Mettenberger, LSU escape Auburn with W

LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger came in leading the SEC’s top offense but showed his inexperience in a hostile Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday night.

“I wasn’t really nervous,” Mettenberger said. “I knew that this was probably going to be the biggest game of my life so far. I think I handled the pressure well.”

Mettenberger went 15-for-27 passing for 169 and fumbled twice in his SEC debut. But when it mattered most late in the fourth quarter, Mettenberger delivered on a throwback pass to running back Spencer Ware on third and four that went for 33 yards and iced the game.

“I knew that it had potential to be a big play for us,” Mettenberger said. “Fortunately it worked out. We had to have it because if they stopped it, it probably would have been a little different.”

Mettenberger came out of the gate hot, passing 6-for-7 on LSU’s first two drives. In the opening quarter, the Bayou Bengals converted on four of their six third downs, but went just 2 for 12 in the final three.

Overall, coach Les Miles was pleased with how his young quarterback handled the pressure.

“There’s some things he did wrong,” Miles said, “there’s some positions we put him in that didn’t favor him, but what he showed was character, toughness and really made the plays that he needed to make at crunch time. We’ll be able to build off that, I believe.”