To see a video on Les Miles’ press conference, click here.
The winner of the LSU and Auburn game has won the Southeastern Conference Western Division six of the past eight years. But while LSU coach Les Miles said he’s looking forward to going to Jordan-Hare Stadium — where LSU has not won since 1998 — Miles said he won’t overhype the team’s conference opener.”Our football team understands that it’s just one game,” Miles said. “It just counts as one.”LSU and Auburn have split the past eight meetings with the home team winning each game since 2000. In those eight meetings, each team has scored 144 points. Miles said he expects another close call this weekend. “It’s going to be awfully competitive,” he said. “We’ll have to play our best game to date. It will be a great test.” INJURY BUG BITES TIGERSMiles said senior linebacker Darry Beckwith will be out for Saturday’s game against Auburn.Junior linebacker Jacob Cutrera will start in Beckwith’s place. “The defensive scheme, the plays and the execution going in will be the same,” senior defensive end Tyson Jackson said. “Jacob is a good football player. The only thing different will be No. 54 instead of No. 48. I don’t feel anything wrong with that because Jacob has been around here for quite some time…Darry [Beckwith] has told him what kinds of things to expect, and from there he just needs to go out and play the way he knows how. That’s the reason why we recruited him — he makes plays for us, and I think he’ll do that again on Saturday night.”Cutrera started two games in Beckwith’s absence last season and had seven tackles and an interception in his first career start against Louisiana Tech.”I don’t think there will be any real issue with him being able to step in and communicate,” Miles said. “He has earned the respect of this team.”The news was brighter for senior receiver Demetrius Byrd. Miles said Byrd won’t be limited against Auburn after leaving Saturday’s game with an ankle injury.QB LIMBO TO CONTINUE THIS WEEKENDMiles said both freshman   Jarrett Lee and sophomore        Andrew Hatch will play again against Auburn.Hatch started both games for LSU and completed 17 of his 31 passes this season for 202 yards and threw a touchdown and an interception.Lee completed 16 of 28 passes for 200 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.Miles said true freshman Jordan Jefferson may play this weekend. Jefferson made his season debut against the Mean Green, throwing one pass and rushing one time for 14 yards.    “We want to get him some snaps to prepare him for the future,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Jordan Jefferson played in this game.”RETURN TO NORMALCYFor the first time this season, LSU should be able to prepare for its opponent without having to keep an eye on weather forecasts and tropical disturbances.Saturday’s attendance was 91,602, just shy of Tiger Stadium’s 92,400 capacity.Miles said the team’s support in the wake of hurricanes Gustav and Ike helped get the Tigers get through two difficult weeks.”With what was going on in the perimeter and in the backdrop of this game, that the people of this state who turned out and watched this game are great fans,” he said. “They had to go by a lot of personal issues to see that game, and I know their team certainly appreciated it.””Saturday night everything will come out on the table — offense, defense and special teams will be ready to play to the best of our ability,” Jackson said. “You can look forward to seeing the LSU A-game.” TIGERS ON THE TUBELSU sports information director Michael Bonnette announced Monday that next week’s game against Mississippi State in Tiger Stadium will be televised by ESPN 2 and will have a 6:30 p.m. kickoff. —-Contact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]