LSU sophomore quarterback Jordan Jefferson practiced all day Wednesday and is expected to start Saturday against Ole Miss, LSU coach Les Miles said Wednesday.”Unless there’s a setback, I’d expect [Jefferson] to start,” Miles said. “He throws the ball extremely well, and he appears to be mobile. To say he’s as fast as he once was, I don’t know, but mobile, yeah.”Senior tight end Richard Dickson and sophomore center T-Bob Hebert, who both missed the Louisiana Tech game with injuries, also practiced and are expected to play.Miles said sophomore quarterback Jarrett Lee has had a positive attitude in practice this week despite completing just 7-of-22 passes against Louisiana Tech.”[Lee] has been really good,” Miles said. “He’s throwing balls and doing a great job commanding the offense.”Miles would not say definitively if Lee would play against the Rebels.”I don’t know that, but certainly he’ll be ready,” Miles said.In the wake of LSU’s 24-16 win this past Saturday, Louisiana Tech freshman defensive back Chad Boyd was suspended for a half-game by the Western Athletic Conference for a helmet-to-helmet hit on LSU junior wide receiver Terrance Toliver.The officials did not penalize Boyd for the hit during the game, but Miles said it was clear from the sidelines it was helmet-to-helmet contact.”It’s nice to see the review procedure works when those things happen,” Miles said. Miles said true freshman running back Michael Ford has been simulating Ole Miss senior wide receiver Dexter McCluster in practice this week. McCluster ran for 33 of the Rebels’ 102 rushing yards and caught three passes for 37 yards in their 31-13 victory in Baton Rouge last season.McCluster comes into Saturday’s game hot after rushing for 282 yards in the Rebels’ win against Tennessee last Saturday.”It’s been fun for [Ford] certainly, and our defense is responding,” Miles said.Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt has defeated LSU for two straight seasons. Nutt was the coach at Arkansas in 2007 when the Razorbacks handed the Tigers their second triple-overtime loss, 50-48. Miles said Nutt’s offenses are some of the best he has faced.”The 2007 Arkansas team, with those two big running backs [Darren McFadden and Felix Jones], was something special,” Miles said. “McCluster is pretty special too. Miles said there is a want for revenge against an Ole Miss team that handed Miles his worst home loss in his career at LSU.”Any time you line up against a team that beat you the year before, it’s one you want back,” Miles said. “Certainly, we’re motivated.”LSU has played in a bowl game every year since Miles became coach in 2005. Miles said he has not fueled any discussions among the team about possible bowl invitations.”I have not talked to our team about specific bowls,” Miles said. “There’s a lot to be said to that … but I don’t need to push to the best bowl. Our guys understand what that means.”—-Contact Rachel Whittaker at [email protected]
Football: Miles says Jefferson expected to start
November 19, 2009