Defensive Play Gets LSU Going Offensively in 44-14 Win Over Tulane

It was the best offensive performance of the year for 16th-ranked Louisiana State, and it was touched off by a big defensive play by safety Greg Jackson.

Jackson returned an interception 71 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown, and Tommy Hodson threw for 222 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead LSU to a 44-14 victory over Tulane Saturday night.

LSU, bound for the Hall of Fame Bowl against Syracuse, finished with an 8-3 regular season. Tulane finished at 5-6.

“I don’t think there’s any question about it, that interception was the turning point of the game,” LSU Coach Mike Archer said. “That made them throw on every down, and we were able to get pressure on their quarterback.

“It was 26-14, and Greg picked off the tipped ball and got some good blocks. It wasn’t an easy return.”

Jackson caught the ball near the left sideline and wound up crossing the goal just inside the pylon marking the right side of the field.

Hodson completed 15 of 21 passes, including a 15-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Fuller to open the night’s scoring and a 30-yarder to Tony Moss with 8:13 left in the game.

David Browndyke kicked field goals of 28, 27 and 30 yards for LSU. Calvin Windom scored on a 1-yard plunge in the second quarter, and Jay Egloff rammed over from a yard out in the fourth quarter.

Tulane closed to 17-14 midway through the third quarter on touchdown runs of 30 and 4 yards by quarterback Terrence Jones.

But Browndyke’s second and third field goals and the touchdowns by Egloff, Jackson and Moss ended the upset hopes of Tulane, a 20-point underdog.

Archer said the victory was gratifying for him and his players.

“This team’s been ridiculed and questioned,” he said. “Our quarterback has been questioned. To wind up 44-14 shows this team never gave up.”

He said he sought out Tulane’s Jones after the game and congratulated him.

“He’s a great athlete, and he proved it tonight,” Archer said. “I told him after the game, ‘You’ve had a great career,’ and he has.”

LSU scored 24 points in the fourth quarter, all in the first 6:47.

Second-string quarterback Mickey Guidry, who regularly makes second-quarter spot appearances, played extensively in the second half.

Guidry directed two of the second-half scoring drives, one capped by Egloff’s touchdown that made it 27-14, and the other capped by Browndyke’s final field goal.

Guidry completed 3 of 6 passes for 87 yards.

Tulane’s Jones completed 12 of 33 passes and was intercepted twice, both times by Jackson. Jones passed for 128 yards and ran for 64 in 11 carries.

Third-string quarterback Sol Graves finished the game for LSU and had the Tigers on the Tulane 28-yard line when time ran out.

Tulane finished the game with 95 yards net rushing to 174 rushing yards for LSU.