{mosimage} Ladies and gentlemen, it's great to be back! I have taken a month long hiatus from the keyboard and I'm not going to lie, I missed it greatly. I always have so many article ideas floating around in my head, but unfortunately there is never enough time to write about them all. I have been busy with school and lately have been battling through this horrendous cold, which has made me cough so much at times that I have been gagging. It's certainly no fun but either way, I'm going to suck it up and crank this article out for the love of the game. Hey, if Michael Jordan had one of the most amazing performances of his career when he had the flu in the 1995 NBA Finals, then anybody can do anything, right? Let's get down to the discussion of some pigskin, shall we?

This season the college football landscape has shown us time and time again that college football games are highly unpredictable. The mighty USC Trojans, who many penciled in to win the national championship in their pre-season predictions(I stated that I thought Cal was going to knock off USC in one of my previous columns) lost a heart-stopping game to the Stanford Cardinal last weekend, 24-23. Stanford receiver Mark Bradford made a catch that will go down in college football history when he snatched a beautifully lofted fade pass in the left side of the end zone. Bradford got just enough separation from the USC defender, leaped in the air, and caught the ball as his entire body was nearly horizontal to the ground. When he came crashing to the turf with the ball, he had cemented himself and the Stanford Cardinals in sports history forever as the greatest upset in college football history. The worst part is that Bradford's father passed away a few weeks ago and you can't help but extend your greatest condolences to the Bradford family. What a shame his father didn't get to see that catch. He will be with the receiver in spirit, I am sure. What an amazing tribute to his father.

This season, we've already had two upsets that were tabbed as "the biggest in college football history"-the Appalachian State win over Michigan and now Stanford's win over the 2^nd ranked Trojans. I agree with many other analysts that the Stanford upset is bigger than the App. State win, simply because the Trojans were the nation's top-ranked team for most of the season and many had them penciled in to win the national championship.

I still can't believe it. The fighting Jim Harbaughs were victorious in Los Angeles, against all odds. They were a 41-point underdog, were playing a quarterback who had completed 1 pass in his entire college career, and they were on the road. As renowned ESPN anchor Chris Berman likes to say, "That's why they play the game, folks!"

This weekend's Peery Theory Spotlight Game of the Week features one of the nation's most explosive offensive attacks against the nation's most talented defense. Let's get down to the tale of the tape, shall we!

(1)LSU vs. (18)Kentucky

When Kentucky has the ball look for....

After the earth-shattering upsets the past few weekends in college football(Oklahoma, USC), nobody is putting it past the Kentucky Wildcats to knock off the top-ranked LSU Tigers. Never say never is the old adage, I do believe. The Tigers are well-aware they cannot afford to have a letdown game against a very-talented Kentucky team. The Wildcats have one of the most balanced offensive attacks in all of college football and their arsenal on offense is not short on weapons.

The centerpiece of their offensive attack is of course their surgically precise senior quarterback, Andre Woodson. Woodson is one of the most talented quarterbacks in all of college football and has the numbers to prove it. He's completed 135 of his 207 passes so far this season(65 percent) for 1,536 yards, while tossing 18 touchdowns with only 2 interceptions. Simply stunning numbers by anyone's standards. It shouldn't be a surprise to anybody that Woodson will be one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2008 NFL Draft. Just how good is the ultra-accurate signal-caller? Just ask Howard Schnellenberger, Florida Atlantic's head coach. "He is the most careful quarterback that I have been around," said Schnellenberger. He has worked an awfully long time with those receivers to know where they are going to be when they do certain things." Look for the air-assaulting assassin to hook up with his favorite receiver Keenan Burton. Burton is not only one of the best receivers in the SEC, but in all of college football as well. He's extremely good at adjusting his body to the ball in flight. Burton has also mastered the fade pass in the end zone and is excellent at leaping in the air and snatching the pigskin at its highest point. He can also turn on the jets and put it in cruise control, leaving every defender on the field in his wake. Simply put, Keenan Burton is one of the most electrifying and dazzling receivers in the nation. If the Wildcats want to come out of this one on top, clearly they are going to need superstar performances from their two biggest playmakers on offense, Andre Woodson and Keenan Burton. Burton is not the only talented receiver on the Wildcat roster. Woodson has a few other sure-handed targets in Dicky Lyons, Jr.(26 catches, 3 TD), Steve Johnson(20 catches, 5 TD), and Jacob Tamme(19 catches, 2 TD). All three receivers are averaging over 10 yards per catch this season.

The man Kentucky will be feeding the rock to on the ground is possibly Rafael Little. Little has piled up over 680 rushing yards this season-good enough for second in the SEC. He is questionable for the contest with a bruised thigh, so if he's not ready look for junior Tony Dixon(averaging 7.9 yards per carry) and freshman phenom Derrick Locke to carry the load. Locke is an absolute monster and has been very impressive for the Wildcats in the little game action he has seen this year for them. The highly touted prospect rushed for over 3,250 yards and piled up 52 TDs during his senior year of high school at Hugo High School in Hugo, Oklahoma. He was also a track legend in his high school days and is on the track team at Kentucky. Remember the name ladies and gentlemen, because Derrick Locke will be a star and very soon. The Wildcats' high-powered attack will go up against the best defense they will face all season and that is because it is the best in the nation.

When LSU is on defense... The Tigers are the proud owner of one of the best front fours in all of college football. Their defensive linemen are blessed with an amazing combination of size, speed, and power. The LSU defense ranks first in the nation in total defense and there are a few very good reasons for that. They are the most talented defense in the country and their defense is commanded by the second best defensive coordinator in college football(Bo Pelini). The headline grabber for the Tiger defense is of course their dominant defensive lineman, Glenn Dorsey. The consensus All-American has dominant as expected this season, leading the team in sacks(4), and ranking second on the team in tackles for loss(5.5). The Tigers' are oozing with athleticism and talent all over the place on defense, especially in the secondary. Senior safety Craig Steltz has been a ball-hawking machine for the Bayou Bengals all-season long and leads the team in tackles(41), interceptions(4), and forced fumbles(2). Steltz has tremendous instincts and always seems to be in the right place at the most opportune time. He will be critical in the Tigers' mission to ground the Wildcats' aerial assault. Another playmaker on the Tiger defense is a man by the name of Ali Highsmith. Highsmith has been stuffing the stat sheet all season long for LSU, racking up 37 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 6 pass breakups, and 5 quarterback hurries. He's one of the fastest linebackers in college football and is tremendous in pass coverage. He will definitely be called upon to help bring pressure against Woodson on blitzes and drop back into coverage against those dangerous Wildcat receivers as well. The most important part of stopping an aerial assault is of course having excellent cornerbacks who excel in man coverage and the Tigers have a talented tandem in Chevis Jackson(8 passes defended, 2 interceptions) and Jonathan Zenon(4 passes defended, 1 interception). Both corners will have very busy nights in Lexington.

When LSU is on offense look for....

Running back Jacob Hester. This guy is the best short yardage back in America and he leads the team in rushing yardage with 433 yards. He's extremely hard to bring down on the first tackle and is excellent at driving his legs after the initial contact. His best asset is lowering his pad level, which allows him to knock defenders to the turf with ease, just ask Florida safety Major Wright. There is no running back in the country as good as Hester at grinding out the short yards in clutch situations, just ask Florida. He was the biggest reason LSU methodically marched the pigskin against the Gators on their game-winning drive, picking up crucial first downs late in the game on sheer will and strength(with generous spots by the referee I might add). Hester piled up over 100 rushing yards against the Gator defense, each and every one of them hard earned. The fact is, Les Miles loves to turn the rock over to Hester in crunch-time situations and he has yet to let his ball coach down yet. He might not be blessed with the most speed(his longest run is 22 yards), but when it comes down to pounding the rock, you will find no better running back on this green earth than Jacob Hester ladies and gentlemen.

The Tigers' offense is run by field general, Matt Flynn. Flynn won't win any awards any time soon, but he makes big plays when the Tigers need them and he throws a beautiful looking spiral. He's completed 67 of his 121(55 percent) passes for 817 yards and four touchdowns. He has also tossed three interceptions, so it is pretty clear that Flynn is not an elite signal caller, but he has excellent knowledge of the Tigers' offense and might be getting his favorite target(wide receiver Early Doucet) back for this game. Flynn has excellent chemistry with Doucet and it is very clear that the duo spent several hours in the off-season working on it. Brandon LaFell is a solid receiver and has 23 catches for 352 yards, but he isn't near the level of a player like Early Doucet. The rest of the Tigers' receiving corps' doesn't pose much of a threat, so the loss of Doucet was a huge one. The good news is that Doucet has been practicing the past couple of days and the bad news is that he will likely be a game time decision. Trust me when I say I bet Matt Flynn misses Early Doucet like the desert misses rain.

LSU employs backup quarterback Ryan Perrilloux very much like Florida used Tim Tebow last year, with Perrilloux coming in for rushing situations. The amazing thing is I think LSU utilizes Perrilloux better because he can run it, pitch it, or pass it. In his 28 completions so far this season, the Louisiana native has tossed six touchdowns. He's also chewed up over 160 yards on the ground this season, while scoring two touchdowns. Perrilloux might be one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, but unless quarterback Matt Flynn gets injured his touches will still be limited because let's face it, Flynn is one of the leaders of the team and Perrilloux has grown a bad reputation as a cancer in the locker room.

When Kentucky is on defense look for...

The "heat-seeking missile in pads" that is linebacker Wesley Woodyard. Woodyard has already racked up an eye gouging amount of tackles(66) this season for the Wildcats and is the undisputed leader of the unit. He also has tallied 6.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 3 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble. He is the weakside linebacker for the Wildcats, which is otherwise known as the "Will" position in football jargon. If Kentucky is looking to stop the Tigers' running attack, they are obviously going to need a huge performance from Woodyard. Woodyard will find plenty of help from sophomore sensation Micah Johnson, another linebacker for UK. Johnson was a very highly touted prospect coming out of high school and has lived up to his billing so far. He's an absolute monster and ranks second on the team in tackles with 30, and has even snagged an interception. Defensive end Jeremy Jarmon is the "sack-specialist" of the team and he leads the team in sacks(6.5) and tackles for loss(7.5). The Kentucky rush defense has been atrocious to say the least this season, surrendering 183.7 yards per game on the ground. That ranks them pretty close to the bottom, 91^st in the country in that category. Needless to say, the Wildcats are going to have to stop the run if they want any chance of beating the Bayou Bengals.

The good news for Kentucky fans is their pass defense is much better than their run defense. The Wildcats pass defense is ranked 29^th in the country and is only yielding 194 yards per game through the air. That will be one of the biggest keys of this game, because I think if Kentucky can stop LSU's running attack and force them to move the ball through the air, then their chances of winning the contest increase drastically. Especially when they have a cover corner like Paul Warford roaming the secondary. The sophomore stud leads the team in pass breakups(5) and saw action in every game last season as a true freshman. Warford was a very highly touted prospect coming out of high school. He averaged a touchdown once out of every 7.8 touches throughout his career at Madison Central in Richmond, Kentucky. With his lightning quick 4.4 forty yard dash time, the fleet footed Warford will be a great corner for the Wildcats for years to come.

When LSU is on special teams look for...

Kick returner/running back Trindon Holliday is the fastest players in America and has the 100 meter dash time to prove it. He broke former Tiger standout Xavier Carter's 100-meter dash record at LSU, recording a blazing time of 10.02 seconds! If he keeps posting times like that, Holliday might be a name we could hear in the Olympics winning the gold medal someday in the 100-meter dash. The 5'5, 160 pounder is one of the most explosive kick returners I have ever seen and I will never forget his kick return against Arkansas last year. Holliday raced through the middle of the Razorbacks' coverage unit then turned to the outside, where he put the pedal to the floor and left every defender on the field in his wake. Holliday was running so fast that when the camera was following him the hash marks closest to out-of-bounds became a total blur. When he came to a stop in the end zone, he dragged his feet and sprayed rubber with every step. It reminded me of a car racing at top speed, then slamming on the breaks and leaving black tire marks all over the pavement. That was the day that Trindon Holliday made an announcement to the college football world that he was indeed something special. He might be small, but there is nobody in college football today that can match his combination of speed and acceleration rate of somebody like Holliday. Kentucky will be keeping an eye on the speedster all game, I can assure you. If they don't, they are going to feel like that piece of buttered bread that you left in the oven for a few extra minutes: toasted.

When Kentucky is on special teams look for...

Running back Rafael Little. As noted earlier in this column, Little is questionable for this contest. If he's ready to go, he'll be the go-to-man for UK in punt return situations. If he isn't ready to go look for the Wildcats to use receivers DeMoreo Ford or Dicky Lyons, Jr. It should be no surprise to anybody on kickoff returns that UK likes to feed the rock to their do-it-all playmaker Keenan Burton. He's averaging 25.8 yards per return, ranking him 44^th in the nation in that category. Burton is exciting to watch and I have a feeling it is only a matter of time before he breaks a big return that is a game-changer for UK this season. The stud receiver has tremendous agility and can change directions laterally to make defenders miss with ease(just ask Central Michigan last year).


The prediction: While I don't think Kentucky knocking off LSU this weekend is out of the question, I don't think it's very likely either. The Bayou Bengals are just too good, folks. Head coach Les Miles has that team focused and ready to play and while they have had their lapses(Tulane), the Tigers have been the most dominant football team I've seen all season long. It is going to take an extremely good football team to knock them off and I think only Florida might have a chance of doing that if the Gators get their much anticipated rematch in the SEC Championship game. I think the LSU Tigers are a beatable team, but it is going to take another re-match with the Gators for them to fall. I think you are going to see Glenn Dorsey and company rattle Andre Woodson on Saturday. Woodson will have a solid, but not great performance and will get beat up. It's hard to face that Tiger front four and not get tossed around like a rag doll(just ask Michael Hening of Mississippi State). Andre Woodson is going to be a phenomenal pro quarterback and he throws one of the prettiest looking spirals in college football, but he's going up against a defensive unit that will go down as one of the college football's all-time greats. The speed and athleticism on this LSU unit is unmatched. For all the credit the LSU defense gets, running back Jacob Hester deserves more credit because Les Miles has ponied up and strapped the wagon to his back! He's one of the strongest players in college football and I think you're going to see the Hester and the LSU ground game run wild against the Kentucky rush defense, which is downright atrocious. Woodson and company will help the Wildcats hang in this game for the first half, before the Tigers pull away, using their punishing ground game to grind the tempo down and run that clock out. Les Miles loves feeding the pigskin to Jacob Hester and this game will be yet another good game to do that, because of three conditions: the game is on the road, it is a hostile environment, and that Kentucky rush defense has been rolling out the welcome mat for their opponents to the end zone. The Tigers are victorious as they continue their methodical march to the trophy that will be in their hands at season's end: the coveted Waterford crystal.


LSU 28 Kentucky 17


That's it for this week folks, feel free to drop me an e-mail at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it with any thoughts, comments, questions, or concerns.

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