Player to Watch:
Brodie Croyle
QB, Senior
6-3, 205
Westbrook Christian HS
Rainbow City, Ala.
Why it is important to stop him:
Alabama is undefeated and Brodie Croyle is a big reason why. Spending most of
his career watching from the sidelines nursing injuries, Croyle enters the LSU
game healthy for the first time in his career. Croyle is an efficient passer who
rarely makes mistakes (12 TDs, 4 Ints), but he has been unable to go deep since
the loss of Tyrone Prothro. Croyle has thrown for almost 2,000 yards (1,930) and
will be the biggest factor in an Alabama win as the Tigers will force Croyle to
beat them.
Who has to stop him?
The LSU defense has a habit of beating up on quarterbacks. Every quarterback
the Tiger stoppers have faced this season has gotten pounded on and Croyle will
be no different. Alabama has a good offensive line and they must protect Croyle
from LSU’s front four, but with the lack of a deep threat minus Prothro, look
for the Tigers to send an array of corner and safety blitzes at the Tide’s
senior signal caller most of the evening.
LSU rushing offense vs. Alabama rushing defense:
Joseph Addai’s status is unsure for the Alabama game. The senior running back
tweaked an ankle against North Texas and left the game after coming up limp in
the first quarter against Appalachian State. Justin Vincent ran well as did
Shyrone Carey, but LSU needs its horse to be ready for action against Alabama’s
7th-ranked (93 yards per game) rushing defense.
Advantage: Push
LSU passing offense vs. Alabama passing defense:
The Crimson Tide features one of the nation’s best defensive units versus the
pass. Alabama ranks fourth nationally (150 ypg) against the pass, but is that
stat a bit skewed? Examining the Crimson Tide’s schedule, which opponent among
Middle Tennessee State, Southern Miss, South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Utah State and Mississippi State, could be considered even a
decent passing offense? Not saying the Alabama secondary is overrated, maybe
just untested.
Advantage: LSU
Alabama rushing offense vs. LSU rushing defense:
Ken Darby is an excellent running back and will probably be one of the best
runners LSU will face this season. The Crimson Tide hasn’t done much through the
air since Tyrone Prothro broke a leg so they do rely on the running game a good
bit. The Tigers are solid against the run, 16th nationally (107 ypg),
but have given up some chunks of yardage to Auburn and Appalachian State.
Advantage: Alabama
Alabama passing offense vs. LSU passing defense:
If this question would have been asked early in the season, it would have
been a no-brainer? Brodie Croyle is one of the top quarterbacks in the league
and LSU’s secondary looked like Swiss cheese against Arizona State and
Tennessee. But since then, the Tigers have rose from 117th in the
country to 23rd (188 ypg) against the pass and Croyle and the Tide
offense lost its offensive star (Prothro). The Bama offense is very
one-dimensional.
Advantage: LSU
LSU special teams vs. Alabama special teams:
Teams consistently refuse to kick to Skyler Green, especially after he
brought back a punt for a touchdown against Auburn. Opponents would rather
sacrifice field position than give up a big return by the explosive Green. But
in a game like this, the Crimson Tide can ill-afford to sacrifice field position
staying away from Green in a contest that will weigh heavily on defense and
punting. Also, another kicker hit an upright Saturday against LSU as the Tigers
hex on opposing kickers continues. Is Jamie Christensen next?
Advantage: LSU
Intangibles:
Here’s the kicker… Les Miles has played every big game of the season at home,
including a game in which his team blew a 21-point lead to lose in overtime.
This will be Miles and the Tigers’ first huge test on the road in the SEC in an
extremely hostile environment against a very confident team (and fan base). Can
Les Miles step up to the plate and deliver a win that would push the Tigers into
the national spotlight? Remember what LSU did at Arizona State, but this is the
SEC.
Advantage: Alabama
Prediction:
Environment, big deal. Undefeated team, big deal. Anyone with a pulse (minus
those who long to wish Alabama football back to the forefront of the SEC) can
look at the facts and see that the Tide has one quality win this season (That is
if you call beating an average Florida team a major victory). The rest of the
schedule is marred with close wins over bad teams, i.e. 13-10 versus (3-5) Ole
Miss, 23-14 over (2-6) Arkansas and 17-0 at (2-7) Mississippi State. Since
Alabama’s offense lost its only true game breaker when Prothro went down, the
Tide has scored only one – that’s right, ONE – offensive touchdown in three
conference games, that’s including the likes of Ole Miss and Mississippi State,
a span of 12 quarters of football. Folks are buying into the fact Alabama has
returned to its Bryant-Stallings form of winning games ugly, but in the end
winning is the most important thing. Until the Tide does something big, like
beat No. 5 LSU on Saturday, it’s all a bunch of smoke and mirrors.
LSU 16, Alabama 6