BATON ROUGE -- A 39-minute lightning and torrential
rain induced delay in the first quarter only delayed what many believed to be
the inevitable as LSU opened the 2003 football season with a demonstrative 49-7
victory over UL-Monroe Saturday in Tiger Stadium.
The Tigers, who were heavy favorites coming into the contest, scored three touchdowns in both the second and third quarters while holding the visiting Indians to just 11 first downs for the game.
LSU head coach Nick Saban said despite the wide margin of victory for his team there is still much room for improvement.
"We didn't look sluggish or slow," Saban said. "I just think mentally we were a bit flat in the beginning."
Both teams had a chance to handle the ball early in the first quarter. UL-Monroe's first drive ended after only three plays. LSU's first drive was interrupted after five plays as the skies opened up to a blinding rainstorm and lighting and thunder shook the stadium. The lightning display lead to the delay that sent players and coaches scrambling off the field and fans hurrying to the exits.
LSU put its first points on the board with 6:37 left in the first half as receiver Devery Henderson hauled in an eight-yard touchdown pass from Tiger quarterback Matt Mauck. The point after gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead.
The Tiger offense followed that score with two lightning-quick touchdown strikes. The first, a one-play 17-yard drive, came as the result of a fumbled snap by Indian punter Joey Stelly allowing him to be tackled deep in UL-Monroe territory. One play later Mauck used the gaff to sling a short pass to tailback Joseph Addai who glided 17 yards into the endzone giving the Tigers a two-touchdown lead with 4:55 left in the first half.
Addai lead all rushers with 81 yards on 15 caries to accompany two catches for 21 yards.
Mauck connected on his third TD pass of the evening with seven seconds remaining in the first half when wideout Michael Clayton weaved his way to a 40-yard catch and run putting the Tigers up three touchdowns heading into the locker room.
"I wish maybe we could have come out with a little more intensity and maybe ready to play a little earlier," Mauck said. "Overall I think it's a game winning result and it's a win. I never complain about that."
Clayton dazzled the rain-thinned crowd again in the third quarter when he left several Indian defenders puzzled on his way to a 66-yard touchdown catch and run from the arm of Tiger back-up QB Marcus Randall. Randall finished the game with five out of seven passes complete for 153 yards and the touchdown while Clayton stood out with six catches for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns.
That TD hook-up was one of three Tiger scores in the
third quarter including 31-yard interception return by Tiger safety
Jack Hunt with 7:00 to play in the quarter.
LSU's first score of the third quarter came when
Shyrone Carey skipped into the end zone from one yard out capping a 12-play
drive.
UL-Monroe finally logged its first points with 14:10 to play in the game when tailback Kevin Payne scampered into the south endzone from 12 yards out capping a 73-yard Indian drive and cutting the Tiger lead to 42-7.
LSU quickly answered that score on its next drive as freshman tailback Alley Broussard powered his way in from one yard out for his first TD as a Tiger. Broussard's run capped gave LSU a 49-7 advantage and capped the scoring in the game.
"We just need to work on the little things that are correctable things that we look forward to getting fixed in the future." Saban said.
UL-Monroe will host Stephen F. Austin next Saturday in Monroe while LSU travels to Arizona to take on the University of Arizona Wildcats. Game time for the Tigers and Wildcats is scheduled for 9 p.m. CDT.