BATON ROUGE – LSU will wrap up its first spring under head coach Ed Orgeron on Saturday night when the Tigers host the National L Club Spring Game presented by Tony Chachere’s in Tiger Stadium.
Kickoff for the game is set for 7 p.m. CT and admission is free of charge. Pre-game activities get started on campus at 3 p.m. with the Rock ‘N Roar Block Party featuring the band Cowboy Mouth. The Tigers will walk down “Victory Hill” at 5:45 p.m. and then take the field at 6:20.
The contest will be televised live on the SEC Network with Tom Hart (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst) and Tom Luginbill (sideline reporter) on the call.
The game will also be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network (104.5/104.9 FM locally) with Patrick Wright (play by play), Doug Moreau (analyst) and Gordy Rush (sideline reporter) calling the action. The game can also be heard on the internet at www.LSUsports.net/live.
“I want to see us get after it,” Orgeron said about the spring game. “I want to see us competing in a game-type atmosphere. This is like a preseason game. I want to see them perform under pressure and see what they can do. I want them to compete, have fun, and have energy.”
Saturday’s game concludes what has been a productive spring for the Tigers as LSU has installed a new offense under the direction of first–year coordinator and quarterback coach Matt Canada. Other new faces on the offensive staff include running backs coach Tommie Robinson and wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph.
Defensively, Dave Aranda returns for his second season with the Tigers after putting one of the top units in the country on the field a year ago. Last year, Aranda’s defense allowed only 16 touchdowns all season, the fewest of any team in the country.
“I think overall we’ve had a very productive spring,” Orgeron said this week. “I’m excited about our coaching staff, especially our offensive coaching staff with new offensive coordinator Matt Canada along with Tommie Robinson and Mickey Joseph. They have all gelled well together and have improved our team.”
The Format
The team has been divided so that the format of the game will feature the 1s vs. the 1s (offense vs. defense) and the 2s vs. the 2s. Coach Orgeron said the game will feature very little special teams and that intent for the 1s vs. 1s is to see how the players compete when lined up against the best player across the ball.
The Gold team will feature mainly first-teamers on offense as well as the No. 2 defense, while the Purple team will consist of the No. 1 defense and the No. 2 offense.
The first half will feature two 12-minute quarters followed by a 15-minute halftime. In the second half, the Tigers will utilize a running clock for the two 10-minute quarters.
Guest Coaches
Some of the top players in school history have been invited back by Coach Orgeron to serve as guest coaches for this year’s game. The list of guest coaches include: Charles Alexander, Odell Beckham Jr., Ben Bordelon, Ryan Clark, Kevin Faulk, Eric Hill, Tommy Hodson, Bradie James, Matt Mauck, Lance Smith, Craig Steltz and Corey Webster.
“Senior Presentation”
While they aren’t seniors, LSU’s four early entries into the 2017 NFL Draft will have a Senior Day Tribute pregame as Jamal Adams, Malachi Dupre, Leonard Fournette and Davon Godchaux will be recognized on the field prior to kickoff. All four players will run out of the tunnel to midfield where they will be joined by family members.
2017 National L Club Spring Game Timeline
Time of Day Game Clock Element
7 a.m. – Tiger Stadium entrance by Credential or Pass Only
9 a.m. – LSU SportShop Opens | Sale
12 p.m. – North Stadium Dr. closed
1:15 p.m. – LSU Track & Field Alumni Gold Meet – FREE
3 p.m. – LSU Softball vs. Tennessee (Tiger Park) | Tickets
3 p.m. – “Rock ‘N Roar” Block Party opens / Opening music act begins
4 p.m. – Cowboy Mouth performs on stage of block party
4:45 p.m. – Student contest begins on-field in Tiger Stadium
5 p.m. – All Gates Open – FREE
5:35 p.m. – Game clock starts
5:40 p.m. – Cowboy Mouth finishes set on stage
5:45 p.m. – Team arrives at Victory Hill; Student Contest ends / Field available for warm-ups
6:20 p.m. – Team takes field for warm-ups; Band arrives to stadium
6:35 p.m. – Referee’s mic check
6:50 p.m. – Band: Pregame, Hey Fighting Tigers, Down Cheers (1-3)
6:57 p.m. – Callin’ Baton Rouge Video
7 p.m. – SEC Network Broadcast on the Air; NFL Early Entries Presentation (5:00)
7:05 p.m. – Kickoff / Guest Coaches Announcement