SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
One week after running for 57 yards against Troy, LSU made a commitment to running the ball against Vanderbilt on Oct. 30 and rushed for a season-high 273 yards. Unfortunately for the Tigers they also lost senior center Ben Wilkerson to a season-ending knee injury on the final play of the game. That's a bad break anytime, but it's even worse for an LSU team preparing to play an Alabama defense ranked No. 1 in the nation, allowing 221.8 yards per game.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
The Tigers have forced only 14 turnovers this season, and while they did finally force and recover two fumbles against Vanderbilt, they have still gone four games without an interception. LSU is allowing only 15.9 points and 256 yards per game, but coach Nick Saban is looking for the defense to provide more opportunities for the offense.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"Ain't nobody gotta feel bad about me or tell me to keep my head up. My head ain't down. It ain't ever been down. This is when you've got to pull up the boots and tie up the straps and work hard. This is the year where you've got to be a good coach, where you've got to teach, where you've got to do a lot of counseling and talking and reinforce lessons that are learned by experiences and overcome some adversity individually and collectively and stay positive about what you're trying to accomplish." -- LSU coach Nick Saban.

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