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LSU-Georgia Preview

Sep 29, 2009 - 6:44 PM By TOM CASTRO STATS Senior Editor

LSU (4-0) at No. 15 Georgia (3-1), 3:30 p.m. EDT

LSU would like to exact some revenge for last year's ugly home loss to Georgia, but that is a secondary concern for coach Les Miles after the Tigers' performance last week.

Miles can only hope for a better effort as fourth-ranked LSU faces No. 18 Georgia on Saturday as the highest-ranked team to visit Athens in 14 years.

LSU (4-0, 2-0 SEC) managed to stay undefeated last Saturday, but its offense sputtered throughout in a 30-26 road win over Mississippi State. The Tigers were outgained 374-263 and 151-30 on the ground, went 2 of 13 on third down and scored touchdowns on an interception return and a punt return.

Those big plays, along with a goal-line stand after Mississippi State had first-and-goal at the 2 in the final two minutes, preserved the victory.

It hardly made Miles happy, though.

"The team better show up at home on Monday ready to work," he said shortly afterward.

LSU is last in the SEC in offense at 310.0 yards per game and has yet to crack 31 points, averaging 28.0 - ninth in the conference.

"Right now we're playing vulnerable," said Miles, whose team nonetheless climbed three spots in the Top 25.

Jordan Jefferson threw for a career-high 233 yards, but the ground game was almost completely shut down. Keiland Williams led the running backs with 20 yards rushing.

The Tigers got Patrick Peterson's 37-yard return of an interception for a touchdown that opened the scoring and Chad Jones' 93-yard punt return for a score in the fourth quarter, but LSU will likely have to be better offensively against a Georgia team that can pile up the points.

The Bulldogs (3-1, 1-0) had a quieter offensive day last week, holding off Arizona State 20-17 at home, but scored 52 and 41 points in the previous two games.

Joe Cox has thrown for 245.0 yards per game and totaled nine touchdowns along with five interceptions, while sophomore A.J. Green leads the SEC in receiving with 428 yards and is second with four TDs.

Green had another stellar performance last Saturday night, hauling in eight throws for 153 yards and catching a 56-yard touchdown in the first quarter. He also blocked a field-goal attempt with about 4 1/2 minutes left that would have put the Wildcats ahead.

"You've just got to give him a chance to make a play," Cox said. "He's definitely a special guy to have on our team. I'm glad he's on our side."

While Cox and Green have been outstanding in powering Georgia offensively, coach Mark Richt has been focused on what the Bulldogs can do to extend LSU's offensive struggles. His team is second to last in the SEC in total defense at 355.8 yards per game and points allowed with 29.8.

"They (LSU) had a close one last week too," Richt told the team's official Web site. "Both of us have been through it. Now we have to see how we match up, and it should be interesting. Right now, we're just digging in to see what the matchups will be. Mississippi State did a great job defensively against them and we'll see how they slowed them down."

Georgia, however, relied heavily on its offense to knock off LSU 52-38 at Baton Rouge on Oct. 25. The Bulldogs shredded the Tigers' defense for 497 yards behind NFL first-round draft picks Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, who led Georgia to its third straight win in the series.

The Bulldogs took the last matchup at Sanford Stadium 26-13 in 2004, but LSU leads the all-time series 14-12-1. The Tigers will be the highest-ranked opponent to play in Athens since 1995, when then-No. 3 Florida made a rare visit.

Georgia is 9-1 versus SEC West opponents during the past four seasons and 20-5 overall against that division under Richt.