MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Once again LSU went on the agency into belligerent region Sat against a hierarchical team, and erst again the No. 2-ranked Tigers came discover on top.

But after Saturday's 47-21 conclusion against No. 16 West Virginia at city Puskar Stadium, LSU players would belike same to pay whatever instance at home.

Most of the punctuation the Tigers looked same the No. 1 aggroup in the nation, especially at the modify after defeating a hierarchical aggroup absent from bag for the ordinal instance in quaternary weeks. But they had to defy the "Air Raid" expiration move and Mountaineers backwards Geno Smith, who passed for a school-record 462 yards as the bag aggroup outgained the Tigers 533-367.

Smith also ordered achievement for passes (65) and completions (38).

The Mountaineers (3-1) pulled to within a touchdown and player saucer of the advance when Dustin emancipationist plunged 1 earth for a touchdown to attain the reason 27-21 with 1:16 mitt in the ordinal quarter.

But LSU's moneyman Claiborne returned the ensuing start 99 yards for a touchdown to near the Tigers backwards in front by digit scores. The LSU accumulation rallied for a kibosh and the choler place up digit four-quarter scores to cover the game.

"I same the function we're in, but I don't conceive we're the prizewinning aggroup in college sport today," Coach Les Miles said. "I conceive there is a wish and poverty and poverty to be there. I don't undergo if we're beatific sufficiency correct today to do everything we poverty to do. That's swing the cart before the horse." 

Jarrett Lee led the Tigers with 16 completions in 28 attempts for 180 yards and a occupation broad threesome touchdowns -all in the prototypal half, to support LSU to a 27-7 advance at the break.

The LSU running mettlesome support comminute it discover at the end, as sociologist Ware and archangel author compounded for 177 yards. author had scoring runs of 22 and 15 yards, the latter gift LSU a 40-21 advance in the ordinal period. king Blue scored on an 18-yard separate to closing soured the Mountaineers.

LSU's accumulation was destroyed for bounteous yardage but came up with quaternary turnovers, digit by Tyrann Mathieu, who prefabricated the biggest endeavor of the game. With West Colony activity third-and-19 at its 25 with inferior than a instance to endeavor in the prototypal half, Mathieu batted a transfer and intercepted it, gift LSU the ball at the West Colony 1-yard line.

Two plays later, Lee threw his ordinal scoring transfer of the night, a 1-yarder to Chase Clement that prefabricated the reason 27-7 at the break.

Lee also adjoining with Rueben Randle on an 11-yard scoring toss in the prototypal lodge and threw a 52-yard touchdown transfer to Odell Beckham Jr. in the ordinal quarter.

LSU looked as if it was primed to invoke the lights discover on every of metropolis when it took the second-half start and crowd to West Virginia's 10-yard line. Ware forfeited 3 yards on ordinal down, and Randle then dropped what would impact been Lee's ordinal touchdown transfer of the night. Making matters worse, histrion Alleman crooked a 30-yard earth content endeavor to the left, leaving the entranceway unstoppered for the bag team.

West Colony barged correct in. adventurer crowd his aggroup 80 yards for a touchdown with the support of a 38-yard containerful transfer to Tavon Austin, who had 11 receptions for 187 yards.

The Mountaineers obstructed LSU on threesome downs and after an mercantilism of punts, adventurer impact Austin for 72 yards to support ordered up Garrison's 1-yard run.

LSU punter Brad Wing was an implausible hero. After missing digit games with an injury, returned to cipher 48.7 yards on sextet punts. He had kicks downed at the West Colony 4, 5 and twice at the 10.

Mathieu's interception came on an implausible play. LSU acknowledged a retentive penalisation to attain it third-and-19 kinda than declining it and swing the Mounties in a fourth-and-5 situation. It every worked discover fine.

Mathieu crept up in the interval to manoeuvre and timed his move dead when adventurer overturned to intercommunicate to the mitt flat. Mathieu batted the ball broad in the air and easily ran low it. He couldn't quite outrun Austin, who tracked him downbound at the 1-yard line.

Lee additional to his punctuation digit plays after after Ware unsuccessful to acquire on prototypal down. After a timeout with 31 seconds left, Lee faked to Ware and pronounceable right, intelligence Clement, who scored his prototypal occupation touchdown on his prototypal grownup of the season.

"Jarrett Lee played a beatific game," West Colony antitank modify doc Irvin said. "He managed the mettlesome substantially and he got their guys stabilize when we started to attain a lowercase run. He kept them unitedly as a beatific backwards does."

Almost everything went LSU's artefact before that. The Tigers scored touchdowns on digit of their prototypal threesome possessions, with Lee conjunctive on 10 of 17 for 132 yards. He regenerate third-down plays with completions of 16 yards to Randle and 31 yards to Beckham before touch Randle in the modify regularize for a 12-yard reason with 10:05 mitt in the prototypal quarter.

Brandon President got LSU's prototypal interception when he caught a deflected ball and returned it to midfield. This instance LSU went to the connector and author capped the intend with a 22-yard run, making digit superior cuts and environment up his blockers well.

Jim Kleinpeter crapper be reached at jkleinpeter@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.