Hungry Tigers see Leak as bait

By Darrell Laurant  |   Thursday, October 05, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

LSU Tigers
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What we've got here as Louisiana State travels to Florida on Saturday are two quarterbacks with bad memories to erase.

LSU's JaMarcus Russell made his first college start against the Gators in the Swamp two years ago, and Florida swamped him. Under a ferocious pass rush, Russell fed two first quarter interceptions to the Gators, both setting up touchdowns that put LSU in a 14-0 hole.

"I promise you I'm a whole different person than I was back then," Russell said earlier this week.

Meanwhile, last season, LSU harassed Florida's Chris Leak into perhaps the worst performance of his career, sacking him four times and limiting him to 11 completions in a 21-17 LSU victory. And the Tiger "D" might be even scarier this time around.

"This is as good a defense as I've ever been around," says Tiger coach Les Miles.

LSU currently ranks first nationally in yardage allowed and second (behind SEC rival Georgia) in points allowed (two touchdowns and three field goals). The Tigers are 11th against the rush and No. 3 against the pass, and they have Leak squarely in their sights.

"I don't want to say we want to put him out of the game," said DE Tyson Jackson, "but we're going to hit him every play we can."

"If you get to him," added LB Al Highsmith, "the rest of the team won't be focused."

DT Glen Dorsey played good cop to those pronouncements, noting: "We have the utmost respect for Chris Leak. He's got a great arm, and he's a great athlete. He's the type of player you can't stop, just contain."

This season, the same could be said of Russell, whose quarterback rating of 188.4 is second in the nation. He's completed 81 of 115 passes (70 percent) for 1,246 yards, 10 touchdowns and only one interception.

That's half the interceptions he threw in the first quarter of the 2004 Florida game. And he doesn't want to forget that.

NOTES: The Tigers may be without all-America candidate OG Will Arnold, who has a sprained ankle. Herman Johnson is standing by ... the contest will be Florida's Homecoming, thus putting the unbeaten Gators even more out on a limb.

Get more original LSU Tigers coverage at RealFootball365.com
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