'Honey Badger' of a win: Tigers cornerback returns punt for a score, sets up two more touchdowns
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LSU's Trann Mathieu provided energy and big plays for the Tigers on defense and in the return game in the SEC championship game in Atlanta. Here, he returns a punt for a touchdown in the first half to help them recover from a 10-0 Georgia lead.
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ATLANTA -- LSU slogged its way through a brutal first half. The nation's top-ranked team had only 12 yards and no first downs.
The "Honey Badger" didn't care. He just took what he wanted -- a trip to the national championship game.
Tyrann Mathieu turned in an MVP performance when the Tigers needed him most, returning a punt 62 yards for a touchdown, setting up another score with a fumble recovery and finally finishing off No. 12 Georgia with his best play yet, a whirling dervish of a return that led to the decisive touchdown of a 42-10 victory in the Southeastern Conference title game Saturday.
LSU (13-0) advanced to a spot in the BCS title game in New Orleans. The Tigers opponent will be announced tonight, but SEC West rival and No. 2 Alabama -- beaten by the Tigers, 9-6, in overtime a month ago -- had the inside track.
The Bulldogs tried to shake things up, racing to a 10-0 lead that could have been bigger if they hadn't dropped two potential touchdown passes in the first quarter. LSU looked awful on offense, going three-and-out on all seven of its possessions before halftime.
But, thanks to Mathieu, the deficit was only 10-7 at the half. He took a punt at his 38, found an opening and was gone -- all the way to the end zone for his second punt return for a touchdown in as many weeks. Well, almost to the end zone. A replay showed Mathieu flipped the ball to an official just before he crossed the goal line.
"Yeah, I kind of felt it," Mathieu said. "I looked at the referee. I'll have to remember not to do that next time."
That was long forgotten by the time he was done.
"I just tried to make one guy miss and then get to the end zone," Mathieu said.
On Georgia's first possession of the second half, quarterback Aaron Murray tried to scramble for a first down but had the ball knocked loose. Who was there to fall on it at the Bulldogs 26? Mathieu, of course.
LSU quickly seized its first lead. Freshman Kenny Hilliard broke off a 15-yard run for the first of his three touchdowns. Usually, that would've been more than enough to win the game's MVP award. Not even close on this day.
Mathieu, whose nickname comes from a humorous YouTube video about supposedly the world's more fearless animal ("Honey Badger don't care, he just takes what he wants," the narrator says), dropped back to receive another punt. He didn't score but the Bulldogs didn't stop him until he reached the Georgia 17.
First Published December 4, 2011 12:00 am
