BATON ROUGE — As the 30th head coach in LSU football history, interim coach Hal Hunter addressed the media at the weekly press luncheon at the LSU Athletics Administration Building.
It?s been an interesting two weeks. Arkansas poses a unique challenge to us. They?re playing their best ball right now. They were a little bit of an up and down team earlier in the year. But as of late they seem to have put it all together. Our kids understand the challenge ahead of them, an aggressive attacking style defense, strong up front, a secondary that can play man with the best of them. They have a big physical offensive line and a great young tailback. They?ve got a quarterback who?s going to win or die trying and a couple of big playmakers at receiver. They can play with anybody in this conference on any given day. I know our kids are really excited to play against this team to finish up the season, because they know if they can beat this team, then they will gain the respect of a lot of people who are watching this game.
Hal, how have the last two days gone?
It?s been real positive lately, I know we gave them the weekend off and I told them that. We?ve been beat up physically and mentally this year, and I think they needed some time off from us. I said all I ask is that you be back here for the meeting on Monday at 2pm. When I walked into that meeting room on Monday, we had 100% attendance, and that?s the first time in a long time we had that good attendance. That was a real positive sign. They?ve been practicing real hard, and they seem loose, which I see as a sign that they?re ready to play. As of recently, we have a lot of injured players wanting to come back. Yesterday, we had players who should be out for the rest of the year trying to get out there and show the trainers that they can run. Lionel Thomas shouldn?t even be doing anything, but he?s out there trying to show the trainers he can run. We?ve got Abram Booty, he?s practicing today. We?ve got other guys that if it were a different situation, they would just back out. But its just the opposite. Our injury list is as short as its been this year.
Hal, who will call the plays on Friday?
We all call the plays and we?re going to continue our communication as an offensive staff right through this last game. I think to try to change a lot of things right here at the end could cause some problems, possibly making us look inefficient. We?ve talked about it, and we?re going to do a few things different. As an assistant coach, you understand the way a game is called. My chance for my in put to say the way I want the game called, and how I think we should go about things comes on Monday Tuesday and Wednesday. It?s the same thing for the other coaches. We don?t need three different coaches in one guy?s ear yapping at the same time. Just keep your mouth shut and if he asks for your opinion, give it. But he doesn?t need three different guys telling him what they want to do.
How do the other coaches stay motivated?
It?s tough. It?s tough for coaches coaching their last game in Tiger. I think it takes a mature professional type of man. I think its been good that the players have been so upbeat. It?s much easier to coach a player who wants to play. It would be very difficult thing to do to coach a team in the last week if you had players who didn?t want to play. But the players have been attentive, they?ve practiced hard. One of the greatest signs of whether or not they?re into it is mistakes in practice, and the tip sheet would let me know that, but my tip sheet is not very long. It?s been so positive, that the coaches have a renewed enthusiasm to coach the players.
Have you made a decision on your starting quarterback?
The only thing I told them is that I?d like to see is more players playing. I think that a player maintains focus much better when he practices and participates in the game. But by the other hand, I?ve given the position coaches the choice to play who they want to play. But I let them know, if you plan on playing a player, you better practice him. Because if he?s not prepared, he?ll get in there and embarrass himself, and he won?t know what to do. The quarterback is the same thing, and unless Bob McConnell tells me different, Josh Booty will be out there with the first group, and that?s been my intention all along. But to say that Rohan Davey will not see time is just like Trey Langley will see time, and Ed Dangerfield along with Bubba Alexander. For one reason or another, they?ve not been out there. But we?re trying to get them reps in practice so they can be ready to get out there. Quarterback is a little different, you kind of have to go with the hot hand. But out of mutual respect for the coaching staff, I?m going to let them make the call. We?ll discuss all the decisions, but they have the say so.