blacksaint

By SCOTT RABALAIS
Advocate sportswriter
Published: Oct 9, 2007

For the third time this season, an LSU home game will start after 7 p.m.

ESPN announced Monday it will televise the Oct. 20 Auburn game, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. — or later.

LSU kicked off at 7:28 p.m. Saturday against Florida on CBS and at 8:22 p.m. in its Sept. 8 home opener with Virginia Tech on ESPN.

This will be LSU’s seventh network TV appearance so far this season, with the Nov. 23 Arkansas game also set for 1:30 p.m. on CBS.

LSU’s game at Kentucky on Saturday is on CBS at 2:30 p.m.

LSU-Florida tops ratings

LSU’s 28-24 victory over Florida on Saturday night drew the highest rating of any college football game this season on any network, according to CBS.

The game had a 5.7 rating and an 11 share. That’s a 39 percent increase over the CBS prime-time game last year — Florida at Tennessee (4.1 rating, 8.0 share) and a 78 percent increase over last year’s CBS day game between LSU and Florida (3.2, 7.0).

“The atmosphere at Tiger Stadium Saturday night was electric and helped transform Florida-LSU from an important SEC football game into a prime-time drama with all the associated plot twists and turns,” said Craig Silver, CBS Sports coordinating producer for college football. “It was a night for the ages.”

This was the first CBS prime-time game at LSU and first prime-time telecast from Tiger Stadium on an over-the-air network since 1981.


Hester’s honors

Senior running back Jacob Hester was named Southeastern Conference and Louisiana Sports Writers Association offensive player of the week Monday. Hester had a career-high 106 yards on 23 carries against Florida, including the game-winning 2-yard touchdown run with 1:09 left. Twice on LSU’s final drive he converted fourth downs.

Hester then lay in the end zone for several moments. He wasn’t hurt — he was faking.

Hester didn’t want to waste a timeout for coaches to have find his backup, Richard Dickson, for the extra-point team. Dickson did eventually come in for the PAT. “I had to think of something real quick,” he said, so he grabbed his knee.

LSU coach Les Miles came out to check on Hester, who told his coach what he did. “He just started laughing and said, ‘Heckuva play, big boy,’ ” Hester said.

Hester, by the way, used to be a bigger boy. In high school, the 6-foot Hester bulked up to 250 pounds to play defensive end and noseguard as a freshman and sophomore before slimming back down. He’s listed at 228 pounds now.


Flynn no sitting duck

Quarterback Matt Flynn delivered two of the biggest runs against Florida. He scampered 8 yards on a fake field goal and 15 yards on third-and-16 to put LSU in position to convert one of its five fourth downs.

Those were the two longest running plays for Flynn since the season opener and his four carries for 30 yards were his best production on the ground since that game as well.

Flynn suffered a high ankle sprain against Virginia Tech and has been hesitant to run since.

“It was good to go out and do that,” Flynn said. “I felt like I could, but I really hadn’t worked on sprinting. It felt good. It shows other teams I’m not just a sitting duck anymore.”


The last word

“That’s the loudest game I’ve ever played in. It was bananas — you can put that in bold. Our fans do a great job getting into the other team’s head, making it hard for them to hear their calls and checks.”


-- Defensive end Kirston Pittman

2theadvocate.com | LSU Sports | LSU-Auburn set for night telecast — Baton Rouge, LA

saint4life
(504)

SapperSaint

God, I love LSU Football!

LongTimeFan

I don't care if the game started at 10:00 PM, I'm would still watch the game even if I had to go to work at 5:00 AM.
LSU better not take Kentucky lightly this Saturday because the Wildcats are a pretty good football team and would love to upset the #1 team, but the Tigers will be ready, I just hope we don't see to many trick plays because I think sooner than later they have to pay the price due to the trick going bad.