LSU Outlasts West Virginia, Takes 20-14 Victory

Read More: Geno Smith (QB - West Virginia)

WVU QB Geno Smith lined up at guard once in this game. Typically the ball is snapped by the center, but in this case…well, the center had the ball, and Smith didn’t know where he was.

This single moment sums up West Virginia’s offensive performance in the second half against LSU. Their only TD came off a short field provided by a Jordan Jefferson pick. Their remaining offensive threat got no more dangerous than a 48 yard field goal attempt that sailed wide and left the Mountaineers starting at a six point gap they had no chance of surmounting.

That desperation came from facing an inspired LSU defense led by emerging pass rusher Barkevious Mingo. Mingo pressured Smith on the final drive on numerous occasions, nearly had Smith in the endzone for a safety, and led the charge along with tackle Drake Nevis to make his life extremely unpleasant as the Mountaineers attempted to get back in the game. He would finish with only 119 yards passing on the night, but he wasn’t alone in poor production; Noel Devine had 14 carries for 37 yards on the night, and was a non-factor despite returning in in the fourth.

LSU fared worse in the passing game than West Virginia did,throwing for only 80 yards on the night. With the defense strangling the Mountaineer offense, however, rushing the ball effectively with Stevan Ridley (20 carries, 113 yards, and one TD) to control the clock late and allow punting and defense to do the rest. At this point in the season the Tigers seem to be two-thirds of a good team, which Les miles will tell you is just one fourth of the way from being 110% of a team halfway to being 50% perfect.

This makes perfect sense if you take this actual Les Miles quote into account:

“Certainly, we were penalties, and we stopped ourselves.”

If you actually are penalties, though, and you still manage to go into October undefeated, then you must be doing something right, Coach Miles (proper grammar and diction be damned.)