BATON ROUGE — With the season-opener just three days away, LSU continued to prepare for Saturday’s contest against Appalachian State with another productive practice session here Wednesday at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility.
LSU will scale back its workout on Thursday followed by a walk-thru on Friday afternoon. Kickoff between LSU and Appalachian State in scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday in Tiger Stadium. The game will be televised to a national audience by ESPN.
“It was a nice Wednesday practice,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “We got a lot accomplished. We feel good about the plan and look forward to playing on Saturday.”
In an effort to better simulate the athletic ability of Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards, the Tigers have taken one of the teams’ better athletes in freshman John Williams to run the quarterback spot for the scout team. In addition, freshman quarterback Jordan Jefferson also did some scout work for the Tigers this week as well.
“We’ve taken John Williams, who is a tremendously athletic wide receiver and ex-quarterback, and made him the quarterback for Appalachian State (during scout drills),” Miles said. “He did a great job all week. He certainly is continuing to do so. In several of the periods we put (QB Jordan Jefferson) in, and he gave them a simulation of that quarterback style.”
A year ago, Edwards accounted for 38 touchdowns in leading the Mountaineers to their third straight I-AA national title.
Miles remained mum on the starting quarterback when asked on Wednesday about who would take the first snap for the Tigers on Saturday. However, he did say that the quarterbacks looked good during the workout and that all three quarterbacks ? Andrew Hatch, Jarrett Lee and Jefferson ? could all play against Appalachian State.
“Neither one of them (Hatch or Lee) know (who’s going to start), and the third one (Jefferson) knows he’s going to play,” Miles said. “Both (Hatch and Lee) of them split reps with the first team today and both of them practiced pretty well.”
Miles said he expects that the veteran offense, which includes four returning starters on the line, should help put the quarterbacks at ease in what will be the first significant action of their collegiate careers. Only Hatch has taken collegiate snaps and he’s played in just one game for LSU.
“I think the veteran offensive line coupled with the veteran receivers and some of the things we’re trying to do will take a little bit of pressure off that position,” Miles said. “It’s an advantage to the quarterbacks when everybody knows what to do.”
Miles said he feels like his team is ready for Saturday’s season-opener, the first of what will be three straight home games for the Tigers.
“I have a strong suspicion that we’ll be ready to play and be very competitive,” Miles said. “I think in every opener that I’ve been around you make mistakes, and I think there will be mistakes made. I don’t think anybody, even the veterans, will play perfect, but I think we’ll play well and I think it will be an exciting game.”
Post-Practice press conference
August 27, 2008
LSU Head coach Les Miles
Opening statement…
“It was a nice Wednesday practice. We got a lot accomplished. We feel good about the plan and look forward to Saturday. The possibility of the upcoming storm, I don’t quite know how to deal with it. What my experience tells me is that I don’t know. I will take the governor’s lead, the chancellor’s lead, the LSU system president’s lead and then the athletic director’s lead. In the meantime, we’re planning to play the Appalachian St. Mountaineers as scheduled.”
On if this is the healthiest team he has had going into an opener and, if so, why…
“I don’t know if I’d quite say that. I think last year’s season opener may have been one of the healthiest. I just think we’re fortunate. Moving our final scrimmage to 11 days out has made a difference overall.”
On if S Chad Jones has become a linebacker/safety hybrid…
“He’s hybrid because he’s big. But he’s a safety; athletic, cat-quick. He’s going to be a big player, wherever he’s at.”
On if they plan to get S Chad Jones on the field as much as possible…
“No question. We’ve done that a little bit more in special teams this year. Of course, he’ll play any number of spots in the secondary.”
On what he told his players about staying focused with the possibility of a hurricane…
“It will really be more of tomorrow when we’ll have that conversation in earnest. It’s gotten on my radar screen, to be honest, and I certainly hope, like the rest of the country, that it stays out of the gulf and something happens (to keep it away). But we have a contingency plan to ready as best we can.”
On if QBs Andrew hatch and Jarrett Lee know who is starting on Saturday…
“No. Neither one of them know, and the third one (QB Jordan Jefferson) knows he’s going to play. Both of them split reps with the first team today and both of them practiced pretty well.”
On how having an experienced offensive line will help the development of a young quarterback…
“I think the veteran offensive line coupled with the veteran receivers and some of the things we’re trying to do will take a little bit of pressure of that position. It’s an advantage to the quarterbacks when everybody knows what to do.”
On if the receiving corps is focused and if there are more drops than he’d like to see…
“There have always been more drops than I would like to see. During today’s practice, I think we dropped two balls and there was a lot of very crisp playing. I think (WR Brandon LaFell) had a nice day. A couple of other guys had some good plays so it was a pretty good practice.”
On cleaning up the penalties…
“Well, it’s always a matter of postgame. We address it as best we can pregame. We’ve done that well in the last three scrimmages that we had during the preseason. I felt like we focused again on those aspects. It’s when a guy gets in the game that it becomes self-interpretation.”
On if DT Charles Alexander is healthy enough to start and play a major role on Saturday…
“I don’t think so. I think he’ll play if his health continues to improve. I don’t know that he’ll start.”
On if he feels like Appalachian State’s win over Michigan was evidence of how good Appalachian St. was or how poorly Michigan played…
“I watched the game and I was impressed with Appalachian State. I watched Michigan and, for all of the reasons you might say a team had problems in an opener, they did. But they played hard, they blocked them very well and they played very competitively. They made plays. And Appalachian State beat them. To me, I have to give credit where credit is due and Appalachian State went in there and they beat a quality Michigan team.”
On how he feels about the special teams…
“I feel pretty good. I felt like our special teams took a real positive step in the last 10 days. I feel relatively comfortable with our special teams units.”
On Appalachian State’s defense…
“They’re a zone dog sometimes, they blitz some times. They’re a pretty conventional front. They don’t do a lot, but they do it very, very well. They’re pretty well coached. They stunt enough to make a mess of a play and know how to call it. I think they’re a very, very capable group.”
On how the scout team has tried to simulate Appalachian State’s offense…
“We’ve taken John Williams, who is a tremendously athletic wide receiver and ex-quarterback, and made him the quarterback for Appalachian State. He did a great job all week. He certainly is continuing to do so. In several of the periods we put (QB Jordan Jefferson) in, and he gave them a simulation of that quarterback style.”
On how to keep Appalachian State’s offense in check…
“It’s the kind of thing where you’re going to pressure the quarterback and come after him, and you hope you can get to him before he can get out. That style of athlete is pretty exciting. It challenges your rush lanes and it makes you responsible to where everyone else of the field is.”
On if he has a feel for this year’s LSU football team…
“I have a strong suspicion that we’ll be ready to play and be very competitive. I think in every opener that I’ve been around you make mistakes, and I think there will be mistakes made. I don’t think anybody, even the veterans, will play perfect, but I think we’ll play well and I think it will be an exciting game.”
On what he tells a freshman quarterback about his first time playing in Tiger Stadium…
“The good news is that both guys who will play the majority of the game have both watched it so there won’t be any new view. It’s going to be them taking the snap. All they need to do is play quarterback, just make the plays that the play calls for and be the quarterback for our team. They’ll be fine.”
On if missing assignments is a huge mistake against Appalachian State’s offense…
“It’s like any offense, in my opinion, that has several weapons on the perimeter and a great signal caller. If somebody doesn’t have the rush lanes and the quarterback and the coverage and every assignments is not done properly, somebody squirts out there for some yards.”