ORLANDO, Fla. - When there is no opponent on the immediate horizon, Marcus Spears makes his way to the muddy Mississippi River backwaters near his hometown of Baton Rouge, La.

There the Louisiana State all-American defensive end finds welcome silence, time to think and plenty of fish, which he attacks with the same ferocity that he displays on the football field.

"There's no better place to get away from it than with a fishing pole in one hand and a pail of bait in the other," Spears said. "That's real quality time."

Quality has been the name of the senior's game.

Heading into Saturday's noon game against Iowa in the Capital One Bowl, the 6-foot-4, 298-pound Spears has enjoyed one of the most dominating seasons a defensive lineman ever has had for the Tigers.

The senior ranked second in the Southeastern Conference with nine sacks and 17 tackles-for-loss. He also contributed 21 quarterback hurries to a Louisiana State defense that is allowing just 249.9 yards per game. Only two teams in the country are giving up fewer yards.

"We're playing defense the way we're capable of playing it. We're coming out and getting after people," Spears said. "We were the experienced part of our team at the start of the year, and we are living up to those expectations."

The effort was needed. The Louisiana State team that won the Bowl Championship Series national title last year sent 13 players to the NFL, including six who stuck as free agents.

Spears is one of seven starters who returned from the Tigers' 2003 defense. That group includes all-Southeastern Conference picks Corey Webster at cornerback, Kyle Williams at defensive tackle and Lionel Turner at linebacker.

"We're doing the things that LSU defenses are supposed to do. We like to put a little pressure on the quarterback, we like to mix our fronts a bit and try to disguise things from time to time," Spears said. "We like to make an offense work for what it gets."

Spears enjoys his role, and he seemingly has saved his best for last.

Spears has recorded 34 tackles - 14 for loss - and eight sacks over the final five games of the six-game win streak that 12th-ranked LSU brings into its matchup with 11th-ranked Iowa.

"He's a guy who is real vocal but will take the time with a young guy to make sure that he's doing things right," Turner said. "This defense sort of has his personality. He knew he could have left last year, but he wanted to come back and help the young guys make something out of this season, and he's done that."

Things haven't been bad for a player who was regarded as one of the nation's top tight end recruits five years ago.

"I never really thought much about playing at home at first. Texas was the first college letter I got, and that made me think that I must be able to play a bit," Spears said. "LSU was something like 3-8 at that time and they had a new coach, and I didn't know a lot about Nick Saban until I met him.

"Everybody was telling me I was going to come in and start at tight end, that I was the No. 1 tight end and all that stuff, but he just said he played the best players. He was real honest, and I could tell his word was as good as gold. Everything he told me then has been that way."

Saban, who has been known to spend an hour or two with a rod and reel at Spears' favorite fishing hole, even persuaded Spears to make a decision he doesn't regret.

"He talked me into giving defense a try," Spears said. "I'm glad he did. He's the guy who made me the player I am now."