The LSU Tigers have now beaten three ranked teams away from Baton Rouge, adding a 47-21 win over the West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown to takedowns of the Oregon Ducks and Mississippi St. Bulldogs. That's a better resume than any other two teams in the country combined. But the Oklahoma Sooners will probably hang on to their AP top spot, and the Coaches' Poll may catch on to LSU around Week 11 or so, because that's how these things work. To BlogPoll!
LSU Vs. West Virginia Final Score: Tigers Stake Claim To No. 1 Ranking
The story of the game: special teams. That’s not really a story. It’s a pair of words. Here’s the story: LSU’s special teams play was far, far better than WVU’s was. The Eers started inside their own 20 on seemingly every drive, and LSU scored a 99-yard kick return touchdown that killed West Virginia’s last charge. That plus four forced turnovers, and Dana Holgorsen’s productive offense essentially did a whole lot of nothing.
To illustrate: Geno Smith broke a school record, throwing for 463 yards on 63 attempts, yet his team lost by 26 points. LSU's offensive stat line doesn't look like that of a 47-point team ... Spencer Ware and Michael Ford had big days on the ground, but Jarrett Lee only threw for 180 yards.
Just goes to further show how much talent this LSU team has. Every player that takes the field, even on special teams, feels like a threat to change the game. The Tigers have put themselves to the test more than any other team in the country, and they’ve yet to show any signs of struggle in doing so.
For discussion, head to LSU blog And The Valley Shook and West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket. Also, check out this week’s college football TV schedule, and stay tuned to SB Nation’s college football news hub and Week 4 college football coverage for more.
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