Football: No. 2 LSU heads to No. 16 WVU for third road game

"West Virginia, mountain mama. Take me home, country road."

Senior quarterback Jarrett Lee will admit that the John Denver classic is one of his favorite songs — but not this week.

Lee will likely hear it frequently when No. 2 LSU (3-0) travels to Morgantown, W. Va., to face No. 16 West Virginia (3-0), as the Denver hit marks a significant portion of the Mountaineers' pre-game ritual. The Mountaineer mascot also fires a musket when the song ends and every time West Virginia scores.

"I don't think they'll be scoring much," Lee said. "So I don't think we'll have to worry about hearing the gun too much."

The Tigers will hit that "country road" for the third time this season, with all three road games appearing on national television. ESPN's College GameDay will be on hand to capture the event — the second time this season the program has featured an LSU game.

"These are guys that understand big games, loud crowds and big stadiums," said LSU coach Les Miles. "It is a nice opportunity to start the season with some quality experiences that will lend us to the remainder of the schedule. This won't be foreign to this LSU team when we go to West Virginia."

The LSU offense will also enjoy the return of junior wide receiver Russell Shepard. He missed the first three games due to an NCAA violation but will step back on the field against the Mountaineers.

"He's excited to be back," said junior wide receiver Rueben Randle. "He's loud. He's vocal, joking around with the guys. He's happy to be back, and I'm glad he's back also."

Shepard could help the LSU passing game against a West Virginia defense that has allowed 200.3 passing yards per game and only one touchdown through the air. Randle said the Mountaineers' secondary primarily runs zone coverage that forces short passes.

"We have to take a couple shots underneath," Randle said. "See if we can get the safeties to come down a little bit, and hope to hit them deep."

LSU will also face the challenge of an unfamiliar defense. West Virginia runs a 3-3-5 defense, meaning it lines up with three linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs. It requires big defensive linemen to take on multiple blockers, allowing the linebackers to blitz from a multitude of spots.

The Tigers struggled offensively against the Mountaineers in 2010, totaling just 230 offensive yards, including 80 yards passing.

"The angles of attack are different," said senior offensive lineman T-Bob Hebert. "With how they line up, they can do a lot of different things as far as twisting and pinching. That's a game where you've got to make sure you're real disciplined."

Though the Tigers may be playing West Virginia for the second consecutive year, the Mountaineers' offense will have a different look.

West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen replaced Bill Stewart before the start of the season after serving as the Oklahoma State offensive coordinator in 2010. Holgorsen's reputation as a passing guru helped Oklahoma State finish No. 3 nationally in 2010 with 4,615 passing yards.

"I can only tell you that his background is one that shows he really knows how to throw the football," Miles said. "His teams are comfortable in the no huddle and in tempo offense."

Junior quarterback Geno Smith has likely benefited most from Holgorsen's guidance. Smith has completed 69.5 percent of his passes this season for an average of 336 yards per game and seven touchdowns.

"It just lets you know that they are efficient and that their quarterback handles situations well," Miles said. "I remember him from last time we played. He has a strong arm, good feet and can scramble out of the pocket."

When the soothing sounds of John Denver emerge from the speakers, Miles said his team will be ready.

"I've been looking forward to this. ... I've been told Morgantown is a wonderful place to play," Miles said. "Their gameday experience is a lot like a [Southeastern Conference] game. They have a crowd that is into their team and makes a lot of noise. Our guys enjoy that type of environment."

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Contact Hunter Paniagua at hpaniagua@lsureveille.com