Before the preseason polls came out and before both Oregon and LSU received top-5 rankings, the anticipation for the season-opening showcase in Arlington, Texas, had already reached a fever pitch.
But as the countdown to game time dwindled, the marquee matchup quickly became more about the players missing the game than the ones suiting up.
No. 4 LSU lost three starters — two for disciplinary reasons and one for injury — days before the opener, and the Tigers have faced a slew of off-field distractions that have tested the team’s resolve.
Senior right guard Will Blackwell said the Tigers have overcome every offseason challenge to focus on the matchup with No. 3 Oregon.
“Before we take the field we always line up behind the end line, and [LSU] Coach [Les] Miles leads us on the field,” Blackwell said. “When we do that, we leave everything that’s not related to the game or practice behind us. Family problems, teammate problems, girlfriend problems, whatever that might be, and we vow to focus on the task at hand, and that’s battle.”
Since Texas A&M also ran a similar fast-paced offense, LSU began preparing for an up-tempo offense before the Cotton Bowl. The Tigers utilized freshmen Jakhari Gore and Jerrard Randall to simulate James and Thomas during the offseason.
“[Oregon] gets a lot of guys tired, not ready and not set, so they break big plays because people aren’t in their right lanes,” said sophomore defensive tackle Michael Brockers. “We’ve been running tempo plays faster than they run them to be prepared for what they practice.”
 
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Contact Hunter Paniagua at [email protected]