "Our kicking game was pretty solid against Michigan. Those two things alone kept us in the game. It gave us a chance."
Of course, the Mountaineers do have a potential equalizer in quarterback Armanti Edwards, whose speed and quickness is a concern to LSU.
Les Miles, LSU's coach, said that his team has spent time in camp specifically preparing for the Mountaineers' Spread offense and Edwards' mobility. He called Edwards "a tremendous player."
"He throws the ball well, is very fast and really makes a lot of quality decisions for their offense," Miles said. "The spread the field with great space.… They attack the width of the field as well as the vertical seams. It's a great challenge. I think our guys understand they must be disciplined."
Moore said of LSU: "One of the first things that is pretty obvious is their size. They're a typical Southeast Conference football team. They're big, and they're fast and very, very athletic.… They are probably one of the best tackling football teams I've ever seen.
"The size factor and just the athleticism of their players versus our players, at our different levels, there is a huge discrepancy there. And there was a little bit at Michigan.… We're going to waste a lot of time down there if we don't go play hard. That's the thing we're going to drive home."
LSU will have a new quarterback, and Miles said that he "wouldn't be surprised" if sophomore Andrew Hatch, redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee and freshman Jordan Jefferson all played. Hatch is the only one who has played, getting mop-up duty in one game last season.
The Tigers have an experienced and physical offensive line and, given the lack of experience at quarterback, establishing the running game might be the first order of business before testing inexperienced defensive backs.
"That offensive line we saw at Michigan was the best I had seen, but this LSU offensive line is very good, and they're huge," said John Wiley, the Mountaineers' defensive coordinator. "It became painfully clear against Michigan that we weren't going to stop the run unless we blitzed it. We did, and it helped us. We'll see how this game unfolds."
LSU's defense will be different from Michigan's, said Shawn Elliott, ASU's offensive-line coach.
"I think LSU's defensive line will be aggressive and quicker," Elliott said. "The thing that strikes you with LSU is how hungry they are to get to the ball. They preach getting to the ball, and you look, and there are 11 guys around that football every time. They have a passion for it. That's the thing you don't see to that extreme with every team."
ASU and LSU met in 2005 at Death Valley. The Tigers won 24-0, but the Mountaineers were within striking distance heading into the fourth quarter.
"We have great respect for Appalachian State and what they have been able to accomplish," Miles said. "They've played BCS schools year after year. They've played them tough. They were ahead of Auburn several years ago, they played us tough (three) years ago and certainly there's the example of Michigan in last year's opener.
"They are going to be competitive. We understand that…. I like the fact that we are playing a talented opponent. I think our guys prepared very well based on that."
■ Tommy Bowman can be reached at 727-7320 or at tbowman@wsjournal.com.
Game Day
• Teams: Appalachian State at LSU
• Time: 11 a.m.
• TV/radio: ESPNCL digital Ch. 142; WKBC 97.3; WBLO 790
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