On a team brimming with talented playmakers, LSU cornerback/punt returner Tyrann Mathieu stands out.
Consider his contributions in the Tigers’ 41-17 victory over Arkansas last week: eight tackles, two fumbles forced, one fumble recovered and a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown.
For the season, he leads the SEC in fumbles forced (six) and fumbles recovered (four). He is second in the league in punt returns, averaging 13.7 yards. He has two interceptions and is LSU’s leading tackler with 66.
Mathieu, a sophomore, is the only defensive player among the five finalists for the Walter Camp Football Foundation’s national player-of-the-year award. At some point, or multiple points, in the SEC Championship game, he figures to make his presence felt.
“I think Tyrann Mathieu is a very special player,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “He just seems to make plays. ... Having been around some very, very fine players in my career, and very fortunate to have been around them, Tyrann Mathieu matches up as well as any.”
Cornerback is a position of strength for LSU despite the loss of Patrick Peterson, the fifth overall pick in this year’s NFL draft. Playing opposite Mathieu is Morris Claiborne, who is tied for second in the SEC in interceptions with five. (Georgia’s Bacarri Rambo is first with seven). Claiborne also ranks second in the league in kickoff returns, averaging 27.5 yards.
At a news conference in Baton Rouge this week, Mathieu discussed the LSU defense’s penchant for forcing turnovers: “We don’t want those long drives. The quicker we get the ball to our offense, the quicker we can go back to the bench and sip on some Powerade.”
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