INSIDE SLANT
LSU faces a long trek to get to its season opener -- better than 2,000 miles to Seattle to play Washington. For the Tigers, the length of the trip might be the only thing that adds a bit of mystery to a game against a Washington club that was winless in 2008.
Well, there's also the fact that coach Les Miles has held off putting out a depth chart, leaving some questions as the Tigers head into the final week of preparations.
Sophomore Jordan Jefferson is going to start at quarterback after winning the job at the end of last season and keeping it through spring and fall camps. But the Tigers also would like to get a look at much-heralded freshman Russell Shepard, and sophomore Jarrett Lee can't be ignored.
Senior Charles Scott will start at tailback, but Miles also will be looking for a way to get senior Keiland Williams and junior Richard Murphy more carries.
Senior Brandon LaFell is one of the premier receivers in the SEC, but what about redshirt freshman Chris Tolliver and true freshman Reuben Randle? Are they ready to step up?
On defense, the Tigers are looking at senior Harry Coleman at a new spot. He moved from strong safety to linebacker and could be forced into a bigger role right off the bat with senior Jacob Cutrera, who was looking to inherit the spot vacated by Darry Beckwith, hobbled by injuries in the fall camp.
And the secondary, which came under much criticism last season, still has some issues to settle. Senior cornerback Chris Hawkins, a returning starter, was behind junior Jai Eugene in one recent scrimmage.
NOTES, QUOTES--Freshman S Craig Loston wasn't able to join the Tigers for practice until the start of classes because he hadn't been approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse and, therefore, was not on the 105-man roster at the start of drills. But he has been cleared, and the school reported that every member of LSU's 2009 signing class is eligible. From Aldine, Texas, Loston was considered one of the top defensive back prospects in the country.
--In the third scrimmage of the fall, LSU went through 130 plays without a turnover, an improvement over last season when the Tigers finished on the minus side of turnover margin with 20 lost turnovers to only 19 gained. The problem last season wasn't fumbles, but interceptions. The Tigers lost only two fumbles, but had 18 picks.
SERIES HISTORY: LSU 1, Washington 0 (last meeting, 1983, 40-14 LSU).
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: LSU has plenty of talented veterans -- TB Charles Scott (1,174 yards rushing), WR Brandon LaFell (63 catches 929 yards), TE Richard Dickson (31 catches for 324 yards), and LT Ciron Black (an All-America candidate). Sophomore QB Jordan Jefferson has a firm grip on the starting job, but look for true freshman Russell Shepard to see some action also. The line looks to be the strongest unit since Les Miles took over in the 2005 season.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The defense was terribly inconsistent last season but does have potential playmakers in DE Rahim Alem (not a returning starter but among the SEC's sack leaders with eight last season), DT Charles Alexander, LB Perry Riley, FS Chad Jones and CB Patrick Peterson. The biggest plus likely is at coordinator, where John Chavis takes over.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I can tell you that Washington has talent. If you look at last year's film you can see that they have ability and it's just a matter of putting it together." -- Coach Les Miles, talking about a Huskies team that has lost 14 games in a row.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNELTHIS WEEK'S GAME: LSU at Washington, Sept. 5 -- The Tigers will be making their longest trip in its football history when they visit Seattle -- a journey of 2,031 miles -- but their reward should be a victory. The Huskies were 0-12 last season and have lost 14 in a row. Historically, however, Husky Stadium has been a difficult venue for opponents, and Washington is re-energized with new coach Steve Sarkisian and the return to health of QB Jake Locker.
KEYS TO THE GAME: Unless the Tigers are completely bamboozled by the time change, they should be able to keep things under control at Seattle because of its strength along both lines. The defense needs to keep Washington QB Jake Locker in check; he's a fearless runner.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
QB Jordan Jefferson -- Jefferson had the starting job as a true freshman by the end of last season and he maintained his grip on the position in camp. He has earned raves in the preseason for the maturity and leadership he has shown since taking over. He was only 36-of-73 passing in seven games last season but was 16 of 25 in the bowl win over Georgia Tech.
TB Charles Scott -- Scott has the speed to get yardage outside and the power to get the tough ground inside. He goes into the season with 1,775 career rushing yards, 1,174 of which came last season.
WR Brandon LaFell -- LaFell has been LSU's top receiver for each of the last two years (1,585 receiving yards total in 2007 and 2008) and is an adept downfield blocker as well. He has had at least one reception in 28 consecutive games.
DE Rahim Alem -- Alem had only one start in 2008 but still earned second-team All-ACC honors after registering eight sacks (all solo), third in the league. He's one reason why the defense is expected to take a big step up in 2009.
ROSTER REPORT:
--Senior LB Jacob Cutrera missed nearly two weeks of practice because of undisclosed injuries but was back as the Tigers got ready for game-week preparations. The school is not releasing injury information, but the Morning Advocate in Baton Rouge reported that conjecture ranged from a hip flexor to a staph infection. Cutrera had five starts in playing mostly as a backup to Darry Beckwith last year.
--Senior TE Richard Dickson was taking it easy as a precaution to protect his hamstring. Dickson has a good chance of ending the year with about all of LSU's receiving records for tight ends.
--Junior P Derek Helton, a junior college transfer, has solidified his spot as the Tigers' No. 1 punter.
Previous Report: 04/27/2009
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