Following No. 6 LSU’s win against No. 9 South Carolina Saturday, LSU coach Les Miles had to sit in traffic a bit longer than he was used to as of late.
He was OK with that.
“It was gridlocked until forever, so I’ll take that,” Miles said. “If it takes everybody staying to have that kind of environment for the entire time, we’ll take that.”
Miles thanked the Tiger Stadium crowd for its effect during the win when he spoke to the media at his weekly press luncheon Monday leading up to his team’s trip to take on Texas A&M this weekend.
He also expressed appreciation for the play of freshman Jeremy Hill, the running back who scored the Tigers’ two touchdowns and was named Co-Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, and Trai Turner and Vadal Alexander, the two young offensive linemen who blocked for Hill as he scored his 50-yard coffin-sealer.
With two sacks and a forced fumble, junior defensive end Sam Montgomery was also honored by the conference Monday for the third time this season, being named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week.
The offensive line finally pulled it together Saturday after injuries affected the unit’s productivity for weeks. The Tigers rushed for 258 yards and junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger was sacked only once by the Gamecocks’ potent pass rush.
Miles said Turner knew what was going on and what he had to adjust during communication with players and coaches between series.
“Those kinds of conversations on the sideline gave me the understanding that these guys are ready to play,” said Miles, who had no updates on veteran linemen Josh Williford and Alex Hurst.
Texas A&M’s defensive line ranks as one of the SEC’s best with 19 sacks. The Aggies have their own version of Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina’s dominant sophomore defensive end, in junior lineman Damontre Moore, who leads the SEC in individual sacks with 8.5.
“We’re going to use our hands, hit our sets and be prepared,” Miles said. “This late in this season, I think we’re getting more accustomed to that challenge, and we’re looking forward to it.”
Another challenge will be the 11 a.m. kickoff, which is the Tigers’ earliest road start since playing Tulane at the same time in 2007. LSU led by only one point at halftime of that game before shutting the Green Wave out in the second half en route to a 34-9 win.
“I think before that, it could easily be a problem but I think 11 o’clock will be a nice time to roll out and play,” Miles said. “We’ll kind of examine some of our work schedule and see if we can put them in a position where they’re comfortable there, but I don’t think it’s going to make much.”
