The depth of Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry's friendship can be seen whenever the LSU receivers eat out together.
Landry playfully pops a straw through the end of its wrapper and ceremoniously extends it to Beckham. It's the same shtick employed by servers at the famous Camellia Grill, where Landry first ate while visiting with Beckham at his family's uptown New Orleans home. Now it's also an inside joke between arguably the best receiving tandem in college football.
Inseparable off the field, Landry and Beckham are constantly pushing one another to excel on it, all to the enormous benefit of an LSU passing game that is the best it has been in years.
"We're all like brothers, but those two are like twins," LSU offensive lineman Vadal Alexander said of the junior receivers. "They work with each other. They have confidence in each other. They want each other to succeed. ... It's special to watch — two guys like that being as close as they are."
Through seven games, Beckham and Landry have combined to make 83 catches for 1,407 yards and 13 touchdowns. Both exhibit an exceptional athleticism and football I.Q. that make them difficult for opposing defense to adequately cover simultaneously. Now they're Mississippi's problem. The Rebels host the No. 6 Tigers on Saturday night.
"They're great receivers. Good hands, great speed," said Ole Miss safety Trae Elston. "We've just got to figure out a way to stop them."
Landry has made 46 catches for 674 yards and seven TDs. LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger often looks for him over the middle, where Landry made one of his most spectacular catches this season at Georgia — a leaping grab in traffic converging with such force that the receiver's helmet was knocked off.
Beckham, who has 37 catches for 733 yards and six TDs, plays with a showmanship that belies the humility he displays in daily life. He's been known to snag kickoffs with one hand. His vision and speed led coach Les Miles to refer to him as "a big play waiting to happen" in the receiving game and special teams. Beckham has two receptions this season that went for more than 40 yards. He also returned a missed field goal 100 yards for a score.
GRAMBLING FIRES INTERIM
Grambling has lost 17 straight games and that's the least of the team's problems right now.
Interim coach George Ragsdale was fired Thursday, the Shreveport Tmes reported. He followed Doug Williams, who was fired just two weeks into this season. Defensive coordinator Dennis Winston assumes control of the team, making his the team's third head coach this season.
And there are still five games to be played.
On Wednesday, the entire team skipped practice as part of an ongoing dispute with university officials.This came after a meeting Tuesday attended by players, AD Aaron James, Ragsdale, university president Frank Pogue and the student government president.
Grambling is 0-7 this season and has been outscored 79-3 in its two most recent losses. Grambling plays at Jackson State on Saturday.
UCLA TO PLAY MICHIGAN
Michigan and UCLA will play a home-and-home football series next decade.
Michigan school made the announcement on Thursday, saying the Wolverines and Bruins will face each other in 2022 and 2023.
UCLA will travel to Michigan Stadium on Sept. 10, 2022, and Michigan will make the return trip to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Sept. 2, 2023.
This will be the Wolverines' first scheduled home-and-home series with a Pac-12 school since they took on Washington and Oregon last decade. Michigan is scheduled to open the 2015 season at Utah, and played the Utes in Ann Arbor to open the 2008 season.
The games against UCLA will be the 12th and 13th meetings between the schools. Michigan is 8-3 against the Bruins. The teams last met in 2000, when UCLA won 23-20 at the Rose Bowl.
OLE MISS DE OUT FOR YEAR
Mississippi defensive end C.J. Johnson will have season-ending surgery on his right ankle.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Johnson hasn't been fully healthy since he suffered a broken fibula in his right leg during spring practice in March. He played in the first four games this season, making 12 tackles, including four for a loss. He led the Rebels with 6.5 sacks in 2012.
But the ankle started hurting again during the Rebels' Sept. 28 loss to Alabama and the junior from Philadelphia, Miss., hasn't played since. Coach Hugh Freeze said Thursday that surgery has been scheduled for Oct. 28 and Johnson expects to qualify for a medical redshirt.
Ole Miss (3-3, 1-3) hosts No. 6 LSU (6-1, 3-1) on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Contributor: The Associated Press