Decision on Troy-LSU game due Wednesday

By Drew Champlin

Published: September 2, 2008

Whether or not the game between Troy and LSU Saturday night at Tiger Stadium goes on should be decided Wednesday, Troy officials say. Baton Rouge has suffered damage from Hurricane Gustav, which hit the city Monday.

“We’ve heard nothing,” Troy head coach Larry Blakeney said Tuesday night. “They’re supposed to meet in the morning and make a decision. They were supposed to meet this afternoon and make a decision.”

Blakeney said his team was practicing as if it would play Saturday’s 7 p.m. game.

“I imagine they’re trying at all lengths to play this game, but are having problems,” Blakeney said.

Earlier Tuesday, Troy media relations director Ricky Hazel relayed a message from LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette about the game.

“Just got a voice mail from Michael,” Hazel said in an e-mail. “He said they have extensive damage, no power any where in the city. The campus has extensive damage.”

According to Baton Rouge media outlets, Tiger Stadium did suffer damage because of high winds from the storm.

LSU associate athletics director Herb Vincent told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that one of the issues is damage to Tiger Stadium and the lack of power on campus. Because Tiger Stadium is without power, the damage to the electrical structure can’t be assessed. LSU, ranked No. 7 and the defending national champions, practiced Tuesday indoors and is expected to practice today.

If the game is rescheduled, the best bet is Nov. 15, when both teams have a bye weekend.