Aug. 30, 2008 • 10 a.m. CT • ESPN Classic GAME 1 Appalachian State Baton Rouge, La. • Tiger Stadium (92,400) #6/7 LSU (0-0, 0-0 SEC) Reigning National Champion LSU Hosts FCS Power Appalachian State To Open 2008 A pair of reigning national champions will square off on Saturday in Tiger Stadium when No. 6/7 LSU hosts Appalachian AUGUST State at 10 a.m. The game was moved up six hours on Friday due to the threat of Hurricane Gustav on the state of 30 Appalachian State (ESPN) 10 a.m. Louisiana. The 10 a.m. start time is thought to be the earliest kickoff time from a game in Tiger Stadium in the modern era SEPTEMBER of LSU football. The game will be televised to a national audience by ESPN Classic. A year ago, LSU posted a 12-2 over- 6 Troy 7 p.m. all mark and claimed its second BCS National Championship in five years with a 38-24 win over Ohio State in the BCS title 13 North Texas 7 p.m. game. Appalachian State, who is ranked No. 1 in the preseason FCS polls, posted a 13-2 record a year ago on its way to 20 * at Auburn TBA claiming its third straight Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) national title. It marks the first time in college 27 * Mississippi State TBA football history that the reigning champion from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) will face the defending champion of OCTOBER the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in the season-opener the following year. LSU is 1-0 all-time against 11 * at Florida TBA Appalachian State, having posted a 24-0 win over the Mountaineers in 2005. Les Miles begins his fourth season as head 18 * at South Carolina TBA coach of the Tigers in 2008. Miles' 34-6 mark with the Tigers is the best three-year stretch in school history and his 34 wins 25 * Georgia TBA since the start of the 2005 ties Pete Carroll (USC) for most in the nation during that span. The Tigers go into 2008 riding a NOVEMBER string of three straight seasons with double-digit wins, also a first at the school. LSU returns 13 starters from last year's 1 Tulane 7 p.m. squad - 7 offense, 5 defense, 1 specialist. Among the returning starters for the Tigers include four offensive linemen in cen- 8 * Alabama TBA ter Brett Helms, guards Herman Johnson and Lyle Hitt and left tackle Ciron Black. The Tigers also return three mem- 22 * Ole Miss TBA bers of their defensive front, including preseason All-America Tyson Jackson and the defensive MVP of the BCS title game in Ricky Jean-Francois. Colt David returns as LSU's placekicker after setting an SEC record with 147 total points a year 28 * at Arkansas (CBS) 1:30 p.m. DECEMBER ago. RBs Keiland Williams (478 yards, 6 TDs) and Trindon Holliday (364 yards, 2 TDs) return as LSU's top two ground 6 SEC Championship Game 3 p.m. gainers from a year ago, while Brandon LaFell (50 rec., 656 yards, 4 TDs) and Demetrius Byrd (35 rec., 621 yards, 7 TDs) are the top two receivers back from 2008. Andrew Hatch is the only quarterback on the roster with any game expe- rience as he played in one contest (Middle Tennessee) a year ago. Hatch, along with redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee, are both expected to play against Appalachian State. Appalachian State (0-0, 0-0 SoCon) LSU Becomes First Two-Time BCS National Champion In 2007 AUGUST LSU became college football's first two-time BCS National Champion in 2007 as the Tigers capped a 12-2 season with a 30 at LSU (ESPN) 10 a.m. 38-24 win over Ohio State in the BCS title game. The win over the Buckeyes put an end to a season that saw the Tigers SEPTEMBER spend four weeks during the regular season as the nation's top-ranked team. LSU's only two losses in 2007 came in triple- 6 Jacksonville 3:30 p.m. overtime, falling to Kentucky, 43-37, and then to Arkansas, 50-48, in the regular-season finale. A week after its setback to 20 at James Madison 7 p.m. Arkansas, LSU regrouped to post a 21-14 win over Tennessee in the SEC title game even though the Tigers' starting quar- 27 Presbyterian 7 p.m. terback (Matt Flynn) missed the game with a shoulder injury. The win over Tennessee, coupled with losses by Missouri and OCTOBER West Virginia that night, sent the Tigers to No. 2 in the BCS standings and thus a spot in BCS title game opposite Ohio 4 * The Citadel 3 p.m. State. In 2007, LSU recorded a school-record seven wins over top 25 teams, including three victories over opponents 11 * at Samford 2:30 p.m. ranked in the top 10. 18 * at Georgia Southern 3 p.m. LSU vs. Appalachian State: The Facts 25 * Furman 3:30 p.m. Date/Time: Saturday, Aug. 30 at 10 a.m. CDT 31 * Wofford (ESPN2) 8 p.m. Location: Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium - 92,400) NOVEMBER Television: ESPN Classic (live) 8 * at Chattanooga 2 p.m. Cox Sports Television (delay) - cable ch. 37 in Baton Rouge 15 * Elon 3:30 p.m. Radio: LSU Sports Radio Network - 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge XM Satellite Radio - ch. 200 22 * at Western Carolina 3 p.m. The Series: LSU leads 1-0 Series Notes: LSU and Appalachian State meet for the second time with the Tigers holding a 1-0 advantage in the series … LSU won the only other meeting between the schools, 24-0, in 2005 … The game is also the first time that the defending champion from the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly I-A) will meet the defending champion from the Football Radio • LSU Sports Radio Network Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) in the season-opener the following year … LSU is 4-0 all-time against FCS teams, Jim Hawthorne, play-by-play all of which have come since 2000 … LSU's other wins over FCS teams include a 58-0 win over Western Carolina to open the 2000 season, 35-10 win over the Citadel in 2002, a 35-7 victory over Western Illinois in 2003, and the win over Doug Moreau, analyst Appalachian State in 2005 … LSU coach Les Miles is 1-0 vs. Appalachian State and he's 4-0 against FCS teams. Jordy Hultberg, sideline Television • ESPN LSU Appalachian State Record 0-0 (0-0 SEC) Record 0-0 (0-0 SoCon) Sean McDonough, play-by-play Ranking No. 7 Associated Press Ranking No. 1 The Sports Network (FCS) Chris Spielman, analyst No. 6 USA Today/Coaches No. 1 FCS Coaches Rob Stone, sideline Last Game Jan. 7 at New Orleans, BCS Champ. Last Game Dec. 14, 2007 in FCS Championship def. #1 Ohio State, 38-24 def. #13 Delaware, 49-21 Television • Cox Sports (delay) Coach Les Miles Coach Jerry Moore Career Record 194-118-2/27th season Lyn Rollins, play-by-play Career Record 62-27/eighth year ASU Record 167-70/20th season Greg Bowser, analyst LSU Record 34-6/fourth year vs. ASU 1-0 vs. LSU 0-1 Jordy Hultberg, sideline LSU Sports Information Phone - 225.578.8226 P.O. Box 25095, Baton Rouge, LA 70894 Fax - 225.578.1861 1958, 2003 & 2007 National Champions • 1935, 1936, 1958, 1961, 1970, 1986, 1988, 2001, 2003 & 2007 SEC Champions Who to Contact LSU Media Services Sports Information Office (225) 578-8226 Assoc. AD/Sports Information Director Les Miles Interview Opportunities Michael Bonnette - [email protected] Monday Press Luncheon Associate Sports Information Director Each Monday at 11:30 a.m. in the Press Conference Room, which is located on the fifth floor of the LSU Bill Martin - [email protected] Athletic Administration Building. Coach Miles meets with the media at 12:15 p.m. Luncheons are weekly beginning Monday, August 25 through Monday, November 24 with the exception of the two open dates. A LSU Television transcript of coach Miles’ opening statement and as well as a portion of the question and answer session (225) 578-1797 can be found on the internet at www.LSUsports.net/media. There is also a listen-only number for media Director/Television only as part of Coach Miles’ Weekly Press Luncheon. Members of the media can listen-in each week by Kevin Wagner - [email protected] using the following instructions: Manager/Television John Schiebe - [email protected] Audience: For quick access, go to https://sportssystems.spiderphone.com/22900093 or David Landry - [email protected] dial 1 (800) 793-6775 or +1 212-812-4494 and enter 2290 0093 LSU Radio SEC Teleconference Director/Radio The 12 SEC coaches are featured on a weekly teleconference each Wednesday at 10 a.m. (CT) during the Jim Hawthorne - [email protected] regular season, beginning August 27. Coach Miles speaks for seven minutes starting at 10 a.m. Contact the LSU Sports Information Department to obtain the phone number to access the call. On the Internet www.LSUsports.net/media Wednesday Post Practice The Official Website of LSU Athletics is home to Coach Miles meets with the media immediately after practice on Wednesday's during the regular-seasonat all the football information you need. Schedules, the LSU Indoor Football Facility. results, rosters, bios, statistics and game notes can be found and are always up to date. The Sunday Briefing GAMEDAY section, updated daily, has all rele- Coach Miles will field questions from the from the media at 5:30 p.m.