Refusing to name a starting quarterback for Saturday’s contestagainst Arkansas State, LSU coach Nick Saban said at his Wednesdaypress conference a Web site poll on the subject upset him.
Saban said he received phone calls from both JaMarcus Russelland Marcus Randall’s parents, who were upset about their sons beingput up for a popularity contest.
“I think that’s pretty tasteless,” Saban said. “Why don’t youhave a poll about me or something? I’m a professional. I can takeit. I’m not going to tell you anything about [the quarterbacksituation] –nothing. Not before the game – never.”
Russell told the Reveille on Saturday he felt unsettled in hiscollegiate debut against Oregon State. Saban said the polls lead tomore anxiety, and not even the team’s psychologist can handle allthe pressure.
“The best way to compete is to focus on doing the best you can,”Saban said. “When a guy’s got to live in a community and hear andsee what everybody says… that still has got to be difficult foranybody to take. I know it would be difficult for me. I know itwould be difficult if my son was criticized if I were a parent of aplayer that played at this level and this magnitude.”
With amateur athletes, Saban said fans booing players, whichalso occurred Saturday, does not improve a player’s confidence.
“I don’t think it sends the guys the message,” Saban said. “AndI don’t think it creates the atmosphere in Tiger Stadium that weneed or want to have a successful program.”
Saban also defended Randall who was pulled for Russell in theOregon State game. Randall completed 7-of-18 passes for 66 yardswith one interception in the game.
“Marcus Randall is a fine young man,” Saban said. “And he’sgoing to have a lot of success in his life because of the kind ofperson he is… that’s really why we won the national championshiplast year because we had good players that had that kind ofcharacter.”
The Tigers had a choice on how to deal with the close winagainst Oregon State, Saban said.
“You can take it like your relieved that you won the game, oryou can take it like there’s a lot of things we can improve on,”Saban said. “We haven’t been able to fix all those things but I seea significant amount of improvement — a really good attitude abouttrying to get it done in the way they work. We’ve got another dayto practice — a lot of mental practice to do between now and then.We’re certainly not where we need to be as a team but I think we’vemade a significant amount of improvement.”
Notes:
Junior wide receiver Skyler Green did not practice Wednesday,but offensive linemen Will Arnold and Ben Wilkerson returned topractice, Saban said.
Saban said freshman wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins status withthe team is uncertain.
“He was here on Sunday, wasn’t here on Monday,” Saban said. “Hedidn’t talk to anybody. Nobody knew where he was. We took two orthree days to track him down. I guess he went home to California. Inever talked to him. I don’t know what his future and what hisplans are. I don’t have any plans to do anything with him untilwe’ve talked to him.”
Also, Saban said he will depart for West Virginia tomorrowmorning to attend the funeral of his 92-year-old grandfather. Hewill return to Baton Rouge in the afternoon.