LSU football met with the media on Tuesday following its instant-classic upset win in overtime against the Ole Miss Rebels.
LSU’s standout defensive end Bradyn Swinson was awarded SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after recording a career-high eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, and two sacks.
Behind his spectacular performance on the field, Swinson believes the atmosphere of Death Valley during last Saturday’s matchup was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience.
“This was one of the type of games [that] you sit down when you [were] a kid and you just sit back and watch on TV,” Swinson said.
“That atmosphere in Baton Rouge was crazy. [With] the light show, I didn’t even know that was happening. I don’t know what they had on their wrist, but it was after the fourth down stop, I just saw everything started flickering. That thing was nice.”
With this being the most memorable game that Swinson has played in his football career, achieving sweet revenge against the Rebels after a heartbreaking loss last season was a motivating factor for the Tigers’ defensive room.
“We didn’t flinch one time. To see our whole team, especially the defense, to come out that fast… that was like a big emphasis on what Coach Kelly was talking about,” Swinson said. “Our defense started extraordinarily fast… when you hold an offense like that to a low-scoring amount, that’s a proud moment for you and your team.”
Boasting his best game of the season with five tackles, LSU junior safety Jardin Gilbert made the most of the national spotlight to silence the criticism the secondary has faced.
“In that defensive room, we’re all that we got,” Gilbert said. “Regardless of what anybody else is saying, whoever is [inside] our four walls while we’re talking and preaching and understanding what we have to do… we play for each other.”
On the offensive side of the ball, senior running back Josh Williams understands the importance of embracing his leadership role. Williams finished with a sneaky three receptions for 43 yards against the Rebels.
“The experience and opportunities that I’ve had, to actually be in those tough situations type of games and those rivalries, I think it’ll be great for not only me, but some of my teammates in the running back room,” Williams said. “I can give them my knowledge and just help them out with the things I’ve gone through.”
Approaching the Battle for the Golden Boot against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, Williams appreciates the competitive nature of this intense rivalry.
“We already know that it’s going to be a dogfight,” Williams said. “Playing for that [golden] boot, it’s a big deal. A lot of guys overlook it and a lot of people don’t really know about it, but being here for as long as I have and playing for that boot every year, it’s really a big deal for our team and our culture.”
No. 8 LSU Tigers will travel to Fayetteville to face the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. CST.
The Tigers are looking to capture the Golden Boot for the third consecutive year.
