Freshman returner gives LSU lift it needs
Posted on Saturday, November 25, 2006
There was no question LSU needed some momentum early in the fourth quarter against Arkansas.
There is no way the Tigers could have known where that boost would come from.
True freshman Trindon Holliday returned a fourth-quarter kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown to provide an unexpected spark as the Tigers held on for a 31-26 victory Friday at War Memorial Stadium.
Holliday’s heroics were surprising for a number of reasons. He’d had little meaningful impact during the season. He’d been especially quiet on kickoff returns, an area where the Tigers ranked near the bottom statistically.
“It was my chance to shine and show what I could do,” Holliday said. “They’d been kicking into the end zone all night, and I hadn’t gotten a chance to return. I just hit the hole and went to the house.”
Holliday, 5-5, 159 pounds, couldn’t have picked a better time. His return came on the heels of an 80-yard scoring run by Arkansas tailback Darren McFadden that cut LSU’s lead to 24-19 with 10: 31 remaining in a matchup of BCS bowl hopefuls.
LSU Coach Les Miles lambasted his team for allowing the long run by McFadden, who finished with 182 yards and 2 touchdowns on 21 carries. LSU had done a decent job holding McFadden in check until the long run, something Miles attributed to a loss of focus with his team leading 24-12.
“We weren’t playing on that snap with the intensity that we were playing with all afternoon,” Miles said. “Then Holliday answered.”
LSU ranked 116 th nationally in kickoff return yardage, tied with Tennessee for last in the SEC. Entering the game, the Tigers were averaging 16. 3 yards per return and had only 15 returns for 244 yards.
“We’d been close,” Holliday said. “We’d been very close to breaking one for a touchdown.”
Arkansas, in contrast, led the SEC and ranked sixth nationally in kickoff returns. Return men Mc-Fadden and Felix Jones each had special teams touchdowns, and the Razorbacks were averaging 26. 6 yards per return.
Still, Miles said he had faith in his return specialist, even if he wasn’t named McFadden or Jones.
“Every time we kicked off to them, it concerned me to no end,” Miles said. “They may or may not have been concerned when they kicked it off to [Holliday ].
“ I promise you, we knew that if he got a sliver, he could go the whole way.”
Holliday, from Northeast High in Zachary, La., first showed his big-play ability when LSU defeated Fresno State on Oct. 21. He scored on a 38-yard run against the Bulldogs as LSU won for the second time in a six-game winning streak to close the regular season.
“It was very big,” Holliday said. “They had the momentum, and we got it right back after I scored on that return.”
What made Holliday’s return seem even less likely was the way Arkansas kicker Brian Vavra had been booming kickoffs out of the end zone. Vavra had touchbacks on all three previous kickoff attempts.
He left his fourth one short, and Holliday fielded it at the LSU 8, near the right hash mark. Holliday found a seam as the Tigers provided great blocking and raced untouched into the end zone.
It took him 17 seconds to cover 92 yards and push LSU up 31-19.
“To answer right then,” Miles said, “to answer right then told them, ‘OK. We’ll play you.’” PLAY OF THE GAME n With 10: 31 remaining in the fourth quarter, Arkansas had narrowed LSU ’ s lead to 24-19 when Darren McFadden scored on an 80-yard run up the middle. Brian Vavra ’ s kickoff was taken at the 8 by LSU's Trindon Holliday. He started up the middle, then veered to the right
li t fi t li sideline. He ran through the first line of defenders, then avoided Vavra at the LSU 35. It was a footrace the rest of the way with with no no Arkansas Arkansas defender defender getting way yy gg gg getting close to Holliday.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
