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AFTER EAGLES practice sessions this spring, a few players typically stay on the field to work with the JUGS machine, catching footballs. That group always includes veteran wideout Jason Avant and undrafted rookie Russell Shepard. Avant is there because this is how he has forged a solid 7-year career, despite being really slow by NFL standards and not especially big, at 6-foot, 212. Shepard is there because, when he signed with the Eagles out of LSU after a disappointing draft experience, he asked the advice of Eagles director of player programs Harold Carmichael.

In the current edition of Sports Illustrated, there is an opinion piece authored by one Dick Friedman, who expounds about his devotion to LSU, his favorite college football team. He has been cheering for the Tigers since wondrous halfback Billy Cannon led the 1958 squad to an undefeated season and the first of the school's three national championships, the last two of which have been won since 2003. Nothing unusual about Friedman's level of devotion, except that this is a guy who lives in New Jersey, and always has. He never attended LSU, saw an LSU game in person or even set foot in Baton Rouge.

Coach Dick MacPherson liked what he saw of his Syracuse team. So did LSU coach Mike Archer. "The people in the South saw a team from the North come down and play like a team from the South," MacPherson said after Syracuse dominated LSU, the Southeastern Conference co-champion, 23-10, in yesterday's Hall of Fame Bowl at Tampa Stadium. Archer was not in a position to argue. "Syracuse proved they are an outstanding team," Archer said. "We couldn't do anything right. We couldn't kick the ball, snap it, catch it, tackle or block it. "They did nothing we didn't practice last month.

VIRGINIA COACH Tony Bennett was no stranger to LSU coach Trent Johnson. The two had faced each other in the Pac-10 and also twice since Johnson took over the Tigers. Bennett wasn't surprised that his 21st-ranked Cavaliers had to scrape out a 57-52 victory over LSU last night in Baton Rouge. "I knew it was going to be a hard-fought game," Bennett said. "You have to play on both ends of the floor against a Trent Johnson team. You have to break them down. It was a typical physical game.

Louisiana State postponed its football game against Troy after Hurricane Gustav damaged Tiger Stadium and battered Baton Rouge far worse than anticipated. The university made the decision yesterday after having a full day to get a handle on damage to the stadium and the community, much of which is expected to be without power into next week. "We would have loved to play the game, but it's not possible and the city of Baton Rouge is in too bad shape to take resources away to play a football game," LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said.

A month ago, North Carolina wasn't sure freshman Ed Cota was ready to play point guard. Now, the 12th-ranked Tar Heels aren't sure they can do without him. Antawn Jamison had 26 points and 15 rebounds in a 67-48 win over Louisiana State last night in Greensboro, N.C., but North Carolina struggled offensively without the injured Cota running the team. The Tar Heels missed 15 of 16 shots from three-point range, and shot 29 percent in the second half. "When you lose a player in your rotation, it changes things drastically," said Shammond Williams, who switched from his shooting-guard position and played 37 minutes in Cota's place.

It took big games by April Brown and Marie Ferdinand to give No. 23 Louisiana State its biggest road victory ever. Brown scored 25 points and Ferdinand had 21, both career highs, as the Tigers defeated No. 2 Georgia, 80-74, last night in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. Georgia (7-1) was the highest-ranked team LSU (5-1) has ever beaten on the road. "This is a big win," said Ferdinand, a 5-9 junior guard. "A lot of people didn't give us any hope of coming into Georgia and winning.

When Louisiana State hired Nick Saban away from Michigan State after the 1999 season, with a five-year contract averaging $1.2 million annually, it wasn't just because the Southeastern Conference school liked the way he charted X's and O's. In Saban, the Tigers knew they were getting a premier recruiter. Saban provided an instant return on LSU's substantial investment last season as the Tigers, 3-8 in 1999, their final season under Gerry DiNardo, went 8-4, including an impressive 28-14 Peach Bowl victory over favored Georgia Tech.

Tim Clark singled to spark a three-run fifth inning and added a homer last night as Louisiana State eliminated The Citadel from the College World Series with a 6-1 victory over the Bulldogs. The win gave the second-seeded Tigers (54-18) a rematch against Oklahoma State tomorrow night. LSU - which lost to the Cowboys, 7-1, on Monday - must beat Oklahoma State (55-16) twice to advance to Saturday's national title game. The Citadel, participating in the College World Series for the first time, finished its season 46-14.

Rick Clausen and Tennessee refused to be part of LSU's feel-good story. Gerald Riggs Jr. pushed into the end zone from a yard out in overtime to give the 10th-ranked Volunteers a 30-27 comeback win last night in the Tigers' long-awaited, hurricane-delayed home opener in Baton Rouge, La. Clausen, an LSU transfer, led the Volunteers (2-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) back from a 21-point deficit in the second half to send the game to OT at 24-all. Clausen came off the bench when starter Erik Ainge was injured midway through the second quarter with the Vols behind by three touchdowns.

AFTER EAGLES practice sessions this spring, a few players typically stay on the field to work with the JUGS machine, catching footballs. That group always includes veteran wideout Jason Avant and undrafted rookie Russell Shepard. Avant is there because this is how he has forged a solid 7-year career, despite being really slow by NFL standards and not especially big, at 6-foot, 212. Shepard is there because, when he signed with the Eagles out of LSU after a disappointing draft experience, he asked the advice of Eagles director of player programs Harold Carmichael.

If third-round pick Bennie Logan is already overshadowed as a member of the Eagles' 2013 draft class, because quarterback Matt Barkley was drafted one round later, it would not be the first time Logan has been snubbed. Logan grew up in Coushatta, La., one of eight children, and attention is always diverted in a big family. He's the third-youngest and has four brothers and three sisters. At Louisiana State, Logan did not command much attention, either. He was a productive defensive tackle whose spotlight paled compared to defensive ends Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery - and others, too. There were eight LSU defensive players drafted in 2013.

One of the nine undrafted players who agreed to terms with the Eagles is Louisiana State's Russell Shepard, a dynamic athlete who never played to his reputation with the Tigers. Shepard, a 6-foot, 196-pounder, ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash. He is a receiver who converted from quarterback and could contribute on special teams. Shepard told ESPN-FM in Baton Rouge, La., that he signed with the Eagles during the draft, and that teams called after the fifth round, and Shepard said he was already taken.

The Southeastern Conference is known for its powerhouse football programs, which receive massive national exposure throughout the fall and right into bowl championship time. But the track and field programs in the SEC aren't too shabby, either. Since 2001, conference members have won 22 NCAA championships in men's and women's indoor and outdoor track. SEC schools have competed at the Penn Relays several times, and usually return home with one or more of those big wheels that signify a Championship of America victory.

Adrienne Webb scored 29 points, including two crucial free throws with 22 seconds left, and Louisiana State beat third-seeded Penn State, 71-66, in Baton Rouge, La., in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Tuesday night. Bianca Lutley overcame foul trouble and capped an 18-point night with a tough floater in traffic in the final minute to give the Tigers (22-11) the lead and another key free throw to make it a four-point game with 8.3 seconds to go. Nikki Greene scored 16 points and Alex Bentley added 14 for the Lions (26-6)

INDIANAPOLIS - Tyrann Mathieu said he has not smoked marijuana since Oct. 26, 2012. Mathieu, an all-American defensive back at Louisiana State in 2011, did not play last season after disciplinary problems related to marijuana use prompted a suspension and eventually an arrest on a possession charge. He entered a drug rehabilitation program and now hopes to repair his image, secure a spot in the NFL, and resist the temptations that put his career in jeopardy. "I've been through it. I know what it's like not to have football," Mathieu said Sunday at the NFL scouting combine.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - One of these decades, maybe the SEC will just secede from the rest of the nation and hold its own playoff, which this season could have included six top 10 teams. Maybe then the other 110 or so FBS schools could actually hold a title game that one of them might have a chance in. Until then, better grab a Snickers. And when this thing goes to a four-team playoff in 2014, there's every chance it might resemble an SEC scrum. This much is clear: Monday night at Sun Life Stadium, the conference that has dominated college football since the midpoint of the last decade hoisted the Sears trophy for the seventh consecutive time, which of course seems pretty much impossible.

THERE ARE SIX conference championship games this weekend. Only one really matters. That of course would be the SEC final, the one that begat the proliferation of all of these other imitators some 2 decades back. Alabama and Georgia will meet in Atlanta in a defacto national semifinal to determine who gets to play Notre Dame in Miami on Jan. 7 for the BCS title. So why isn't it the prime-time matchup? Instead, you can catch it on CBS3 at 4. The loser won't even make it to a BCS bowl, because of the Florida factor.

No. 1 Notre Dame (12-0) beat Southern Cal. 22-13. Next: TBD. No. 2 Alabama (11-1) beat Auburn 49-0. Next: vs. No. 3 Georgia in SEC championship, Saturday. No. 3 Georgia (11-1) beat Georgia Tech 42-10. Next vs. No. 2 Alabama in SEC championship, Saturday. No. 4 Ohio State (12-0) beat No. 20 Michigan 26-21. Season completed. No. 5 Oregon (11-1) beat No. 16 Oregon State 48-24. Next: TBD. No. 6 Florida (11-1) beat No. 10 Florida State 37-26. Next: TBD. No. 7 Kansas State (10-1)

Jarvis Landry made a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch and No. 8 LSU kept its BCS hopes alive with a 20-13 win over host Arkansas (4-8, 2-6 Southeastern Conference) in Fayetteville on Friday. The Tigers (10-2, 6-2) must hope for an Alabama loss to Auburn and a Texas A&M victory on Saturday to reach next weekend's SEC championship game. Even without a division crown, the Tigers could still get an at-large bid to the BCS. Nebraska 13, Iowa 7 - Rex Burkhead scored the go-ahead touchdown in his return from a knee injury and the No. 17 Cornhuskers (10-2, 7-1 Big Ten)