LSU Tigers

BATON ROUGE, La. -- The carries keep coming for LSU fullback J.C. Copeland.

After getting just two carries -- for no yards -- in his first two seasons, the junior already has two rushing touchdowns in his junior season with six carries for 35 yards in the first two games.

"I worked on it all summer," said Copeland, a converted defensive tackle. "I worked on catching the ball, hanging on to the ball, being a better overall player."

He had little background in anything involving ball skills. When offensive line coach (and now offensive coordinator) Greg Studrawa asked Copeland if he had ever played fullback during his freshman year, Copeland said he had in high school, but only as part of a "crazy package" his prep team put together. He embraced the move and got playing time, splitting time last season with senior James Stampley. But he was mostly called on to be a battering ram at the position.

This season, not only have his snaps gone up as he's become the unquestioned starter, but also because of a change of offensive focus. After the departure of Jordan Jefferson, a quarterback whose talents led to the Tigers running a lot of plays from the spread, LSU has been more of an I-formation team this season with drop-back passer Zach Mettenberger at quarterback. That means more plays for Copeland because fullbacks would normally not be part of the a spread personnel package.

LSU has run only 30 offensive plays this season that have not included the use of a fullback. Opponents have struggled to slow down a rushing attack averaging 5.7 yards a carry, most of which come behind Copeland, who has slimmed down to a still-powerful 272 pounds this season.

"It's great," running back Kenny Hilliard said of following Copeland. "A fullback, 270, in front of you, crushing linebackers ... you know what I'm saying? I'll run behind him any day of the week. I just love what he's doing."

Now, Copeland added ball skills to his game. With two touchdowns in two games on the ground, the next step would be to catch a pass, something coach Les Miles said is in his repertoire.

"He's capable," Miles said. "It's an advantage to have a guy who can run as well as he does and block as well as he does and, we'll see if we can get him some receptions because we really think he's that guy."

ULM provides lesson: Don't think for a minute that Louisiana-Monroe's upset of Arkansas won't be a topic of conversation at LSU this week as the Tigers prepare to play Idaho.

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BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU's 41-3 win over Washington on Saturday proved that Zach Mettenberger could throw the ball down the field.

The next step is to find ways to give him more opportunities to do it, something head coach Les Miles seemed committed to Monday at his weekly news conference.

Mettenberger was 12-for-18 for 195 yards and a touchdown against the Huskies, numbers that probably would have been better had it not been for drops and would have been so gaudy if not for the Tigers' reluctance to throw. LSU built a 20-3 lead, then ran on 25 of its final 28 plays, a stretch where it saw the lead grow by 21 points as the Huskies were helpless to slow down the Tigers' running game.

"You look in the past, and you want to throw the ball more, but we've gotten up big in so many games, there really isn't a reason to throw the ball more," Mettenberger said, "especially when you are getting a five yards a carry."

The Tigers rushed for 242 yards on 52 carries against Washington, the week after piling up 316 yards on 46 carries against North Texas. LSU is second in the SEC in rushing at 279 yards a game and doesn't look to have a reason to have to stop running in upcoming weeks.

Next, the Tigers host 0-2 Idaho, which is giving up 126 rushing yards per game playing an early schedule that includes FCS power Eastern Washington and MAC member Bowling Green. They follow Idaho with a road trip to Auburn, which is last in the SEC in rush defense, then FCS member Towson.

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BATON ROUGE, La. -- An Idaho Vandal might give LSU's defense fits this season.

If it happens, odds are, it won't be until the Tigers play Alabama, whose offensive coordinator, Doug Nussmeier, played quarterback at Idaho in the early 1990s.

As for his alma mater, which visits Tiger Stadium to play the No. 3 Tigers Saturday, any success against LSU's defense, ranked fifth in the nation in the nation and first in the SEC allowing 201 yards a game, would be a moral victory.

Idaho, 0-2 after losses to FCS power Eastern Washington and MAC member Bowling Green, ranks 119th out of 120 FBS teams in scoring with 16 points in its first two games. The Vandals rushing offense is 118th, averaging 39.5 yards a game.

It took Idaho 113 minutes of football this season before it could score its first touchdown. After getting embarrassed at home, 20-3, by EWU, the Vandals managed just two field goals over three quarters at Bowling Green Saturday before quarterback Dominique Blackman hit Marquan Major for a 16-yard touchdown pass with 6:22 left in what was eventually a 21-13 win for the Falcons.

It sounds like the Vandals could use the services of Nussmeier, who won the Walter Payton Award, given to the top offensive player in Division I-AA (now the FCS), in 1993 Before him, John Friesz won the Payton Award for Idaho in 1989. Both went on to play quarterback in the NFL.

It should be said that quarterback isn't the problem right now for the Vandals. Blackman passed for 352 yards against Bowling Green in his first start of the season by completing an efficient 30 of 37 passes. But Idaho settled for field goal attempts, making two of three and Blackman was picked off once.

He'll have a harder time moving the ball against an LSU defense many consider the nation's best. The Tigers are giving up just over 200 yards and 8.5 points per game.

Idaho opened Sunday as a 42.5 underdog for this weekend. Seems generous, considering that LSU has as many touchdowns on punt returns as Idaho has overall.