2007 LSU Football: Surviving College Football’s Wildest Season
LSU had reached the top of the college football world as recently as 2003, when Nick Saban was on the sidelines in Baton Rouge. Saban left after 2004, Les Miles stepped in, and the Tigers continued to win. Miles posted 10-win seasons capped by bowl wins in both 2005 and 2006. And in 2007, in one of the wildest rides an eventual national champion has ever gone on, LSU returned to the throne room.
BUILT IN THE TRENCHES
A well-balanced team was keynoted by an aggressive defensive line. Glenn Dorsey won SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors and was a 1st-team All-American. Kirston Pittman added 7 ½ sacks. The Tiger linebackers were led by Ali Highsmith, who got some votes for All-American.
The secondary took advantage of a front four that could pressure the opposing quarterback. Craig Steltz was an All-American safety who intercepted six passes. Chris Jackson was All-SEC at corner, and he picked off five passes. LSU ranked 17th in the nation for points allowed, and they had the ability to generate game-changing plays.
A BALANCED OFFENSE
Jacob Hester was the focal point of the running game, going for over 1,100 yards and averaging nearly five per carry. Keiland Williams chipped in almost 500 yards and provided a change-of-pace burst, at nearly seven yards a pop.
Matt Flynn was at quarterback, and he orchestrated a balanced passing game. Early Doucet and Brandon LaFell were the primary targets. Demetrius Byrd could stretch the field, and Richard Dickson was a steady tight end. It was all enough for the Tigers to finish 11th in the country for points scored.
SEPTEMBER STATEMENT
Expectations were soaring and LSU was ranked #2 in the preseason polls. They wasted little time validating those expectations. The Tigers opened the season on a Thursday night at Mississippi State and laid waste to a respectable Bulldogs team, 45-0.
A week later, in prime-time at home, LSU hosted ninth-ranked Virginia Tech, who ultimately won the ACC title. The Tigers sent the Hokies home to Blacksburg with a 48-7 beatdown.
These two demolitions were followed by a 44-0 whitewash of Middle Tennessee State and a more pedestrian 28-16 win over an average South Carolina team. LSU closed out September by going to face Tulane. Taking advantage of a bad opponent, the Tigers won 34-9. They moved to #1 in the country.
PUNCHES EXCHANGED
Florida was the defending national champion, and their sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow was on his way to the Heisman Trophy. The Gators were ranked #9 when they came to Baton Rouge and they put LSU in a 17-7 hole by halftime.
But the Tigers were dominating on the ground. They won rush yardage 247-156, led by 103 yards from Hester. They trailed 24-14 early in the fourth quarter, but control of the trenches ultimately pays off. Flynn flipped a short TD pass to Byrd to cut into the deficit early in the fourth quarter. And with 1:09 left, Hester’s two-yard touchdown run gave LSU a 28-24 win.
A week later, the Tigers went on the road to face bowl-bound Kentucky. The Wildcats weren’t as good as LSU, but they were catching the Tigers in the dreaded “sandwich” spot for a favorite, right between Florida and Auburn/Alabama. While LSU took a 27-14 lead, they had a defensive letdown and lost 43-37 in overtime.
The loss dropped the Tigers to #5 in the polls. This was an era where only the top two teams were selected to play for the national championship. So, for as much as LSU had accomplished in the first seven games of the season, the letdown in Lexington had put them up against a wall.
ESCAPING AUBURN
Auburn and Alabama, were LSU’s key rivals in the SEC West and the battle to reach Atlanta for the conference championship game. The next two weeks would shape that race, and it began with a prime-time home date against Auburn on October 20.
Once again, LSU dug a 17-7 halftime hole in a key game at home. Once again, they rallied, although this time it was on the strength of Flynn’s arm. The quarterback went 22/34 for 319 yards and the Tigers began to get control in the third quarter.
But they also bogged down and settled for a short field goals on two key drives. A game that might have been salted away by the middle of the fourth quarter, instead saw LSU holding on a 23-17 lead. Auburn got a go-ahead touchdown with a little over three minutes to play.
Flynn marched LSU down to the Auburn 22-yard line in the closing seconds. They were in field goal range, but there was time for one more play. Flynn hit Byrd with a 22-yard touchdown pass and the Tigers had a dramatic 30-24 win.
SABAN COMES BACK
After leaving LSU following the 2004 season, Saban spent two seasons in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins. 2007 marked his return to college football with Alabama, and this November 3 marked his return Baton Rouge in his new role as hated rival. Both the Tigers and Tide were at 4-1 in conference play, so this game would decide first place in the SEC West.
LSU jumped out to a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter, but their secondary couldn’t keep Alabama’s passing attack under control. The Tigers allowed three TD passes and trailed 27-17 shortly after halftime. For the third time this season, they faced a 10-point halftime deficit against a key conference rival.
And for the third time this season, they would rally. Flynn hit Byrd on a 61-yard touchdown strike to cut the lead to three and a subsequent field goal tied the game. The Tiger special teams had a hiccup in allowing a punt return for a touchdown. Flynn answered with a 32-yard TD pass to Doucet to tie the game back up with about three minutes left. And one more time, LSU got a score in the closing moments, a short TD run by Hester with 1:26 on the clock.
The 41-34 shootout win but LSU firmly atop the SEC West at 5-1, with Auburn and Alabama at 4-2, and the Tigers holding the tiebreaker advantage. They were in strong position in the conference. Now, at #3 in the national polls, they needed just a bit of help to get into the national championship game.
BLACK FRIDAY DISASTER
LSU routed Louisiana Tech 58-10 a week later, and events around the country moved them to #1 in the rankings. The Tigers went on the road to face Ole Miss where a 41-24 win locked up the SEC West.
Then came Black Friday. LSU was hosting Arkansas. The Razorbacks were a good team, with the explosive Darren McFadden at running back. But they weren’t a great one and had not seriously threatened in the Western Division race. Playing in Baton Rouge, with everything on the line, this shouldn’t have been a trouble spot for LSU.
But the defense couldn’t hold it together. A wild triple-overtime affair ended with a stunning 50-48 loss. LSU was still going to the SEC Championship Game the following week, but now they were at #5 in the polls. What’s more, Flynn had been injured late in the game and would not play in Atlanta. National championship hopes looked bleak—at best.
THE GIFT OF CHAOS
It wouldn’t have been the 2007 college football season generally or the ’07 LSU season in particular if anything went to form. Nobody could hold on to the top two spots in the polls all year long and this Tiger team had consistently bounced back.
Tennessee was the opponent in Atlanta, and the Vols were ranked #14. Playing without Flynn, it was a cautious game for a half and LSU was down 7-6, settling for a pair of field goals from All-SEC kicker Colt David.
Backup QB Ryan Perrilloux found Byrd on a 27-yard touchdown pass to put the Tigers in front, but Tennessee answered. Trailing 14-13 with ten minutes left, defensive back Jonathan Zenon made the play of the year—a 18-yard Pick-6. The defense in general redeemed themselves for the Arkansas game closed it out. With a 21-14 win, the Tigers were SEC champs.
Even better, with favorites still falling left and right to the bitter end, LSU rose back to #2 in the final regular season rankings. They were going to play for the national championship in their own backyard, facing #1 Ohio State in New Orleans.
FINISHING THE RIDE
The championship game started with a familiar pattern—a double-digit deficit, as the Tigers spotted the Buckeyes a 10-0 lead. After getting a field goal in the first quarter, LSU’s superior speed began to assert itself in the second quarter.
Flynn found Dickson a 13-yard touchdown pass that tied the game. A 10-yard scoring toss to LaFell put them in front. And Hester’s short TD run put LSU firmly in control at halftime, up 24-10.
Moreover, the defensive front was teeing off. They generated five sacks and won the turnover battle 3-1. Flynn continued to play efficiently, going 19/27 for 174 yards with four touchdown passes. LSU moved ahead 31-10. It was 31-17 when the two teams traded garbage touchdowns in the final minute, to leave the final score at 38-24.
It had been a wild ride. To win a national championship with two losses remains unprecedented through the 2025 season, even with the expansion of the postseason to four, and then twelve teams. LSU had done it.