Miles: “Ready To Finish Strong”

Les Miles addresses the media on Monday as LSU preps for Ole Miss visit on Saturday

by Matt Deville
Tiger Rag Senior Editor

CLICK HERE to hear Miles’ press conference comments in their entirety.

(At left) LSU coach Les Miles spoke to the media on Monday (Photo by Matt Deville)

A relieved and refreshed coach Les Miles stepped to the podium on Monday two days removed from on the most historic finishes in the history of LSU football.

On Saturday, LSU (7-3) rallied for 37, second-half points (30 in the fourth quarter) to upend Troy in the biggest comeback in Tiger football history. Saturday’s fourth-quarter rally trumped a 1977 21-point comeback in which the Tigers topped Ole Miss 28-21.

Miles addressed Saturday’s near-disaster as placed the blame on his team and coaching staff not being focused on their opponent, especially after such an emotional downer in losing to Alabama the week before.

“I can tell you that once you play a very emotional game the week before with a record crowd and the position of our team is giving maximum effort, and we fall short,” Miles said. “We look forward to the next game, but the next game is against an opponent (Troy) whose name just doesn’t ring a bell and fire you up, and your coaches do a poor job and that this is a very good football team and that they’re very capable.”

No doubt.

Troy outgained LSU 255-63 in the first half and earned 14 first downs to LSU’s 2. After trailing 24-3 at the half, when LSU gave up a Trojan touchdown on the first possession of the second and Troy went on top 31-3, the stadium emptied.

However, for those who left early, they missed the greatest turnaround in LSU history.

“The stadium, those of you who stayed heard as loud a crowd for however few there was,” Miles said on Monday. “I thought that stadium was just as live and fired up as any big game in any large crowd in the backend of that game. Those of you who braved the cold and a poor start by the Tigers in the first half, I want to say thanks. I really enjoyed that crowd. That crowd got into it. You heard them.”

As for the Tigers on the field, the game was on the verge of becoming one of the most embarrassing losses in school history. Instead, LSU managed to pull off a win and turn something extremely negative into a positive.

“I’ve been around those games, basketball games and really in every sport – football, baseball – a team makes a great run at you, and they can’t quite get over the hump,” Miles said. “That wasn’t the case. There was only one way. I can tell you that the enjoyment of that victory certainly was strong, that the sweet taste of victory was very significant.”

The Tigers get ready for the home stretch of the 2008 season with two SEC games remaining. LSU hosts Ole Miss (6-4) Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in Tiger Stadium. It is the last home game of the season and the last game in Tiger Stadium for 20 LSU seniors. Also, the 1958 national championship team will be honored as well.

“It’s also senior day,” Milessaid. “We have 20 seniors who are going to graduate. Of the 20, I should say at this point, 14 will have their degrees before January comes. Certainly, we would expect that the graduation of the other six will follow there after. Guys that have really contributed to this program with some great leadership, guys that revere this school and have played really great football for quite sometime, so we’re going to miss them. I want that crowd to come out and say good bye to them.”

LSU has won six straight games against Ole Miss, but the Rebels are playing well in the first season under coach Houston Nutt. All four Ole Miss losses this season have come by a touchdown or less.

“I know who we are playing this week,” Miles said. “We’re playing Ole Miss, and I understand that rivalry. It became very apparent to me last year that this is a very talented team. They are 6-4 overall, and their losses were really attributed to turnovers and quite not getting their team together early on in the year. They’re very talented and move the football. They play good defense and special teams. They are the team that beat Florida in Gainesville. Our football team understands what that means.”

Check back to TigerRag.com throughout the week for continuing coverage of the Tigers as they prepare for Saturday’s game versus Ole Miss.