LSU Is National Team of the Week

For Immediate Release

With their second consecutive come-from-behind win over rival Auburn, the Louisiana State Tigers have been named this week's Southern Fans' National Team of the Week. Brandon LaFell caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jarrett Lee with 1:03 remaining to mark a 11-point halftime comeback. LSU won the battle of the Tigers, as the Bengal Tigers racked up 178 rushing yards to Auburn's 70. Lee shook off an early interception that was returned for a touchdown and finished with 182 yards in the air and two touchdowns.

LSU, which has suffered through multiple distractions due to hurricanes moving through the gulf, takes an early lead in the SEC West race. The Tigers take on Mississippi State this weekend, and have a week off to prepare for the showdown in Gainesville, Fla. on Oct. 11.

Other nominees for this week's Southern Fans' National Team of the Week:

Boise State (3-0)
W - No. 16 Oregon
All those quarterback injuries finally caught up to Oregon as Boise State upset the 16th-ranked Ducks 37-32 for their first victory on the road over a BCS-conference team. Though Oregon mounted a comeback, the game was really over when Kyle Brotzman hit a 34-yard field goal to give Boise State a 37-13 lead in the third quarter. Bronco QB Kellen Moore threw for 386 yards and three touchdowns in his first road start, while Boise State benefited from four Oregon turnovers, including three interceptions.

No. 4 Florida (3-0)
W - Tennessee
Florida pretty much ended this one in the first quarter when Brandon James returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown to give the Gators a 17-0 lead. While Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow was held to 122 total yards and two TD passes, Florida forced three Volunteer turnovers - one on the two-yard line and another in the endzone - as the Gators' gained their fourth straight win over rival Tennessee.

No. 11 Alabama
W - Arkansas
The Tide rolled to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter of a 49-14 cooking of the Hogs. Bama's RB Glen Coffee set the tone with an 87-yard TD run in the first and finished with 163 yards and two scores, while Alabama's Javier Arenas and Justin Woodall each scored on long interception returns to beat Arkansas for the second time under Nick Saban.

N.C. State (2-2)
W - No. 13 East Carolina
Andre Brown's 10-yard touchdown run in overtime lifted N.C. State to a 30-24 upset of 13th-ranked East Carolina. The win was N.C. State's second upset victory of the rival Pirates in two years, and also included the Wolfpack's first offensive touchdown against a D1-A team since last November. The Pirates had gained national exposure for beating nationally ranked Virginia Tech and West Virginia, but were unable to get by the ACC bottom dweller Wolfpack.


The Southern Fans' Poll began naming a national team of the week this season. Members of the Southern Fan's pool of voters decide the weekly honor. Each Monday during the 2008 college football season, the Southern Fans will name the National Team of the Week through Dec. 1.

2008 Southern Fans' National Teams of the Week
• Weekend of Aug. 30: Alabama
• Weekend of Sept. 6: East Carolina
• Weekend of Sept. 13: Southern California
• Weekend of Sept. 20: Louisiana State