FROM THE REAL ART SPORTS DESK
TEXAS LOSES, BUT IT'S OKAY; LSU WINS, BUT IT'S KIND OF LAME

From the AP via ESPN:

Missouri keeps Texas out of end zone for first time since 2004

Missouri's coach didn't seem all that euphoric about ending the school's six-game losing streak in the series and knocking off the only conference school he hadn't beaten heading into next year's move to the SEC.

For one thing, the Tigers likely lost the conference's leading rusher for the rest of the year. Also, they're only .500.

"I don't think off that field, 'Gosh, I finally beat Texas!' " Pinkel said after Missouri's 17-5 upset of the Longhorns on Saturday. "I don't do that.

And

The previous two weeks at home, Texas whipped Kansas and Texas Tech by a combined 95-20 and topped 400 yards rushing in both games. Leading rusher Malcolm Brown (toe) and Joe Bergeron (hamstring) got no carries and the depth chart got leaner after Fozzy Whitaker left with an apparent right knee injury while making a cut in the first quarter.

More here.

And again from the AP via ESPN:

No. 1 LSU wakes up after half, beats Western Kentucky

Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard each scored two touchdowns, and the Tigers overcame a lackluster first-half to defeat Western Kentucky 42-9 on Saturday night.

"I don't think this was in any way an impassioned effort by our guys, but I think they did the things that they needed to do to ensure victory," coach Les Miles said. "The decision made the staff and myself on the quarterbacks, that is a one-game decision and we'll kind of go from there."

One week after playing most of LSU's 9-6 overtime victory at Alabama, Jefferson got the start against the Hilltoppers, hitting 8 of 14 passes for 168 yards, including a 59-yard scoring strike to Rueben Randle.

LSU (10-0) came in favored by nearly six touchdowns, but led only 14-7 at halftime. The Tigers then dominated the second half to reach 10-0 for the first time since 1958, when they won a national championship. The victory also was Miles' 100th as a head coach, his 72nd at LSU.

And

"I don't think the score represents how the game went," Rainey said. "In the first half, we were up there with the No. 1 team in the country."

Western Kentucky, in contention to win the Sun Belt Conference, kept it interesting throughout the first half, forcing LSU to punt twice, recovering Odell Beckham Jr.'s fumble on a kickoff return and dominating time of possession, 20:01 to 9:59.

When LSU took the lead on Randle's TD catch on the Tigers' second possession, the Hilltoppers responded with a 10-play, 65-yard touchdown drive to tie the game at 7.

More here.

The article quotes Texas coach Mac Brown as saying he didn't want to use injuries as an excuse, but the 'Horns are a running team now and their backfield was decimated. So we lost. But that's okay: we're already bowl eligible, which represents something of a triumph relative to last season's sadness, and we weren't going to win the conference, anyway. No big deal. I mean, a win is always preferable, but hey, our top three rushers weren't playing. I'm cool with the loss. Really, at this point, all I want is to beat the hapless Aggies, who, it was said before the season started, are fielding their "best team in years." Ha! Their loss record is worse than ours. Smacking them would be very, very, very nice, indeed. Hopefully Texas will be healed up by then.

On the other hand, LSU won, but WTF? A shitty Sun Belt team during the first half played them about as well as Alabama did last week. Sports analysts talk about how good Les Miles is preparing his team for the next game, but this kind of weird inconsistency has been something of a trademark of his tenure--I guess when you're number one, they go easy on your blemishes. This is exactly the kind of brain fart that's fucked the Tigers in the past, and I don't mean "fuck" in the pleasant way. Fortunately, they weren't suffering their letdown against Arkansas, who has been the opponent for one or two of those fucked games I mentioned a moment ago.

I sure do hope they've got their shit together for next week.


COLUMBIA, MO - NOVEMBER 12: Foswhitt Whittaker #2 of the Texas Longhorns
is helped off the field after an injury during the game against the Missouri Tigers
on November 12, 2011 at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri.
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)


BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 12: Rueben Randle #2 of the
Louisiana State University Tigers celebrates after scoring a
touchdown against Western Kentucky at Tiger Stadium on
November 12, 2011 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

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