ESPN College Football

Over and above A.J. Green and Julio Jones, here's a quick snapshot of some of the highs and lows involving SEC players at the NFL combine this past weekend:

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton tested extremely well. His 10-6 broad jump tied for the best among quarterbacks, and he also ran a 4.59 in the 40-yard dash, which tied him for third fastest among quarterbacks. But in some of his passing drills, he struggled, in particular the shorter and intermediate routes. His timing was a bit off, too, and at one point, he sailed three out routes over the heads of his receivers.

Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, along with Florida State's Christian Ponder, turned in the best passing performances of the day, according to Todd McShay and Kevin Weidl of ESPN's Scouts Inc. Mallett has the strongest arm of the quarterback class, and according to the Scouts Inc. crew, the ball exploded out of his hand. He also demonstrated nice touch on his passes.

Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb helped himself with a 4.46 in the 40, which was faster than a lot of people expected. Cobb also impressed with his route-running.

Auburn's Mario Fannin had the second fastest 40 time among running backs (4.38). Kentucky's Derrick Locke was tied for third (4.4). Fannin and Locke tied for fifth with a 37.5-inch vertical jump.

Alabama's Mark Ingram didn't run a particularly fast 40 time (4.63), but the three-year average for the running back position is a 4.59. Plus, Ingram fared very well in the drills with his balance and lateral agility.

Georgia outside linebacker Justin Houston was second among linebackers with 30 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

LSU's Stevan Ridley was fourth among running backs with a 6.78 in the 3-cone drill. Ridley ran a 4.66 in the 40.

LSU's Terrance Toliver was third among receivers with a 6.48 in the 3-cone drill.

Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus checked in at 6-3 and 319 pounds, while Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley wasn't as tall or as big as expected. He was 6-3 and 291 pounds. He was listed at 6-5 while playing at Auburn.

Some of the other 40 times from SEC receivers were: Tennessee's Denarius Moore (4.45), Auburn's Darvin Adams (4.56), South Carolina's Tori Gurley (4.56) and LSU's Terrence Toliver (4.59).

Some of the bench-press numbers among SEC offensive linemen were: Florida's Marcus Gilbert (30 reps), LSU's Joseph Barksdale (29), Georgia's Clint Boling (28), Arkansas' DeMarcus Love (27), Alabama's James Carpenter (23), Mississippi State's Derek Sherrod (23), and Auburn's Lee Ziemba (20).

Breaking into our countdown at No. 21 is a guy who had 57 career carries coming into last season.

No. 21: Stevan Ridley, RB, Jr., LSU

2010 numbers/honors: Finished fourth in the SEC in rushing with 1,147 yards and also scored 15 touchdowns. A first-team All-SEC selection by the coaches and second-team All-SEC selection by the Associated Press.

Preseason ranking: Not ranked in the 2010 preseason countdown.

Making the case for Ridley: When you start talking about the impact a player has on his team, imagine the LSU offense last season without Ridley. He was the Tigers’ offense and carried the load over and over again with 249 carries, tying South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore for the most in the SEC among running backs. LSU went from 122.8 rushing yards per game in 2009 to an average of 185.7 yards last season, and a big part of that was Ridley’s bruising running style. One of those backs who’s constantly churning for extra yardage, the 6-foot, 223-pound Ridley helped keep the chains moving for the Tigers despite any real threat of a passing game for most of the season. He averaged 91.5 yards against SEC defenses and ended his LSU career with a 105-yard rushing effort against Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. His 1,147 yards marked the seventh highest single-season rushing total in LSU history. Ridley decided to bypass his senior season and enter his name into the upcoming NFL draft.

The rundown

No. 22: Mississippi State OT Derek Sherrod

No. 23: Alabama DE Marcell Dareus

No. 24: Kentucky LB Danny Trevathan

No. 25: Alabama LB Courtney Upshaw

We’re not going to completely turn the page on the 2010 season.

I’ve spent much of this week compiling the 10 players that I thought were the most improved players in the SEC this past season.

We’ll name it the All-Nick Fairley Team, which ought to tell you who the captain of the team is.

Here goes:

1. Auburn junior defensive tackle Nick Fairley: He went from two starts and 3.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore to the Lombardi Award winner and most dominant interior defensive lineman in college football as a junior. He led the SEC with 24 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks and could end up being the No. 1 pick overall in April’s NFL draft.

2. Arkansas sophomore running back Knile Davis: He had trouble overcoming injuries and a crowded Arkansas running back stable earlier in his career. But after rushing for only 163 yards as a freshman, Davis exploded this season to lead all SEC running backs with 1,322 yards.

3. Mississippi State junior quarterback Chris Relf: He got better all season, but saved his best game for the Gator Bowl when he passed for three touchdowns and ran for one in the 52-14 rout of Michigan. Relf finished with 13 touchdown passes and only six interceptions and was second on the team in rushing with 713 yards to go along with five more touchdowns.

4. Alabama sophomore safety Robert Lester: After playing mostly on special teams as a redshirt freshman, Lester was presented with a huge opportunity this season with the Crimson Tide losing just about everybody from their secondary on the 2009 national championship team. He responded by tying for second nationally with eight interceptions.

5. Ole Miss junior offensive tackle Bradley Sowell: Remember Sowell trying to block South Carolina’s Eric Norwood early during the 2009 season? It was a mismatch, but Sowell came back strong later that season and even stronger this season, settling into his left tackle spot and earning second-team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press.

6. LSU junior running back Stevan Ridley: What Ridley really needed was a chance, and he got one this season. He finished with 1,147 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns and was the heart and soul of the LSU offense. That’s after combining for 57 carries and 272 yards in his first two seasons. Ridley entered his name in the NFL draft following the season.

7. Kentucky senior quarterback Mike Hartline: The suspension for the bowl game was unfortunate, but it doesn’t diminish what was a brilliant senior season for Hartline. He’d been plagued by inconsistency throughout much of his career and had the knee injury as a junior, but passed for 3,178 yards and 23 touchdowns while completing 66.2 percent of his passes this season.

8. Kentucky senior receiver Chris Matthews: In his first season at Kentucky after coming over from junior college, Matthews showed flashes. But this season, he emerged as one of the most productive receivers in the league. He was second only to South Carolina’s Alshon Jeffery with six touchdown catches against SEC competition.

9. Tennessee sophomore cornerback Prentiss Waggner: He moved from safety to cornerback midway through the season, developing into one of the best ball hawks in the league. Waggner intercepted five passes, returning three for touchdowns, on his way to second-team, All-SEC honors by the Associated Press. That’s after finishing with six total tackles and no interceptions as a redshirt freshman.

10. Arkansas senior linebacker Anthony Leon: A position change made a world of difference for Leon, who seemed a step slow at safety, but was a disruptive force at outside linebacker. He was one of the chief reasons the Hogs improved so much this season on defense and finished second on the team with 12.5 tackles for loss.

The door just swung open a lot wider for LSU running backs Spencer Ware, Michael Ford and Alfred Blue.

Stevan Ridley has decided to declare for early entry into the NFL draft and won't return for his senior season. He led the Tigers in rushing this season with 1,147 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Ware, a true freshman, had a big AT&T Cotton Bowl with 102 yards on 10 carries. He's one of those guys who could easily be one of the top breakout players in the SEC next season. Ford, a redshirt freshman, and Blue, a true freshman, have also shown a lot of potential.

Here's an updated list of the SEC underclassmen declaring for the NFL draft. The deadline to declare is Saturday:

• Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky
• Marcell Dareus, DE, Alabama
• A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
• Tori Gurley, WR, South Carolina
• Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
• Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
• Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
• Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
• Stevan Ridley, RB, LSU

ARLINGTON, Texas -- LSU knew what it wanted to do, or needed to do, rather.

Texas A&M finished its season as the Big 12's best rush defense, reclaiming the "Wrecking Crew" nickname in the process.

"We had to mix it up," said Tigers offensive coordinator Gary Crowton. "We felt like if we could loosen them up with some big passes, we'd be able to run the football."

Few figured the Tigers would have the kind of success they did doing both, but they did. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson had thrown four touchdown passes in 12 games entering Friday's Cotton Bowl, including just two in his past 11 games.

He threw three on Friday, and two were longer than 40 yards, softening up the Aggies defense exactly as planned to help beat Texas A&M 41-24 in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic in front of 83,514 fans at Cowboys Stadium.

"I thought he threw the ball about as good as I've seen him throw on tape," Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman said. "He was decisive, aggressive and accurate."

With Jefferson keeping the Aggies honest, LSU rolled over the Wrecking Crew for 288 rushing yards. Running backs Stevan Ridley and Spencer Ware both topped 100 yards, and Jefferson made a handful of plays with his legs, extending drives on third down on plenty of occasions and finishing with 67 yards on 12 carries.

"For our run game, I thought we were doing a really good job of dominating the line of scrimmage," Crowton said.

Early on, the Aggies were up 10-0, but with one torque of a knee they were down a leader. Senior linebacker Michael Hodges suffered a sprained ACL in the first quarter, and Texas A&M's leading tackler never returned.

"He is the heart and soul of our defense in many ways," Sherman said. "At the same time, you can't use that as a reason why we didn't perform the way we should have been capable of performing. ... One guy gets hurt, another guy has to step in and make the play."

His replacement, Kyle Mangan, managed just four tackles, the same amount Hodges had already accumulated in the first quarter.

"I think Kyle, put in the situation he was in, he played well," defensive end Lucas Patterson said. "You can't replace a player like Hodges."

With Jefferson having one of his best games of the year, and the Aggies patching together a run defense that often looked out of character, there was little expectation after Texas A&M's 10-0 lead had evaporated that chants of "Wrecking Crew" would make an encore in Cowboys Stadium.

Early on, it might have. Jefferson's first deep pass -- and the Tigers first attempt to soften the defense -- was interecepted with one hand by Coryell Judie. But Jefferson's first of three connections in the end zone with senior receiver Terrence Toliver assured an end to the Aggies' six-game winning streak.

"I came back with the next deep ball call when we got in the right situation," Crowton said. "Jordan stood in there, took a big hit, but got the touchdown. I knew we'd be alright from that point on because we were going to run the ball. We pound it in there."

The Aggies had no answer for the majority of the night. Gaps went unfilled and runners sliced through wide lanes. The Tigers ran the ball 55 times, and averaged 5.2 yards per carry.

"Our offensive line came to play," LSU coach Les Miles said. "Our offensive line said this is a challenge they wanted. I think they played to that challenge."

Here are three keys for LSU in its AT&T Cotton Bowl matchup Friday night against Texas A&M:

1. Make the Aggies go the distance: If LSU’s defense could take away a few big plays the Tigers gave up in both the Auburn and Arkansas games, they might be playing in the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday night. Keeping the Aggies from striking quickly and making them drive the football the length of the field will be critical for LSU in this game. The Tigers struggled in that department at the end of the regular season.

2. Hit some plays in the passing game: Getting leading rusher Stevan Ridley back for this game after he was initially ruled ineligible was a huge win for the Tigers. But he can’t do it by himself. LSU will need to spread out that Texas A&M defense by hitting some plays in the passing game, similar to what the Tigers did in their win against Alabama. The threesome of Terrence Toliver, Rueben Randle and Russell Shepard will all have opportunities to make plays down the field and need to take advantage of them. LSU had just seven touchdown passes and 10 interceptions during the regular season.

3. Play with the lead: The tricky part for the Tigers is throwing the football when they want to, not when they have to. That’s going to entail playing well early and making Texas A&M play from behind. The Tigers’ comfort zone is running the ball, controlling the clock and then loading up and coming after the other team on defense. They’re completely out of their element if Jordan Jefferson is having to throw the ball to make up deficits.

Texas A&M revives an ancient rivalry with LSU in the AT&T Cotton Bowl on Friday night. For the second consecutive year, the game will be played in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, rather than the stadium for which the game is named. The match moves to prime time for the first time as well as part of an attempt to become a BCS bowl in the future.

WHO TO WATCH: Texas A&M running back Cyrus Gray. He's been nothing short of outstanding over the second half of the season after his partner in the backfield, Christine Michael, broke his leg and ended his season. In the three games before the Aggies took on Kansas, Gray had a combined seven rushing yards. He finished the year with six consecutive 100-yard games. His 223-yard finale, in a win over rival Texas, brought him to 838 yards and 10 touchdowns in the Aggies' final six games. Not surprisingly they were all wins, and included two top-10 opponents in Nebraska and Oklahoma. Gray's emergence over the end of the year made the streak possible, and he'll likely need another 100-yard day for the Aggies to knock off No. 11 LSU.

WHAT TO WATCH: The line of scrimmage. This game figures to be the most physical of the Big 12's bowl games, and neither team will be able to win without winning the battle up front. Texas A&M runs it downhill better than about anyone in the Big 12, and LSU ranks a manageable 40th nationally in rush defense. The Aggies will have to deal with superstar defensive tackle Drake Nevis, and protecting Ryan Tannehill is priority No. 2 for the offensive line. He'll need time to poke holes in a solid LSU secondary with his receivers, specifically Uzoma Nwachukwu and Ryan Swope. Jeff Fuller could be in for a tough day against the physical Patrick Peterson. Defensively, the Aggies will have to slow Stevan Ridley. Rushing for 1,000 yards in the defense-heavy SEC should come with some kind of multiplier, but Ridley did it, becoming only the fourth Tiger to achieve the feat.


WHY WATCH: These are two teams competing for the "Quality Loss Championship." LSU's only losses are to BCS teams Arkansas and Auburn, while A&M's losses came to Oklahoma State, Missouri and Arkansas, all 10-game winners. What you have in this game is a pair of quality teams that couldn't quite get it done against teams that were better than them on that day, but the two could meet up for a classic.

PREDICTION: Texas A&M 20, LSU 17. I like defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter's chances against a mostly one-dimensional offense. Meanwhile, the Aggies' balance will be enough to get the win. Throwing the ball won't be easy, but when receivers do get open, if only slightly, Tannehill has proved he can get it to them. That hasn't been the case for LSU quarterbacks Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson.

LSU shoots for its fourth 11-win or better season under Les Miles when it takes on Texas A&M on Friday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Here’s a quick preview of the AT&T Cotton Bowl:

WHO TO WATCH: Now that his eligibility has been restored, LSU junior running back Stevan Ridley should be raring to go. He’s been practicing with the Tigers all along and waiting to hear on his appeal. The news came earlier this week that he would be allowed to play. That’s obviously good news for the Tigers, who leaned heavily on Ridley this season. For much of the year, he was their only offense and enters this game with 1,042 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s a power runner who also has the speed to break away and get yards in chunks. The Tigers will need him to be effective on first down running the ball.

WHAT TO WATCH: LSU finished up the regular season with strong defensive numbers, but the Tigers seemed to lose a little bit of their edge in those final few games and gave up too many big plays. Can they get that edge back against Texas A&M? This will almost certainly be junior cornerback Patrick Peterson’s final game in an LSU uniform. Peterson is expected to declare for the NFL draft after winning several national awards this season. The burden will be on the Tigers’ defense similar to the way it’s been all season. They’re holding teams to an average of 17.8 points per game, which ranks ninth nationally.

WHY TO WATCH: The rumblings about LSU coach Les Miles and Michigan are heating up, even though Miles said he hasn’t been contacted by Michigan and that he doesn’t think anybody at LSU has any reason to be concerned about his possibly returning to his alma mater. It will be interesting to see how the Tigers play with all this shaking about Miles and Michigan. They ended the regular season with a disappointing loss to Arkansas. Texas A&M, meanwhile, has won six in a row. This is a renewal of a longstanding rivalry between the teams, although they last met in 1995.

PREDICTION: LSU 24, Texas A&M 20. Miles had been perfect in bowl games at LSU until last season’s loss to Penn State in the Capital One Bowl. Getting Ridley back for the bowl game was huge for the Tigers. Now, they won’t have to rely as much on their passing game, which was terribly inconsistent this season. The difference will be LSU’s team speed on defense and the Tigers’ ability to create some timely turnovers in the second half.

LSU running back Stevan Ridley was declared eligible for Friday's AT&T Cotton Bowl matchup against Texas A&M.

He was declared ineligible on Dec. 22 for a one-time academic violation, which cost the Tigers their leading rusher for their bowl game. Miles, however, said he planned to appeal the decision.

The Tiger provided more information to the NCAA and the decision was reversed. That gives LSU its 1,042-yard rusher who finished with 14 touchdowns to take on the Aggies.

Texas A&M said it had prepared for LSU with or without Ridley.

"I don’t think they change their personality because the quarterback in the read option is a major staple for [reserve running back] Alfred Blue. They’re good backs. I’m sure they’re a lot like us, we lost Christine Michael and we had a guy to step up. They have guys to step up," Aggies coach Mike Sherman told reporters at Sunday's media day before the report of Ridley's appeal broke. "Taking nothing away from Ridley and his 14 touchdowns, he’s had a phenomenal season, but their offensive line is good, they block well for those guys. I’m sure they’ll have somebody ready to go if [Ridley is ineligible]."

You'd like Texas A&M's chances a lot more if Ridley was forced to sit, but this was going to be a physical game decided on the line of scrimmage regardless. The Aggies have defended the run well all season, leading the Big 12 and ranking 15th nationally at just 117 yards per game, and LSU figures to be another major test on Friday night.

LSU and Stevan Ridley got the news they were hoping for this week.

Ridley, the Tigers' leading rusher, was cleared by the NCAA to play in Friday's AT&T Cotton Bowl game against Texas A&M.

Ridley had been ruled ineligible because of an academic dishonesty issue, but LSU appealed on Ridley's behalf. The news came down Monday that Ridley's eligibility had been restored for the bowl game and that he wouldn't face any sanctions during the 2011 season.

Getting Ridley back is a huge coup for the Tigers, who struggled all season on offense. In fact, Ridley was the only real constant on offense for LSU, which finished 11th in the SEC in total offense. He rushed for 1,042 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Even though he was ruled ineligible during the pre-Christmas practices, he has continued to practice with the Tigers and should be ready to go in the bowl game.

Unless LSU wins an appeal, the Tigers will be without leading rusher Stevan Ridley for the AT&T Cotton Bowl.

LSU coach Les Miles said Wednesday that the matter was academic-related, although Miles declined to be specific. He did say there was an appeal in the works.

Ridley was the centerpiece of the Tigers' offense this season -- and in many cases -- was their only offense. He was fourth in the SEC in rushing with 1,042 yards and scored 14 touchdowns.

LSU's passing game struggled for most of the season, which means a couple of freshman running backs could be counted on to step up against Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Redshirt freshman Michael Ford started in two games and rushed for 235 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. True freshman Spencer Ware could also see his role increase after carrying the ball just 14 times this season. Senior Richard Murphy would also be in that backfield rotation.

The Tigers leaned heavily on Ridley down the stretch. He carried the ball 59 times in their last three SEC games and scored six touchdowns.

We’re down to the final week of the regular season, which means there’s a certain showdown in Tuscaloosa looming on Friday that will draw some considerable interest.

Before we go there, let’s take a look at what we learned in the SEC in Week 12:

1. Eye of the Tiger: With the game hanging in the balance, few teams in college football have been better this season than LSU. The Tigers love close games. They love living on the edge, and they love finding a way to pull it out at the end. It’s almost become an art form for Les Miles and his Tigers. They’re 5-0 in games decided by six points or fewer this season as they rallied to beat Ole Miss 43-36 on Saturday thanks to a Stevan Ridley 7-yard touchdown run with 44 seconds remaining. Fittingly, Patrick Peterson sealed it with a leaping interception near the goal line of a last-second Jeremiah Masoli heave in what was almost certainly Peterson’s final game in Tiger Stadium.

2. Road Warriors: Arkansas could have faded into oblivion this season following that heartbreaking home loss to Alabama in September. Getting shredded in the fourth quarter by Auburn last month was equally disappointing. But the Hogs have kept up the fight, and here they are riding a five-game winning streak with a chance to win 10 games in the regular season if they can knock off LSU Saturday in Little Rock. They survived 38-31 in double overtime against Mississippi State and did so in a raucous environment at Scott Field. The Hogs are now 4-1 away from home this season, and two of their victories have come over nationally ranked teams. That Texas A&M win in Arlington, Texas, is also looking better and better.

3. Logjam for No. 2: To this point, Auburn has established itself as the best team in this league. But who’s No. 2? This coming week should provide more answers with a handful of teams jockeying for position. LSU has a chance to finish 11-1 and has already beaten four nationally ranked teams. Arkansas has won five straight games, and two of those have been on the road against nationally ranked teams. The Tigers and Hogs meet on Saturday in Little Rock, so we get some answers there. South Carolina is certainly playing some of its best football. If the Gamecocks can win at Clemson this coming Saturday and then upset Auburn in the SEC championship game, they would get the conference’s automatic berth in the BCS and play in the Sugar Bowl. Don’t forget about Alabama, either. If the Crimson Tide can take down Auburn at home on Friday, they would stake their claim as one of the premier teams in this league. In short, the SEC has been as strong and as balanced as ever at the top this season.

4. Finishing the job: Maybe this really is a different South Carolina team like the Head Ball Coach promised back in the preseason. The old South Carolina would have stumbled and bumbled its way past Troy. But not these Gamecocks. They’re intent on finishing this season out the right way, which was obvious by the way they took apart Troy in a 69-24 blowout on Saturday. They also know that finishing it out the right way entails winning next week at Clemson. It always means something to beat Clemson in the realm of South Carolina football. And to do it twice in a row? That hasn’t happened in 40 years when the Gamecocks won three in a row from 1968-70. Already with eight wins, South Carolina could become only the third team in school history to win nine or more by taking care of its business at Clemson.

5. Dose of stupidity: Some of the senseless penalties we’ve seen around the league came to a head Saturday. You had Markeith Summers’ unnecessary dive into the end zone that cost his Ole Miss team dearly on the ensuing kickoff, allowing LSU to start near midfield on its game-winning drive. Florida receiver Carl Moore, playing his final game at the Swamp, managed to get kicked out of the game for fighting on Senior Day, and Arkansas linebacker Anthony Leon was also ejected for throwing a punch against Mississippi State, which means he will have to miss the first half of the LSU game next week. That’s at least four SEC players ejected for fighting or throwing punches in the past two weeks. Come on: There's dumb and then there's just plain ... well, you get the idea.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU had just gotten the ball back with 2:55 to go, needing only a couple of first downs to wrap up its 20-14 victory over No. 22 West Virginia. As the offense took the field, boos cascaded all around Tiger Stadium.

That's because quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who had been lifted a series earlier to much of the crowd's great delight, had come back into the game. Never much loved anyway, Jefferson had increasingly become unpopular with each bounced incompletion or stuffed rollout run.

After the game, LSU coach Les Miles was incredulous that anyone would boo the home team.

"It's not conceivable to me," Miles said. "I promise you this: that guy goes to work, he goes to the coffee pot and complains about the coffee. And he didn't make the coffee."

All Miles cares about is that his team is 4-0. But though the No. 15 Tigers did enough to beat what is probably the best team in the Big East, they look like they have far too many flaws to take down the better teams in the SEC.

If not for outstanding defensive and special teams play Saturday night and especially the continued heroics of Patrick Peterson, LSU would no longer be undefeated. The offense accounted for just one touchdown -- set up by a West Virginia fumble inside its own 10 -- and only 230 total yards.

"I'm actually kind of aggravated because we're a lot better than what we showed," said running back Stevan Ridley, who accounted for more than half his team's production with 116 rushing yards. "This team has so much potential, so much we haven't shown. It's bad when you have everything in the right places and just can't put it all together."

Erratic quarterback play remains a big reason why. Jefferson finished just 10-of-22 for 75 yards, marking the third straight game he's had fewer than 100 yards passing. He also threw two interceptions, though one hit receiver Terrence Toliver in the hands. After he underthrew two straight receivers in the fourth quarter, Miles brought backup Jarrett Lee in for a series so Jefferson could "clear his head."

"Our quarterback play has got to get better," Miles said. "It's just that simple."

LSU had more penalty yards (a whopping 120) than it did passing yards (80). How can the Tigers keep that up and expect to win big SEC games? Jefferson, maligned throughout his career, insisted he wasn't worried.

"We're 4-0 -- what am I going to be frustrated about?" Jefferson said. "Auburn and Alabama are Week 8 and Week 9. We'll just keep working."

In the meantime, the defense and special teams can carry this club pretty far, as West Virginia found out.

The Mountaineers came in averaging nearly 450 yards, with a balanced passing attack to go with their stellar run game. They were held to just 177 total yards, including 58 on the ground. After climbing to within 17-14 in the third quarter, West Virginia mustered just 31 yards in the fourth quarter as LSU continually pinned the offense deep with its punting game. Then the defense hurried quarterback Geno Smith and stuffed the gaps in the running game.

Peterson nearly beat West Virginia himself. He returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown and blocked a chip shot field goal in the first half. Tyler Bitancurt also missed a long field goal for the Mountaineers.

"That was a tough one to lose, and it is going to stick with me a long time," West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said.

"I do not like missing two field goals. I do not like giving up a punt return. I do not like us not handling the pressure, and I do not like being able to capitalize and trading touchdowns for turnovers. That is not funny to me."

Despite the loss, West Virginia still looks like the best team in the Big East -- for whatever that's worth anymore in an almost comically underperforming league.

With Cincinnati, Rutgers and Pitt going down earlier, the league produced a clean 0-4 sweep in its major nonconference tests this week. The Big East stands at 1-10 against BCS conference opponents in 2010, with the Mountaineers' win over Maryland last week the one positive mark. West Virginia's loss ensures that no league teams will be ranked this week, and it may be a long time before a Big East team appears back in the Top 25.

You can also officially cross all Big East players off the Heisman Trophy list. Noel Devine, who was bothered by a bruised right toe, gained only 37 yards on 14 carries at LSU.

Meanwhile, Peterson stated his growing case in a not-so-subtle way. After returning the punt for his first Tiger Stadium touchdown, Peterson struck the Heisman pose in the end zone. That'll earn him some TV time, but it also earned him a 15-yard penalty and an earful from Miles.

"That's definitely my last pose," a sheepish Peterson said. "You won't see it again. Never. Unless I so happen to be in New York and win it. Then I might do it again."

Defensive players almost never win the Heisman. But if Peterson can power this team through the SEC while the offense barely contributes, he'll deserve every accolade that comes his way.

ATLANTA -- Patrick Peterson kept his promise, and it’s a good thing.

If not, who knows where this LSU football team would be right now? And for that matter, could you imagine the reception his head coach would be getting back on the Bayou?

When told that he would indeed be returning kickoffs and punts this season, Peterson assured LSU coach Les Miles that he was making the right call.

“Once I saw the depth for the first time, I said, ‘Oh yeah, coach, I’m definitely going to make something happen,’ ” said Peterson, the Tigers’ star cornerback.

He didn’t just make something happen Saturday night in the Georgia Dome. He saved LSU’s bacon in a 30-24 win over a depleted North Carolina team in a Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game that went down to the final seconds with the Tar Heels throwing into the end zone from the 6-yard line.

As fate would have it, Peterson wasn’t on the field for those final two plays. He had to leave the game with cramps, a problem for him since his Pee Wee football days.

He’d done his damage earlier in the game with a record-setting performance in the return game.

His 257 combined return yards were an LSU record, and he had 244 of those by halftime. His 87-yard punt return for a touchdown looked like he was catapulted by a slingshot.

“It was like the Red Sea out there, it was so open,” Peterson said.

That gem was sandwiched between a 47-yard kickoff return to set up Russell Shepard’s 50-yard touchdown romp and a 37-yard punt return that led to Rueben Randle’s 51-yard touchdown catch.

Without any one of those plays, LSU would have been toast, and Miles would be trying to explain how he lost a game to the Tar Heels’ “B” team when the Tigers had a 30-10 lead entering the fourth quarter.

“We’ve just got to finish games,” Peterson said. “It killed us last year, and it almost got us tonight. I don’t know what it is, but something’s got to change.”

One thing that won’t change is Peterson drifting back deep on kicks. He said it’s the first time he’d returned a kick since the fourth game of his senior year in high school.

“And they stopped kicking it to me then, too,” joked Peterson, who didn’t get much of a chance to return kicks in the second half.

Shepard, who scored a pair of touchdowns himself, knew what kind of impact Peterson would make in the return game. He’s seen it too many times on the practice field.

“I think he’s the best player in the country -- period,” Shepard said. “There isn’t anything he can’t do.”

The Tigers, who struggled to put teams away last season, shifted into cruise control way too early against the Tar Heels, who never quit scrapping.

In fact, Peterson was out of the game on the 97-yard touchdown pass by T.J. Yates to Jheranie Boyd because he said LSU defensive backs coach Ron Cooper wanted to get some of the younger guys in the game.

“I guess he thought we had a comfortable lead,” Peterson said.

Senior middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard said it shouldn’t have mattered who was on the field. He said the Tigers simply got sloppy, which is hard to argue when you consider Yates passed for a career-high 412 yards and didn’t have his best receiver on the field (Greg Little).

“We won the game and don’t let anybody kid you,” Sheppard said. “But there’s definitely a feeling of, ‘Man, what happened in the second half?’ I mean, it’s obvious. Guys weren’t where they’re supposed to be. Giving up a (97-yard) touchdown pass is unacceptable. I don’t care where you’re playing at. We just can’t do that.

“Again, we did win the game, so you can’t just put it in the drain. But it’s upsetting that we emphasized finishing games so much, and while we never point fingers here and I make sure of that, for guys to have their eyes in the wrong place is disappointing.”

The offense certainly contributed to the near collapse.

Running back Stevan Ridley fumbled the football with a 1:08 to play, giving the Tar Heels one last chance to drive the field.

And they did.

But the Tigers also quit going to Shepard and Randle, who are clearly the top two game-breakers on this offense.

Shepard’s a guy who needs to touch it 12 to 15 times a game at the very least. He had three touches after halftime Saturday.

“There are a lot of things we need to clean up if we want to be back here in a couple of months playing for the SEC championship,” Shepard said. “The good thing is that we have the talent do it.”

ATLANTA -- Big plays were the difference for LSU on Saturday night, as the Tigers held on for a 30-24 victory over North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.

Here’s an instant analysis from the game:

How the game was won: After the Tigers’ Stevan Ridley fumbled the ball away with 1:08 to play, LSU weathered two North Carolina throws into the end zone from the 6-yard line in the final seconds. LSU’s Jai Eugene had the coverage on the first throw into the end zone, and Stefoin Francois had the coverage on the final throw.

Turning point: North Carolina got back in the game when Jheranie Boyd got behind the LSU defense for a 97-yard touchdown catch to pull the Tar Heels within 30-17 in the fourth quarter.

Player of the game: Without junior cornerback Patrick Peterson, the Tigers would have been in real trouble. He set an LSU record with combined return yards. He had an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown and also set up two other touchdowns, one with a 47-yard kickoff return and another with a 37-yard punt return.

Stat of the game: After falling behind 10-7, LSU scored 23 unanswered points to take a 30-10 lead into halftime and didn’t score again. Three of the Tigers’ touchdowns were from 50 yards or longer.

Unsung hero of the game: While Peterson was the guy who might have saved LSU, sophomore receiver Russell Shepard provided a big assist. Shepard had a 6-yard touchdown catch for LSU’s first touchdown and also put the Tigers ahead to stay with a 50-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Second guessing: When Ridley fumbled the ball with 1:08 to play, the Tar Heels were out of timeouts. Why were the Tigers even running plays at that point. Why not kneel the ball down?

What it means: Despite the win, LSU still has major question marks. The Tar Heels were without 13 players, most of those starters, and the Tigers simply couldn’t put them away. LSU was unable to consistently run the ball and couldn’t get off the field defensively when it needed to in the second half. Simply, the Tigers were lucky to escape.