BATON ROUGE — LSU Football head coach Les Miles spoke to the media on Monday as his No. 12-ranked Tigers prepare to face No. 5 Alabama on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT in Tiger Stadium.
The game will be broadcast live by CBS and available online at CBSsports.com. LSU’s live streaming radio broadcast will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net/live.
Les Miles Press Conference
November 1, 2010
Opening Statement …
“We had a nice open week, but it created great anxiety. As a coach when you sit there and watch a football Saturday, and you don’t have a game to play, you wonder where you are at. You feel like there is somewhere you need to go. Now we are in game week. I felt like we had a good open week. We had three quality practices and I felt like our guys are ready to go into the stretch run. I think they’re healthy, and Wednesdays practice may have been the best practice we have had this year. I enjoy the position that we are in.
“Offensively we worked both quarterbacks and we will stay with both quarterbacks. It is a necessity that we need both quarterbacks’ skills. I like the way Jefferson played at times in the last game and I liked how Jarrett Lee played in the Florida game. If I can get the combination of those quarterbacks to play, that is our best offense. I want to get Stevan Ridley going. I think he is healthiest and looking forward to taking some balls. I would like to have him handle the carries in this game if I can.
“Defensively we are coming off an unusual week. After we prepared for a guy like Cam Newton I think we are looking forward to I-back runs and guys that line up in a position that we are comfortable defending. I think our defense is looking forward to focusing on tackling tailbacks and focusing on preparing for a very talented offense, but one in which we understand the complexities a little bit better.
“Special teams is preparing to play well in the big game. I think they improved in the Auburn game and then this week, and I think they will play better as we go towards the Alabama game. We are looking forward to getting back to Tiger Stadium, because I know our guys played best there.
“Alabama has a tremendous offense led by Mark Ingram, a Heisman trophy winner, and a very talented Trent Richardson who is as talented as any tailback in the conference. Greg McElroy has been a very consistent distributor of the ball. He gets the ball to the guys that he is supposed to and makes very few mistakes, and when he scrambles out of there he can go get you a first down as well. He is very talented. Of course Julio Jones may be one of the top receivers in the country and is having a great year. He is really lately playing his best. Defensively they are very talented. They have a big physical front group that are as strong a force as we have been around. They have good speed in the secondary and they lead the SEC in scoring and are second in total defense with only 291 yards per game. It is a very good defense and we look forward to the challenge of playing them. I can tell you that we look forward to big games, and whenever you line up against Alabama, it’s a big game. It is one in which will be approached with the mindset of let’s just play and let’s enjoy how we play. Let’s prepare well so we can let it rip and let our best team present itself. I think this will be a lot of fun and I think our guys are looking forward to it. They certainly prepared well last week, and the schedule this week we will work hard on Monday and Tuesday and we will trim it a little bit on Wednesday and even more on Thursday, and we will look forward to playing a very physical football game on Saturday in Tiger Stadium.”
Q&A
On the inconsistent play of the wide receivers…
“I think any time you look at the passing game, you have to look at the whole piece. Certainly the receiving corps could have caught more balls, and I think those things are not things that should continue. We work hard on just the simple mechanics of catching the football on a daily basis. I think you are looking at a group of guys, in my opinion, that are committed to making those necessary adjustments so that those catches are made and made more routinely. But, any time you have dropped passes, it’s a piece that’s negative, and you need to eliminate it. I think we have good leadership there, and I think they are working hard at correcting that.”
On stopping the run with numbers against Alabama…
“I think that we won’t change our philosophy as we go to this one. I think you’ll look at those formations that you can gang, you will, but again, you also have to be wary that Julio Jones (can catch it) and this quarterback (Greg McElroy) can throw the football, so we’ll see our spots and those times where we need to load the box.”
On what they need to do to get over the hump and beat Alabama…
“I think that our football team realizes that this is going to be a very competitive game. I don’t know that getting over the hump is the view. I think it’s more of doing the things that we are capable of doing and letting the game be decided in that way. I think we are capable of defending this team. Offensively, I think we are capable of scoring points so just play our style of football.”
On how DE Sam Montgomery‘s injury has affected the defensive line…
“Certainly when you lose a starter, it’s a difficult piece. We felt like we would be a little bit better with Sam here. I think the number of snaps that have been taken by our defensive ends have progressed them, and I think we are better than we would have been had they not been taking those snaps. We are in the same that we’d be in. I think our defensive line has improved. I think the thing that has to happen to get pressure on (Greg) McElroy is to get him into predictable passing situations and then be able to get up the field. I think our guys rush the passer well. We would like not to call too much blitz, but it really kind of depends on how the game is going and what’s needed to get pressure on that passer.”
On the team mentality coming off a loss…
“I don’t know if we do anything well. I think our football team has character. I think those teams that lose games back-to-back routinely don’t necessarily have the pain in the pit of their stomach that this team will have. I think we’ll play with edge. I think we’ll want to be very competitive. I think there is a natural rebound to this team. I don’t know that we do anything as a coaching staff very special in any way. I think the guys that we have are quality people, and they don’t like to lose back-to-back.”
On if he is disappointed in the blocking of the wide receivers…
“I guess what I’m saying is I’m in the key piece of my season where the big plays have yet to have been made. As I go into the next game, I look for those plays to be more important than anything that we’ve done in the past, and to say that I have any opinion to this point that would be finite would not. Really, I’m expecting this receiving corps to do the things that they’ve done in the past, and that is rebound and play like hell and play well. If they do that, that’s just what I want to see them do. In many instances there is some developing going on, and there are some guys, in my opinion, who are a little bit nicked and will probably be playing with greatest health this Saturday.”
On Alabama’s success with the turnover margin…
“I think that when you don’t rush the football efficiently, you have the tendency to rely on that passing attack, and when you pass the football on predictable down and distances, it becomes easier to rush the passer. I think that pressure creates the issue. What we have to do is we have to be effective on first down. If we are efficient moving the football, getting to a nice third and short or we are getting first downs on first and second down, now the quarterback has little issue, and it becomes easier to execute the offense. Again, I think they are willing to hand the ball off, and handing the ball off has made them very successful. Those tailbacks have gotten yards. When you don’t expect a third down and long gain, and your quarterback has the opportunity to execute again in those down and distances that doesn’t require him to just throw it, it makes a difference.”
On if he addresses the conference standings with his team…
“We talk about that, but then it’s more about controlling the things that we can control. Frankly, to keep our position in the (SEC) West is what we need to do, and to do that we have to take one at a time, and this very next one is an awfully important one. If you have ambition in the West, a lot will be decided at 2:30 p.m., this Saturday afternoon in Tiger Stadium.”
On DL Lazarius Levingston‘s injury status…
“All I know is it’s improved, and we expect him to practice this week.”
On if he was able to do some scouting on offense during the bye week to see what they could improve on…
“I think the pieces that we have done here really that have benefitted us is we have looked at those things that we have been successful, and we are going to work to maximize those yet again. The ability to throw and catch is more than just the receivers. It’s more than the quarterbacks, and it really involves the line and the backs and the scheme. I think that we’ve done that. We’ve looked at some of those things, and we are looking to improve there. I think our running game, it just appears that Stevan Ridley is kind of the key to that piece, and we would like to get Russell Shepard a little bit more active and see if we can get more out of his carries and his receptions. Offensively, that’s how we looked at it. Defensively, we are having some success there, and we really want to focus on those things that we have been doing well, and we are really going to look at this as a physical game and really kind of talk about and work on blocking and tackling and all those pieces that we are really going to have to do well in this next game. On special teams, we’ve instituted a series of individual drills that, in my opinion, we’ll progress our special teams unit. The open week, besides gaining some health, seemed to be very productive.”
On the style of rushing attack that LSU is more comfortable defending…
“I don’t know that there is more comfort. I think the pieces that are in place will be maybe a little bit more traditional for our linebackers and our defensive line. I don’t know if comfort is necessarily the word.”
On the matchup between LSU CB Patrick Peterson and Alabama WR Julio Jones…
“I think that matchup is going to be a very interesting matchup. I also like the idea that Morris Claiborne and some other guys may step in there and get some of those snaps. I’m not saying that we will shadow Julio Jones on the day. I think it will be a mix and match. Hopefully at the right times we’ll have Patrick Peterson on him, and at other times I don’t feel that bad at having some other guys on him, and I think Julio Jones is a very talented receiver. I just think we are pretty good at corner.”
On comparisons between Les Miles and Nick Saban…
“I’ve never really looked at this game as being about the coaches. I have great respect for coach Saban. I feel like he’s done a great job. I really think it’s about LSU and Alabama’s players and taking it to the field and playing an aggressive college game that is going to be noteworthy. I’m not focused in any way on any comparisons between myself and coach Saban.”
On Auburn QB Cam Newton’s success against LSU…
“The interesting thing is I watched the next week, and it seemed like he threw the football better against Ole Miss than he did against us. I would have come off of our game and said I didn’t think he threw the ball very well. The reality of it is he throws the ball very well. Each week it appears to me he adds to his competitive edge, and that’s a good thing. I compare him very favorably to the best quarterbacks I’ve lined up against.”
On how much he expects QB Jordan Jefferson to impact the run game this week…
“I think any time that he takes the field, I think there is a need for him to have the opportunity to carry the football. Not that we want to take carries away from Stevan Ridley and some of these other guys we use in a game, but I think that adds to a defense’s checklist. The opportunity to carry the football in a predictable fashion and the ability to hand the ball off as well as throw it really give you the most diverse attack.”
On if during the bye week they spent more time preparing for Alabama or addressing the issues against Auburn…
“I think both are done in the same fashion. I don’t think it’s something that you can prioritize because frankly, you have to be prepared to play your opponent. Along those lines during that time you have to improve your team, and that’s what we did.”
On how he will use WR Russell Shepard the rest of the season …
“I think what we are trying to do is get comfortable offensively, and some of the things we have done with him you can count on us doing it again. There may be some different slants to those plays, but I think how we will use him will be how we have used him in the past.”
On if the scheme will change any when Alabama RB Trent Richardson or Mark Ingram is in the game …
“They both seem pretty talented to me. They are both fast, and they are both physical backs. They both don’t mind contact, and they are both physically similar. They are not necessarily tall, but they are very explosive and very talented. I think both guys are very good, and I don’t think they lose much when either one of them goes into the game. I don’t think the scheme will change any, it’s a tailback.”
On the mentality of the team during the bye week …
“I think any time you have a team that cares, they will look to progress, and they look to ask that the team and their group come along. I see that with good teams pretty routinely. I think the mental preparation and our football team enjoyed the open week and is looking forward to preparing with a game week to go.”
On the effect of the crowd in Tiger Stadium this weekend …
“I think one of the real advantages of our football team each time we take the field in Tiger Stadium is the fact that the fan base is intimately associated with this football team. I count on them to make noise, and our opponent expects a loud and very excited LSU crowd will be there. I have been in that stadium routinely where it was very difficult for the opponent to get a snap. I say ‘Come on and make a lot of noise.'”
Player Interviews
11-1-10
On the defensive game plan…
“We’re planning on being aggressive, will try to get back there and try to get at the quarterback and hope the corners do our job on the ends.”
On Alabama’s talent…
“They have a lot of weapons, not just their running backs but their receivers also. We just have to work hard and keep clicking on all cylinders.”
On off week preparations…
“We focused on our passing last week. We had a scrimmage type situation throughout the week with a little bit of contact. It’s just gaining that momentum and getting the reps that we need to prepare for this game.”
On whether there were changes made during the bye week…
“We didn’t make any changes. We got a few plays in that should work against that defense. We’re just going to stay with the same type of offense that we’ve had all season.”
On playing Alabama…
“Now it is more or less that Alabama vs. LSU thing. That is what it is about. We know the rivalry and the importance of the game. To come back and get some confidence as a team with a ‘W’ would be great. Alabama is a great team that plays special teams, offense and defense, and they do it all well. As a rivalry you look forward to playing them. It’s the game that you mark on the calendar at the beginning of the season.”
On playing Alabama…
“I’m really excited. I take it as a challenge. You hear those two names (Trent) Richardson and (Mark) Ingram a lot, and I’m not taking anything away from them because they are some great backs, but I like any challenge. I’m ready to go. I think those guys up front are going to do big things.”