LSU football coach Les Miles had a difficult time Tuesday explaining how there was confusion coming out of a timeout late in Saturday’s 24-17 loss to BCS No. 1 Auburn.
LSU (7-1, 4-1) faced a fourth-and-7 from its own 30-yard line with 3:27 remaining, and it called a timeout.
Following the timeout, LSU sophomore wide receiver Russell Shepard was on the field. He sprinted off, then was shoved back on, causing mass chaos that eventually led to junior quarterback Jarrett Lee scrambling for 2 yards and turning the ball over on downs.
“There was great interference, and it was unbelievably loud. And whether it was all communicated, we certainly don’t know,” Miles said. “I don’t understand why Shepard came off.”
Before the turnover, LSU had two timeouts remaining and could have called another one, but Miles decided to forge ahead without another stoppage.
“I felt like we just were there and the idea that all the communication should well have been made,” Miles said. “I just felt like, ‘Let’s go play this play.’ We had the play called before the timeout.”
Auburn chewed up the remaining minutes from there with a heaping helping of rushes by junior quarterback Cam Newton to secure victory.
Newton accounted for 309 total yards — 223 rushing yards — and two touchdowns on the day.
But his ability to break tackles had Miles frustrated.
“You don’t tackle him high. You don’t go for a pass fake,” Miles said. “You have to tackle that man low, and certainly if that had happened, that would have helped a lot.”
A tackle of a different kind also caught Miles’ ire.
Late in the first quarter, LSU senior offensive tackle Joseph Barksdale was called for a false start penalty. But following the whistle and flag, Auburn junior defensive tackle Nick Fairley slammed junior quarterback Jordan Jefferson to the turf.
Miles initially thought the move was unnecessary.
“There’s a point in time where safety is also important, and I think that was right on the edge of being called,” Miles said. “I know it was a very loud time in the game. The whistle was blown, and I believe the official answered exactly this way when I asked him on the sideline, ‘There’s no way he heard the whistle.’ And I accept that, though several of the guys on the film are stopped.”
But following eight games and entering a bye week, Miles is looking forward to assessing his team as a whole and building for the home stretch.
“We look at some of the tendencies that are evident, and we need to do better,” Miles said. “With each position group, there’s a series of issues for each player. It’s an ambitious schedule, but it’s one that our guys certainly look forward to.”
 
 
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Contact Rob Landry at [email protected]