For the second time this season, LSU head coach Nick Saban gave his “It’s Time to Move On” sermon. But this time it was not about Damien James’ removal from the team. It was focused on the most incredible play in recent LSU football history, if not all of LSU history.
“I think it’s time to move on,” Saban said Monday. “It just happened. If we tried to make it happen like it happened then, it wouldn’t happen, because it’s one of those kinds of plays. It’s divine intervention that it worked.”
While Saban was happy the Tigers beat Kentucky, he was more concerned about the reason LSU trailed UK 30-27 with two seconds remaining in the game.
“Just because we had the most exciting play in college football happen doesn’t mean there are a lot of things that don’t need fixing,” Saban said. “We wouldn’t have been down 30-27 had we done it right to start with.”
Saban said media and fans are worried about end results, while he is a process person.
“The process that got us behind three points in the game is what I am concerned about,” he said. “And I’ve been concerned about it. I was up at 4:38 this morning concerned about it, not watching the play on ESPN. I could care less about it.”
Getting louder as more questions arose on the “Bluegrass Miracle,” Saban ended them all.
“We’re playing Alabama this week, and I feel like the luckiest guy in the world,” he said. “Just like the guy who hit the lotto, whoever that is … the luckiest man in the world. I’m happy for our team. I’m happy to see our players so happy.
“But you know what we need? We need our players to focus on how to get better as a team, so that we can have a chance to be successful in the future. The fun of it all is winning, and you win a lot of different ways. We were fortunate to win the way we won, and I’m happy about it. But it’s over, and I am concerned about getting our players to play as well as they can play.”
LSU (7-2, 4-1 Southeastern Conference), ranked No. 12 in the ESPN/USA Today poll and No. 14 in the AP Poll, plays No. 10 (AP) Alabama Saturday night at 8 p.m. in Tiger Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN. LSU also was ranked No. 13 in the latest BCS rankings.
“The challenge that we have this week is one of the biggest, toughest of the year,” Saban said. “This is may be the best all-around football team that we have played all year long.”
Saban said Alabama (8-2, 5-1) has one of the top defenses in the country, led by its front four (Antwan Odom, Jarret Johnson, Kenny King and Kindal Moorehead) and a potent two-quarterback offense with signal-callers Tyler Watts and Brodie Croyle.
Injuries
Saban said cornerback Randall Gay (shoulder) probably is the only player who would miss practice Monday.
“We don’t think it’s that serious,” Saban said. “He shouldn’t be out of the game with it.”
Saban also said injured tailback LaBrandon Toefield would return to practice Monday wearing a red (non-contact) jersey.
“I am not sure that he will be ready to play in this game, but maybe sometime in the near future, if he continues to make progress and feels comfortable with what he’s doing,” he said. “The thing we want to do is make sure we are not putting him at any risk when he goes out there.”
Awards
The SEC named receiver Devery Henderson Offensive Player of the Week for his 201-yard, three-touchdown performance against Kentucky, including the tipped Hail Mary at the end.
“I think everybody has to keep in mind that it was a tremendous play by Devery Henderson to make the play that he made,” Saban said. “The ball happened to get tipped in the right direction, and he was hustling on the play and gave tremendous effort. He made an outstanding play. We practice that play every Thursday. It hasn’t worked once all year long.”
Ole Miss game to be televised
ESPN2 announced Monday it will carry the Nov. 23 game between Ole Miss and LSU, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m in Tiger Stadium.