LSU defense stifling in 49-3 rout

After last week's impressive 40-27 win over Oregon in Dallas, LSU knew its defense was solid.

After this week's 49-3 domination of Northwestern State, the No. 3 Tigers may realize their defense is something special.

In a game that saw 28 LSU players make a tackle or assisted tackle and many underclassmen see the field, LSU's defense never faltered.

The Tigers' defense held the Demons to 95 total yards of offense, including -4 rushing yards.

"They played like they're supposed to," said LSU coach Les Miles. "No matter who came in the game, they played the same way."

In the past, the Tigers' defense hasn't always played "like they're supposed to" against lesser teams. Less than two years ago, when LSU was No. 8 in the nation, a 3-7 Louisiana Tech team came to Tiger Stadium and led at half, racking up 322 yards of total offense. LSU eventually won the nail-biter, 24-16.

This season, LSU doesn't look like it will allow any team those chances, much less a non-Southeastern Conference opponent.

The pollsters didn't reward LSU for its domination, though, as the Tigers fell from No. 2 to No. 3 in this week's AP poll. LSU was jumped by Alabama, who went on the road to beat then-No. 23 Penn State, 27-11.

Sophomore defensive tackle Michael Brockers got in on the action against the Demons, notching his first career interception in the game. Brockers made a diving grab off an errant throw from Northwestern State quarterback Brad Henderson, a rare feat for a 306-pound lineman.

"I just wanted it," Brockers said. "I didn't want him to complete the pass and I didn't want them to catch it, so I just really tried to knock it down. I just saw how soft it was and I caught it."

It wasn't all bad news for Northwestern, though.

The Demons may have lost by 46 points, but Northwestern State put points on the board against LSU for the first time in program history.

That brings the all-time tally to 466-3, a small, yet significant step for the Demons.

Northwestern State kicker John Shaughnessy scored the lone points for the Demons.

"To come back here and play where I've dreamed of playing my whole life and actually score is incredible," the junior kicker said. "It's special also because I broke a bad tradition of not scoring in the stadium."

While the disappointing tradition was broken, LSU, who Northwestern coach Bradley Dale Peveto called "definitely the No. 1 team in the country," put on a show.

The Tigers racked up 400 yards of offense on 225 passing yards and 175 rushing yards.

Sophomore quarterback Zach Mettenberger got his first action as a Tiger, playing the entire second half. Mettenberger went 8 of 11 passing for 92 yards and a touchdown.

"He came in when we needed him and he didn't let us down," said junior cornerback Morris Claiborne. "When he came in for [senior quarterback] Jarrett Lee, Zach didn't miss a beat and that's how it's supposed to be."

Lee, the starting quarterback, was 9-for-10 passing on the night with 133 yards and a touchdown. Lee limped off the field after a sack in the second quarter, but Miles and Lee both said he would be ready for Thursday's showdown with Mississippi State.

The Tigers showed off four running backs during the game, who combined for five touchdowns.

Sophomore Michael Ford led the pack with 73 yards on 13 carries for two touchdowns. Sophomore Spencer Ware added two more touchdowns on 20 yards rushing.

Sophomore Alfred Blue punched in the other rushing touchdown as part of his 53-yard performance. Freshman Jakhari Gore also saw time, contributing 26 yards to the run game.

After catching only one pass for 10 yards and a touchdown against Oregon, junior wide receiver Rueben Randle led the receivers against the Demons, racking up 121 receiving yards on five catches.

The Tigers will now turn their focus to No. 25 Mississippi State, who lost at No. 21 Auburn on Saturday.

LSU will face a short turnaround, as they face the Bulldogs on the road Thursday night for their first Southeastern Conference game.

"Our challenge is three-fold," Miles said of preparing for the next game.

Miles said they must prepare for a good team, prepare in a short time and, of course, improve.

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Contact Albert Burford at aburford@lsureveille.com