Washington Vs. LSU 2012: Final Score And Game Recap

No. 3 LSU easily dispatched the Washington Huskies on Saturday night in a dominating 41-3 victory.

Washington didn't seem to be able to put up much of a fight, failing to gain a yard on the ground until the second half and managing just 28 yards rushing on 24 attempts. The Huskies managed just 185 yards of total offense for the game, compared to 437 for the LSU Tigers.

Washington would actually open the scoring on the first drive of the game after an LSU fumble on the opening kickoff, taking an early 3-0 lead. The Tigers would respond, overcoming a bit of a slow start on offense to take a 20-3 lead into halftime before putting the game away in the second half.

Quarterback Zach Mettenberger was 11-of-17 for 185 yards and a touchdown, easily managing the game and keeping the Tigers in easy control offensively for most of the contest.

The Tigers would rush 52 times in the game for 274 yards and four touchdowns combined, with Alfred Blue leading the way with 101 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

For more on Tigers football, visit LSU blog And The Valley Shook, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills. For more on Huskies football, visit Washington blog UW Dawg Pound, plus Pac-12 blog Pacific Takes and SB Nation Seattle.

LSU Vs. Washington Halftime Score: Tigers Lead 20-3, Allowed No Rushing Yards To Huskies

The LSU Tigers defense has been more than dominant against the Washington Huskies Saturday night. The Huskies have only been able to manage a field goal and trail 20-3, and the LSU rush defense has held Washington's running game to zero yards.

The offense for LSU has scored a pair of field goals and touchdowns to build up their lead. Starting quarterback Zach Mettenberger looks to be playing just fine as he has completed 9-of-14 for 129 yards, and he has not turned over the ball either.

The running game has put up the points for the LSU offense as Alfred Blue rushing for 54 yards on just nine carries, plus he scored a 21-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The other touchdown was a 1-yard run by fullback J.C. Copeland. Overall, the running game has put up 103 yards on the ground, making this LSU team very balanced.

Washington Vs. LSU 2012: Game Time, TV Schedule, Odds And More

Despite a dominating 41-14 victory over North Texas in their debut, the LSU Tigers fell from No. 1 to No. 3 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll as many perceived the wins of the USC Trojans and Alabama Crimson Tide to be more impressive. In the second week of the season, though, the challenge will be a little tougher for all three teams, including the Tigers who will face the Washington Huskies on Saturday.

Despite a strong performance by the Huskies in their opener against the San Diego State Aztecs, they will still be heavy underdogs when they travel to Baton Rouge to take on LSU. Led by Keith Price's 25-of-35 passing for 222 yards and a touchdown, the Huskies earned a 21-12 victory over SDSU that garnered some votes in the AP Poll and nearly enough votes to earn a ranking in the Coaches' Poll.

The Tigers, though, are a much bigger test than SDSU, led by Zach Mettenberger, a potent rushing attack and one of the nation's fiercest defenses.

Game time/date: 6 p.m. CT, Saturday

Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA

TV Schedule/Streaming: ESPN

Odds: LSU favored by 23 points.

For more information on Tigers football, head over to And The Valley Shook. If you'd like to read up more on the, pay a visit to the UW Dawg Pound.

LSU Vs. Washington: Zach Mettenberger And The Series of Unrealistic Expectations

LSU fans should shelf the doubt. Confidence in Mettenberger should be at an all-time high.

Chris Faulk Injury: Starting Left Tackle Sidelined For Year With Knee Injury, According To Report

The LSU Tigers received some bad news on Wednesday when head coach Les Miles said that left tackle Chris Faulk would be out for at least Saturday's game against the Washington Huskies with an undisclosed injury.

The news got a lot worse on Thursday when The New Orleans Times-Picayune, who verified through three independent sources, learned that Faulk suffered a major knee injury that will sideline him for the entire season. He faces an extensive rehab.

This is a huge blow for LSU as Faulk is a sure-fire first-round draft pick, according to New Orleans-based NFL Draft analysis Mike Detillier:

"I love him as an athlete and for his ability to move his feet," Detillier said. "He's a very good run blocker, but he really excels at protecting the quarterback and that's huge to the NFL. Quality left tackles in the NFL have become a scarce breed."

Detillier also is saying that Faulk is the best tackle in the SEC. The players who could replace Faulk are Josh Dworaczyk, starting left guard La'el Collins and starting right tackle Alex Hurst.

For more on the Tigers, be sure to head over to And The Valley Shook and join the discussion. Be sure to also check out our dedicated college football hub.

LSU Vs. Washington: Forget The Tiger, It's The Noise Threatening Huskies

Washington Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian used an actual caged tiger at practice Tuesday to replicate what his players can expect when they enter Death Valley to take on Louisana State this Saturday, according to a story from Percey Allen of the Seattle Times.

The tiger, an 18-month-old female named Sheena, was placed in a cage about 30 feet from the field where the Huskies practiced Thursday as a proxy to Mike, LSU's latest living Tiger mascot.

But Allen goes on to explain that the Huskies shouldn't be afraid of the restrained beast. Instead, it's the intense fan noise that should have them shaking in their boots. Here's what current Seattle Seahawks and former Florida Gators defensive tackle Jay Howard had to say as a warning about playing in the "sea of noise."

"It's loud all the time," he said. "That's all I can say. The fans are crazy and nuts. They're going to be yelling all game long."

Furthermore, it's been a while since Washington faithful has seen their team make the trip to LSU. The Huskies last traveled to visit the Tigers in 1983 and were annihilated 40-14. Since that time, LSU has recently renovated their stadium to make it the seventh-largest college football collusive in the country, seating a grandiose 92,542 spectators.

So here's to hoping the Huskies aren't too distracting by the living, breathing tiger in the corner so they can mentally prepare for the crowd factor and treat the audience to an at least semi-competitive game. Then again, I don't think anyone wearing purple and gold will mind a blowout as long as they get to taunt the visitors with "Tiger Bait" chants all day.

For more information on Tigers football, head over to And The Valley Shook. If the Huskies are more you cup a tea, pay a visit to the UW Dawg Pound.

LSU Vs. Washington: Zach Mettenberger Already Facing Criticism

Zach Mettenberger is one start into his LSU quarterback career and already knows what it's like to feel the heat from the media, as NOLA.com writes.

Mettenberger certainly wasn't bad in the Tigers' 41-14 rout of North Texas, completing 19 of 26 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown. But he also threw a pick deep in LSU territory when he should have thrown it away, drew a big intentional-grounding penalty and was knocked out of the game on a sack (he returned and recovered well, though, leading the team on a field goal drive and completing his final eight passes).

Mettenberger plays one of the visible position at one of the most visible programs in the country, and acknowledged he knows criticism will come with or without success.

"No one can criticize me as hard as I criticize myself," Mettenberger said when asked if he was his own worst critic. "Y'all have ripped me in the newspapers and stuff but that's part of it. I feel I could have played better. I wanted to be 26-for-26 with 300 yards but that's not how it goes. But we got the win and if I keep improving from here, we'll be good."

For more on the LSU Tigers, be sure to head over to And The Valley Shook and join the discussion. Be sure to also check out our dedicated college football hub.

College Football Rankings: LSU Stays Put In AP Poll

The LSU Tigers are still No. 3 in the AP poll after a 41-14 victory over North Texas.

LSU Vs. Washington: Tigers RB Committee Leading Offense

With a new quarterback, Zach Mettenberger, at the helm with a huge arm and some speedy receivers, there was plenty of speculation about the possibility of a high-flying passing offense for the LSU Tigers. Against North Texas, though, the Tigers showed that they'll stick with what they know best, running the ball straight into the teeth of the defense.

LSU ran the ball 46 times compared to 26 passing attempts by Mettenberger as they cruised to a 41-14 victory on Saturday. Specifically, running backs Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard combined for 264 yards on the ground.

Now the challenge for any other running back is trying to earn carries with such a strong one-two punch in Blue and Hilliard. According to Micah Bedard of The Daily Reveille, accomplishing that challenge is going to be difficult:

"If (Spencer) Ware or (Michael) Ford hope to supplant either of the two featured backs, they might want to get started now. The one-two punch of Blue and Hilliard looks like a freight train gaining speed leaving the station."

For more on the LSU Tigers, be sure to head over to And The Valley Shook and join the discussion.

LSU Vs. Washington: Tigers Monitoring Zach Mettenberger's Health

Zach Mettenberger is officially under the microscope.