Jordan Jefferson Exceeds Expectations As LSU Tops Texas A&M In 75th Cotton Bowl

Amid claims of a poor passing game, substandard quarterback situation and a one-dimensional offense, Jordan Jefferson took the field as LSU's starting quarterback for the 75th Cotton Bowl.  It did not show early, but the man that walked onto the Cowboys Stadium turf in Arlington Friday night was determined to prove a lot of people wrong.  The LSU Tigers left all the guessing and supposition of analysts and pundits in the parking lot and systematically took apart the Texas A&M Aggies by a final score of 41-24.

Heroes of the Game

The winning crown cannot be placed on any one person’s head for this win.  There were more than a few players who stepped up their game to bring home the Cotton Bowl trophy. 

You can certainly start with Jefferson, who threw for three touchdowns in the game, nearly matching the amount he threw for all season (four).  Jefferson finished 10 for 19 for 158 yards and only one interception.  Jordan’s running ability also provided additional leverage in the contest as he ran for 67 yards and a touchdown.  Most importantly, for the first time in quite a while, we witnessed a Jordan Jefferson who was in control.

The day really belonged to the crew of LSU running backs.  Freshman Spenser Ware and junior Stevan Ridley burned the A&M defense, with both players topping the 100-yard mark and Ware averaging a hefty 10 yards per carry.  All in all, the ground game went for just under 300 yards (288) on 54 total carries.

Then comes the much-maligned LSU passing game.  It has never been pretty through the entire season and it did not look like it would get much better in the early goings.  An early interception stopped a Tiger scoring drive and signaled trouble, but key catches in the first quarter by Reuben Randle and three big touchdown receptions by Terrance Tolliver, who has had his share of drops this season, ended up making LSU's offensive day

While we still are on the offensive contributions, the O-line never gets the credit it is due.  The line opened the holes needed in the Aggie defense to support the ground game.  The pass-blocking scheme held up well all game long.  This was also the most disciplined offense play seen this season from the Tigers.

On the defensive side of the ball there was great play from the freshman secondary, mostly forced into action from injury to starters.  Tyrann Mathieu has been providing top-notch coverage through the season and added another interception to his totals for the year.  Eric Reid provided another, while freshman DB Tharold Simpson added a third. 

Senior linebacker Kelvin Sheppard added a team-leading eight tackles.  Even though the defense gave up more running and passing yardage than they had all year, the turnovers proved to be the glitch that threw the A&M train off the rails.

What Happened to the Aggie Offense?

This was a game where the LSU defense bent but did not break.  Cyrus Gray had a 100-yard rushing day, averaging five yards a carry, but his best play of the day was the 14-yard halfback option touchdown toss.  QB Ryan Tannehill went 23 for 36 for 204 yards with two touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions. 

Leading Aggie receiver Jeff Fuller had only 80 yards receiving on the day.  The fact that LSU could maintain offensive possession of the ball for good stretches of time, even when they didn’t score, only sealed the loss for A&M.

To wrap it all up, it would appear that the 11-2 Tigers didn’t care too much for criticism given during the 2010 season.  The offense especially had the chance to prove their detractors wrong and did so with an exclamation point.  There is also the school of thought that many players could have the impression, mistaken or otherwise, that this would be their last game under head coach Les Miles. 

Whatever the thinking, the LSU Tigers have answered a lot of questions, but produced many more for next year.  Only thing is for sure, Tiger fans will openly debate a host of topics right up to the opener of the 2011 football season!

For more of Doc's articles on LSU and Louisiana sports, visit http://www.louisianasportsrap.com.