Les Miles must be a thrill-seeking junkie.
 
It’s the only explanation for his complete and utter disregard for the clock late in football games.
 
For the second time in less than a year, Miles threw caution to the wind and watched the clock trickle down to nothing while his offense and his quarterback looked on in confused disbelief.
 
When LSU had first-and-goal at the Tennessee 2-yard line with 36 seconds remaining, it seemed like a given. You call four plays and say, “Just line up and run them until you cross the goal line or run out of downs.”
 
Just make sure you don’t run out of time.
 
And at first that seemed to be the plan.
 
Junior quarterback Jarrett Lee ran a play action pass on first down. When his target fell, he chunked the ball into oblivion.
So far, so good. There were 32 seconds left, and LSU had second-and-goal from the 2-yard line. It looked like maybe Miles no longer needed a thrill to survive.
 
But Miles needed a fix. He needed a thrill to quell the tweaking from within.
 
He ran Jordan Jefferson on a quarterback keeper that gained nothing and kept the clock running. Then with precious time slipping away, he stalled, knowing he had the entire situation under control.
 
Finally, following some baffling personnel substitutions, the Tigers were ready to snap the ball. The snap sailed over Jefferson’s head, and the clock expired. Tennessee charged the field, celebrating like a guest on “Maury” who has just been informed he’s not the father.
 
But Les stayed calm, mainlining his thrill. He knew this one was still in the bag.
 
And when the yellow hankie from heaven granted Les’ boys one final play, he let junior running back Stevan Ridley punch it in to give the Tigers the win.
 
When interviewed after the game, Miles slyly told CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson the game was “just another day in the SEC.”
For those who follow LSU football, it was.
 
For the second time in five games this season, the outcome of a game came down to the final play from scimmage.
 
And don’t forget last season’s “Mississippi Mishap” when the Tigers’ mismanaged the clock and ran out of time before trying for a potential game winning field goal or final throw into the endzone.
 
But Saturday was a thrill ride of its own.
 
LSU came into the game as the superior team and a huge favorite. We scored on the first play from scrimmage and appeared to be beginning a dominating victory.
 
Tennessee was a week off an overtime win at home against Alabama-Birmingham and had shown few signs of improvement since the beginning of the season.
 
Despite the Tigers’ continued offensive struggles, they were in a more than fortuitous situation to win.
 
They nearly let it slip away because of poor communication and a seeming lack of game planning.
 
Nonetheless, the Tigers escaped Saturday afternoon with a win. They currently sit at 5-0 and are ranked in the top 10.
But there are a few bigger questions that still weigh heavily upon my mind.
 
Is Les Miles just a thrill-seeking junkie? Is there a method to his madness? Does he do this to us on purpose?
 
I wish I had an answer for these questions. But much like Saturday afternoon in the stands, I’m speechless, confused and stunned all at the same time.
 
 
 
 
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Contact Rob Landry at [email protected]