Mirror images: the similarities between Oklahoma and LSU go far beyond matching 12-1 records and New Orleans hotel reservations, as proved by the tale of the tape on their star players

Sporting News, The, Dec 22, 2003 by Matt Hayes

WIDE RECEIVERS

Mark Clayton, Oklahoma

Before the snap: Oklahoma uses multiple sets for Clayton, looking for mismatches in man coverage. Depending on the play and formation, he can play outside of in the slot. OU uses him in motion to detect man or zone coverage and uses option routes to get the best possible matchup.

Getting off the line: Clayton has the best first step of any receiver in the country. He uses a variety of moves, hand swipes and deception to create separation at the line. Once he gets by the corner, the damage is done.

Locking him down: The dilemma for every defensive coordinator: Crowd Clayton of give him room? If a defense plays zone, it better have a safety who is fast enough to cut off Clayton after his release from the cornerback, bracketing Clayton and keeping him from turning a 10-to 12-yard pattern into something much bigger. If a defense plays man, the corner must be physical enough to stay with Clayton through the first 5 to 7 yards of the route and force quarterback Jason White to go to his next read. The safest play is a zone because it keeps Clayton in front of the defense and eventually surrounds him. But that also means letting Clayton catch a pass in space, where he can get significant yards after the catch with his speed and moves.

Getting in his head: Clayton gets agitated and thrown off his game when the ball isn't coming his way early. OU invariably presses to get him the ball--usually on streak routes--and takes him away from what he does best: making catches in traffic and making defenders miss.

Advance scouting: Says one Big 12 defensive coordinator: "Clayton can turn a 5-yard out into a 60-yard touchdown before you blink. He has incredible balance and hips like Elvis. You've got to have your strong safety hit him early and hard and make him think about what's going to happen once he catches it. Then get as many people around him as possible after he catches it.

Height: 5-11

Weight: 187

Class: Junior 79 catches 1,393 yards, 17.6 yards per catch, 15 touchdowns

Michael Clayton, LSU

Before the snap: Clayton is the split end, usually lining up wide of the line. But the Tigers occasionally line him in the slot--the goal is to keep him from getting double-teamed, and there's a greater possibility of that happening outside.

Getting off the line: The tall, lanky Clayton is not necessarily intimidating at the line. But he's superb technically and uses his size as leverage to fend off cornerbacks in the early stages of the route, then uses his long stride to gain separation. Any corner who can't stay close early will pay seconds later.

Locking him down: Forget about zone coverage. Clayton can leap and go after the ball as well as anyone this side of Larry Fitzgerald, and his 6-4 frame plays like 6-11 when the ball is in the air. The best chance to disrupt his game: Get physical. In October, Florida cornerback Keiwan Ratliff pushed, pulled and held Clayton nearly every snap and limited him to five catches for 60 yards. The more he's knocked off his route, the more the shaky accuracy of quarterback Matt Mauck comes into play. Play tight and force Clayton to stay outside the hash marks and away from the middle of the field--where there's space to work and too many opportunities for Clayton to adjust to a poor throw.

Getting in his head: It won't be easy--he's very even-tempered and patient in the Tigers' run-oriented offense. LSU knows teams want to get physical, and coordinator Jimbo Fisher usually responds with crossing routes and picks that take advantage of the speed of Clayton and receiver Devery Henderson in the middle of the field and force safeties to choose earlier on double-coverage checks.

Advance scouting: Says one SEC defensive coordinator: "They're very good at finding ways to get him involved. They want him going over the middle because he catches anything close to him. They'll pound and pound and pound over the middle on those intermediate curls and crosses, then hit you with a stop-and-go and take advantage of aggressive coverage. Once they get you in that spot, all Mauck has to do is throw it up (deep), and Clayton will go get it."

Height: 6-4

Weight: 197

Class: Junior 74 catches 1,041 yards, 14.1 yards per catch, 10 touchdowns

QUARTERBACKS

Jason White, Oklahoma

Presnap read: 0klahoma spreads the field and frequently uses the shotgun for two key reasons. Its line is more of a pass-blocking unit and can employ less physical zone techniques when running out of the shotgun. More important, the shotgun enables White to find mismatches in coverage.

Under pressure: Some teams like to play zone and force White to make good decisions (they'd better be able to tackle after the catch); others think he's susceptible to a rush and will force poor throws (they'd better be able to deal with his accuracy). In the Big 12 championship game, Kansas State used a lot of zone principles with some blitzing in front of the coverages to fool White. But its defensive line did a majority of the damage and allowed the Wildcats to drop anywhere from five to eight in coverage in pass situations.