LSU’s dynamic playmaker with the catchy nickname broke the Georgia Bulldogs’ hearts in the SEC Championship game at the Georgia Dome on Saturday night.
Otherwise known as the “Honey Badger,” Tyrann Mathieu made three plays in the span of 10 minutes over the second and third quarters to overcome a 10-0 deficit and flip the game in LSU’s favor. The No. 1-ranked Tigers (13-0) roared on from there, scoring 42 consecutive points en route to a 42-10 win that captured their 12th SEC Championship and sends them to the BCS title game.
“We said early in the year, the best way to win [the national championship] is by beating everybody,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “Now we’ve done that.”
By looking at the final score, those occupied elsewhere Saturday afternoon probably would not believe that LSU did not record a first down in the first half. But everything changed when the Honey Badger finally went on his hunt.
Mathieu returned a 62-yard punt for a touchdown at the 5:48 mark of the second quarter, a fumble recovery to set up the Tigers’ first offensive score 2:09 into the third quarter and a highlight-reel 47-yard punt return to set up yet another score, two minutes later.
By the 10:37 mark of the third quarter, LSU led 21-10 and had seized momentum to the point that an LSU victory seemed inevitable. As they’ve done all season, the Tigers simply stepped on the gas from there in front of 74,515 at the Georgia Dome.
Mathieu was the runaway pick as game MVP. He finished with 119 all-purpose yards as well as four tackles and a pass breakup. His touchdown was his fourth of the season.
“I just wanted to do as much as I could for my team,” said Mathieu, a 5-foot-9, 175-pound sophomore. “We started out slow, and I wanted to shift the momentum of the game.”
The Bulldogs left the game duly impressed.
“When you play as hard as he does, good things happen for you,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “He’s very athletic, very competitive.”
For the Bulldogs, it was the tale of two halves and of missed opportunities.
Georgia led 10-0 deep into the second quarter, but the Bulldogs’ lead could have been bigger. Receivers had several big drops early, including two passes that could have gone for touchdowns.
Tavarres King had a high pass by Aaron Murray go through his hands on third-and-11 at the LSU 22 on Georgia’s first possession, and the Bulldogs had to settle for a 40-yard field goal by Blair Walsh.
After recovering its first onside kick of the season, the Bulldogs were in position to score again on their second possession. On third-and-16 at the LSU 27, Malcolm Mitchell was wide open inside the LSU 5, but dropped a perfectly thrown ball from Murray. This time Walsh could not bail them out as he missed a 45-yard try.
Georgia had two other miscues in the first quarter: Fullback Bruce Figgins dropped what would have been an easy first-down catch, and a Murray pass hit Michael Bennett in the back in an apparent miscommunication of a read.
“We probably could have had 21 points in the first half if we just catch the football,” Richt said. “But we were not able to do that. And then the second half, gosh, so many thing happened.
LSU managed to take its first lead of the game in the third quarter. Georgia led 10-7 when it received the second-half kickoff. But on third down Murray fumbled on a downfield run, and Mathieu recovered at the Georgia 26.
The Bulldogs gave further gifts in the form of an illegal-substitution penalty on first down. LSU fans then offered sarcastic applause when the Tigers recorded their first first down with 13 minutes remaining in the third quarter on a 6-yard pass to Rueben Randle.
Then LSU did them one better. Kenny Hilliard broke loose around left end on a 15-yard touchdown run. Just like that LSU led 14-10 barely two minutes into the second half.
Then Mathieu struck again. Pinned back at its own 14 after the ensuing kickoff, Georgia was three-and-out again. The Bulldogs punted deep to Mathieu, and he again made them pay with a 47-yard return to set up another score.
“There’s something about him that he seems to find a way to do something special just about every game,” Richt said. “And he did it again.”
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