ORLANDO, Fla. — Tuesday was a day of giving back for LSU as the Tigers held a two-hour practice followed by an outing with a hundred local children here at the Capital One Bowl.
The Tigers continued to prepare for Saturday’s 1 p.m. contest against 12th-ranked Iowa with a workout at Tinker Field. Following Tuesday’s practice, LSU and Iowa met for the first time as the teams joined up and spent two hours with some less fortunate children in the Orlando area.
As far as LSU’s practice was concerned, the Tigers continued to fine-tune their game plan, while also preparing for an Iowa team that hasn’t lost a game since a 30-17 setback to Michigan on Sept. 25.
“We did a good job today,” LSU coach Nick Saban said following the Tigers’ third workout here in Orlando. “We still have some work to do, but we’ll get it done and we’ll be ready on Saturday.”
Saban said the team’s focus has been good this week and that his squad has done a good job of blocking out the obvious distractions of the week.
“The focus for us is on this game and the players,” Saban said. “This game is for the players and they’ve done a tremendous job of focusing on practice and getting ready for Iowa. We’re going to do all that we can as a staff to be successful in this game.”
As part of the Capital One Bowl’s Day with Kids, LSU and Iowa players took pictures and participated in games with the children. Even Mickey and Minnie Mouse made an appearance at the event, which was held on the Florida Citrus Sports Complex at Tinker Field.
“We’ve been here since Saturday and the day with the children is the first time that we’ve done something for someone else as team,” Saban said. “These types of events just make you feel good. To be able to give something back to the community, whether it be here in Orlando or back in Baton Rouge, it’s very rewarding and fulfilling for our players. It’s nice to know that you can make a difference and that by spending just a little bit of time with some of these children can really put a smile on their face.”
The Tigers will go back to work with an 11 a.m. practice on Wednesday followed by a Sea World outing later in the day. In addition, Saban, along with defensive end Marcus Spears and offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth, will meet with members of the media in the first official Capital One Bowl Press Conference on Wednesday after practice.