Mistake-prone Oregon falls to LSU in Opener
Jojo Doria
Jarrett Lee was far from spectacular while starting in place of suspended quarterback Jordan Jefferson, but he admirably directed the Tigers offense as the fourth-ranked LSU trounced the No. 3 Oregon Ducks 40-27 in their opening matchup Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium.
Lee, making his 10th career start, passed for 98 yards and a touchdown while completing 10-of-22 of his passes. LSU, however, did not have an interception and appeared in command throughout the game.
The Tigers ferocious rushing attack was key in the matchup of ranked teams Saturday, with LSU piling up 175 yards and three touchdowns. Oregon managed only 95 yards.
LSU sophomore Spencer Ware rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown, and while Michael Ford rushed for 96 yards and two scores for the victors.
LSU's suffocating defense also played a significant part in the triumph, as it held 2010 Heisman Trophy finalist LaMichael James to just 54 yards on 18 carries.
It forced the Ducks to go to the air 54 times, and allowed Oregon 4.4 yards per pass.
It also pressured Oregon into committing four costly turnovers which translated to 20 points for the Tigers' offense.
LSU converted three of the four Ducks errors as it started to pull away with a 30-13 lead entering the fourth quarter.
With the victory, LSU (1-0) pushed its non-conference regular season winning streak to 34, the longest in the nation.
Meanwhile, Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas, one of the key components in the Ducks success last year, was 31-of-54 passing for 240 yards with a TD and an interception in the loss.
It marked the first time that Oregon has posted consecutive losses since 2007, when it lost its last three regular season contests. The Ducks succumbed to Auburn in the BCS national championship game last season.
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