BATON ROUGE — LSU head coach Les Miles addressed the local and national media on Monday at 12:15 p.m. CT, as his No. 1-ranked Tigers prepare to face No. 9 Florida this weekend in Tiger Stadium. Members of the Geaux Zone can watch the press conference on-demand now!
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COMMENTS FROM LSU COACH LES MILES AT HIS WEEKLY PRESS CONFERNCE
Opening statement…
“In review of the game against Tulane, our offense started slow and not exactly the way we wanted. I enjoyed the fact that our defense played well from start to finish. Special teams played well. I don’t know of too many seasons where there isn’t a spot of trouble, some adversity or some things that don’t work out right. Tulane played well and inspired. There wasn’t any question on our sideline or in the locker room that we were going to answer the call. We played about as poorly as we could in the first half and came back to play better in the second half. I enjoy games like that. I don’t enjoy sloppy play and I know there are a lot of areas where we have to improve but I like competitive games. I give Tulane credit. It is something that test you, and that is football.”
On the Florida game…
“We return to the SEC with a very talented and well-coached team. I have great respect for coach Urban Meyer and what they have been able to accomplish in his short tenure. They are talented on offense defense and special teams. Our team will be challenged and we look forward to it.”
“Their defense is fast, stingy and plays extremely well. They have a number of guys, but one that stands out to me is their freshman safety No. 21 (Major Wright.) He played extremely well against Auburn.”
“On offense, they have a nice offensive line that protects their quarterback (Tim Tebow.) Anytime you play a quarterback that runs the football, it is a concern on defense. They have a number of playmakers, especially Percy Harvin. We understand that this is very talented and capable Florida team. We look forward to playing them.”
“I am told that we have a different ranking and there are a bunch of people ready to say nice things about us. The truth of the matter is anybody that voted us No. 1, it’s obvious they didn’t get up in the morning and watch us play (Tulane). If they would have watched the first half, there is no way they would have voted us No. 1. I don’t think there is anybody in our building that believes we are a finished product or that we have arrived. I can tell you that our football team is very humble and will come to work today. They understand there is a great challenge in front of us with Florida. We are going to have to prepare. It is probably good that we didn’t play great football last week because it proves there is a lot to accomplish and improve on. The intensity of play is going to have to be picked up.”
“I always like big games, I think our guys like big games. I think you will find our players are ready to practice, hurry to meetings and run from drill to drill with a little quicker step. There is more energy in the building. We look forward to this. I understand it is only one game, but it sure is one that we will enjoy preparing for. Obviously (ESPN) Game Day is here, a national audience and two highly-respected programs. It will be a lot of fun. It is what college football is all about. It is why you come to LSU, to play in games like this.”
On how to tackle Florida’s QB Tim Tebow…
“You tackle him anyway you can. Obviously everybody says to go low and it makes sense to wrap up a strong running back or quarterback. To me, it is not only about tackling low but getting 11 hats to the ball, whoever has it. Swarming that quarterback is what we are going to have to do.”
On how being ranked No. 1 affects the team…
“It changes nothing. We are appreciative of the people that voted for us. It is a compliment to the program and our players. Right now we are just holding place. We are looking forward to playing and playing well. There will be no difference in how we approach the game. It is a game where we want to play our very best and prepare well. It doesn’t make a difference that our ranking has changed.”
On if QB Ryan Perrilloux will throw the ball more this game…
“He threw several balls last game and several balls the game before. That is enough. That is what the team needed from him. We need to sharpen the skills of all of our players not only Ryan, but all of our quarterbacks. We are prepared to have him do things that we feel will help us win.”
On if he felt the offensive line was overlooking Tulane…
“There was no ?overlooking the opponent,’ it was just not the intensity of play we needed. We were not happy with how the offensive line played except that Ciron Black played his best complete game of the year. I was remiss in not mentioning that he was our M.V.P. on offense, considering how the offensive line played. He was the guy that played extremely well. We were not satisfied with how our guys played and our guys are not satisfied with how they played. They will come to work and understand that Florida will be much more talented on the defensive front.”
On if there are any changes to special teams after struggling last year against Florida…
“Our kickers are going to kick the ball off for us and there may be a change in strategy in where we kick it. If we cover kickoffs like we did against Tulane, then we will be fine. Even against a very talented Florida team. Our special teams gives me reason for concern, but not so much yesterday. I like the fact that Chad Jones took some punts and got loose. He shows the big-play potential that we are looking for back there. I am not saying that Trindon Holliday or Jared Mitchell won’t get a shot.
On DB Chad Jones as a punt returner…
“I thought he did a good job with his initial opportunities. Certainly he needs to improve. There are some issues with some of his judgments on several punts. He has the ability to field them well and has great speed. If we get him comfortable back there then the opportunity for him to make plays for us is there.”
On preventing turnovers…
“That is always an emphasis for us. Hopefully we have improved. When you play your best opponents, they challenge you the best and most severely. It’s attention to detail when it comes to turnovers. That is something we coach aggressively every day.”
On if Florida’s loss to Auburn makes Florida more dangerous…
“It is hard for me to try and figure out how your opponent is going to fair best or worse whether they win or lose. I watched a pretty spirited game with them, on both sides. I have no druthers whether they win or lose. There is no way for me to deal with how they may feel. That will not enter in any preparation of mine.”
On DE Tyson Jackson…
“I think Tyson Jackson was around the football a lot in Saturday’s game. I think our opponents know exactly where he is at. He is having a good year, it’s just things come in bunches. Hopefully his opportunity will come Saturday.”
On if the large amount of media attention this week motivates the team…
“My motivation certainly doesn’t have anything to do with television. However, guys look forward to preparation and our coaches work hard. It is very enjoyable for me to be linked and work with a team that shows great effort. Everybody understands that this week it is important that everybody contributes. Our guys prepare well for big games.”
On if they studied how Florida used their quarterbacks last season…
“Obviously they use their quarterbacks to their advantage on offense. I don’t know if we studied how they did it. It is always a thought of mind to incorporate the talents of your team. Certainly coach (Urban) Meyer did that. He brought on a young quarterback (Tim Tebow) in his first year and didn’t give him the opportunity to throw the ball much. Now after a year of being relegated to mostly running, but getting in the game and getting comfortable, he is their starter and very comfortable throwing the ball. Obviously they have done a great job of bringing him on. You decline the opportunity to bring different talents in the game if you close your mind to being a one-quarterback team. I look forward to the opportunity of using guys with different talents. I like the idea that my second-team quarterback (Ryan Perrilloux) is ready to go in the game. Understanding that it is the competitive piece and not just finishing the game but having the best opportunity to win it. I enjoyed the fact that Perrilloux came in during that situation in the second half.”
On the receivers…
“We have some young receivers growing into their spots and being comfortable with their role. There are some mistakes being made there. Certainly they are being addressed and minimized. As we go forward, we will see that some of these young receivers step up and become some of the key playmakers for us this year. I understand that our passing is not at the speed it was earlier in the year but I don’t think we will fall away from being very productive there.”
On the offensive line’s struggles affecting the passing game…
“Obviously the protection is a huge piece to that. Anytime the quarterback has to reset his feet or move to throw then it changes the timing of the routes. That is something that has to be fixed.”
On Matt Flynn‘s performance in the second half…
“He did well in the second half. He kind of got in a rhythm and made some nice throws and got it going. I enjoyed Flynn’s feel in the second half. In the first half, when protection breaks down, your first concern is the quarterback.”
On the difficulties of defending QB Tim Tebow…
“It is going to be a mixture of things. If you load the box on a guy that can throw and has talented receivers, then you are just looking to give up big plays in the passing game. If you just sit back and apply coverage, and cover the field with everybody out of the box, then they start running the football which is a problem. There is going to be a mixture of both. We will have the ?come get ya’ load the box and play some coverage. We enjoy the match up.”
On how he will prevent the team from letting the media attention become a distraction…
“No newspapers, television or radio. Don’t talk to your girlfriend about football. Come into the building if you want to stay leveled and get your feet on the ground and see where we are at. That is where our teams derive its accountability and their identity. Not from the newspaper, television or girlfriend. Not that girlfriends are bad.”
LSU PLAYER QUOTES FROM MONDAY INTERVIEW SESSION ? FLORIDA WEEK
On what he expects it will be like to play against Tebow…
“(Tebow) is great player. Florida has some great schemes. When the quarterback runs it becomes a one on one event and someone has to be there to make the tackle.”
On being able to correct last year’s mistakes against Florida
“Focusing on our communication and being accountable for our responsibilities are a big part of our week. We are trying not to worry about too much on the field other than getting our specific jobs done.”
On preparing for the Florida game…
“Preparing is going to be a blast. When I talked to a lot of guys over the weekend, we were all talking about how this was going to be the biggest game of our lives. No matter how many games we played in high school or the ones we play in college, the Florida game is going to be one of the wildest nights LSU has ever had.”
On the excitement of the Florida game…
“Every game is big. To get where we need to be and want to be as a team we have focus on each game.”
On the uniqueness of (Tim) Tebow…
“(Tebow) is a great player. He can run, he can pass, and he is big. Tebow is a challenge for us. We need to tackle well and play a good defense.”
On playing Florida after losing to them last year…
“I wouldn’t call it revenge, but Florida is a big game that we have to come out and compete in. We have to play hard and with focus and hopefully LSU will come out victorious.”
On LSU fans in Tiger Stadium…
“Our fans are behind us 100 percent. The team really appreciates them. When the games get tough, the fans get behind us make a lot of noise. They get the team going and get us pumped up.”
On if the game against Florida has changed due to Florida’s loss…
“The game hasn’t changed at all. The game is still a big game. Florida is one of our rivals in the SEC, so regardless, LSU is going to come out and play hard.”
On not buying into the hype surrounding LSU’s new #1 ranking…
“Our team has some great guys on it. Everyone stays humble. The higher you are ranked, the more you have to work. We have to continue to strive to get better, because there is always room for improvement.”
QB Matt Flynn
On his performance during the Tulane game …
“I felt fine. My ankle wasn’t really hurting that bad. They had good coverage and good pressure, so they made it hard to step up.”
On Tim Tebow and whether the way he plays is the future of quartebacking …
“I don’t really see it as the future of quarterbacking. But Tim (Tebow) does it well and it works for him. “He’s a special athlete. I think every quarterback, no matter what he does, plays to the extreme. He definitely does that.”
On the team’s play against Tulane …
“I think we were really close to making some big plays. We were really close to having a great game. There are a bunch of plays where one person was very close to making a play. It kind of came out bad, and we didn’t perform as well as we wanted to, but all of that stuff can be easily fixed. We’ll build on that game and fix all of our problems.”
On playing Florida this weekend …
“We are looking forward to this game. I think last year that was one game we wish we could have played again. We are excited to go this week. We’ll watch some film and study up and come out and play our best game.”
RB Jacob Hester
On watching the game on replay last night …
“I didn’t watch the game. I didn’t want to watch the game. I’m sure we are about to watch it and find out what went wrong. It was kind of like a whirlwind on the field. We didn’t know what was going on, but we’ll definitely find out.”
On Tulane’s team …
“I don’t know if it was a lack of energy. Tulane came to play, and we didn’t play like we should have. I don’t care who you play, fifteen penalties will kill you. We better play better this week. We better get the penalty situation in order or Florida will come in here and beat us.”
On LSU’s offense being dubbed ?limited’ …
“We aren’t limited at all. The things Matt (Flynn) can’t do with his ankle, Ryan (Perrilloux) can do. We aren’t limited at the quarterback position. We are trying to get into a flow with the young receivers that are in with the absence of Early (Doucet). We are trying to get them more involved. I think we need to establish a flow at the beginning of the game and stay in it.”
On the mistakes during the Tulane game …
“There were a whole lot of mistakes. There wasn’t just one guy. There were a lot of guys. We didn’t bring our ?A’ game. We all took the blame.
“It was a wake up call for us. We definitely needed a game like that. If you don’t come to play, it doesn’t matter what you are ranked, you will lose.”
On the turnover problems LSU has had in the past two games against Florida …
“We were lucky to come away with a win in 2005 when we turned the ball over five times. Coach (Bo) Pelini and the defense saved us in that game, but last year it just killed us. If we have five turnovers again, you can just mark it off as a loss to Florida. We have to come out and protect the football this week.”