Joseph Addai scores first TD.

JaMarcus Russell

Craig Davis

Shyrone Carey scores.

Skyler Green

Jessie Daniels tackles Jamario Thomas.

Dwayne Bowe

Daniel Meager

Doucet grabs his second TD pass.

Darrell Dickey

• This matchup was intended to be the opening game of the '05 season but had to be rescheduled because of Hurricane Katrina.
• The Mean Green moved one of their games to create an opening October 29 when the Tigers had a bye week in their original schedule.
• 2-4 North Texas had won the Sun Belt crown each of the last four seasons but sported only a 3-28 record against SEC teams.
• Coach Miles hoped to give his backups substantial playing time, especially QB Matt Flynn.

An announced Halloween crowd of 88,887 saw the Tigers take control from the start.

• Q1: LSU scored 3:28 into the contest when Joseph Addai pranced over from the 3 to end a seven-play 69y drive. JaMarcus Russell threw to WR Craig Davis twice for a total of 40y. Addai would not play after Q1 because of a minor injury. LSU 7 North Texas 0 (11:32)
  The Mean Green responded by driving across midfield thanks to a 16y 3rd-down run by TB Patrick Cobbs with a 15y late hit penalty tacked on. But the drive stalled there.
  The crowd groaned when Russell twice missed open receivers on the next possession.
  But when the Tigers got the ball back, RBs Justin Vincent and Shyrone Carey contributed both running and receiving to a 71 play drive that ended with Carey scampering 23y to pay dirt. LSU 14 North Texas 0 (2:06)

• Q2: Carey scored his second TD of the evening less than four minutes into the period, this one from 1y out to end a short drive that started at the NT 42 after a 15y punt catch interference penalty. LSU 21 North Texas 0 (11:35)
  The Mean Green moved the ball well thanks to Jamario Thomas's strong running - 5 carries for 43y. The advance carried to a first-and-goal at the 8. But the Tigers dug in and allowed just 1y on the next three snaps. Nick Bauldua came out for a 27y FG, but DT Kyle Williams bulled up the middle and blocked it, LSU recovering out at the 36.
  On 3rd-and-11, Russell connected with Dwayne Bowe for 29 to the NT 36. After a first down because of an interference penalty, Russell faded back from the 15 and lofted a high spiral to Dwayne running toward the corner of the EZ unhampered. LSU 28 North Texas 0 (4:24)
  After a quick three-and-out, Russell threw a pick to SS Aaron Weathers. Starting from their 39, the Green drove close enough for Bazaldua to boom a 50y FG with 0:04 showing.
  Halftime score: LSU 28 North Texas 3
  
  Shyrone Carey totes the leather.

• Q3: The Mean Green opened the half by marching to the LSU 27. But S Craig Steltz pilfered a Daniel Meager aerial and returned it 22y to the 35.
  
  Craig Steltz returns an INT.
  Russell directed the Tigers to two first downs, but the possession ended with Chris Jackson missing a 47y FG attempt.
  Starting with a face mask penalty, North Texas moved to 1st-and-goal at the 10. After an incompletion, Thomas pushed to the 2. On 3rd down, Meager gained half the remaining distance. Coach Darrell Dickey gave the go ahead, but the Tigers swarmed Thomas for no gain.
  It took the purple shirts only six plays to traverse the 99y. Vincent broke loose for 37. Then Russell found TE Keith Zinger to the NT 43. Two plays later, Davis hauled in a pass and rambled to the 1, from where Vincent stepped over. LSU 35 North Texas 3 (0:23)
  
  L: Matt Flynn; R: Jacob Hester
• Q4: Matt Flynn took over under C for the Tigers to the cheers of the remaining fans and threw three TD passes.
  The first came on his first snap when the sophomore from Tyler TX fired a play-action pass to a leaping Xavier Carter in the EZ from the 49. LSU 42 North Texas 3 (13:51)
  With the coaching staff giving him a chance to throw the ball, Flynn hurled a 40-yarder to Early Doucet for six on the next possession. LSU 49 North Texas 3 (9:55)
  Another sophomore, FB Jacob Hester from Shreveport, contributed 18y on the ground to the next drive, which featured four Flynn completions, the last covering the final 6y to Doucet. LSU 56 North Texas 3 (3:32)
  FINAL: LSU 56 North Texas 3

Early Doucet raises to pay dirt with Xavier Carter as escort.

Postgame

LSU

• Miles: I have to give credit to North Texas. I thought that their running backs are very talented guys, and they ran the football better than I thought they would. ... We played a lot of guys. I don't necessarily want to go into a game where I'm ahead and throw the football as much as I did. Matt Flynn ... needs to get a lot of snaps, and we're throwing the ball to ... some guys that are not necessarily our first line guys. We had to do it for the best of our football team for the improvement and the work on those guys who will play significant snaps the remainder of the year. ... I thought the defense played well in spots. We need to tackle more crisply. We bounced off that running back way too much. ... JaMarcus was sharp for most of the night except for the one pick in the two-minute drill that led to their three points. On Addai's status: He's fine. He got nicked early on, and we chose not to play him any further. We don't feel like it's going to stop him from playing next week. On Vincent and Carey: We needed to get those guys established as players. Both played well in my mind. They will have to be figured in strongly in the stretch run.
• Carey: When Joseph went down, it just gave us an opportunity to get into the game and get some touches. We were given the opportunity to produce. We wanted the coaches to see that they have two other backs that can produce and that they should have confidence in us.
• Steltz: Coach Miles told us to just prepare as if we're going to play another game. You can't look forward. We take the season ... game-by-game. ...He gave us a speech today about Tigers eating. He said it doesn't matter if you're going to eat Bambi or a water buffalo. The Tigers are going to eat something.
• Flynn: It was a lot of fun to get in there toward the end. We were just trying not to lose anything from what the first offense was doing ... It was a lot of fun to get out there and contribute. It was fun to throw the ball a little bit and get out there and spread it around.

North Texas

• Dickey: We were in over our heads. These guys are really good, and they played very well. ... We dug ourselves a hole and couldn't fall out of it. And when you do that against good football teams, you are going to pay the price ...

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