BATON ROUGE — LSU head coach Les Miles spoke to the media on Monday at his weekly press luncheon, as his Tigers prepare to face No. 1-ranked Alabama at 2:30 p.m. CST on Saturday in Tiger Stadium. Watch on-demand now.
Also, ESPN Gameday will be on the LSU campus (location TBD) for the nation’s premier game of the weekend.
LSU HEAD COACH LES MILES
Opening statement…
“Good afternoon. This morning at 6:45 a.m., we met as a team. We went through a number of things, but something that probably is not necessarily forefront in our thinking in this room but maybe should be is voting. I told my team, ?This is at the very minimum a historic vote, and it’s something we should be responsible for and participate in.’ I suggested that they get in position to fulfill their responsibilities as citizens of the United States and vote. I suggest the same in this room. I voted early. (OL) Herman Johnson and myself both got early opportunities at the voting booth.
“I can tell you that I enjoy the fact that ESPN is on campus. I enjoy ?Gameday.’ I enjoy big crowds. Certainly, we will appreciate the national media that will surround this game. I can tell you that I really don’t care. In fact, we have to perform and play better, and my instruction to my team this morning is to put everything on the perimeter there and leave in on the perimeter. Let’s focus on being our best team. I can say that last week I thought we made strides. I thought we improved. I think defensively we saw some efforts that we really needed to have. I liked (DE) Rahim Alem. He’s continuing to improve and play better. He should get some more snaps. I liked the way (S) Danny McCray played. I felt like he came in and played very well at safety, and I just felt our defense was generally more sound and maybe playing a little more comfortably as a unit.
“I like the way we rushed the football. We rushed the football for about 286 yards. We threw for a 100 yards, and we had three drops, gave them some penalty yardage, fumbled the ball and played sloppy. Had we not, it could have easily been a 400-plus yard day for us on offense. That’s really where we need to be. Certainly, we are encouraged by some of the performances and also have to encourage the fact that we need to eliminate mistakes. I really think that (QB) Jarrett Lee played well. I think we would have liked to have gotten him out of the game without that last throw. It was third down and 20. The right tackle got beat, and that’s not necessarily the ideal time to ask your quarterback to perform. Certainly, we have to improve as well and ask him to do things that he can do, and we have to give him better protection, but we like the way he’s coming. We’re going to stay with Jarrett Lee. We are going to count on him to give us strength. I do think that (QB) Jordan Jefferson performed well in that game. I think that he’s a guy that we will play in this game. We look to play him in this game in certain situations, maybe the first half, maybe not the second half, but in any event, we’re preparing him to play.
“I continue to like the effort that I see. I know that some people take it for granted. I don’t. I enjoy great effort on the football team. It’s the only way the defense has played, with relentless effort. I think that’s coming. The key for us is that we play four quarters of football, from start to finish and without lapses on offense, defense and special teams. That’s what our push is, to play our best game versus arguably the best opponent that we’ll face. I do understand that the team that is coming in here is ranked No. 1. I do understand who coaches that team. It’s not about either of those issues. It’s about LSU and Alabama. We’re going to play well and focus on just those things.
“Alabama leads the conference in rushing and rushing defense. They make few mistakes. Their quarterback, John Parker Wilson, is a very talented guy and playing in the back end of his career making all the throws. They have a nice, young receiver in Julio Jones who is making some big plays on the perimeter. They have a very talented runner in Glen Coffee who is averaging 100 yards a game, and he has big-play potential. Defensively, they’re very sound all over the ball. They put extra guys in the box, and you’re going to have to execute your offense with respect to man coverage on the outside. It’s going to be a heck of a day. Our team is certainly looking forward to playing in it, and it’s going to be a great challenge.”
On if he made a strong statement to the team this morning…
“Yes, I said things that were consistent to the team and the team would expect me to say that were probably private and not necessarily something I’m going to share. I made a number of statements that were reflective on things that I shared to you today. We have to focus on us. The perimeter of this game is truly the perimeter. The ability to win this game will be made by the 11 guys that are on the field.”
On if he will use the 1997 game as motivation since it was the last time a No.1 team came to Baton Rouge…
“That’s not really our push. Our push is to play well and do the things that we are capable of doing and to really focus on our team. They are the No.1-ranked team, and that’s something that they’ll have to deal with. Certainly, they are deserving of that. I think I voted for them at No. 1 myself. I think there is an enjoyment to compete with the very best, and I think we understand that here, having been ranked No. 1 for some time.”
On if LSU has one guy that can lock down on Julio Jones…
“He’s very talented. He’s 6’4, 215 pounds. He’s very fast and a very talented receiver. I like our corners. I don’t know if we’ll just man up one guy. I like (CB) Chris Hawkins. I like (Patrick) Peterson and (Jai) Eugene at corner. I think we’ll play it straight.”
On what he expects the atmosphere to be like this week…
“On campus, I encourage my guys to deflect and not give much thought to any questions on how the game is going to go and what’s going on and any of that. I want them to do the work in the classroom, get to practice and have a great week of preparation, period. Gameday in Tiger Stadium will be how it always is. It’s going to be passionate and loud and a great place to play.”
On if the Nick Saban versus Les Miles matchup is overblown…
“I promise you that it’s not (in the locker room) for us. It really is, very honestly, about our football team, what we want to accomplish, the things we are capable of and just playing to our capabilities and playing as well as we can. They are a Western Division rival. This is a team that you have to go through to sit atop the conference. They have the same issue. It’s something we look at with great importance, but it has nothing to do with who coaches there or who coaches here, at least it doesn’t by me.”
On if he expects more blitzes by Alabama with a young quarterback…
“Frankly, I don’t know how that might affect the game plan. I can only tell you that we are going to do the same things that we’ve been doing and hopefully do them better.”
On Alabama playing an odd-man front…
“We’ve seen it enough and prepared for it enough. I don’t think that will be an issue for us, and I think our guys are pretty comfortable with that front. It’s not something you see every week, but there are enough weeks and enough teams that employ it that we get enough work, so I think we’ll be fine. A lot of the teams that we played get in nickel and dime and play those types of fronts, so even if they didn’t show it in a game against us, we’ve had to work against it.”
On if LSU will have to find some passing plays to win this game…
“I think they will find that we rush the football pretty well. I think we can also execute the pass with an extra guy in the box and pressure on the outside with press corners. It’s going to be a nice matchup. I feel comfortable that our guys, Demetrius Byrd, Brandon LaFell and Terrance Toliver, can get open on the perimeter against anybody.”
On if a potential matchup of Herman Johnson against Terrance Cody intrigues him…
“It’s going to be interesting with two 400-pounders kind of going after it. I think it will be a nice matchup. Again, it is football, and I think those kind of matchups happen rarely, but certainly, it’s the place that it would happen.”
On if RB Charles Scott was so injured that he could not come out for postgame interviews…
“That’s not the case. He was probably getting treatment and was not so injured that he could not come out for interviews. We anticipate that he’ll be ready to go.”
On the opportunity to be somewhat of a spoiler for Alabama…
“I’m certain that being No. 1-ranked is an issue for them, but the issue for us is not our opponent. It’s playing well and within the scheme, offense, defense and special teams and focusing on your role and making sure you are doing everything you can to allow your team to compete.”
On how important it is that LSU not play from behind…
“Obviously, you want to start fast. We need to. I like the matchups to be honest with you. It’s going to be interesting. I think our defense will play well against their offense, and I think our offense played well against them a year ago, and minus a couple of guys that were there, our offense can play well against them this year.”
On why his team has struggled with teams that are similar to his in terms of physicality and athleticism…
“The reasons we struggled was because we made mistakes. The things we’re going to do is eliminate those. I would have to say that our team is a very good football team if they can eliminate some of the issues that have plagued them, and if in fact, we can play our best game and be more mistake-free.”
On if any of the external issues this week can benefit LSU…
“I think the atmosphere in that stadium will be very live, very emotional and a passionate one. I think our team enjoys those environments. I think we’ll play well. Certainly, being at home in front of a loud, supportive LSU crowd will be key. I encourage them to root for us hard, not necessarily be too pointed at our opponent. Leave our opponent alone, just root hard for LSU.”
On if the mistakes made this season has crept into the minds of the players…
“I don’t think so. I think our guys are confident. I think they understand their abilities. I think they need to see that the teams, all three phases, play well and compliment one another. I think that when that happens, the ability to play well is very much there.”
On if LSU needs to keep the running backs in the backfield for blitz protection more often against Alabama and Curtis Taylor‘s potential replacement…
“I think Danny McCray did a great job with Curtis Taylor being limited. I hope that Curtis gets back. I suspect that he will. There’s always the recipe of how many backs you keep in the backfield and whether or not you keep a guy in to protect. I think that goes through every game plan. Certainly, there will be times where we will want to max protect and protect the quarterback and other times when we say that if they want to come, we have to hit the hots (routes).”
On Jarrett Lee‘s mental makeup and Richard Dickson as a safety valve…
“I think that Jarrett Lee is a lot like any redshirt freshman that’s playing in his first season. The things that he got away with in high school are not necessarily just easy for him. He comes from a coaching family. I think he understands athletics. He’s been competitive his entire life, so it’s one where he understands the process, and he’s going to get through it. I think he understands that it’s important for his team and important for him. I like his approach. He works hard. He really had a good week of practice last week, and if he does that again this week, I think this team and the coaches will expect as he will a very strong game. (TE) Richard Dickson is a guy that is really a key piece to the puzzle, both run and pass, and we like him. I think, along with LaFell and Byrd, he’s one of our key receivers and one of the key guys to go to. I think he’s nicked up a little bit, but I think he’ll be fine.”
On if he’ll be happy when this week is over with…
“I have to be real honest with you. I enjoy game week. I enjoy practice. I enjoy preparing. I want you to know something. When I wake up in the morning and I turn that film on, it’s like reading a book, and it’s exciting. I don’t read books, but if I read books, it would be like reading a book. The point is that I love preparing for big games, and I want to make sure our team does the right things. I look forward to these weeks, and I’m going to celebrate this hard week of work with a great effort in the game. I think it’s the same as big games. I think it fits right there very comfortably in the big game category, which makes me smile. I want you know something. This morning I got up about 5:15, and I haven’t set an alarm in 20 years. It just happens. I look forward to this game. I look forward to preparing and each play made in all four quarters.”
On if this game is similar to the situation in 2006 when they went into Tennessee needing a win…
“I don’t know that it’s necessarily similar. I think the similarities are needing victory and playing well. I certainly think you can draw some of those conclusions. It seems to me that so many times each year that you play and each game that you play are very specific. The situations are very specific. If this was the same team that we took to Tennessee back then, I would say, yes, there are a lot of similarities, but it’s a different team. It’s quality guys and guys in different situations, and frankly, that’s the only difference.”
On Tennessee head coach Philip Fulmer leaving after this year…
“The only thing I can say is that he’s had a great tenure at Tennessee. He’s done a number of great things. In my opinion, he’s had a very distinguished coaching career. I hope it’s something that he wanted to have happen. I hope it was something that he enjoyed. There will be great memories of his time there. I suspect that he’ll do a lot with his time from this point forward, and certainly, those were his calls.”
On how he limits his players from the external distractions…
“Hopefully, they look at that their opponent and have great respect for them. When they see on film that for us to execute, there are things that we are going to have to do. There are ways we are going to have to attack them, and there is a view and a sense of urgency that they have to come to that will allow them to focus. Certainly, Bob and Rebecca and Tim in class don’t really get their ear. The ones that get their ear is when they see that film, see how they are going to have to play, what they are going to have to do and scheme versus their scheme. Hopefully, that will get their attention. We also want to point and guide toward the same conclusion.”
On if he senses frustration with the fan base…
“No, I think by-and-large that this group of people that support this team are unbelievably loyal. I certainly understand frustration. We all do. Finishing second is not any fun, and we are all pulling in the same direction. We certainly want to win and play best.”
On DE Rahim Alem leading the SEC in sacks…
“It’s great effort and wide-eyed enthusiasm for football. He’s a guy that has grown up in the program and has leadership ability and really has taken the responsibility to heart to make his team better and make himself better. He’s been encouraged and rewarded, and he earned a team MVP award this morning.”
On if we should expect another classic matchup this week…
“I can only tell you those games are so competitive that I would expect anything to happen. Those games are the games that require your best play and your most concentrated effort, so yes, I think it will be very competitive.”
On Alabama’s ability to take big leads early in the game…
“They have a nice start. They start very quickly. I have to be real honest with you. The key is that we start well. Our offense, defense and special teams come on the field and play well and that we match their start with our own. That’s going to be our approach.”
On Stevan Ridley‘s performance…
“It’s amazing how guys mature. It’s important that they do so mentally as well as physically. Certainly, he had some nice runs and counted for a really nice finish to the game for himself and his team. He’s played extremely well on special teams for us. We need that maturity process to continue, and if he does so, he may be a very talented option for us at some point in time. I think his need to mature certainly is still there.”