Miles previews spring football
| 
| 
| News and notes from Wednesday meeting with LSU’s head man
By BEN LOVE
Tiger Rag Acting Editor
With spring practice beginning Friday afternoon, coach Les Miles took time Wednesday to meet with select members of the media to preview the five weeks of practice on the brink.
During an hour-long session, Miles gave a position-by-position breakdown of the team and explained which players are in the mix for a starting job. He then fielded questions for a limited time.
The overriding theme of his words: aggression.
According to Miles, the team is putting a renewed focus on running the football and being more solid on both sides of the line. He spoke to the fact that recent offseason drills have been designed to test the player’s physical fitness and are a bit more grueling than drills at this time in years passed.
To be in the room, you really got the sense that Miles knows certain things have to change. Will they? That’s yet to be seen. But at least he talked the right game.
Anyway, a full report on spring football and Miles’ position breakdown will appear in the next issue of Tiger Rag, coming out Tuesday, March 2.
To whet your appetite, however, here are the highlights from Wednesday’s sit-down with Les Miles:
- OL Josh Williford has apparently forced his way into playing time with his recent play and performance. Miles listed Joseph Barksdale and Josh Dworaczyk as likely starters at some place on the line, while the other two line starters will likely come from the group of T-Bob Hebert and P.J. Lonergan (at center), Will Blackwell, Chris Faulk, Alex Hurst and Evan Washington.
- Russell Shepard has made the position move to WR. He will primarily play there, but will occasionally be featured at other skill positions (QB, RB) in special packages.
- Upcoming senior Jai Eugene has made the move to safety. This clears room for Morris Claiborne to start at CB opposite Patrick Peterson.
- Chase Clement has made the move to TE and will likely see significant time there. DeAngelo Peterson will also play some TE, but is proving to be valuable flexed out more as a WR.
- Jordan Jefferson is the guy at QB. Miles of course said there will be competition, but it sounded like a lot would have to happen in order for anybody to supplant Jefferson.
- Incoming community college player Ken Adams is grading out well in ‘coaching sessions’ and stands a good chance of seeing decent time at DE.
- UPDATE: Michael Brockers, not Sam Montgomery, is likely making the move inside from DE to DT.
- The RB depth chart, at least heading into spring, looks like this: 1. Stevan Ridley, 2. Richard Murphy, 3. Michael Ford.
- Richard Murphy is back to health, but for the sake of precautions, players won’t be allowed to tackle him during spring. He’ll participate in every other way. The only other injured Tiger is safety Karnell Hatcher.
–
Ben Love is the acting editor of Tiger Rag. Reach him at ben@tigerrag.com.
You see that what bothers me about Les Miles” a more grueling then drills at this time in years past”.
the LSU drills was not up to snuff before now..(Great).
We should feel all happier now, because our team will be stronger and much tougher.
I don’t think Les Miles knows Russel Sheppard from Kanye West?
The management of the head football coach Is everything to the success of our LSU football team-(what I hear from this report,makes me feel like LSU was not training right).
I hope coach Miles can put this thing together in a big way…And the LSU football players do get stronger and tougher this season.
If Les Miles can light up Tiger stadium with that winning spirit again,I will gladly buy him a ice-cream chocolate soda.
Why has our LSU football team started losing to the better SEC team that we can very well beat?
The answer was our QB trouble.( A good QB makes up for a lot in the present day football).
I don’t for the life of me see Jefferson coming through for LSU and Les Miles.
I hope coach Miles know better,and this LSU football team beats the tar out of everyone.
Again for all you JJ bashers, I don’t care who the QB is, if he doesn’t have a good O-Line and a running game to back him up, he is not going to be successful. JJ has all the tools to be a successful QB if our O-Line plays better which in turn will make our running game better. And for all the sacks he took, it’s a combination of a poor O-Line and a coachiing staff gun shy because of the disaster at QB the year before. JJ sure had the talent to take off and run but I’m sure the coaching staff didn’t want him hurt. The same can be said of his ineffectiveness running the option. Just give the kid a break! and take the racial blinders off and let’s be united behind our QB.
WCS…The only person talking about color is you…Maybe you should look with in your self my friend.
I think Jefferson need a lot of work to becoming a SEC QB…I don’t feel good about him not playing good enough- because of the way he plays…Not the way he looks…He could look like Snow White for that madder…That would scare me,but if he played QB like say Drew Brees,hay I don’t care what color he is.
why does the racial blinders have come up all the time . the best elven men should be the feild regarlist fresman or whart not
Do the JJ appologists really think the criticism of his play has to do with racism? I don’t really think so, but have to admit that I have been puzzled by the fact that every time someone criticizes his play or suggests that one of the big problems is him, someone else immediately jumps to his defense. Now, since this is the first time I have ever seen it actually said, I wonder what is the real reason(s) behind the quick defenses? I frankly cannot remember a QB for LSU having so many defenders against suggestions of inadequate play. Just wondering.
Thomas Williams, Jimmy. Tandy. You would have to be a recipient to understand. You will never get it because you have never experienced it. So if you don’t get it, you have the problem. Your response is so typical and re- enforces my assertions.
When I hear this man speak, he sounds like the most confused man in the room. When you listen to Coach Mainieri speak… he instills confidence. He knows what is expected from each player, what every players is expected to do and how that fits into his overall plan. He makes all the right moves and when he explains why he made certain moves… they make total sense, even to the novice.
Coach Miles just does not inspire that confidence with me or anyone else in the national media. I have never seen so many players being moved from their natural position. Truthfully, I cannot see Joseph Barksdale playing left tackle. Miles cannot give a reason for these positions changes, like Coach Mainieri does. How many times have we heard Miles state that we were going to get “something” fixed? Or that he needs to do a better job at something. The middle of the season is too late. He kept telling us last year that the offense was going to get better, that this was the best offensive line at LSU, maybe ever. Is he that clueless? How many times did we hear that he had a “package” for Trindon Holliday or R. Sheppard? Does he instill confidence in any of you?
Like I have stated before, I like Tommy Moffit, I like Coach Ron Cooper and Coach Chavis is a proven winner… although I believe that LSU fans prefer a more agressive style of play, with more blitzing. It will be interesting to see how Coach Gonzales works out. Coach Crowton & Coach Studrawa need to go.
We have been getting good recruiting classes but have NOT been DEVELOPING these players. We were #112 in Total Offense, last year - Unacceptable!! We had only 4 players make All SEC last year and NONE on the All Freshman Team… the only school that didn’t have a representative!
Miles was an average Coach in the Big 12 and is certainly not one of the better Coaches in the Top Heavy SEC!
I agree with some of the above comments. The O line under achieved last year. However, the QB position was weak. JJ cannot make timely decisions. We had good recievers last year …. but JJ continued to get sacked because he could not make quick decisions with the ball. The offensive coaching needs some improvements also …. blitzing situations call for quicker hitting routes by the receivers. I would bet that we “beat the blitz” last year less tha n 10% of the time. Guess what LSU can expect this year in the SEC ???
Good luck WCS… Until you except your lot in life…You may never grow up?
I grew up a lot during my years as a student at LSU, from 1967-71, where I did graduate in spite of idiots like you. And I am proud of most of the student body at LSU now, in spite of a few idiots like you.
Futhermore Massa Thomas “except your lot in life”, means that Blacks should not play QB because they are not smart enough, should stick to RB and other less intellectual positions. It’s people like you that are what is wrong with the world.
WCS…Go peddle your phony papers some place else…Apparently every thing is colored with you…Good luck any way.
Tom
Tom, you are the only phoney. Won’t admit to your deeply entrenced racism. You are who you are. Can’t fool yourself, buster. Ignorance is bliss and you are blissful. That’s all from me!!
A note to everyone commenting on this thread and all others:
We at Tiger Rag typically approve all comments as long as there is no profanity or threat within the content. But this foolishness going on blurs the line because while it is neither of those two things, it still doesn’t belong on a sports Web site (or a civilized society, for that matter).
I take absolutely no sides in the matter. I just want it to stop. And, thankfully, I have that power. From here on out, any post which dives into personal attacks on another poster - for whatever reason - will NOT be approved.
Please show some level of decorum on our message boards. That’s all we ask.
Sincerely,
Ben Love
Tiger Rag Acting Editor
Unlike some of the negative posters on this tab I believe Miles will get the job done for LSU in 2010. His job security is on the line. Coach Miles had made changes after the 2008 season that greatly improved our defense; and I will expect that he will have success making similar changes which will improve the offense drastically in 2010. As far as the JJ bashers out there–give it a rest. JJ is more talented than many of you think–just not polished yet. In 2009, JJ learned some valuable lessons about holding onto the ball too long and will be more experienced in 2010 and much more mature. My chief concern is the offensive line. Miles’ will need to be hawking linemen during spring practice and should be personally invested (being an ex lineman himself) in insuring that the best 10 players are available on the line, not just the best five.