For LSU, football has a stark look this season.
“This is not a made-for-TV movie,” Coach Les Miles said. “This was a real-life trauma where friends and family had to stay in the dorms and the town swelled to take in the New Orleans evacuees. We are treating people that are injured and disadvantaged 200 yards from our stadium. We have a scrimmage, and Blackhawk helicopters are flying people from New Orleans over our heads.”
The fifth-ranked Tigers traveled halfway across the country to play their “home” opener Saturday night — a 35-31 victory over No. 15 Arizona State in Miles’ debut as LSU’s coach.
JaMarcus Russell hooked up with Early Doucet for a 39-yard touchdown on fourth down with 1:13 left to win it for the Tigers. LSU outscored Arizona State 28-14 in the fourth quarter.
After Doucet’s touchdown, Arizona State QB Sam Keller (461 yards, four TDs) completed two passes to move the Sun Devils from their 20 to LSU’s 28. But his next four passes fell incomplete.
In the fourth quarter, LSU returned a blocked field-goal attempt 55 yards for a score and a blocked punt 29 yards for a score in the span of 1:20.
“It’s probably the best game I’ve ever been in so far, as far as competing and playing against a really good team,” Keller said. “That’s the fastest, best team I’ve ever seen.”
Poll shuffled
Notre Dame is a top-10 team for the first time in three years, and USC has matched Miami for the longest stay at No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25.
The Fighting Irish are No. 10 in the AP poll released Sunday, jumping 10 spots after upsetting Michigan 17-10 Saturday to improve to 2-0.
“I think too many times rankings are based off of reputation, not off what really happens,” Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis said when asked if he thought he had a top-10 team. “So maybe if you go by what you see, maybe the answer is yes. I’m not there to judge that.”
USC has been No. 1 for 21 consecutive polls, a run that dates to late in the 2003 season and matches the record set by Miami from 2001-2002.
LSU is No. 3, Virginia Tech No. 4 and Tennessee No. 5.
In the coaches’ poll, USC, Texas and LSU are the top three. Tennessee and Virginia Tech are tied for fourth.
Late Saturday
DeMyron Martin ran for two touchdowns and caught a 22-yard touchdown pass, leading host SMU (1-1) to a 21-10 upset of TCU (1-1). TCU had won the past six in the rivalry, their longest streak in a series that dates to 1915. . . . Clifton Smith returned two punts for touchdowns and Wendell Mathis rushed for three scores as Fresno State (1-0) hammered visiting Weber State (1-1) 55-17. . . . Drew Olson threw three touchdown passes to help host UCLA (2-0) rout Rice (0-1) 63-21. The Bruins scored the first seven times they had the ball for a 49-14 halftime lead. . . . Joel Klatt threw two TD passes and Lawrence Vickers ran for two scores and caught another as host Colorado (2-0) shellacked New Mexico State (0-2) 39-0. . . . Richard Kovalcheck threw for 255 yards for the second consecutive game as host Arizona (1-1) defeated I-AA Northern Arizona (1-1) 31-12. . . . Sergio Aguayo made a 41-yard field goal on the last play of the game to give host UNLV (1-1) a 34-31 win over Idaho (0-2).
