LSU Tigers: Idaho Vandals
BATON ROUGE, La. -- If you wanted pretty, Tiger Stadium has not been the place to be.
Zach Mettenberger threw two touchdowns, but also a red zone interception and took two sacks. The LSU defense gave up a long touchdown drive and was bailed out only by an interception return for touchdown.
It added up to an ugly 28-14 lead for No. 3 LSU over winless Idaho.
Stat of the half: Three, the number of game-changing interceptions. Ronald Martin intercepted two passes, one to set up an LSU touchown and another returned 45 yards for another touchdown. And, in what's been the play of the game so far, Mettenberger threw a red zone pass right into the arms of Gary Walker of Idaho at the 1, who returned it 94 yards to the LSU 5 to set up a Vandals touchdown.
The Tigers were driving to take a three-score lead when Mettenberger threw the interception and instead found themselves in a competitive game.
Player of the half: Martin, who started for an ailing Craig Loston at strong safety and had the two interceptions of Dominique Blackman, who was otherwise effective, throwing for 99 yards on 12-for-15 passing. A high honorable mention goes to cornerback Jalen Collins, who deflected both passes into the arms of Martin.
What's working for LSU: The Tigers' coverage of Idaho's receivers has been good, keeping Vandals passes short. LSU has mostly shut down the Idaho running game.
On offense, Mettenberger has found the deep touch with throws of 33- and 23-yards to Russell Shepard and threw touchdown passes to Kadron Boone and Jarvis Landry.
What's not working for LSU: The Tigers aren't getting to Blackman, who's finding the time to pick the Tigers apart.
LSU's running game is 3.7 yards a carry (18-67), two yards a carry below its average for the season. Alfred Blue, who had back-to-back 100-yard rushing games entering the night, had just 37 yards on nine carries.
Zach Mettenberger threw two touchdowns, but also a red zone interception and took two sacks. The LSU defense gave up a long touchdown drive and was bailed out only by an interception return for touchdown.
It added up to an ugly 28-14 lead for No. 3 LSU over winless Idaho.
Stat of the half: Three, the number of game-changing interceptions. Ronald Martin intercepted two passes, one to set up an LSU touchown and another returned 45 yards for another touchdown. And, in what's been the play of the game so far, Mettenberger threw a red zone pass right into the arms of Gary Walker of Idaho at the 1, who returned it 94 yards to the LSU 5 to set up a Vandals touchdown.
The Tigers were driving to take a three-score lead when Mettenberger threw the interception and instead found themselves in a competitive game.
Player of the half: Martin, who started for an ailing Craig Loston at strong safety and had the two interceptions of Dominique Blackman, who was otherwise effective, throwing for 99 yards on 12-for-15 passing. A high honorable mention goes to cornerback Jalen Collins, who deflected both passes into the arms of Martin.
What's working for LSU: The Tigers' coverage of Idaho's receivers has been good, keeping Vandals passes short. LSU has mostly shut down the Idaho running game.
On offense, Mettenberger has found the deep touch with throws of 33- and 23-yards to Russell Shepard and threw touchdown passes to Kadron Boone and Jarvis Landry.
What's not working for LSU: The Tigers aren't getting to Blackman, who's finding the time to pick the Tigers apart.
LSU's running game is 3.7 yards a carry (18-67), two yards a carry below its average for the season. Alfred Blue, who had back-to-back 100-yard rushing games entering the night, had just 37 yards on nine carries.
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Cue up the "The SEC doesn't play anybody out of conference" complaints.
True or not, LSU is hearing that this week as it prepares to host 0-2 Idaho. The Vandals are not only winless, they are coming off a 2-10 season. And, Idaho is one of the WAC's "left behind" schools destined for a future of wondering whether their league will continue to exist after it was pillaged in recent years during conference realignment.
It makes for a compelling story, but not necessarily in the context of an opponent for a national championship contender like No. 3 LSU.
That was true, of course, until what happened last weekend in Little Rock, Ark.
Louisiana-Monroe, a middling Sun Belt Conference program often mentioned as a candidate to drop back to the FCS, upset another would-be SEC West national title contender, Arkansas. Perfect timing for LSU, which probably needed something for focus during a week where the biggest complaints from fans are about the schedule, not the team.
"It will be mentioned at meetings," said LSU coach Les Miles of ULM's win on Monday. He has stuck with the theme, going so far as to pick on a smaller-than-usual gathering of reporters at his Wednesday news conference that they weren't taking the opponent seriously enough.
He was joking.
We think.
Three things to watch
1. Keeping it interesting: The would-be stumbling blocks on LSU's schedule, with one notable exception Nov. 3, look less and less daunting. Auburn's season is on the verge of disaster. Florida sort of struggles along. South Carolina is still looking for a quarterback. And we've covered what happened to Arkansas. With LSU looking so solid early, especially in last week's 41-3 win over Washington, will the schedule keep the Tigers' focused? That question is particularly relevant this week.
True or not, LSU is hearing that this week as it prepares to host 0-2 Idaho. The Vandals are not only winless, they are coming off a 2-10 season. And, Idaho is one of the WAC's "left behind" schools destined for a future of wondering whether their league will continue to exist after it was pillaged in recent years during conference realignment.
It makes for a compelling story, but not necessarily in the context of an opponent for a national championship contender like No. 3 LSU.
That was true, of course, until what happened last weekend in Little Rock, Ark.
Louisiana-Monroe, a middling Sun Belt Conference program often mentioned as a candidate to drop back to the FCS, upset another would-be SEC West national title contender, Arkansas. Perfect timing for LSU, which probably needed something for focus during a week where the biggest complaints from fans are about the schedule, not the team.
"It will be mentioned at meetings," said LSU coach Les Miles of ULM's win on Monday. He has stuck with the theme, going so far as to pick on a smaller-than-usual gathering of reporters at his Wednesday news conference that they weren't taking the opponent seriously enough.
He was joking.
We think.
Three things to watch
1. Keeping it interesting: The would-be stumbling blocks on LSU's schedule, with one notable exception Nov. 3, look less and less daunting. Auburn's season is on the verge of disaster. Florida sort of struggles along. South Carolina is still looking for a quarterback. And we've covered what happened to Arkansas. With LSU looking so solid early, especially in last week's 41-3 win over Washington, will the schedule keep the Tigers' focused? That question is particularly relevant this week.
ABOUT GEAUX TIGER NATION
Gary Laney
Gary Laney joined ESPN.com in 2012 after spending a year and a half as online sports editor of the Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate. Before that, he covered LSU sports for the Advocate. He has also been the sports editor at the Beaumont (Texas) Enterprise and covered McNeese State athletics for the Lake Charles (La.) American Press. Laney currently lives in Baton Rouge. Email him at glaneyespn@gmail.com