Tigers Hammer Wildcats!

BATON ROUGE - Just as it`s done throughout the season, the 14th-ranked LSU football team blasted its fifth opponent in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, beating Kentucky, 49-0. The Tigers have won all five by an average of 41.2 points. Check back for details. First Half Recap BATON ROUGE - In a story very similar to one that`s been told four times previously this season, LSU is hosting an inferior opponent on a Saturday in Tiger Stadium and beating the tar out of them. The Tigers hold a 28-0 lead over the feeble Kentucky Wildcats in a Southeastern Conference math-up crucial to keeping LSUs hopes of winning the conferences western division alive. LSUs lone blunder was a missed 43-yard field goal as time expired on the half. Aside from that, the Tiger offense has been close to perfect, scoring a touchdown on its first four possessions. Kentucky had a brief glimpse at a scoring chance late in the second quarter when a poor punt by LSU gave the Wildcats a first down at the Tiger 32. But, the LSU defense held the Wildcats without a yard on four plays to preserve the shutout. Tiger quarterback JaMarcus Russell has been the offensive weapon of choice again for LSU, completing a remarkable 14-of-17 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns. LSUs offense has managed 293 yards in all while the Tiger defense has limited Kentucky to just 70 yards and six first downs. Tiger tailback Jacob Hester has performed admirably in his first start of the year at that position. He finished the first half with 44 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns as well as 19 receiving yards in two catches. LSU will claim the opening kick off of the second half. LSU scored the first opportunity it had by driving straight at Kentucky with an eight play drive that featured three passes and five runs by Hester. The drive was buoyed by an interference and personal foul penalty whistled against Kentucky on the punt that moved LSUs starting field position from inside its 20-yard line to the 29-yard line. Hester carried the ball for the last time in the drive from the Wildcat 7-yard line to give LSU a touchdown advantage with 8:56 to play in the first quarter. The Tigers scored from seven-yards out again a little ore than 4:00 later when Russell scrambled right and found a wide-open Dwayne Bowe in the back of the north endzone. The pass capped a six-play, 63-yard drive that lasted just 2:30 and was highlighted by a 30-yard reverse by diminutive speedster Trindon Holiday. The Colt David point after gave LSU a 14-0 advantage with 4:50 to play in the opening quarter. Hester scored again the next time LSU touched the football, this time on a 4-yard jaunt into the south endzone early in the second quarter. He scampered untouched on the last play of a nine-play, 61 yard drive that consumed 5:00 and gave LSU an overwhelming 21-0 lead with 12:55 to play in the first half. Not wanting to bore the home crowd with drives longer than five plays all night, LSU scored on its next possession in just two plays. Russell passed for 15 yards to tight end Richard Dixon on the first, then 48 yards to Bowe on the second to give LSU a four-touchdown advantage. The pass to Bowe was Russells 10th completion of the game in 10 attempts for 165 yards and the two touchdown passes to Bowe. The David kick gave LSU a 28-0 lead with 8:59 to play.