For the first time this season, No. 11 LSU should maintain a regular practice schedule during the week in preparation for Vanderbilt.
After getting their schedule turned around due to LSU’s Monday night loss to Tennessee, as well as dealing with one postponement and one game moved to Arizona State, coach Les Miles said the team is ready to get back to a normal schedule.
“I look forward to a regular week,” Miles said. “It definitely affects a team, but to what extent, I don’t know. We’re all looking forward to getting a regular game week under our belts.”
LSU initially planned on playing North Texas on Sept. 3, but that game was pushed back to Oct. 30 due to Hurricane Katrina. The following week, LSU’s home game against Arizona State was moved to Tempe, Arizona. After a bye week, LSU’s game scheduled for Sept. 24 against Tennessee was moved to Monday, Sept, 26, because of Hurricane Rita.
In preparing for its second consecutive road game, sophomore wide receiver Early Doucet said the team can only benefit from a normal weekly schedule.
“It’s going to help us, being that we have a full-week to prepare,” Doucet said. “We get to watch more film, get more reps in practice and be more sharp in our game plan.”
Doucet leads the team in receiving with 133 yards on nine catches and one touchdown.
“The more reps you get, the more familiar you get with the defensive scheme [the opponent] runs,” Doucet said. “When game time comes, it won’t be like we’re seeing something we haven’t seen before. We’ll be accustomed to it.”
After throwing 21 of 24 for 206 yards and two touchdowns in LSU’s 37-7 win at Mississippi State, quarterback JaMarcus Russell said the team will only get better now that the Tigers will play one game per week.
“We are going to be better once we get on a roll and go week by week instead of one game Monday and on Saturday,” Russell said after the game Saturday.
LSU’s game last Saturday at Mississippi State was the first time since 1973 that LSU played two games in six days. LSU went on to beat Mississippi State on Nov. 17, but then lost 21-7 to Alabama on Nov. 22.
Contact Jeff Sentell at [email protected]