BATON ROUGE — LSU will play two football games in a span of six days for the first time since 1973 when the Tigers travel to Starkville to take on Mississippi State in a match-up of Southeastern Conference Western Division rivals.
With a short work week in store for the Tigers, LSU went back to work on Wednesday with its focus on getting prepared for a much-improved Mississippi State team. The Tigers practiced in shells on Wednesday, the team’s first workout since dropping a 30-27 overtime decision to Tennessee on Monday in Tiger Stadium.
“We had a difficult start, but the pace quickened and we got a lot out of it,” Miles said following the Wednesday workout. “It’s something we desperately needed to get done. You can tell this team played a ball game on Monday, but it’s a mature group and they want to practice in a workmanlike manner.”
Miles said he’s been pleased with the mental approach of the team and that he expects his squad to respond in a positive way against Mississippi State on Saturday.
“We’re in this thing together,” Miles said. “It’s certainly not the start of a normal season in any way, but this football team is a made up of a quality group of young men. I don’t think the coaching staff or players are ready to start pointing the finger. Let’s get it fixed, let’s hang in there, and let’s get better. And I think this team will.”
The Tigers continued to install the Mississippi State game plan on Wednesday. LSU will hold a light workout on Thursday followed by a walk-thru in Baton Rouge on Friday before departing for Starkville that afternoon.
Miles said that the Tigers have gotten a lot out of their two days of preparation for the Bulldogs. LSU spent Tuesday watching film from the Tennessee contest, while doing some prep work on the Bulldogs.
“We met with the team and watched the film,” Miles said. “Having been through a short week before, if you don’t give them a day to rest their legs, if you don’t give them some time to heal, then it can be counterproductive. You can take the sore body and make it an injured one.”