Better now than later. 

That was LSU coach Les Miles’ mindset on his football team’s rampant turnover problem when he spoke to the media Monday at his weekly press luncheon. 

Miles’ 2012 squad has lost eight turnovers so far as compared to three at this point in last season’s campaign. The Tigers matched their 2011 five-game total during Saturday evening’s soaked matchup with Football Championship Series opponent Towson, prompting Miles to address the “uncharacteristic” phenomenon. 

“We can’t afford that as we go forward,” Miles said. “On a team that we coach ball security very aggressively, it will continue again today, and Tuesday, and Wednesday and right on through. I can’t imagine that that won’t get addressed well and fixed.”

Junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger has accounted for five of the team’s eight turnovers in his first five games at the helm, which Miles attributed to Mettenberger attempting to extend the play. Miles said that isn’t what the team is looking for from him, and he’ll improve with experience. 

“Just remember that he has not really started in major college football before,” Miles said. “…Let’s get to the more veteran play as we get to the back end of this year. I think that that’s likely that he’ll play better and better each week.” 

Mettenberger indicated after Saturday’s game that the team’s playbook was relatively untapped, and Miles denied sophomore receiver Odell Beckham, Jr.’s, claim that the cause is a lack of trust in the offense.

“When you’re not necessarily just hitting on all cylinders, there’s an opportunity to reign it in because you want to make sure the things you do are successful,” Miles said. “…There’s some playbook that’s not been touched yet, but that’s for the future anyway. It was never going to be for those games that you have under hand.”

The Tigers will be without junior fullback J.C. Copeland for an unspecified amount of time, according to Miles. When asked about the recovery of several players, Miles said he expected the “nicked” players would return quickly with the “possible exception” of Copeland, who left the Towson game in the fourth quarter with an apparent knee injury. 

Miles said running backs like sophomore Kenny Hilliard and freshman Jeremy Hill have both taken snaps at fullback in case Copeland can’t play, but seemed especially high on sophomore fullback Connor Neighbors, who has rushed for five yards on a single carry so far this season. 

“[Neighbors is] certainly a great way to go,” Miles said. “He’s really developed. I think he’s very deserving of snaps.”