ORLANDO, Florida - It was as if LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda had a friend who is a conflicted radio announcer at Louisville, and he gave Aranda the Cardinals' playbook.
The Tigers defense destroyed what was the No. 2 scoring and gaining offense in the nation Saturday in a 29-9 Citrus Bowl victory as Louisville - averaging 45.3 points and 558.8 yards a game coming in - was held without a touchdown for the first time since 2010 and was limited to 220 yards. The Cardinals went 0-for-13 on third downs before finishing 2-for-17, and Heisman Trophy quarterback Lamar Jackson suffered eight sacks and completed just 10 of 27 passes for 153 yards. His mere 220 total yards was nearly only half of his 410-yard average that had him ranked No. 2 in the nation in total offense coming into the game.
"We knew his moves," said LSU defensive tackle Lewis Neal, who had five tackles. "We knew what he was going to do."
Legally?
Yes. LSU did not get clandestine intelligence as Louisville apparently did from a conflicted, now fired Wake Forest radio announcer earlier this season that resulted in Louisville getting fined $25,000 by the Atlantic Coast Conference and the bowl suspension of Louisville co-covert offensive coordinator Lonnie Galloway, who used to be at Wake Forest. At least, Galloway can say he had nothing to do with the Cardinals' offensive ineptitude on this day. LSU also got no help from Russian president Vladimir Putin, but the Tigers played with a lot of "intelligence" at any rate.
"I mean they didn't show us anything that we hadn't seen on film," LSU cornerback Tre'Davious White said. "So we were really prepared for it. Coach Aranda does a great job of making sure we watch plenty of film and just be able to execute the defense."
And LSU, which finished 8-4, did this by not using all of the allotted bowl practices as it practiced 12 times instead of 15, a philosophy new coach Ed Orgeron got while he was an assistant at USC under Coach Pete Carroll. Aranda doesn't spy or cheat. He and his players just watch.
"Watch film. Watch film," White said. "The schedule that Coach O has for us, we're in the film room way more than we were in the past. And I feel like that helps us out as players. That was one of the reasons why we performed the way we did today."
Louisville (9-4) did slump to its third straight loss after reaching No. 3 in the nation, but this was one of Petrino's worst offensive games as a head coach.
"When you're going backwards, and you get behind the sticks," he said in reference to five sacks in the first half, "it's really hard to make first downs against them."
Jackson had little to offer in the way of explanation.
"There were a lot of mistakes each and every one of us made out there," he said. "It was a great team."
They say don't give Nick Saban, whose Alabama defense team stuffed Washington in a 24-7 win later Saturday to reach the national championship game, extra time to prepare. They can say that about Dave Aranda, too. He thoroughly out coached one of the best in the business in Petrino. Made him look bad.
"He's a scientist," Neal said of Aranda.
"We actually played two defenses," Orgeron said, but chose not to explain in much detail so as not to tip future opponents. Basically, Aranda showed one defense, but played another, which is something he has often done in his career.
"I thought it was very brilliant on Dave's part to mix it up," Orgeron said. "Give them a different lineup in something, but play something else. We did it all game. He was one step ahead."
As the fourth quarter opened, Louisville and Petrino were done. Facing a fourth and 10 at the LSU 13 while down 26-6, they threw up the white flag and settled for a field goal. The Cardinals put together their best drive on their next possession, moving 71 yards in 11 plays to a first and goal at the LSU 2-yard line. But they couldn't punch it in. On third and goal from the 5, Neal and freshman linebacker Devin White stuffed Jackson for no gain. On fourth and goal, he completed a pass to tight end Charles Standberry, but NFL first round bound safety Jamal Adams stopped him for a yard. And the ball went over to LSU.
"Our defense prides itself on keeping people out of the end zone," White said.
The late Bill Arnsparger, a defensive genius who was LSU's head coach from 1983-86, called it a shutout for his defense when it did not allow a touchdown. Considering the opponent, there is no problem with calling this one a shutout.
"Dave Aranda answered the call," Orgeron said.
And it was not from one of those cellular phones that suspect users destroy minutes later so as not to be traced. LSU's hacking of Louisville's offense may have looked illegal, but it will not be investigated.
Glenn Guilbeau covers LSU sports for the USA Today Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter at @LSUBeatTweet.
