Tulane University
LSU
Tulane Falls To No. 14 LSU, 48-17
Sep 1, 2001 | Football
Sept 1, 2001
By MARY FOSTER
AP Sports Writer
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - LaBrandon Toefield ran for three touchdowns and Rohan Davey passed for two more as No. 14 LSU opened the season with a 48-17 victory over Tulane on Saturday night.
The game renewed a 94-year rivalry that had been suspended for five years. LSU picked up where it left off, beating the Green Wave for the 14th straight time and 37th in the last 41 meetings.
It was the second straight lopsided loss by Tulane, which fell 70-35 to BYU in its season opener a week earlier.
LSU's Domanick Davis returned the opening kickoff 59 yards to set the tone for the evening. On the next play, Toefield scampered the final 28 yards to give LSU a 7-0 lead 34 seconds into the game.
Tulane slowed the Tigers for the rest of the quarter, but managed only a 26-yard field goal and trailed 7-3 at the end of the period. From there on LSU steamrolled the Green Wave.
Davey, who became the Tigers' starting quarterback this year, played three quarters and completed 19 of 29 for 253 yards and two touchdowns.
Toefield had 58 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
Although overmatched, Tulane's defense played a gritty first half, but special team mistakes - a fumbled punt set up a field goal and a tackle of the Green Wave punter led to a touchdown - eroded the effort as LSU scored three touchdowns and two field goals in the second quarter.
Davey opened the second quarter with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Robert Royal. After a 31-yard return by Davis, Davey hit Josh Reed for a 42 yard gain, then Davis scored on a 3-yard run.
The Tigers made it 34-10 at the half when they buried Tulane punter Casey Roussel on the Green Wave's 9. Two plays later, Toefield ran for a 3-yard touchdown.
Tulane's only first half touchdown was a 26-yard pass from Patrick Ramsey to Roydell Williams midway through the second quarter.
Ramsey completed 25 of 47 passes for 343 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted once.
In the third quarter, Davey hit Eric Edwards with a 3-yard scoring pass that made it 41-10 LSU.
Tulane scored on a 6-yard pass from Ramsey to Zander Robinson to make it 41-17. The Green Wave drove to the Tigers' 1 and later to the 4 in the fourth quarter, but could not score.
LSU got a final touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by Toefield.
