In the midst of rumors about the Michigan coaching vacancy, LSU coach Les Miles wanted the focus to be on his current team when he spoke to reporters Monday night after his team completed its first practice before the Music City Bowl.
Even before the press conference began, Miles quickly dismissed questions regarding a potential replacement of former Michigan coach Brady Hoke, who was fired on Dec. 2 after four seasons in Ann Arbor. Multiple reports indicated the Michigan Athletic Department contacted Miles’ agent, George Bass, about the opening.
Miles would not speak on the record about specifics of any contact Michigan has tried to make with him, but he gave a general sentiment that he was not considering the Wolverines.
Miles was glad to be back on the football field for his team’s last stretch of practices before the Tigers (8-4, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) play Notre Dame on Dec. 30 at LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee. He didn’t notice any rust on his players on a windy evening at practice.
“Today’s practice was designed to be LSU versus LSU in a fast tempo,” Miles said. “We went two-minute. We went a number of segments against each other, and we had a very nice go. It’s nice getting the guys back after the [team] banquet.”
Miles also mentioned the accolades accrued by some on his players, including senior offensive tackle La’el Collins, the Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner as the best offensive lineman in the SEC.
Miles expects senior running back Kenny Hilliard to return for the bowl game after missing the final two regular season games with shoulder injury but doesn’t believe senior center Elliott Porter will be recovered from a lower-body injury sustained against Arkansas.
In Porter’s absence, Miles said freshman William Clapp will get practice at center leading up to the bowl.
Miles doesn’t anticipate major changes to the Notre Dame (7-5) offensive scheme despite uncertainty of who will start at quarterback and how much each will play in the bowl game. Sophomore Malik Zaire stepped in for senior Everett Golson in the first half of the regular season finale against Southern California after Golson completed only 7-of-18 passes for 75 yards and an interception.
“They’re doing the same things. That would be my guess,” Miles said. “They’re doing it with two different guys…We’ll see the same routes. We’ll see the same stuff. It’s just going to be done by another guy.”
The Fighting Irish, a team ranked as high as No. 5 in the Associated Press poll after a 6-0 start, lost five of its final six games. Miles wasn’t sure why Notre Dame struggled in the latter half of the season, but he acknowledged the talent level of the team.
“I know one thing: [Notre Dame] coach [Brian] Kelly does a great job of preparing them,” Miles said. ”You can see that they’re well coached and talented. To me, I recognize they are a very good football team.”
Miles remained adamant there is still competition at quarterback but would not say who would start in the bowl game. Sophomore Anthony Jennings is coming off perhaps his best game of the season in which he passed and ran for more than 100 yards in a victory against Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night.
“We’re, again, looking at competition at several spots,” Miles said. “We’re giving some other guys an opportunity to step forward and see what they have. I think, also, [freshman quarterback] Brandon Harris is being groomed in a like fashion.”
Miles said five players’ names were submitted to be evaluated by scouts for the NFL draft, but he is optimistic about the players returning next year. Three of his returning players, wide receiver Malachi Dupre, running back Leonard Fournette and safety Jamal Adams, were selected to All-SEC Freshman Team last week.
“I think this team has the potential to play in championships,” Miles said. “Should the juniors recognize how close we are to being in the [College Football Playoff], frankly, this will be a great class for quite some time and a great team for quite some time.”
