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LSU Football - (Ole Miss week)
Les Miles Press Conference
Opening Statement…
“It
is always a pleasure to be in Tiger Stadium at night. I enjoyed a
Homecoming crowd. I can tell you that our football team walked down
that hill and took part in the traditions of our school, and that is a
tremendous feeling. I can tell you that our guys enjoy it greatly. I
did not think that this was a game that we played with a real emotion
or passion. I felt like we did the things we needed to do to ensure
victory. We started slow as a team, but again I felt like we did the
things we needed to do.”
“Alfred Blue comes in and has
about 119 yards rushing. He really made big plays and had two
touchdowns. I thought Jordan Jefferson played well. I liked what he
gave us early in the game. I recognize that we have two very quality
quarterbacks and both will play. We’ll consider that position and how
we will go a little bit later in the week. I really think that it is
specific to whom we play and how those guys are playing. We need both.
We will use both. I enjoyed Jarrett when he came in. I felt that he
operated the offense extremely well. He went right down the field and
scored a touchdown himself.”
“Defensively, we limited
Western Kentucky to 226 yards. Seven of their last eight possessions
were turned over on downs, a punt or a turnover. I thought Kevin Minter
played one of his better games. He had a lot of tackles. We got sacks
from Rob Brooks, Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery. Special teams did
not have a lot of chances to punt the ball, but I felt that we were not
as sharp on special teams. Our kickoff coverage was not what we wanted
it to be and we made some mistakes. There was not attention to detail
there. Again it was a win and all victories are sweet. We expect to
play better as we go to Ole Miss.”
“Ole Miss is a team
that is very dangerous in the fact that they will see us as a great
rivalry and as an opportunity to play their best at home. We must be
prepared for their best shot. Certainly we will prepare that way. I
recognize that Houston Nutt is their coach. They have won a lot of
games under him and he has won a lot of games during his career. I’m
certain that they will be prepared and that they will do the right
things. We are looking forward to playing a real quality Ole Miss team
playing at their best.”
“Their leading rusher is a
gentleman named Jeff Scott who has 529 yards. Brandon Bolden is finally
getting healthy as they go. Randy Mackey is the quarterback and a guy
that we studied in high school. He has a lot of ability. We recognize
that we need to improve, play well on the road and well against an
inspired Ole Miss team.”
On a team’s focus when they are not bowl eligible…
“The
only time that we were not in not bowl contention when I was at
Oklahoma State and I think we had won four games that year. The piece
is how you play football and how you want to be remembered and who you
are. It is much more personal. To me it is a difficult piece because
without the view of that bowl game it is a difficult piece to motivate.”
On the true freshmen’s contributions…
“Kenny
Hilliard, Jarvis Landry, Anthony Johnson and our kicker James Hairston
are a number of quality freshmen that come to the field. The good news
is that we have made it a point. If you look back at the guys that we
have played in Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu and Eric Reid are all
guys that played as true freshmen and have had great careers. We would
expect that it would happen not only last year, but this year.”
On not being able to play Zach Mettenberger against WKU…
“Had
we started a little faster I think Mettenberger would have played a lot
of snaps. Frankly, I believe that we should have gotten more snaps to
Lee. I don’t think there is a real need there.”
On Coach Miles’s battles with Houston Nutt…
“I
have always enjoyed the ways he prepares his teams. They have always
been extremely competitive. Games with his team have come down to the
wire. I would expect his team to be prepared in a like fashion. I think
they’re starting a number of freshmen and sophomore at this time. In
the future their teams will not only be improved, but the improvement
with age will certainly make a difference.”
On the team not knowing who is starting at quarterback until the game…
“They
recognize that both quarterbacks are guys that this team counts on and
that both will contribute in similar fashions as they have in the past.
I think there is enjoyment with both guys taking snaps.”
On the maturity of a young LSU team…
“I
don’t know if I can necessary give you an extended view there. The only
thing I can tell you is that what has to happen for a team to win a
championship is that they have to handle their opponents in a similar
fashion, treat them with their best effort and understand how we play
offense, defense and special teams. I don’t think we look any different
just because of the opponent that we play. We come to play like we play
in every game.”
On Jordan Jefferson’s performance against WKU…
“The
things that Jefferson did in that game certainly were things that we
had seen through out his career and in his development last year. Those
things are not surprises to us certainly. We would expect that he would
play in a like fashion in every game. With that being said, I really
enjoyed how Jarrett Lee came in and moved the team. I can tell you that
we have two quarterbacks. Frankly, when I think about the quarterback
position I think about both guys. We’re very fortunate to have two
quality quarterbacks.”
On the influence of Pastor Ken Ellis...
“Ken
Ellis is a guy that is a serving man and I can tell you that I have sat
in every pregame chapel that he has provided us. He is always pointed
and using scripture as a point of reference. I think that he is not
only the pregame chapel, but he is always around. He allows for his
time to be available to our players and any special needs that they
have in a spiritual fashion. We’re very fortunate to have a man of god
and a tremendous athlete with us. He is a guy that has played at every
level and in the NFL and just is a great example and role model in
every way. I can tell you this. I enjoy him. Me personally. When I sit
in his chapel and listen to the word, it strikes me virtually every
time.”
On the two quarterback system becoming a norm in college football…
“I
would like to have one quarterback that had the same skills or a second
quarterback that was exactly the same as the first quarterback. The
fact that you can train two quarterbacks in the exact same offense and
plays, and there would not necessarily be a change in script. With that
being said, you have to have two different quarterbacks and be prepared
to play them in key times in the season so that you can win a
championship. I don’t necessarily have to have two quarterbacks. That
is not the issue. I have two quarterbacks who deserve to play and two
quarterbacks that have different skills. With hat being said, I want
both those skill sets on the field. It just happens to benefit our team
in a long season and hopefully in a championship run to have
quarterbacks ready to play. To me, I’d like them to have a similar
constitution to be honest and a similar set.”
On what he learned against Ole Miss two years ago…
“We
did a couple of things immediately different after that game. There are
little things that you learn from every game, and certainly we learned
from that.”
On why Jefferson received more reps…
“We
saw how we started and felt like we got pressure right away. I like how
Jordan has the ability to move his feet. We decided to stay with him
initially in that regard. But frankly we would have liked to get Lee
into the game a little earlier than the second half.”
On Lee’s playing time having to do with discipline…
“No. There was no disciplinary action in any way.”
On Kevin Minter…
“Kevin
is like a lot of guys. When you are in the program a lot of time your
skills become progressed and you are more capable. He is playing very
well. He is a physical linebacker and understands our calls. He gives
us a very capable and talented guy in the middle of that defense.”
On LSU being 10-0 for the first time since 1958 and Mile’s reflection…
“I
think it will be some time in my future where I will reflect on some of
that some stuff, but not right now. Ten is old news and we are focused
on the next one. It is a fun and memorable step. I think this football
team will be reviewed upon the end of the season with the view on how
it finished. If it finishes, it will be a very special football team.
We needed 10 so that we could get to this position.”
On whether improvements took place this week…
“I’m
not certain. I felt that there were improvements that took place, but
what has to happen is that in a couple of places corrections need to be
made. Sometimes an opponent exposes a piece that you thought you had
fixed and you didn’t. The experience that our football team needs to go
with a pointed piece of improvement is needed. I think there was
improvement. With that being said, there also needs to be a continued
area that is reviewed.”
On sweeping the AP and Coaches polls…
“Again,
I think that it is a compliment to our team. I think there is an
understanding of the work that they have done. The fact that this game
and the games that we have played in this season have really put them
in position to argue that we have played the most difficult schedule
and are deserving. We do recognize that it is a position that we hold
and not the final position that we would like to have.”
On Spencer Ware…
“We
really count on the team. Spencer Ware may have been a little nicked in
that guy so we kind of got him out of the game early. Nothing serious
and we expect him to be at practice. The reality of it is that we need
to turn to the next guy. The next guy at LSU is a talented man and
someone who is capable and has ambitions for season and team. Alfred
Blue, Michael Ford and that crew, Terrance Magee ran well, we expect
that whoevers number we call, that he go to the field and give us some
advantages. The injury that he had, we wanted him to rest. He would
have stayed in the game and played. He is tough as nails. It is
something that we did not want to test him there. It was a specific
injury that we saw and needed to come off the field.”
On the depth of the running back core…
“It
is one of the strengths of our football team that we can get into a
game where a key drive late in the game can be manned by a guy that is
talented, has fresh legs, can carry the ball and make you miss and
plays a physical brand of football. Again, it is one of the strengths
of our team.”
On a one-loss team getting to the championship…
“I
think that the system that they have in place will predict the two best
teams and that the two best teams will play and decide it. I do
recognize that depending on the position that you are in as a team, how
it looks. It doesn’t look any different to me as it did in 2007. The
reality of it is that you have to keep your head down, play like heck
and make your point. With that being said, I can see a number of
quality teams qualifying. I wouldn’t want it to be limited to
undefeated teams. I can see that undefeated teams have the advantage
with their record in the fact they are undefeated. The disadvantage
could be strength of schedule. I haven’t given much thought to who,
names and schools.”
On thoughts on a three-quarterback system…
“We’ve
given some thought to it, but the formation is just too difficult. To
be real honest, we are playing the best two quarterbacks that we can
and developing Zach Mettenberger so that when we call his name he will
be ready.”
On Alfred Blue playing through personal struggles…
“When
you have issues on the perimeter, thank goodness it wasn’t a loss on
the family and only the physical house and material goods, it is
awfully comforting to put your head down and go to football practice,
put your head down and get good grades and realize that hopefully those
things are temporary and will eventually have answers while you try to
pursue those things that are your dreams and goals of your own. Alfred
Blue is a wonderful man to be around in practice. He works hard and is
very deserving. I would expect it from him.”
On Ken Adams and Josh Williford…
“I
think both guys could have played last week and both guys are at
practice this week. I anticipate that both guys could be cleared and
ready to play this week.”
On Karnell Hatcher…
“That was more of a coaches decision based on a nick that we wanted to rest.”
On Lamin Barrow…
“We are training him to play both middle and outside linebacker.”
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