BATON ROUGE, La. — Through the years, any LSU football player will tell you Saturday nights in the fall at Tiger Stadium are magical.

Former Melrose High School star Mario Stevenson can't wait to find that out Saturday when his No. 3 Tigers take on No. 10 Tennessee.

Because last year, after a season-ending foot injury in game two, Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium were torture for his aching heart.

"It hurt too much to even go to home games," said Stevenson, a senior cornerback. "I tried not to watch TV or listen to the radio. My apartment is three minutes from the stadium, so anytime a big play happened, I heard the fans cheering. That was really rough."

In LSU's only game this season — a home game moved to Arizona State on Sept. 10 because of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina — Stevenson created a roar in Tempe that was heard all the way back on the bayou.

The Tigers were on the verge of being counted out, trailing 17-7 entering the fourth quarter, when the Sun Devils lined for a 47-yard field goal. But defensive tackle Claude Wroten busted through and blocked the kick. Stevenson plucked it out of the air and raced 55 yards for a touchdown with 14:47 left to play.

"Back when I played for Melrose, we always talked about when you get one chance to make a play, you've got to take it," Stevenson said. "That was my one chance. I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. I got a chance to show Memphis some love by being on ESPN."

Just more than a minute later, the Tigers blocked a punt, and safety Craig Steltz ran 29 yards for the go-ahead score. LSU ended up a 34-31 winner, thanks to quarterback JaMarcus Russell's 39-yard fourth-down touchdown pass to Early Doucet with 1:13 left.

"When we were losing by 10 points, you could tell everybody's spirits were down," Stevenson said. "I just wanted to make a difference. When you're from Memphis and Orange Mound, you always want to make a difference."

It hasn't been an easy road for Stevenson. He broke a left ankle as a high school junior, then went to Northeast Mississippi Community College because of grades. Ranked as the top junior college cornerback in the nation in 2003, he was ready to do his thing at LSU last season when he was injured again.

After making two tackles and breaking up a pass in his debut against Arkansas State, his season was over and he knew exactly what happened when it happened. He suffered a broken fifth metatarsal in his left foot, and bone was separated from tendon.

"The thing about it is, that I sort of broke the foot two weeks before, and it just made it worse when I played in the game," Stevenson said. "I couldn't even get a medical redshirt."

Thus started Stevenson's year of football purgatory. He went to meetings. He watched film. He went to rehab.

One of the few times he watched LSU on TV was a road game at Florida, won 24-21 by LSU. Stevenson said he found himself "calling out coverages, I was really into it."

So what quelled his frustration and disappointment?

"I prayed a lot," Stevenson said. "I went back to my roots, I prayed to God. You've got to have peace of mind.

"I never think about myself when I play. I think about all the people from Orange Mound who didn't get a chance to make it. I play for them."

Which is why Stevenson came back more focused than ever. He really had no choice with the clock ticking on his college career.

"In the off-season, I stayed here the whole summer," Stevenson said. "I went to summer school, lifted weights and ran every day and watched films every day.

"I knew my injury last season put me behind the 8-ball, but I prepared myself for this season. I decided to put everything on the line. Because when you do that, whether you go on and play in the NFL or not, you can be satisfied about what you did."

So far, so good for Stevenson. Not only did he score on the blocked field goal, but he also got a lot of snaps in the secondary, staying on the field most of the time in the last three quarters. He made four tackles, and the coaches were generally pleased with his play.

It couldn't have come at a better time. Saturday is Stevenson's only shot at Tennessee, which has Stevenson's former Melrose teammate Ellix Wilson.

"I look forward to shaking his hand after the game," Stevenson said. "And when we win, I'll have a big smile on my face."