BATON ROUGE — Coming off the Tigers second and final open date of the season, LSU head coach Les Miles spoke to the media as his team begins preparations for Saturday’s primetime kickoff between No. 4 LSU and No. 11 Florida. Watch the press conference for free in the Geaux Zone now.
Additionally, 4 p.m. CT, the Southeastern Conference announced that the kickoff time and network television schedule for the weekend of Oct. 18 will be announced on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
The three games that will be televised are: LSU at South Carolina, Ole Miss at Alabama, and Vanderbilt at Georgia.
The three network television slots available are: Raycom sports at 11:30 a.m. CT; CBS at 2:30 p.m. CT; and ESPN at 6:45 p.m. CT.
TRANSCRIPT OF LSU COACH LES MILES’ WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE
Opening Statement…
“The off week went well. In my opinion, we had a very productive time. First and foremost, we healed. I think that, for the most part, every guy that we played in the game last time we played will return to action. I think we’re still working on one, maybe, but I think everybody else hits the practice field today. We went through a soft scout and changed some of our tendencies, and certainly, some of the things that we’ll do, we’ll do better, and we felt like it took us time to look at ourselves and improve our strategies. I can tell you that we had a nice, long go Thursday, game situations and teams and offense and defense and really came out of an extended go, in my opinion, somewhat improved. It wasn’t a game, certainly, but it gave us game-like conditions, including officials, so I felt like that was, again, another productive time. We got a good workout in on Friday, and I gave them Saturday and Sunday off to get their legs fresh. They’ll get to class today and then, show up at the (Football Operations) building and start preparation in earnest for Florida.
“Florida is a tremendous team, in my opinion. They don’t have any weaknesses. They’re nationally ranked at No. 11, which is probably under selling them some. I think they’re as talented a football team as I’ve seen. I think Coach Meyer and his staff do a great job preparing them. Offensively, they lead the conference in scoring with 36 points a game. They have a very balanced attack, just under 200 yards rushing and just over 200 yards passing. Again, they are very difficult to game plan considering they are so balanced. They don’t make mistakes, and they lead the conference or are second in the conference in turnover margin with a plus eight in five games, so they’re a very efficient offense. Certainly, when you think of their offense, you think of (QB) Tim Tebow, a very gifted player and in my opinion, as a sophomore Heisman Trophy winner, I think he’s becoming more well-rounded, understands the game more. It appears to me that he’s making better reads and certainly a very competitive player. He plays best when the chips are down, so I certainly have great respect for their quarterback and their leader on their football team, but he’s not the only guy, especially on offense with (RBs) Chris Rainey, Jeff Demps and (WR) Percy Harvin, all guys that touch the ball, all guys that have big play potential.
“Again, the reason that Florida has the kind of offense they do is because they have playmakers spread throughout.
“On defense, they’re fourth in the nation on scoring defense, allowing just 11 points per game and 265 yards, just under 100 rushing and 165 yards passing. They are a very opportunistic defense. They have 12 takeaways ? five fumbles and seven interceptions ? ranked second in the SEC. They’re very talented upfront. I like (LB) Brandon Spikes, No. 51, a not only big but very athletic linebacker. I like their athletic defensive end Jermaine Cunningham, No. 49. Again, I think they have very good strategies and a very quality defensive scheme so again, another piece of the puzzle that is very good.
“On special teams, they have the highest ranked punter in the SEC in Chas Henry. He averages 45 yards a punt and is just a tremendous punter. Their return game with Brandon James, they lead the conference in kickoff returns with just under 30 yards. He’s fourth in the league in punt returns but very dangerous. He’s tough to touch, and if you don’t get a hand on him, he’ll go the distance; so again, it’ll be a great challenge for our football team. I like the matchup. I think it’ll be a lot of fun to go there and play.
“Make no bones about it; this is a fun game to play. You play in the SEC, you play classic matchups and you better enjoy this one. I can promise you that there will be a lot more energy around our building this week. We’ll look forward to playing well at Florida.”
On if he’s concerned how his secondary will hold up against Florida…
“I think we’ll take a little bit more of a conservative approach in the secondary than we have done in the past and maybe be a little bit more zone. It will always be a mix in how we attack them. We feel like in the off week and the time that we’ve had to prepare, our guys are kind of looking forward to playing better.”
On the progression of QB Jarrett Lee…
“I think he’s continuing to come. He’s had practices like he had games, and he’s had some really strong practices in the last week. We expect that to continue. As we get into game plans, his ability to master the game plan is, in my opinion, a weekly event, and it’s one in which he’s doing a really good job, in my opinion, to start this game week.”
On how he would rank his offensive line this season…
“I just think they’re getting better. They’re veteran. I think we’ve learned to count on them. I think they’re a dominant group in terms of rushing the football and really protecting our passer, so I give them high marks. We’re starting an eight-week stretch here that will determine how well we are as a team. I can only tell you that playing well at Florida will determine a lot in terms of how I would rank bits and pieces of our football team.”
On how many offensive linemen they’ve been using…
“We like a number of guys in our backups. Our two tackles are backed up by (Ryan) Miller and two young freshmen behind him. I think we have a number of guards. Josh Dworaczyk is really coming. I think T-Bob Hebert is coming. There are a number of guys inside who can see the field.”
On if he is focusing on game planning Florida’s strengths or weaknesses…
“When you find those (weaknesses), give them to me. I think that it’s going to be our strength versus their strength. We’re a very talented offensive team and in my opinion, a very talented defensive team. We have our own special teams’ weapons. This is going to be two quality teams playing great football.”
On what he’s observed other teams doing against Tebow…
“I have to be real honest with you. What are struggles to him don’t seem to be struggles to me. He plays pretty darn well and plays well in key situations for them. I think that, like anything, when things don’t go well, there has to be somebody to take the blame, and certainly, the quarterback gets his undue share. He’s a team leader, and everybody responds to him. I think he’s doing a very good job. You can’t just attack Tim Tebow. You have to attack a very talented running attack, a very talented receiving corps and an offense that employs the weapon of a running quarterback, so it’s more than Tim Tebow.”
On if he’s noticed them forcing the running issue to protect Tebow…
“I see that when they hand the ball off, they get some good yards. I think that they have been very productive. Here they are, ranked nationally in every key statistic and everybody is pointing at their weaknesses. I can only tell you that we look forward to playing our best football against them. I think that they’re talented, so I think it’ll be a heck of a matchup. I like our defensive line versus their offensive line, and I like our offensive line versus their defensive line, but I’m the coach for the Tigers.”
On if he’s getting enough of a pass rush…
“At times, you have a very difficult time getting to Tim (Tebow), and No. 1, it’s because their offensive line does a good job protecting, but No. 2, the strategy that they employ to keep him out of harm’s way is a very strong one in my opinion. Certainly, we’d like to get more pass rush, and I think that we can always have more pass rush but at what price? I think that’s a very significant issue when you look at a guy that’s a very talented quarterback.”
On defending the jump pass…
“My son got me with that (the jump pass) this morning at about 5:45 a.m. I went to wake him up and I said, ?OK, Manny, what do you think? What do we have to do?’ He said, ?You’ve got to stop that jump pass, dad. They run up there and give the same scenario you give me. He runs up there like he’s going to run it and then jumps up there and throws it to somebody.’ I wrote that down. I’m ready to go coach that one. He said, ?You need to keep somebody back.’ I said, ?Good idea, Manny.’ The tough part about that play is that anytime they involve a run action, the want and desire to tackle the run is key, and if you’re backing up on the pass, and he’s running it, it’s a bad matchup.”
On what the defensive tackles have done so far this year…
“I think that Marlon Favorite has played really strong football for us and is getting better and is a guy that we’re going to rely on in the stretch. Ricky Jean-Francois is a very talented guy, and we look forward to him returning to the field ready to play. Charles Alexander, in my opinion, came off the game as healthy as he’s come in awhile, and we expect him to step forward and enjoy playing and being out there for the great majority of the game. I like Drake Nevis. I think Drake Nevis and Al Woods both give us youth and strength inside that we’ll rely on for years, but in a game that’s going to be as physical and as athletic as this one, both of those guys, in my opinion, will see time. Inside, we’re fortunate going into this game that we’re pretty strong.”
On Ryan Baker‘s impact on special teams…
“He has great speed and has always been a guy that’s made tackles. There’s a lot of times that people position themselves to make tackles and use their arms but don’t necessarily strike you. Did we anticipate that? Obviously, we recruited him for those reasons. Not only was he very athletic, but when he got to the point of attack, he hit it, and that was something that we saw. I can only tell you that we anticipated he would be a very strong contributor on special teams. I don’t think anybody could have foreseen as many big hits that he’s had, and we certainly want that to continue.”
On WR Brandon LaFell‘s progression this season…
“A year ago, at times, I would have said that he and (Demetrius) Byrd were definitively, very close. I really think that he has worked so hard and improved so strongly that he is setting the pace for the receivers. He is, in my opinion, getting better. He got better in the open week. I think he gets better, in my opinion, with every practice. If you watch him practice, he comes to individual and team and every period with a workman-like attitude and in my opinion, is the reason he is better. I think his improvement will continue. There’s not a route that we run that he hasn’t really worked hard to perfect.”
On who has the honor of playing the role of Tebow on the scout team…
“We’ve given some thought to that. We probably need several guys to do it, the runner and the thrower. I don’t know if we have the lefty that we need to show that off, but I’m certain we’ll portion our quarterback play on the scout team.”
On if he’ll try to work QB Andrew Hatch in this weekend…
“It really kind of depends on the feel of the game, but yes, I think that (Jarrett) Lee will get a first look and bring in Andrew (Hatch) on the second and third series, maybe later. Who knows?”
On if he has noticed Florida running Tebow less this season…
“How much is less and in what games? When the games on the line, I still see them wanting to go with a very competitive call, but I think when you’re up by 21, it’s a different schedule of runners.”
On Florida WR Percy Harvin…
“He brings a back in the backfield, and he’ll take an option pitch. He’ll take a hand off and run a dive. He’ll provide any number of opportunities for a play fake and certainly receiving the ball. He’s certainly a big playmaker for them, if not the offensive choice for getting the ball in somebody’s hands. You only hope to slow that down. You don’t necessarily think you can stop that.”
On if he has a checklist of things he wants to accomplish like win at Florida…
“Again, I did not notice that all the experts picked the other team. It would not surprise me. It’s not been the first time we’ve gone to a place where they’ve kind of figured the other team was supposed to win. I’ve always enjoyed taking a team on the road to play, and we did not play well last time we were at Florida. I think our team will be ready to play and play our style of football when we get there, and that’s what really is important to me.”
On if Florida underestimated Ole Miss…
“I think Ole Miss played a spectacular game. They made a couple of runs, and I counted yet again today, a guy breaks four tackles and scores. That is a spectacular effort, an individual effort. I don’t know that by scheme, there was anything that Ole Miss did. They employed that Wildcat (formation) pretty effectively, and they threw some deep balls against them. I don’t know if those things are there for us. In fact, Arkansas, as I recall, threw a deep ball that Ole Miss threw for a pick. I think Ole Miss is getting better, and I think that they played a very strong football game at Florida.”
On the challenge of facing so many players with great speed…
“We have to play sound, solid football, and the opportunity for guys not to go the distance is kind of what our focus will be. We want to sit on top of that, and certainly, being a sure-tackling team will make a difference and making sure that we make quality adjustments to some of their formation, motions and stems. I think we’ve spent some time on that, and hopefully, our defensive line will be gap sound, and we’ll be in position to make some stops on some of those guys that have great speed and can hit the home run.”
On the psychological factors of the upcoming game…
“Psychologically, we’ll look forward to competing there. Last time they were there, they lost. I don’t’ know if that has anything to do with anything. The only thing I can tell you is that our team will have a real want to compete in that game. If we play like we’re capable, I like our matchup.”
On if the Florida-Ole Miss game was an example of Ole Miss winning or Florida losing the game…
“I have to be honest with you. Certainly, they will look at it differently. I have to give credit to Ole Miss. I think Ole Miss played extremely well on offense, defense and special teams. They made some big plays. Certainly, there was a pass into the boundary that they would like to call do-overs, but that was a well-conceived play and a nice, little play action. The safety didn’t get over, and that’s the way it goes. It counts, and you have to line up and go. I thought Florida played well in that game. I’m not taking anything away from Florida when I compliment Ole Miss.”
On the Tigers’ ability to reduce turnovers this season…
“It’s an awfully important piece that a team plays smart. The great thing about our football team is that we’re tough. We’ll hit you, and we will be competitive to the very end. That’s kind of the first thing that you have to have. Now, you have to play smart. You can’t have unforced errors. Certainly, you have to make sure that there’s ball security. You have to look for opportunity on the defensive side to get takeaways, but you can’t give your opponent penalty yards. We talk about that pretty routinely, and we’ll talk about that again in about an hour. I think our guys are starting to understand that we give no gifts. That, in fact, we want to play hard, and anything free is not something that we want to take.”
On if he will give Charles Scott a couple more carries for morale…
“This football team will be just where we need it to be when we win. Charles Scott is a team player and he understands that there are no moral carries. There are only carries made for victory. If we get an opportunity to do that late in the game, we will think about it then. Our #1 goal is to come out on top.”
On if 8 straight games will burden the team…
“I do not see it as a burden at this point. This Saturday morning I watched both of my sons play. I then went home and watched as many football games as I possibly could. I felt that beyond the two games I watched of my sons, I was unproductive. More than anything, playing a game gives our guys something to look forward to and play for victory. Those open weeks are fun and good to give for our team’s legs. But the truth is, Saturday we grind our teeth a little bit and watch someone else play, and it is not near as much fun. Looking at the next run, I can hardly wait. Let’s play well one game at a time, and see where we stand at the end.”