LSU Opens Up SEC Play This Weekend In Nashville
September 10, 2010 – 11:00 am by timgunterLSU kicks off their SEC conference schedule tomorrow night in Nashville when they play Vanderbilt having just barely squeaked by UNC last week in Atlanta. A total of eighteen players, including nine true freshmen, saw their first collegiate action for LSU in the season-opener, and it showed. Despite having a dozen players suspended for the game, the Tar Heels were able to stick with them the entire game until a last-second incompletion sealed the game for the Tigers. It is important that the Tigers get off on the right foot because last year they stumbled through SEC play finishing below .500 for the first time since ’99. LSU, two seasons removed from winning the national title, will rely on quarterback Jordan Jefferson and wide receiver Russell Shepard to help it avoid similar struggles that plagued them last year within the conference. With Jefferson and Co. doing a good job at commanding the offense, Les Miles is hoping for a better performance from his defense tomorrow night. If Miles can continue to develop the young players on the team they have a chance to compete this year in the SEC West, but unfortunately for them, their division is Alabama’s to lose.
Les Miles on WWL in New Orleans to talk about what his trust factor is like with the young secondary allowing them to blitz and make plays despite not having much experience, what he thinks about opening up the conference schedule with Vanderbilt and how important it is to get off to a good start, and what the keys are for the game vs. Vanderbilt to come away with a victory before opening up at home against Mississippi State.
On the notion that you can’t simulate a game during practice for the younger players to get more experience:
“No question that is why first games are so exciting in college football and you see some scores that are unusual, you see some mock scores, some statistical that just doesn’t seem to fit that team. Those are first game issues. The good news is you get out of the first game with a victory and you have the opportunity to correct and to teach and we are a very young team. The good news is we a very talented team. There are guys that played in their first game and the old coaching axiom is you can really improve 20% from the first game to the second. I think there is a good feel that this team will improve significantly based on the youth that we started with.”
On Patrick Peterson being an effective punt returner despite the other team trying to game plan against him:
“He is a very talented man, ambitious and he wants to put it in the end zone. There is not a run out of bounds in him and it was great to see and we anticipated it to be honest with you. We felt like this was the kind of year and the kind of skill that he has we look forward to seeing him week after week.”
What his trust factor is like with the young secondary allowing them to blitz and make plays despite not having much experience:
“Well there is no substitute for experience. It is that key ingredient allows you to play situations and understand that you have been there before, this is what we do and yet we have some young guys that are very talented and can play and the missing ingredient is certainly that experience so what you want to do is temper as best as you can their learning with how successful they can be with the talent that they have so those very talented guys have to get on the field and they have to learn on the run and those guys that pick it up quickly and show the ability to gain experience quickly they get to have long seasons and frankly that is where we are at with this young team. We are looking to enjoy Patrick when he is on the field and there will be those times where we have to break him or spell him and we are preparing those other freshmen or those other corners to go in his position.”
What he thinks about opening up the conference schedule with Vanderbilt and how important it is to get off to a good start:
“Anytime that you play an SEC opponent you better be ready to play and it is just that simple. The good news is that we just had a road game we understand what it is like to be on the road and I don’t think anybody is looking by this very, very talented team in Vanderbilt and again they played a good team and again we went into the fourth quarter with an opportunity at victory. Our guys will understand the work that we have cut out for ourselves.”
What the keys are for the game vs. Vanderbilt to come away with a victory before next week’s game against Mississippi State:
“Continue to run the football, be efficient in our throwing. The good news is that our defense seems to be very sticky against the run which is long as they are it will be very difficult for teams to throw it against us, stop the run and continue to be dominant on special teams. If we play our three phases the way LSU is supposed to play we will be fine.”
Tags: barely squeaked by UNC last week in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Death Valley, Is Les Miles on the hot seat?, Jordan Jefferson, Les Miles, Louisiana State University, LSU Tigers, Nashville, Patrick Patterson, SEC Conference football, SEC Football, Tiger country, Vanderbilt vs. LSU
