ORLANDO, Fla. — With a wind chill close to 35 degrees, LSU’s 11th-ranked football team went back to work on Sunday as the Tigers practiced for the first time since reporting to the Capital One Bowl here at Tinker Field.
The Tigers face 12th-ranked Iowa in the Capital One Bowl on Saturday. The game is a sellout and will be televised by ABC. Both teams enter the contest with identical 9-2 records. LSU has won six straight, while the Hawkeyes have won seven consecutive games. The contest will serve as the first meeting between the teams in football.
“We’re excited to be here,” LSU coach Nick Saban said following the Tigers’ workout on Sunday. “The Capital One Bowl is the most prestigious of the non-BCS bowls and Orlando is certainly a great place to be with all that this city has to offer. We are extremely pleased to be able to be here to participate in this bowl game.”
Practicing in shorts and shoulder pads, the Tigers used Sunday’s two-hour workout to focus on their game plan against the Hawkeyes.
“I’m pleased with the way our team came out and practiced relative to all that has happened.” Saban said following the practice. “The team seemed focused on what we need to do. We had a good practice and we were productive despite the cold temperatures.”
“The cold weather was the only distraction for us on the practice field. This is the first time since I left Michigan that I can remember seeing my breath when I walked out onto the practice field. We were fortunate to be able to stay outside for practice because of the amount of rain that they’ve had here. The fields were in good shape and we got a lot done.”
The practice was the first for the Tigers since Dec. 21 when LSU broke camp following eight bowl workouts in Baton Rouge.
“Even though it was windy, I was pleased with the way we were able to throw the ball,” Saban said. “There seemed to be pretty good carry over from what we practiced before breaking for Christmas.”
Saban said the Tigers face a tremendous challenge in Iowa, a squad who claimed a share of the Big Ten title.
“Iowa has an outstanding football team,” Saban said. “They play great on defense, they are very well-coached and they have good players on both sides of the ball who play hard on every down.”
“It’s not hard to figure out why they are co-champs of the Big Ten. They are certainly a challenging opponent for us and I know they have the respect from our players and this team.”
Following Sunday’s first practice, the Tigers were scheduled to spend time with Mickey Mouse and the rest of his friends at Walt Disney World. The Tigers will practice again at 11 a.m on Thursday followed by a trip to Universal Studios on Tuesday afternoon.