LSU football coach Les Miles could not escape questions at his weekly press luncheon Monday about the Tigers’ clock management debacle in Saturday’s 25-23 loss to Ole Miss.Miles repeatedly took responsibility for the questionable calls that cost LSU a victory, including the failed two-point conversion with 1:17 left and wasting 17 seconds to call a timeout before a hail mary pass to junior wide receiver Terrance Toliver on fourth-and-26.After a futile fade route attempt to Toliver, LSU got another chance for two points because of a pass interference penalty against Ole Miss cornerback Cassius Vaughn. Miles said personnel problems discouraged him from calling a running play from the 1 1/2-yard line.”I absolutely could have forced a run. I felt like the coordinator [Gary Crowton] had done a really good job,” Miles said. “We lost two tight ends [senior Richard Dickson and sophomore Mitch Joseph], so the opportunity to get the run we wanted in the game was not quickly accessible.”Miles said some assistant coaches in the press box conveyed to the sidelines after the 43-yard completion to Toliver that there appeared to be 12 Ole Miss defensive players on the field, which would have been a penalty and given LSU more than just one second.”What was relayed was there was a possibility of a 12th man on defense,” Miles said. “If we could get the ball snapped in some way, that defensive penalty might give us another opportunity at a snap. I reviewed it, and there was a substitution that took place, not 12 guys on the field.”Video surfaced since the game indicating Miles was signaling to sophomore quarterback Jordan Jefferson to spike the ball with one second left on the clock. Miles said on Monday his hand motions were not meant to convey that message.”The Ole Miss player came up with the ball,” Miles said. “He came out of the pile with the ball, so I wanted to make sure they knew the ball was down and the receiver had caught it and gone down.”Miles said it was impossible to get the field goal unit on the field with one second remaining, and the coaching staff had only one option in mind — to score a winning touchdown.”We’ve practiced it on a daily basis, and it takes 12 seconds on the play clock [to get the field goal unit ready],” Miles said. “We felt like we had to score, and that ended up being the case.”With the Ole Miss game complete, Miles said the running game will focus around sophomore Stevan Ridley, senior Trindon Holliday and freshman Russell Shepard. Senior Keiland Williams left the Ole Miss game with an apparent broken bone in his ankle.”Those are the three that will get the carries first certainly,” Miles said. “[Freshman fullback] Dominique Allen might get some snaps, and there are some other guys who might play at tailback.” LSU’s final regular season game is against Arkansas on Saturday. “In 48 hours I’ve gone through the pain of this, and it’s not something I enjoy,” Miles said. “But I’m done with Ole Miss.”–Contact Rachel Whittaker at [email protected]