In his weekly press conference, LSU football coach Les Miles stressed the need for improvement in all phases of the game after the Tigers lost their Southeastern Conference opener against Mississippi State, 29-34, on Saturday night.
Miles said the problems seen Saturday are not the fault of any one player or unit, but the responsibility of all the players and coaches on staff.
“It’s not just one thing,” Miles said. “It’s not this player or that player, it’s really we’ve got good players, and really our coaching staff knows what they’re doing, and we’re in good position. It’s just we’ve got to play better.”
Mississippi State’s Dillon Day Stomping
Miles said a petition about Mississippi State’s senior offensive lineman Dillon Day stomping on LSU players during Saturday’s game has been sent into the SEC offices.
“I think not only did TV catch that, but that was something that we caught, that we sent in, and certainly the conference will do the right thing,” Miles said.
Harris and Jennings
While Miles praised the effort of freshman quarterback Brandon Harris against Mississippi State, he focused on the season-long outlook at the position and deciding which quarterback gives LSU the best chance to win.
“First of all, I’m not going to temper what was a very positive contribution by Brandon Harris,” Miles said. “He comes in, we say, here’s the situation. Make these throws and handle protection, and he did a great job, and he gave us every opportunity in the time that he was on the field to win.”
Miles said he liked the lift Harris gave the Tigers and that Harris’ performance earned him more consideration for playing time.
However, Miles did not make any concrete statements about Harris’ playing time going forward.
“But in the same vein, we’ll look at him,” Miles said. “We’ve got a long season ahead of us. Practice weeks are very revealing. When there’s a separation there, that will be noticed, and changes will be made.”
Defensive Struggles
Miles said the lack of communication between players on the field and coaches on the sideline was the problem that led to the Bulldogs’ big plays.
“To me, there were some times there where a call didn’t get on the field that should have been on the field,” Miles said. “A linebacker out of position, a missed coverage based on a quarterback scramble that led to big plays and things in my mind that are technique, not necessarily that they’re even a missed assignment.”
Miles said he has confidence in defensive coordinator John Chavis to make the necessary adjustments to fix those communication problems.