Tigers Comeback to Defeat Beavers in Overtime, 22-21
09/04/04

BATON ROUGE -- If last season is the model by which this LSU football season is to be measured, the Tigers were sure to win their opening game Saturday afternoon in Tiger Stadium.

For the second straight season, the Tigers had the start of their opening game delayed by an hour-long deluge approaching biblical proportions. Unfortunately for the defending national champion Tigers, this year's opponent, the Oregon State Beavers, proved a much, much more worthy adversary than last year's University of Louisiana-Monroe squad that was handed a 49-7 thrashing.

On the strength of the will of back-up quarterback JaMarcus Russell and the football gods pushing three Oregon State extra point attempts, including one on the game's last play, wide right, LSU won its season opener 22-21 in overtime over a gutsy and talented Beaver squad.

Beaver place kicker Alexis Serna missed what would have been the tying extra point in overtime to secure a nerve-racking victory for the hometown Tigers. His kick sailed well clear of the right upright in the north endzone as the LSU faithful erupted and the Beaver fans and players sank to their knees as the scoreboard remained at 22-21.

Serna attempted the point after kick despite a frantic attempt by Beaver Coach Mike Riley to call time out in order to weigh his options between kicking and attempting a two-point conversion.

Serna's attempt was set up by a 19-yard touchdown pass by Beaver quarterback Derek Anderson to tight end Joe Newton. Anderson's 231 yards passing and three touchdowns, put a scare in the defending national champion Tigers like few of the 91, 828 rain-drenched fans expected.

Oregon State won the overtime coin toss and elected to play defense while LSU chose to play into the student section in the north endzone. LSU struck for a touchdown on its offensive possession, helped in large part by two costly defensive holding penalties against the Beavers. Tiger starting quarterback Marcus Randall, who completed just 7-18 passes for 66 yards, entered the game for a hobbled JaMarcus Russell to score the go-ahead touchdown on a five-yard quarterback draw to give LSU a 21-15 lead. Chris Jackson's extra point then sailed true, giving the Tigers a seven point advantage.

It took a miraculous leap by an injured Russell to keep LSU's hope of winning Saturday's game alive. The redshirt freshman, who took control of the Tiger offense on its first second-half drive, led his team on a four-play 64 yard drive with a scant 1:38 left in the game to give the Tigers a chance to dodge one of the most disappointing losses in school history.

Russell connected with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe for 26 yards on third down to keep the scoring drive alive, then 38 yards on the next play on an identical slant pattern over the middle for just the second LSU touchdown of the game. The Tigers, needing a two-point conversion, again turned to Russell who rolled out right into the face of the Beaver rush before reversing his field and diving over the goal line to tie the score with 1:05 to play.

Russell finished the game with nine completions on 26 attempts that included several dropped passes. His two touchdowns, the first to Skyler Green with 5:41 left in the third quarter and the last to Bowe for the game tying score, were the only two touchdowns for the Tigers in regulation. 

The speedy Oregon State defense held the bewildered looking Tigers to just 165 yards through the first three quarters before Russell battled his way through leg cramps throughout the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, the Beaver offense found just enough holes in the vaunted LSU defense to keep the Tigers off balance throughout the game and keep the normally rowdy Tiger Stadium crowd at bay. The Beavers amassed 315 yards of offense compared to 302 for LSU.

Oregon State's election to defer its winning coin toss at the beginning of the game to the second half paid off immediately as Green fumbled the opening kick on the saturated field at his own 25-yard line. The Beavers moved 25 yards backwards on their first three plays due to an offensive pass interference, false start and delay of game penalty.

But Anderson deftly attacked the Tiger defense by completing five out of six passes, the last a 6-yard strike to flanker George Gillett to give Oregon State a 6-0 lead with 12:08 to play in the first quarter. Serna then missed the extra point try.

The Tigers handed Oregon State another gift two plays later as quarterback Marcus Randall's first pass of the season was intercepted by safety Sabby Pisticelli at the LSU 30 and returned to the Tiger 24 yard line.

The Beavers were in the giving mood as well, though as Anderson threw an interception of his own just three plays later. Tiger free safety LaRon Landry hauled in the errant Anderson pass in the endzone giving the LSU offense the chance to start again at its own 20-yard line.

Randall completed what seemed to be the tying touchdown pass eight plays into the drive when Bowe bounced off three defenders and raced 57 yards to the north endzone. But, the play was called back because of an illegal procedure penalty and the Tigers failed to convert a 17-yard third down attempt.

Oregon State started its next drive at its own 10-yard line and quickly moved the ball out to the 27 yard line on a 17-yard completion from Anderson to Newton. But the sloppy turf contributed to another turnover as tailback Dwight Wright fumbled away a wet football at the 27.

LSU was unable to capitalize however as a 48-yard Jackson field goal attempt landed five yards short of the north endzone goalposts.

A bad snap contributed to a very poor kick by Oregon State punter Sam Paulsecu and set up LSU's next drive just inside the 50 yard line. But again, LSU's offense failed to move the ball any significant distance and the Tigers were forced to punt three plays later.

Both teams went into an offensive dry spell for the next several series. Oregon State had what appeared to be a great opportunity to score with 6:10 to play in the half after a very poor 12-yard punt by LSU's Patrick Fisher gave the Beavers the ball at the LSU 45 yard line.

But that chance eroded three plays later when Tiger senior defensive end Marcus Spears rushed in and crushed Anderson at the LSU 48 yard line causing a fumble. Spears recovered the fumble and set up LSU's deepest penetration into the Beaver defense.

Tailback Justin Vincent exploded through the Oregon State defensive line for a 31-yard run on the first play of the ensuing drive. But, Jackson again failed to put the Tigers on the scoreboard when his 42-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right with 2:38 left in the half.

Oregon State responded by driving the ball to the LSU 23-yard line in four plays highlighted by a 49-yard run by Wright. His long burst gave Serna the chance to extend the Beaver lead to 9-0 with a 40-yard field goal with 1:35 left in the half.

The Beavers offense nearly doubled LSU's poor first-half offensive effort that amassed just 93 yards in comparison to 178 for Oregon State.

Russell started the second half at quarterback for LSU, replacing an ineffective Randall who managed just five completions on 15 attempts for 39 yards and one interception to that point. But Russell faired little better in the Tigers' first drive of the third quarter as the Beavers batted and hurried him for two incompletions on his first two attempts.

LSU's defense tightened on Oregon State's second possession of the half, forcing the Beavers backwards two yards on the drive. LSU took over with Russell calling the signals at the Oregon State 37-yard line with 10:57 to play in the third quarter.

The Tiger offense struggled again as Russell threw two more incomplete passes before Jackson punted the ball back to the Beavers who punted right back after three plays.

LSU finally awakened from its offensive slumber after Green fair caught the punt at his own 21 yard line. Russell guided his team down the field in nine plays with some help from back-up tailback Alley Broussard. The drive culminated with a 16-yard over the shoulder reception by Green in the back of the north endzone. For the first time in the game, a Jackson kick sailed between the uprights and LSU cut the Beaver lead to 9-7 with 3:00 left in the third quarter.

The Beavers bounced right back though, and drove efficiently down the field with the help of some poor tackling by the Tiger defense. Anderson capped the pass-happy drive with a four-yard touchdown to a wide open Anthony Wheat-Brown in the south endzone with 48 seconds left in the third quarter. Serna missed another extra point, forcing Oregon State to settle for a 15-7 advantage.

LSU was unable to move the ball one yard on its next possession and punted the ball right back to the Beavers at their own 45 yard line. Oregon State turned the ball over on downs to end its next possession.

LSU was forced to punt after just three plays again before forcing Oregon State to do the same. LSU took over on offense at the Beaver 47 thanks to a heavy rush that forced Paulsecu to launch the ball off the side of his foot out of bounds.

Again, the Tigers squandered their chance to move the ball on offense and punted after just three plays, including two more incomplete Russell passes.

LSU's next chance seemed to be its last. The Tigers started at their own 47-yard line with 6:26 left in the game. Russell drove his team 20 yards in six plays before falling to the field with a leg injury. Randall replaced Russell and completed his first attempt to Joseph Addai 23 yards down the field giving the Tigers a first and goal chance at the Beaver eight yard line. Randall then missed the mark on a pass to Early Doucet and hit Addai again with a short gain before Russell returned to attempt a fourth down touchdown attempt. His lob pass sailed just over the head of a wide open Green in the endzone and the Tigers walked away empty again.

LSU's last chance came at its own 36 yard line. Four plays later Bowe crossed the goal line before Russell dove in for the tying extra point sending the contest into overtime.