Was size the difference?

LSU's starting offensive line was an average of 6-foot-41/2 and 316 pounds. Appalachian State's was, on average, just under 6-foot-3 and 276 pounds. The Tigers' defensive front four averaged almost 6-foot-4 and 286.5 pounds. The Mountaineers' four averaged just over 6-foot-2 and 253.5 pounds.

Defensive linemen are usually lighter than their offensive counterparts, but LSU's defenders outweighed Appalachian's offensive line by 10 pounds.

“They were strong big guys, but we are strong little guys,” said cornerback Leonard Love. “Size didn't play a factor at all.”

ASU offensive tackle Brad Coley added, “When you get out on that field, it doesn't matter what you can do in the weight room or how heavy you are. A person's a person; you can stop them or they can get around you.

“A pebble can hold a boulder in place if it's in the right spot.”

Into the great wide open

One play kind of summed up the mistakes – and they were numerous – that hurt Appalachian much of the day. With 10 minutes, 3 seconds left in the second quarter, backup quarterback Jarrett Lee hit wide-open receiver Brandon LaFell down the right sideline for 31 yards and a score.

“We blew a coverage,” said Love. “We were supposed to have a deep third player there.”

The guy appeared to be corner Cortez Gilbert, who likely saw Lee start to scramble and stopped his pursuit of LaFell. The latter was suddenly wide open, scoring easily for a 24-point lead.

“It was in the air so long I felt like I was catching a punt,” LaFell said.

Quoting

“Being down 31-0, man, that's going to hurt anybody. I don't care if you're playing a video game.”

“I told them, if they play like Michigan, we'll beat them. They didn't play like Michigan; they played like LSU.”

Observations

With the state concerned about traffic flow with residents in southern Louisiana leaving home to escape Hurricane Gustav, game time was moved from 4 p.m. CDT to 10 a.m. CDT. And the Pete Maravich Assembly Center has been designated as an evacuee center.

I've covered hundreds of football games but never one that started when many of us are still asleep on Saturday. I figured it would be a real problem for tailgaters.

Uh, maybe not. Driving through campus at 7:20 a.m., it was tough not to notice that some fans were already moving with a bit of a list. There were some interesting sights, like the truck flying four LSU flags and pulling a trailer painted with a giant tiger head.

And this is Deep South football. Many women were wearing dresses and even high heels, and a number of the men sported purple-and-gold ties, just as they did 50 years ago.

One of the popular urban legends that follows teams into Baton Rouge is that fans will beat on the buses of opposing teams as they arrive at the stadium in an attempt to intimidate. Waiting for the Mountaineers to arrive, I asked a policeman about that. “They're not supposed to,” he said with a grin. “But you can't stop everybody; it happens.” The Mountaineers, though, arrived at 7:50 a.m. and no one bothered them. A little early for the bangers and the beaters.

Mike the Tiger, the best mascot in the country, was taken out of his $2.5 million habitat and rolled into the stadium to await ASU's entrance. It's said that in the old days as visitors entered, Mike would be poked with sticks to get him roaring. Obviously, that has not happened in a long time. Mike looks huge and gloriously healthy, and when he stares at you with those unblinking yellow-green eyes, you have the feeling that for him, a sportswriter would be a light snack.