The No. 4 LSU Tigers have a total of 12 games on their regular-season schedule. So simple math would indicate the sixth game as the halfway point of the season.
But that is not the way the Tigers choose to look at things.
Players said the first half of the season did not end until Saturday evening after their seventh game, a 43-37 triple overtime loss to No. 7 Kentucky.
And with five games left, the Tigers are thinking of their remaining games as a brand- new season.
LSU players and coaches gathered Monday at 6:45 a.m. for their weekly film session to review what happened in the previous game and begin preparation for the next weekend’s contest.
As far as the Tigers are concerned, that film session was the conclusion of the first of two chapters this season.
Senior running back Jacob Hester was open Monday afternoon about his feelings on Saturday’s loss, a defeat which dropped the Tigers four spots in the latest Associated Press poll.
“Nobody wanted to think about it Saturday night or Sunday,” Hester said. “But once we got here, we watched [the film] and saw what went wrong.
“It kind of left a sick feeling in your stomach knowing how close you were to winning the football game.”
The Tigers ran more offensive plays and gained more total yards than Kentucky but were plagued by 12 penalties.
LSU coach Les Miles said at his weekly press luncheon that Monday’s early morning team meeting was not the most enthusiastic of environments.
“There wasn’t a lot of smiling going on,” Miles said. “There was nobody in that room who had any enjoyment at how that game finished. As a room, we all took responsibility.”
Hester said the team can take solace in the fact that they control their own destiny in the Southeastern Conference standings.
“If we do win out, we’ll win the [SEC West],” he said. “That’s something you always want. You don’t want to worry about who’s winning and who’s losing this week.”
The Tigers’ 3-1 conference record puts them in a tie with Auburn and Alabama atop the SEC Western Division. LSU’s next two games are against Auburn this Saturday and against the Crimson Tide on Nov. 3.
DEFENSE EAGER TO REGAIN FORM
Though they were asked several times during Monday afternoon’s interview session, members of the LSU defense refused to attribute their recent struggles to fatigue.
“We’ve got a couple of guys nicked and bruised, but we have to get over it, get in the training room and get treatment,” said junior linebacker Darry Beckwith. “We’ve got another tough opponent coming [into Tiger Stadium].”
Miles said from his perspective, fatigue is not a problem.
“I don’t know if tired, worn-out or drained describes [their mood] at all,” he said. “I think unhappy, disappointed and looking to get to practice. That’s kind of how I see them.”
Saturday’s game against No. 17 Auburn will be LSU’s third straight against a top-20 opponent.
The Tigers’ defense has allowed a total of 689 yards and 67 points to Florida and Kentucky. Those mediocre performances caused LSU to fall to No. 2 in the nation in total defense and No. 6 in scoring defense.
Miles said he and defensive coordinator Bo Pelini watched every defensive play of the Kentucky game on film. He said his assessment is that some defensive players are trying to do too much at times to stop the football.
“They’re in position to make really strong plays and are trying to be in two places where they really only have a responsibility to one,” Miles said. “They’re slow to react because they’re thinking about another spot. It’s well-intended, but it needs to be corrected.”
Senior defensive end Kirston Pittman said the recent loss and drop in rankings have made the defense more focused than ever.
“Our fight is still there,” he said. “We’re still hungry, and I think now we’re hungrier than we’ve ever been.”
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