There were plenty of high points to hit after LSU's 45-20 destruction of No. 7 Ole Miss at Tiger Stadium. But there was one clear momentum swing.
It was the one Joe Foucha snagged with one hand.
"The momentum really shifted there," head coach Brian Kelly said. "You know, the interception was probably the biggest play, because they were threatening to score in that situation."
The Tigers had just secured a 24-20 lead prior to the 13-play Ole Miss drive that Foucha managed to stop in his own end zone. It was a drive that might have been stopped several plays earlier had the refs exercises their often-used ability to stop the game for a replay. Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart appeared to have been stopped short of the line to gain by Foucha, but the refs awarded the first down without a measurement.
It was a frustrating moment that might've been scrutinized a bit closer had the game ended in a different way. But Foucha made sure that wouldn't happen. Linebacker Micah Baskerville applied pressure and forced an errant throw, and Foucha -- as so many LSU greats have done so well before him -- reached out with one hand to pluck it out of the air, and with it what felt like the last gasp for Ole Miss. The Rebels went scoreless in the second half and the Tigers closed the game on a 42-3 scoring run.
It was the first true welcome home moment for Foucha, a New Orleans native who transferred in from Arkansas in the offseason. He missed the first several games of the season due to academic issues.
"We felt like, Okay, that was the first time where we got any extension in the game from them, because it was score, score, score," Kelly said. "That was probably the one big play in the game that gave us the ability to, obviously pull away a little bit from them. So that was a huge play."
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ON THAT HUG WITH JAYDEN DANIELS AFTER THE GAME
For the second consecutive week LSU's quarterback went bonkers. He accounted for five touchdown (two passing and three receiving) and was genuinely unstoppable in the second half. He and Kelly shared a hug after the game, and the coach explained what went into that moment.
"You know, this was a big game in a lot of ways, because this needed to be that, you know, we're reaching that level of consistency of performance. And I think we both knew that if he was able to solidify another performance of similar quality, that we were off and running.
"And I think we both looked at each other and said, 'all right, let's go. It's time.' And I think we both felt the same way that he's in a very good place where he can run this offense now, and he feels very comfortable with it. And he's ready to do really good things for us."
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WHY IS THIS TEAM SO GOOD AT RALLYING?
For the third time this season LSU has rallied from a double-digit deficit for a big SEC win. But that's no surprise to Kelly, he said, because it's been that way since Week 1.
"I knew the DNA in the team from the very beginning. You know, go back all the way to Florida State, we were down, and we fought all the way back in that game. And, you know, obviously, we didn't execute an extra point, but that team was poised to win that game. So I kind of knew what we were about in that very first game that we played.
"And it's been who they are from the very, very first time that I stepped on this campus with this team, is that they had fight in them. Now all the other things, consistency, execution, doing the little things on a day-to-day basis, that's coming. And I've said this on a number of occasions, we can't just rely on just being great fighters. And we're not anymore. We're executing at a high level, we're exerting our will. We're our best players are now starting to play their best football and they're playing quite frankly, with a lot of confidence right now. And that's a pretty good thing."
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WHAT'S CHANGED FOR BOUTTE THE LAST FEW WEEKS?
After a slow start to the season, star WR Kayshon Boutte has come on strong in back-to-back SEC wins, including another 4 catches for 43 yards in this game. Kelly confirmed he's in a much better place at this point in the season.
"Yeah, I think his targets are up. ... I think he's feeling comfortable with his role and his leadership role. We've elevated his leadership role and he's, he's been outstanding.
"He grabbed me on the sidelines said, Coach, no, don't forget the first things that you have to say when you go in the locker room. He's even, like scripting my stuff now. I mean, I was like, 'oh thanks, Kayshon, appreciate it. I couldn't find you the first week, now you're running the show.' But that's what I love about him. He's been so engaged, so part of what we're doing, and we're better because of it. And you can see when he touches the football, he's electric. And we're here because our best players are playing their best football."
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