BATON ROUGE – LSU put in its final day of full speed work in preparation for Saturday’s season-opener against Wisconsin here Wednesday as the fifth-ranked Tigers held a shells workout indoors at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility.
The Tigers will have a lighter practice on Thursday followed by a walk-through on Friday morning before the team departs for Green Bay. LSU and Wisconsin are scheduled to kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at Lambeau Field. The game will be televised nationally on ABC.
LSU will depart from Baton Rouge mid-morning on Friday and fly into Green Bay where the team will have a brief walk around Lambeau Field followed by tour of the Packers Hall of Fame.
“It was a fast-paced practice,” head coach Les Miles said of Wednesday’s workout. “We got a lot done. We’re improving, and that’s what happens at the end of camp. We’re a better team now than when we reported to camp.”
Miles said that opening the season against a team the caliber of Wisconsin has helped the Tigers’ preparation during fall camp.
“I think first of all, we’re playing a very quality opponent, and I think everyone realizes that the preparation needs to be good,” Miles said of facing the Badgers. “You have to be ready to play, and ready to play at a very high level. I think that’s how they practice and how they prepare. These early games against a very quality opponent give you a preparation that you need.”
Miles said he’s heard as many as 30,000 LSU fans will be in Green Bay for the game and that’s enough to get both himself and his squad excited for this unique matchup at the legendary home of the Green Bay Packers.
“The fact that 30,000 LSU fans can make their way to Lambeau Field is an amazing number,” Miles said. “Lambeau Field is a great location and when you think of stadiums that capture the tradition and history of the NFL, Lambeau Field has to be at the top of the list.”
LSU goes into the Wisconsin game having won all 11 season-openers under Miles and among that number includes a 28-24 win over the Badgers to open the 2014 season in Houston. LSU’s hasn’t dropped a season-opener since 2002, which is also the last time the Tigers have lost a non-conference regular-season game.
“We are excited to get the season started,” Miles said. “We’ve had a really good camp and I know our guys are ready to face another opponent rather than their teammates every day in practice.”