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LSU looks to build on dramatic comeback

Nov 22, 2008 - 11:23 AM Mississippi (6-4) at (18) LSU (9-3), 3:30 pm EST

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (Ticker) -- Jarrett Lee hadn't done much to gain the confidence of Louisiana State coach Miles Davis. But that may have changed after the redshirt freshman quarterback engineered the biggest comeback in school history.

Following their stunning 40-31 win over Troy, the 18th-ranked Tigers return to Southeastern Conference play Saturday when they host Mississippi.

Last week, LSU (7-3, 3-3 SEC West) rallied from a 31-3 deficit by scoring 30 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Before Saturday, LSU's biggest comeback came in 1977, when it rallied from 21 points down to beat Ole Miss.

"I blame me for the way we started that game," Miles said. "I felt like we didn't show confidence in our quarterbacks, and we tried to hamstring them."

Lee was booed and benched in the first half, yet came back to complete 20-of-34 passes for 220 yards - virtually all of it in the second half.

"We talked about the quarterback decision to play in the second half, and Jarrett Lee was the only opportunity that we had to win the game," Miles added. "We turned to him and said, 'OK, let's do this.' He responds. He has a great second half."

Last week may have been a coming-out party for Lee, who threw nine interceptions in LSU's losses to Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

"I've never been part of a comeback that big," Lee said. "That shows you a lot about our team."

Saddled with three losses for the first time in Miles' four seasons as coach, the Tigers will use their final two games to try to improve their bowl position. LSU completes the regular season next week against Arkansas.

Ole Miss (6-4, 3-3) crushed Louisiana-Monroe, 59-0, last week to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2003, when current New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning led the Rebels to a 31-28 victory over Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl.

Jevan Snead passed for three touchdowns and rushed for two more as Ole Miss raced to a 40-0 halftime lead - its most productive half since 1980.

The Rebels built a 38-0 halftime lead after scoring on six of seven possessions. The first-half offensive outburst was the most productive since a 40-0 halftime lead against Memphis in 1980.

Ole Miss has made strides under first-year coach Houston Nutt, handing Florida its only loss, 31-30, on September 27.

The Rebels have dropped six straight against LSU, dating to a 35-24 win in Baton Rouge in 2001. LSU posted a 41-24 victory last year in Oxford.