Tigers Survive Scare, Outlast Troy 24-20
10/23/04

By Chris Macaluso
Special to LSUSports.net

BATON ROUGE -- LSU finally got a crack at the Trojans Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. Unfortunately for all those still upset about last year's spilt national championship, these Trojans hailed from Troy, Ala. rather than Southern California.

Despite the difference in location and stature between the two Trojan teams, the one from Alabama turned in a performance Saturday night that would have made its west coast counterpart proud. Troy clawed and scratched its way to a heart-breaking 24-20 loss in what could have been a back-breaking loss for LSU.

The Tigers pulled out the slight victory in front of a homecoming crowd of 89,493. LSU's win improves its season mark to 5-2 while Troy fell to a tough 3-4. LSU returns to action next week in a Southeastern Conference contest against Vanderbilt. Troy will host Idaho.

Tiger quarterback Marcus Randall ended the game the hero once again after leading the Tigers to another comeback win similar to those against Oregon State and Florida. Randall, who finished the game with career highs in completions, 24, and passing yards, 328, eventually became the game's hero when he found tight end David Jones for the winning score on a 30-yard touchdown pass with 2:18 to play.

But, despite his outstanding numbers, Randall could have just as easily been the goat of the game after throwing three interceptions, two of which led to Trojan scores. Randall was not responsible for all of the Tigers' woes though, as tailback Alley Broussard fumbled deep in his own territory to help the Trojans to their first touchdown early in the first quarter.

Every LSU running back struggled as five different Tigers carried the ball a combined 36 times for only 79 yards. Troy's DeWhitt Betterson led all rushers with a modest 49 yards on 18 carries.

Statistically the Tigers were dominant, piling up 386 total yards as opposed to just 150 for the Trojans. But, the outcome of the game remained in doubt until the final whistle.

Troy took a late lead after place kicker Greg Whibbs kicked a 24-yard field goal with 3:59 to play, capping a nine-play, 47 yard drive that ate up a large and crucial chunk of the fourth quarter. Randall's touchdown pass to Jones gave LSU the lead back just four plays later.

Randall connected with freshman receiver Early Doucet twice for completions longer than 25 yards on the opening drive of the game to set up the first score. Broussard dove over the pile at the goal line on fourth down capping a nine-play 79-yard drive that ran 4:18 off the clock. The point after by Ryan Gaudet was good and LSU took a 7-0 advantage with 10:42 to play in the first quarter.

Troy put together an impressive opening drive as well, moving past the 50-yard line after a 34-yard kick off return. That drive stalled at the Tiger 40 yard line and the Trojans punted.

Troy's wait to get the ball back was short as Broussard fumbled on the initial play of the next LSU drive. An additional 15-yard advance due to a personal foul gave the Trojans first down and goal at the LSU 10-yard line. Three plays later, quarterback D.T. McDowell found flanker James Earl Cray single-covered on a short slant route in the endzone for a four-yard touchdown. The point after evened the score 7-7 with 5:39 to play in the first quarter.

LSU's counter punch came thanks to Randall's right arm as he found open receivers on every play of the ensuing drive. Unfortunately, he threw slightly behind a wide open Craig Davis on the fifth play and it proved to be the drive's undoing. Davis tipped the pass in the air as he reached back to make the catch making it easy pickings for Trojan defensive back Andre' Morgan who landed on the turf with an interception.

Troy took over at its own 26 yard line but was able to pick up a first down before punting the ball back to the Tigers. That gave Randall a chance to throw another interception that proved to be much more costly than his first.

Trojan linebacker Bernard Davis stepped in the path of Randall's attempt at the Tiger 47-yard line and returned the pick all the way to the LSU seven. Fortunately for the Tigers, the defense stiffened and held the Trojans to a 25-yard field goal by Whibbs giving Troy a 10-7 lead with 14:11 remaining in the first half.

LSU regained the lead on the ensuing drive, a methodical march that consumed 7:02 of the second quarter. Joseph Addai crossed the north goal line from one yard out on the 15th play of the drive to again give the Tigers the advantage. Gaudet's point after made the score 14-10 Tigers with 7:09 remaining in the half.

The Tigers put together another long drive for their next score as well. Gaudet capped a 75-yard, nine-play march with a 23-yard field goal after the LSU offense stalled inside the Trojan five-yard line. The kick banked off the right upright before sailing over the crossbar and LSU took back its touchdown advantage with 3:14 remaining in the first half.

Troy took the opening possession of the second half and drove past midfield before punter Thomas Olmstead angled a kick out of bounds at the LSU three-yard line. Three plays later, Randall threw his third interception. Standing in his endzone, he attempted to find Jones streaking down the middle of the field. He found Trojan defensive back Derrick Ainsley instead, who then staked his team to a first down at the LSU two-yard line with a 25-yard return.

Two plays later, tailback Betterson bulled his way into the endzone from one-yard out and the score stood tied 17-17 after the point after with 9:23 remaining in the third quarter.

The ensuing drive stalled for the Tigers at the Trojan 35-yard line and place kicker Chris Jackson entered the game for an apparent 52-yard field goal attempt. Instead, holder and back-up quarterback Matt Flynn took the snap, rolled left and threw to tight end Keith Zinger who was immediately tackled well-short of the first-down marker.

Troy failed to take advantage of LSU's failure and punted back to the Tigers. The Tigers, in turn, punted back to the Trojans just three plays later. Troy started its next drive at its 44-yard line to open the fourth quarter. But the Trojans could not take advantage of the excellent field position and were forced to back LSU deep in its own territory again with a punt.

LSU's offense stalled again after just three plays and handed the Trojans another scoring opportunity after Jackson's punt traveled just 25 yards, giving Troy a first down at the Tiger 42 yard line. But the Troy drive lasted just three plays and advanced the ball only seven yards. Olmstead pinned the Tigers back inside the 10-yard line again by angling his punt out of bounds nine yards short of the endzone.

Jackson came into the game three plays later and, this time, booted the ball 54 yards out of his endzone. Troy started its next drive at its 46 yard line and moved across midfield on a 14-yard pass to Cray. Betterson then carried 20 yards on the next play, silencing now-rowdy crowd. Tiger defensive end Marcus Spears took 14 of those yards back with a sack of McDowell on the next play, but the Tigers gave those yards right back on a roughing the passer penalty.

McDowell then launched a pass to the corner of the south endzone that was caught for an apparent touchdown. But the play was called back because of an illegal shift by the Trojans. Troy hurt itself again on the next play with a false start penalty but play did not stop fast enough to keep McDowell from being thrown to the turf and injured by a Tiger defensive lineman.

Troy lost yards again on the next pay with another false start before Spears caught Betterson in the backfield for a three-yard loss bringing up third and 24. The Trojans made up all but two of those 24 yards on a 22-yard scamper by Jermaine Richardson, giving themselves a fourth down chance at the Tiger seven-yard line. Whibbs then drilled a 24-yard field goal ending the Trojans highly eventful drive and giving his team a 20-17 lead with 3:59 left in the contest.

But, the Tigers fought back and moved the ball well for the first time in the second half on the ensuing drive. Xavier Carter set up the drive with a speedy 46-yard return, giving LSU a first down at its own 46 yard line. Randall completed a 13-yard pass to Dwayne Bowe on the first play of the drive before LSU picked up another first down on consecutive running plays, moving to the Trojan 30. Randall then put the Tigers ahead for good when he found Jones wide open inside the 10-yard line. Jones then crossed the goal line untouched to give LSU a 24-20 lead after Gaudet's point after.

Troy picked up one first down on the countering drive, but was stopped after McDowell and back-up quarterback Aaron Leak were harassed and sacked by the Tiger defensive front. The Trojans turned the ball over on downs and the game ended with Randall kneeling at the Troy 31 yard line.