LSU’s fast start means easy win

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Lousiana State didn’t need any small-school sacrificial lambs on its early season schedule to post a couple of gaudy blowouts.

No. 9 Virginia Tech couldn’t stop the second-ranked Tigers any more than some pushover.

Keiland Williams ran for 126 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Matt Flynn led LSU to scores on four of it first five possessions as LSU (2-0) cruised to a 48-7 victory over the uncharacteristically hapless Hokies (1-1) on Saturday night.

LSU’s menacing defense drove Virginia Tech starting quarterback Sean Glennon from the game midway through the second quarter.

Williams highlighted an overwhelming first half for the Tigers with a career-long 67-yard run for a touchdown.

LSU had a 24-0 lead after the first 18 minutes and outgained Tech 327-40 in the first half -- a week after its 45-0 dismantling of Southeastern Conference rival Mississippi State.

Williams had a 32-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Jacob Hester had 81 yards rushing, scored LSU’s first touchdown, and also caught a pass for 28 yards.

Flynn didn’t last the whole game either, but only because there was little need for him to play much beyond the third quarter.

He ran for a touchdown early in the game and wound up with 217 yards passing.

Virginia Tech did not score until 4:38 remained in the third quarter, when backup quarterback Tyrod Tylor ran in from a yard out.

That made it 27-7, but LSU got those points back when backup quarterback Ryan Perrilloux found Early Doucet wide open for a 34-yard touchdown. Perrilloux also connected with freshman Terrance Tolliver for a 28-yard touchdown.

The Hokies and their fans received an unusually cordial welcome to 92,000-seat Tiger Stadium after a week in which Coach Les Miles and the team captains published a letter asking fans to be mindful of the shootings at Virginia Tech’s campus last April.