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And, They're Off! Freshmen Begin Two-a-Days

by LSUsports.net (@LSUsports)
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And, They're Off! Freshmen Begin Two-a-Days

BATON ROUGE — Nick Saban put the LSU newcomers through their first practice as Tigers on Wednesday afternoon as the squad worked out for two hours at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility here Wednesday.

LSU is scheduled to have another workout on Wednesday night followed by a pair of practices on Thursday. The LSU varsity reports on Friday.

The newcomers spent most of the first practice getting adjusted to a high-tempo practice. The workout featured both individual and team drills, both of which stressed sound technique and fundamentals.

“The kids really tried to focus, but when you have that many guys and throw that many new things at them, anxiety takes over,” Saban said in a meeting with the media after the first session. “You will see as these guys become more comfortable, they will be able to play faster and show some of their ability.

“There are some big guys out there that have some ability. A couple of speed guys caught my eye and I thought that (linebacker) Cameron Vaughn is a guy who is extremely bright, learns things very quickly, and has good size and athleticism. He hopefully will be a guy that might help us depth wise at linebacker. All and all, it is pretty tough to tell after the first practice, especially in a situation where there is so much new stuff coming at them, but we were pleased with the effort.”

NOTES:

  • Temperatures were somewhat “cooler” than normal for the summer time in Baton Rouge, with a 2:30 p.m. reading of 90° and a slight wind blowing off the Mississippi River. The weather is expected to stay in the high 80s or low 90s with rain chances increasing toward the weekend.
  • Mosquito repellant was handed out prior to practice in response to the West Nile Virus outbreak that has killed five Louisiana residents and infected more than 70. Several large mosquito killing devices are scheduled to be installed at the practice fields this week.